SKY-WATCHER star adventurer mini User Manual
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SKY-WATCHER star adventurer mini User Manual

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SAM
Star Adventurer Mini User Guide
Quite Possibly The Most Compact and Versatile Camera Tracking Platform in the Known Universe!
Astrophotography
•
Time-Lapse Photography
•
DSLR Camera Control
•

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Summary of Contents for SKY-WATCHER star adventurer mini

  • Page 1 Star Adventurer Mini User Guide Astrophotography • Time-Lapse Photography • DSLR Camera Control • Quite Possibly The Most Compact and Versatile Camera Tracking Platform in the Known Universe!

  • Page 2: Introduction And Safety Considerations

    SAM comes with built-in WiFi and the free Star Adventurer mini Console App for Android and iOS platforms. SAM is easy to set up and easy to operate in all of its modes. The more you use it, the more you’ll love it!

  • Page 3: Sam's Main Features

    Features: • High precision, portable and stable camera tracking system • Built-in WiFi with free app for Android and iOS platforms • Multi-language support • Solar, lunar and sidereal tracking rates for astrophotography “ • Payloads up to 3kg Take your photographic creativity to new heights •...

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    SAM’s Main Features Polar Alignment in the Northern Hemisphere Polar Alignment in the Southern Hemisphere SAM’s Parts Diagram Optional Accessories Star Adventurer mini Console for Astrophotog- Overview and Preliminary Setup raphy Astrophotography Progress Screen Installing the Star Adventurer mini Console...

  • Page 5: Sam's Parts Diagram

    SAM Parts Diagram 1: Power Button 2: Power LED Indicator 3: WiFi LED Indicator 4: Polar View Finder 5: Knurled Tripod Connector 6: Tripod Connector Locking Knob 7: SNAP Port: DSLR Shutter Control 8: Micro USB Port 9: AA x 2 Battery Case 10: Saddle 11: Dovetail Locking Knob 12: Saddle Locking Knob...

  • Page 6: Optional Accessories

    SAM Included and Optional Accessories Please Note: Included accessories may vary by dealer. Polar Scope: Included Polar Scope Illuminator: Included 3/8” Ball Head Adapter: Included DSLR Control Cable: Optional Enables very precise polar alignments Illuminates the polar scope to make Refer to the table on the next page to SAM INCLUDES a 3/8”...
  • Page 7 SAM Optional and Included Accessories Please Note: Included accessories may vary by dealer. DSLR Control Cable Controls the shutter of your DSLR. Available for Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Sony cameras. See the table below to select the appropriate cable for your camera model. Part Number Camera Interface Style Controller Interface Compatible Camera Models...

  • Page 8: Overview And Preliminary Setup

    SAM features full shutter control for many DSLR cameras along with many other functions by means of the free Star Adventurer mini Console – available for your Android or iOS device. With its high precision tracking and powerful free app, SAM gives you a new tool with countless creative possibilities.

  • Page 9: Led Status Indicators

    “SynScanWiFi_xxxxxx”. Start the Star Adventurer mini Console: Once WiFi is connected you can run the Star Adventurer mini Console to access its many features. See specific details in the relevant sections. Power Off: Push and hold the Power Button for about 5 seconds to turn off the power.

  • Page 10: Setting Up For Time-Lapse Photography

    Once SAM is attached to your tripod, and your camera gear is attached to SAM, you are ready to start making videos with the Star Adventurer mini Console. The last step is to attach SAM to your camera using the SNAP cable. One end plugs into the port for a wired shutter remote on your camera and the other into the SNAP port on SAM.

  • Page 11: Star Adventurer Mini Console For Time-Lapse

    Now that you have SAM set up with your camera gear attached it’s time to learn how to use the Star Adventurer mini Console. This section assumes that you installed the app on your device. If you have not, please refer back to the section titled Installing the Star Adventurer mini Console.

  • Page 12: Time-Lapse Photography Parameters

    Regular and Long-Exposure Time-Lapse Parameters parameters that you can set to create your time-lapse video, with a few more that can be seen by scrolling The major difference between Regular-Exposure Time- down (see page 14). All of the parameters are explained Lapse mode and Long-Exposure Time-Lapse mode in detail below.

  • Page 13: Time-Lapse Parameter Details

    Time-Lapse Parameter Details Following is a complete list of the parameters you can set. Note that because several of the parameters are interrelated some may be unavailable at certain times. For instance, when Frame Rate and Video Length are set you cannot manually choose the number of Photos as it is calculated for you based on the other two parameters.
  • Page 14 Swing Range (Deg): Use Swing Range to create an interesting swing or pendulum effect for your time-lapse video. When used, SAM will pan to the limit of the Swing Range that you set, then pan back to your starting point as many times as specified in the Swing Count parameter.

