Complete Guide to Star Adventurer Mini (S.A.M.)

The Star Adventurer Mini, or SAM, is a portable system that attaches to your tripod and camera to allow you to take extremely long (such as 60 seconds to 5 minutes) exposures without star trails. In this video I explain how it works, show you how to set it up, provide examples and share tips like using your own software and polar alignment.

00:53 Tracked vs. untracked exposures
01:54 What's in the box
02:37 What it looks like assembled
02:49 How it works
03:50 How to assemble
06:06 Connections and power
06:59 Power and WiFi indicators
07:14 WiFi options
07:51 Manual control of the motor
08:20 Astrophotography settings
08:55 Tip: keep motor running while controlling the camera with other software
09:53 Installing the declination bracket
11:39 Astro-timelapse settings
12:40 Framing using a ball head (or trigger) adapter
13:16 Regular (daytime) time lapse photography
14:29 Polar clock utility
15:17 Installing the polar scope
16:42 How to orient the tripod for polar alignment