Manual Kenko Sky Memo S (page 17 of 32) (English)

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How the Sky Memo S Works for Astrophotography

Due to the rotation of the Earth, stars are not stationary. They appear to circle around the celestial

poles of the Earth (Fig1). Thus, being very faint and constantly moving across the sky, stars are

impossible to be captured on photographs, unless the camera is able to track them steadily to

allow long exposure. Sky Memo S provides the solution. With the high precision motor and built-in

Polar Scope, Sky Memo S can be set to compensate exactly for the star movement by rotating

the camera in the direction opposite to that of the Earth (Fig 2). The result is, the celestial objects

appearing in the field of view of your camera do not move anymore and so, taking a picture with a

long exposure time is possible while star trails(Fig 1) are eliminated. Fig. 3 illustrates how rich and

sharp your night sky pictures can be with Sky Memo S. In addition, Sky Memo S is also capable

of tracking at solar and lunar speeds.

Introduction:

The Sky Memo S Body

1：Mode Dial 13：Mounting Platform

2：Mode Index 14：Locking Knob

3：Polar Scope Cap 15：Knurled Ring of Polar Scope

4：Battery Case Cover 16：Polar Scope

5：Polar Scope Cover 17：Date Graduation Circle

6：Mini USB Port 18：Time Meridian Indicator

7：RJ-12 6-pins Auto-guider Interface 19：AAx4 Battery Case

8：DSLR Shutter Control Port 20：Time Graduation Circle

9：3-Position Slide Switch 21：Time Meridian Indicator Calibration Screw

10：Right Button and LED Indication 22：Polar Scope Calibration Screw

11：Left Button and LED Indication 23：Worm Gear Meshing Adjustment Screw

12：Clutch Knob 24：Socket for 3/8" Thread Screw

25：1/4” to 3/8” Convert Screw Adapter

The Optional Accessories:

(The default included accessories

may vary. Please refer to local dealers for details).

Polar Scope Illuminator - To provide lighting source for Polar

Scope.

Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly - To mount a telescope with

¼” thread screw on the

Sky Memo S. Allows pointing and

fine-tuning pointing in two directions.

3/8” Ball Head Adapter - To mount a standard camera ball-head

with 3/8” thread screw on the

Sky Memo S.

Equatorial Wedge

- To adjust the latitude of the Sky Memo S for

polar alignment. Offers higher accuracy and stability than a

standard photo tripod head.

Counterweight - To balance the telescope or camera loading

with 1kg counterweight.

1/4" to 3/8" Convert Screw Adapter - To convert the default

socket for 3/8" thread screw to the socket for 1/4" thread screw in

order to mount the

Sky Memo S to a standard quick release plate

of the tripod with 1/4" thread screw.

DSLR Shutter Control Cable - To connect the DSLR Shutter

Control Port of Sky Memo S to your DSLR's external shutter

control port. This allows Sky Memo S to directly control the

DSLR's shutter release with pre-programmed shutter interval.

You can order an optional cable for your camera from your

local resellers. The Following list shows the cables that we

offer as optional items.

Preparation :

Setup Tripod:

Without Tilt-head: take a standard photo tripod or video tripod with a

3/8” connection screw. Spread the legs and secure the tripod legs at the

desired height to provide a stable support for your

Sky Memo S.

Assemble

Equatorial Wedge to the tripod as Fig 4.

With Tilt-head/Ball-head: Take a standard photo tripod or video

tripod with Tilt-head or Ball-head. Spread the legs and secure the tripod

legs at the desired height to provide a stable support for your Sky Memo

S as Fig 5.

Mount Sky Memo S:

With Equatorial Wedge: Make sure the 1/4" to 3/8" Convert Screw Adapter is not in the

3/8" threaded socket at the bottom side of the

Sky Memo S. If it is, use a Slot Screwdriver to

remove it. Mount the

Sky Memo S on the (optional) Equatorial Wedge (Fig 6). Make sure the

Stopper is facing forward. Then point the

Polar Scope to the direction of the North Pole (For

Northern Hemisphere observing) or South Pole (For Southern Hemisphere observing) (Fig 7).

Lastly, complete the Polar Alignment process (Please see

Polar Alignment session for

reference).

With Tilt-head/ Ball-head: Make sure the 1/4" to 3/8" Convert

Screw Adapter

is in the 3/8" threaded socket at the bottom of the

Sky Memo S. If it is not, use an Slot Screwdriver to install it. Mount

the

Sky Memo S to the quick release plate on the tripod. Then point

the Polar Scope to the direction of the North Pole (For Northern

Hemisphere observing) or South Pole (For Southern Hemisphere

observing) (Fig 8). Then complete the polar alignment process (Please

see

Polar Alignment session for reference).