  • Page 15: Time-Lapse Progress Screen

    Time-Lapse Progress Screen Once your tripod, SAM and camera gear are set up and all of your task parameters are set, just press Run to initiate the task. Your parameter settings will remain in view and Status will appear at the bottom of the screen. To view the task progress tap on Status.

  • Page 16: Astrophotography And Astro Time-Lapse

    Astrophotography and Astro Time-Lapse Astrophotography Astrophotography refers to photography of the night time sky. It has become far more familiar to us due to the incredible images recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope and shared by NASA with the public over the past two decades.
  • Page 17 connection to create much longer exposures – like a minute or two – or ten! With a sufficiently long exposure, your camera will collect enough light to reveal hidden details that are much too faint for our eyes to see. But then, quite literally, you’ll see the second problem! The Need For Tracking In your now, nicely exposed photo, the stars don’t look like stars anymore...

  • Page 18: Astro Time-Lapse

    Astro Time-Lapse Astro Time-Lapse photography faces the same challenges as astrophotography A time-lapse video consists in general. Namely, due to the dimness of the subject (the night sky), longer of hundreds to thousands exposures are required to record sufficient detail, and tracking is needed to of individual photos taken prevent star trailing during those exposures.

  • Page 19: Polar Alignment

    Polar Alignment Polar Alignment refers to the procedure for aligning SAM’s rotational axis Look through with the Earth’s rotational axis. If we extend Earth’s rotational axis out the Polar View into space it intersects an imaginary point called the Celestial Pole. In the Finder and align Polaris on Polaris, making...
  • Page 20 Now attach your camera gear being careful not to move the tripod out of its polar aligned position. Connect the SNAP camera control cable between SAM and your camera. Point your camera at your subject, then proceed to set up SAM via the Star Adventurer mini Console.

  • Page 21: Polar Alignment In The Southern Hemisphere

    You now have your equipment set up and ready to go. Proceed to the section “Using the Star Adventurer mini Console for Astrophotography”. Polar Alignment in the Southern Hemisphere The simple polar alignment procedure described above is not possible in the southern hemisphere due to the lack of any bright stars in the vicinity of the SCP.

  • Page 22: Astrophotography Progress Screen

    Photos: Enter the number of photos you wish to acquire of the subject. You can use advanced image processing methods to combine multiple images of an object into a single photo with much less graininess and far more detail than can typically be recorded in a single long exposure. Tracking Rate: Celestial objects within our own solar system move at slightly different rates than the distant stars and nebulae that populate the rest of our galaxy.

  • Page 23: Using Sam For Astro Time-Lapse Photography

    Using the Star Adventurer mini Console For Astro Time-Lapse One of the most unique features of SAM is its ability to create time-lapse videos of celestial vistas. This feature combines SAM’s astrophotography functions with its time-lapse functions giving you a powerful tool to create stunning and unique time-lapse videos.

  • Page 24: Astro Time-Lapse Progress Screen

    Frame Rate: Select NTSC (30 fps) or PAL (25 fps) according to the video standards for your location. You can further adjust the playback speed of your video in your video editing software. Photos: Enter the number of photos you wish to make up your video.
  • Page 25 Star Adventurer Mini User Guide Part II...

  • Page 26: Manual Control Of Sam

    Manual Control Go to the Main Menu and tap on Manual Control. This will bring up the manual control arrows on either side of an angle given in degrees, minutes and seconds. Tap or touch and hold the arrow symbols to nudge or continuously move SAM to the left or right, respectively.

  • Page 27: Settings Menu

    To turn on the LED just quickly press SAM’s on/ off button, or set the LED to on using the Star Adventurer mini Console. WiFi Auto-Off: Tap to choose a delay to automatically turn of WiFi to preserve power.

  • Page 28: Wifi Network

    Access Point (AP) Mode: This is the default and simpler mode. In AP mode SAM acts as a wireless access point so that you can connect to it via the Star Adventurer mini Console. AP Mode SSID: The SSID will automatically show up based on the SSID you entered to make your initial WiFi connection.

  • Page 29: Network Troubleshooting

    Network Troubleshooting Re-establish WiFi Connection The WiFi connection to SAM will disconnect if either the SSID or Password is modified. If you lose your WiFi connection please follow the procedures to reconnect your device to SAM as outlined on page 8. Restore SAM to Factory WiFi Settings If you have forgotten the Password or are having trouble establishing a WiFi connection then you may need to restore SAM to factory set-...