Please DO NOT move the tripod or change the angle of Equatorial Wedge or

tilt-head in order to keep the polar alignment. IF you did, please redo the polar

alignment process.

Mount The Imaging Equipment:

Now you can mount your imaging equipment according to your need, including the Shutter

Control Cable,

as the following figures show. You can contact Kenko Tokina authorized

dealers to acquire the optional accessories as needed. During mounting, please DO NOT move

the tripod or change the angle of the

Equatorial Wedge or tilt-head in order to keep the polar

alignment.

For Astrophotography：

Sky Memo S +3/8” Ball Head Adapter + Ball head + Camera + Shutter Control Cable:

Note: Make sure the locking bolt of the Mounting Platform has locked on the indentation on the

side of the

3/8" Ball Head Adapter for better locking and support.

Sky Memo S + Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly + 1kg

Counterweight + Telescope:

Sky Memo S + Dovetail + Dual Ball Heads +Dual Cameras + Shutter Control Cable:

Sky Memo S + Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly +

Ball-Head + Camera+ Telescope (+ Auto-guider):

For Time-Lapse Photography:

(For reference only: you can assemble very different configurations to create more interesting

time-lapse photography)

Horizontal Rotation Time-Lapse Photography:

Vertical Rotation Time-Lapse Photography:

Provide Power Source:

Sky Memo S allows two power source options. One is inserting 4 AA type batteries; the other is

providing DC 5V through USB port (type mini-B). (Fig 15)

Start Using Sky Memo S

Quick Function Reference:

Mode Dial:

For power control and selection of pre-programmed modes.

3-Position Slide Switch: for selection of rotation direction and camera shutter interval.

Buttons: The Right / Left buttons are used for rotating in higher speed (about 12X celestial tracking speed).

LEDs : The LEDs built-in buttons provide the lighting source in the dark and indicate the device

status such as low battery and motor error.

Snap : This is a 2.5mm 3-segment stereo jack for connecting to a camera’s shutter control port

to control camera shutter interval.

After finishing the preparation steps, you can start to enjoy the

Sky Memo S. Its major functions

are described as follows:

Main Function: Sky Memo S has a user-friendly Mode Dial and 3-Position Slide Switch to

allow users easy selection of the pre-programmed movement pattern. At the other side of the

Sky

Memo S,

the two buttons give direct access to higher speed movement for quick positioning.

Mode Dial: Used to turn on/off power and select the desired modes shown in table 1. When the

Mode Index is pointing at OFF, the mount has no power. If rotated to other modes besides the

OFF mode, the power is turned on. The LED on the Mode Dial will light up to indicate the current

mode, and the LED on the buttons will light up, too. Meanwhile,

Sky Memo S will start tracking

at the constant speed corresponding to the mode selected (Please refer to table 1).

3-Position Slide Switch: Selects the rotation direction of the Sky Memo S and the camera

shutter interval. When the switch is slid to

N or TIMELAPSE, the Sky Memo S will rotate in

the astronomical tracking direction in the Northern Hemisphere, which is counter-clockwise

around the North Celestial Pole; when the switch is slid to

S, the mount will rotate in the

astronomical tracking direction in the Southern Hemisphere, which is clockwise around the South

Celestial Pole.

Right/Left Buttons: Used to rotate the Sky Memo S at the highest speed for easier

positioning towards the desired object. When the Right Button is pushed, the

Sky Memo S will

rotate at 12-time sidereal rate and in the same direction as when sliding the switch to

N or

TIMELAPSE; when Left Button is pushed, the Sky Memo S will rotate at 12-time sidereal rate

and in the same direction as when the switch is slid to

SNAP (DSLR Shutter Control Port): Sky Memo S provides a camera shutter control

interface to control the shutter interval. The SNAP port is a 2.5 mm 3-segment stereo jack and the

trigger signal connects to the tip and base segments. By using the proper

Shutter Control

Cable

, the mount can control the camera's shutter release ( please refer to DSLR Shutter

Control Cable in the Optional Accessories).

The Shutter interval period of every selected

mode has been pre-programmed. Please refer to Table 1 for detail. For example, when the

Mode

Dial

is set to Mode and Slide Switch is set to N, the shutter interval period is 100

seconds, or 50 seconds if the

Slide Switch is set to TIMELAPSE (See Table 1). whenever any

change is applied to the buttons, mode dial, or switch, the timer is reset and the selected shutter

interval period will restart from 0 sec.