  • Page 30: I Advanced Polar Alignment Procedures

    The Polar Scope is the most important of these as it provides you with a clear view of Polaris in the North and the Sigma Octanis group in the South. Further, the Star Adventurer mini Console provides a Polar Clock function to guide your polar alignment with remarkable precision.
  • Page 31 Azimuth Knobs until you can see Polaris inside the boundaries of the view port. Note that if SAM is powered up you can illuminate the Polar View Finder LED by turning it on in the Star Adventurer mini Console, or quickly pressing and releasing the power button.
  • Page 32 Setting Up the Polar Scope Carefully remove the Rear Mounting Plate from the back of SAM and fully insert your Polar Scope into the exposed hole. If you have set things up correctly to this point, you should be looking directly north when looking through the Polar Scope.
  • Page 33 camera gear (ball head, camera). NOTE: If you are using the optional Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly you can perform the polar alignment procedure with all of your gear already mounted. Connect your camera to SAM via the SNAP control port using the appropriate interface cable for your brand of camera.
  • Page 34 Polar Clock function included in the Star Adventurer mini Console. First Install the Polar Scope [Refer to the photos on page 32.] Carefully remove the Rear Mounting Plate from the back of SAM and insert your Polar Scope into the exposed hole.
  • Page 35 SCP. 1. Bring up the Star Adventurer mini Console and tap on the Polar Clock Utility. 2. Tap on Southern Hemisphere if it is not already selected. This will bring up a representation of the reticule in your Polar Scope.

  • Page 36: Calibrating The Polar Scope

    Appendix II: Calibrating the Polar Scope For the highest precision it may be necessary to align the reticule in your Polar Scope before performing a polar alignment. This simple calibration procedure will ensure that your polar alignments are done to the highest possible level of precision.
  • Page 37 Note how the orientation of the reticule changes when Polar Scope is rotated 180 degrees. Adjust reticule until target appears here Explanation of the Figures A: Following tripod and/or wedge adjustments SAM has been aimed so that the distant target (X) falls under the central cross of the reticule pattern.
  • Page 38 Continuing from Step 3 above, note the deviation of your target from the central The three reticule adjustment screws are equally spaced around cross hair. To align your reticule you need to move it so that 1/2 of the error is the perimeter of the polar scope corrected.

  • Page 39: Using The Equatorial Wedge

    Appendix III: The Optional Equatorial Wedge If you plan to do a lot of astrophotography with SAM then you should seriously consider purchasing the Equatorial Wedge (wedge). This accessory makes the fine pointing control that is necessary for polar alignment procedures much more easily accomplished than using a standard tilt/pan head or ball mount.

  • Page 40: Using The Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly

    Appendix IV: The Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly The Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly provides more convenience and control for mounting your photographic payloads. The Fine-Tuning Element gives you pointing control for horizontal movements, and for Declination Camera adjustments when SAM is used in its polar-aligned equatorial mode. Use Attachment its adjustable clutch to make large changes in pointing directions, or make precise adjustments with its fine-tuning control knob.
  • Page 41 SAM Has Many Possible Configurations SAM can be configured with your ball mount, tilt/pan head, camera and tripod in many ways. For Regular and Long-Exposure Time-Lapse videos all you need to do is mount SAM to your tripod and your camera to SAM. Using a ball mount between SAM and the camera is highly recommended as it gives you much more control over your compositions.

  • Page 42: Firmware Upgrade Procedures

    Steps 3 to 7. the firmware update file. Both are available at the Sky-Watcher website in the downloads section. Follow the steps below to update the firmware: Go to www.skywatcher.com...

  • Page 43: How To Restore Factory Wifi Settings

    WiFi settings will be restored. If you were using other than the default settings you will need to go back to the WiFi settings screens in the Star Adventurer mini Console to re-enter your settings preferences.

  • Page 44: Sam Specifications

    Appendix VII: SAM Product Specifications Product Type Ultra compact equatorial tracking platform Regions For Northern and Southern hemispheres Functions Astronomical Tracking, Camera Control and Time-Lapse Video Creation Tracking Modes Sidereal Rate, 1/2 Sidereal Rate, Solar, Lunar and Manual Payload Up to 3 kg Wheel Gear 36 mm dia.
  • Page 45 Notice Sky-Watcher reserves the right to change the specifications of the hardware and software described in this manual at any time and without prior notice. Sky-Watcher cannot be held liable for any damage resulting from the inappropriate use of this product.
  • Page 46 SAM User Guide Version 1.12 Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android, Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.

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