Osc Range: To avoid the shutter release cable from twisting after a long period of use under the

Astrophotography applications,

Sky Memo S will reverse after reaching 360° rotation. That is, for

Mode and 0.5X, Sky Memo S will oscillate within a 360° range. For the other

modes, in order to provide more attractive scene while filming for time-lapse photography, under

time-lapse applications such as Mode 2X, 6X and 12X,

Sky Memo S will oscillate within

180°(See Table 1). Every button pushed or mode changed will reset the starting point of the range.

For example, when the

Mode Dial is set at 6X and Slide Switch at N, the position where the

particular mode is entered will be the left boundary of the oscillation. That is, it will rotate to the

right first until it reaches 180°, then oscillates within this range (Fig 21 & 22). If any button is

pushed, the position at which the button is released will become the new left boundary of the 180°

range. If the switch is set at

S, it will rotate to the left first until it reaches 180°, then reverse the

direction for another 180°, and repeat the cycle (Fig 21 & 22).

Auto-Guider: Sky Memo S also contains auto-guiding interface to accept single axis (RA axis)

auto-guiding signal to provide more accurate celestial tracking for better quality of

astrophotography. The RJ-12 6-pin outlet is for connecting an autoguider. It is compatible with any

autoguider with a ST-4 type interface. This function only works in

Mode . For other modes,

the auto-guiding signal has no effect.

USB Port: Sky Memo S contains a USB port (Type Mini-B) to support external USB power and

support firmware upgrade. Please refer to

"Firmware Upgrade" on page 26.

Motor Status Detection: If the motor stalls (rotation speed does not reach 10% of the targeted

speed) over 5 seconds, in order to protect the motor and the mounted equipment,

Sky Memo S

will stop the motor and indicate "Motor Error" by flashing the LED on the buttons. Pushing buttons

or switching mode will restart the motor and restart the detection. Moreover, if the motor speed

error is over 5% ( if it is not within the 95%~105% of the targeted speed),

Sky Memo S will

indicate "Motor Error" by flashing the LED on the buttons, but it will not apply any change to the

motor control.

LED Indication: Sky Memo S has LEDs behind the buttons to indicating the current status.

There are three different ways the LEDs will light up. If the LEDs don't light up, the

Sky Memo S

is not in working mode.

Normal Status: LED will light up continuously at low intensity.

LED will light up at low intensity to provide light source in the dark when the motor status is normal

and the power level is normal.

Warning Status: LEDs will blink at a 0.5-second rate in two cases:

Firmware upgrading: When updating the firmware, LEDs on the Sky Memo S will blink

as a warning not to turn off power.

Battery low (The battery voltage is lower than roughly 4.5V): Sky Memo S supports

most of the AA batteries. When using rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-Mh) batteries, please

replace the batteries when it indicates low battery in order to protect the batteries from over

discharge. When using Alkaline batteries, the system will run normally for a while after indicating

battery low.

Motor Error Status: LED will blink at a 3-times-per-second rate in two cases:

Motor speed accuracy violation: The motor speed error is over 5%. If this keeps

happening, the user may need to check for overloading (Max load is 5kg) or low battery l

Motor stall: the motor stalls over 5 seconds. May be caused by external interference.

Please check if the mount is blocked by an external force.

Polar Alignment:

Before starting with the polar alignment procedure, please review the following figure to get

familiar with the scales and dials of the Polar Scope.

Use the built-in Polar Scope to complete the polar alignment. First, remove the Polar Scope

Cap

and insert the Polar Scope Illuminator (Fig 24). Rotate its Power Dial to turn on the

power to illuminate the

Polar Scope , then keep rotating the Power Dial until reaching optimal

illumination (Calibrate the

Polar Scope as needed. Please refer to " Appendix Ⅰ:Calibrate

The Polar Scope").

For Observing in The Northern Hemisphere:

find Polaris (the brightest star near the North

Celestial Pole) in the Polar Scope by adjusting the angle of the (optional)

Equatorial Wedge or

tilt-head on the tripod. Use third party Polaris Finder application or APP to find the corresponding

orientation of Polaris in the

Polar Scope by simply entering the date, time, longitude and latitude

of your observing location. Then move Polaris to that corresponding position in the Polar Scope

by using the fine-tuning movements of the

Equatorial Wedge or by moving the tilt-head on your

tripod(Fig 24). If you cannot acquire the application to find the orientation of the Polaris, please

refer to the "

The Orientation of Polaris in The Polar Scope " in the following portion.

For Observing in The Southern Hemisphere: locate in the Polar Scope the 4 dim stars

(Around Magnitude 5 to 6) which form the pattern “Octans” (see drawing in the Polar Scope as

Fig 26). Align the orientation of the “Octans” drawing to the 4 stars. Then move the 4 stars to the

4 small circles of the “Octans” drawing by using the horizontal adjustment knob to fine-tune the

Equatorial Wedge or by moving the tilt-head of your tripod.

The Orientation of Polaris in The Polar Scope

As Polaris is not located exactly at the North Celestial Pole, we can see it orbiting the North

Celestial Pole in a Polar Scope. The large circle seen in the center of the pattern in the Polar

Scope is a representation of Polaris’ orbit around the North Celestial Pole. When performing the

polar alignment process, it is necessary to determine the orientation of Polaris on the circle. We

can use the following 2 methods to get the orientation:

1. Locate both Polaris and Kochab in the sky near the North Celestial Pole. The relative position

of Kochab to Polaris is an approximation of the orientation of Polaris in the Polar Scope. For

example, if Kochab is at the 11 o’clock position of Polaris, then Polaris should also be placed at

the 11 o’clock position on the reticle circle (See Fig 27).

2. Use the built-in

Date Graduation Circle, Time Graduation Circle and Time Meridian

Indicator

to find the orientation of Polaris in the Polar Scope following the steps described below:

1. First, rotate the Wedge and adjust the latitude to bring Polaris within the field of view of the

Polar Scope.

2. Then rotate the

Date Graduation Circle to align Oct 31 to the 0 of the Time Graduation

Circle

and turn the Eyepiece/Mounting Platform to align the Time Meridian Indicator to the

0 of the

Time Meridian Circle (Fig 28). This is the date and time when the orientation of Polaris

is directly below the north pole ( 6 o'clock ).

3. At this point, the "6" in the reticle should point straight down (as shown in Fig. 29). If not so,

please refer to "

Appendix I: Calibrate the Polar Scope"

Adjust the Date Graduation Circle. Find out the difference in degree between your

observing site longitude and the central meridian of your time zone and determine if you are on the

east or the west side of the central meridian. Now, adjust the

Date Graduation Circle

accordingly.

Example: If you are located in Prince Rupert, Canada, your longitude is 130.32°W. The standard

meridian (STDM) for this time zone is 120°W. This means Prince Rupert is about 10° westward in

relation to the STDM. Turn the Date Graduation Circle to W10 to compensate for this (Fig 30).

5. Match the Date Graduation Circle with your observing time by turning the eyepiece/

Mounting Platform. Please

DO NOT rotate Date Graduation Circle directly at this step. For

example, if your observing date is March 4 and observing time is 8:00PM (Standard Time, that is

Daylight Time -1 if applied), then hold and turn the mounting platform until the 2

scale mark of

March is aligned with the “20” on the Time Graduation Circle, which represents 8:00pm(Fig 31).

6. Put Polaris at the 6 o'clock position in the FOV of the Polar cope to finish the polar alignment.

Example for Astrophotography for Celestial Tracking:

1. Assemble the tripod and Sky Memo S according to your need. Then finish the polar

alignment.

2. Mount the camera or telescope. Install the cables (

Shutter Control Cable and auto-guiding)

if needed.

3. Slide the 3-Position

Slide Switch to N if you are in Northern Hemisphere (Fig 32).

4. Rotate the

Mode Dial to Mode . The LED on the Mode Dial will light up Mode

. The LED in the buttons will light up, too. The

Sky Memo S will start tracking the celestial objects

at sidereal rate (86164 seconds per revolution，about 23.9 hours per revolution). At the same

time, it will assume control of the camera by activating the camera’s shutter release function with

an interval period of 100 seconds (as if you are pushing on the shutter release button of the

camera for 99.5 seconds and not pushing for 0.5 second and pushing again for 99.5 seconds).

5. You can push the left and right buttons to move the

Sky Memo S at the highest speed (12

times sidereal rate) to approach the targeted object in RA direction. When you reach the targeted

object, release the button. The

Sky Memo S will continue celestial tracking and restart the shutter

interval period of 100 seconds.

Example for Time-Lapse Photography in Mode 12X:

1. Assemble the tripod and Sky Memo S according to your need.

2. Assemble the camera and connect the camera and

Sky Memo S with the Shutter Control

Cable.

3. Slide the Slide Switch to position N. Rotate the Mode Dial to Mode 12X.

4. Sky Memo S will rotate firstly to the right with a speed of 2 hour per revolution until reaching

180° , then oscillate within this range. (Fig 33). At the same time, it will assume control of the

camera by activating the camera’s shutter release function with an interval period of 2 seconds (as

if you are pushing on the shutter release button of the camera for 1.5 seconds, and not pushing

for 0.5 seconds and pushing again for 1.5 seconds).

Appendix I

Calibrate The Polar Scope

Before using the Polar Scope for polar alignment, the Polar Scope itself must be calibrated

to ensure the pattern in the

Polar Scope is aligned to the mount’s R.A. axis. The following

steps will outline how to calibrate the

Polar Scope. Calibrating during daytime is

strongly recommended :

1. Choose a fixed object (the Polaris at night, or a faraway object in daytime); orient Sky

Memo S

to put the crosshair of the Polar Scope exactly on the chosen object.

2. Rotate the mount in R.A. axis for half a turn.

3. If the object remains exactly behind the crosshair in the

Polar Scope after the rotation,

then it means the

Polar Scope is aligned to the R.A. axis and no calibration is needed.

4. If, during rotation, you see the object wandering off, calibration is needed. You should

rotate the

Sky Memo S to find the point where the object is at the longest distance from the

crosshair center, and then you should move the crosshair halfway towards the object (Fig 35),

using the 3 tiny adjustment screws on the side of the Polar Scope (Fig 34). A 1.5mm Allen

wrench is needed.

IMPORTANT WARNING: Adjusting with the very small Allen screws is delicate. Read the note

below.

5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 a few times until the object remains at the center of the reticle when

rotating the mount in R.A. axis.

6. Turn the

Date Graduation Circle to align Oct 31 to the 0 of the Time Graduation

Circle.

Then hold the Date Graduation Circle and turn the eyepiece/Mounting Platform to

align the

Time Meridian Indicator to the 0 of the Time Meridian Circle (Fig 36). Then,

when looking through the eyepiece, you should see the pattern aligned as shown in Fig 37. If the

pattern is oriented differently, then scales need readjustment. To readjust, turn the

Date

Graduation Circle

to align Oct 31 to the 0 of the Time Graduation Circle. Then hold it and

turn the eyepiece/mounting platform to orient the pattern in the position shown in Fig 36. Loosen

the

Time Meridian Indicator Calibration Screw and move the meridian indicator to align it

to the 0 of the

Time Meridian Circle without turning the Date Graduation Circle and

Eyepiece/Mounting Platform. Tighten the Time Meridian Indicator calibration screw. See

through the eyepiece. Now the pattern should still be in the right position.

Note:

• When adjusting the Allen screws, loosen one screw only ¼ of a turn, and then tighten the

other two gently.

• Do not over tighten the Allen screws; it might damage the pattern plate in the Polar Scope.

• Do not loosen one screw completely or loosen more than one screw at a time; otherwise,

the pattern plate in the

Polar Scope will be disengaged and further adjustment is impossible.

• If the pattern plate does disengage, remove the

Polar Scope’s eyepiece by turning the

Knurled Ring counterclockwise and then engage the pattern plate again.

• It is recommended to do this calibration at daytime, aiming at a point object (such as a distant

rooftop) because the delicate operation with the tiny Allen screws is even more delicate in the

dark.

Appendix I I

Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly：

The Fine-Tuning Mounting Assembly connects a telescope to Sky Memo S and allows rotation in

the other direction (at 90°, DEC direction). You can adjust the tightness of the rotation with the

clutch knob. You also can fine-tune the camera or telescope orientation slightly in DEC direction

by using the fine-tuning knob. You can also remove the Fine-Tuning ¼’’ Mounting Element from

the dovetail and then mount two ball heads on the dovetail to carry two cameras or one camera

and another instrument. You can also use the Fine-Tuning ¼’’ Mounting Element at one side and

use ball head at the other side. You can implement various combinations to fit your needs.

Equatorial Wedge：

The

Equatorial Wedge is a device to adjust the latitude for polar alignment. Rotate the

Latitude Adjustment Knob can adjust the latitude of the

Sky Memo S indicated by the Latitude

Indicator. The range is from 0° to 90°. The Horizontal Adjustment Knob can adjust the Wedge to

rotate to right or left horizontally. The Horizontal bubble is for checking if the base plate of the

wedge is horizontal. The accuracy is 1°. When you install the

Mounting Plate on the Sky

Memo S , Make sure the Stopper is facing forward as Fig 39 shows to avoid equipment

slippage, before you fasten the Locking Knob.

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Kenko Sky Memo S Manual

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