3 replies to this topic

[norcalryder]

Is there a way to do time lapse with this mount?  I realize it doesn't have a snap port which is needed for this kind of feature.  Another thing that would be interesting is the ability to program a sequence; for instance, panning from point a to point b with a dwell set on each point.  

 

I read through the ASI Air manual and didn't find anything.  I have NINA successfully set up to control the mount.  Maybe there is a plugin?

 

I had an SA 2i with the timelapse feature but I sold it and bought the wave.  Maybe I should have kept it.

 

Edit:  I just found the sequencer in NINA.  Looks pretty intimidating.  I can see I have some learning to do.

Edited by norcalryder, 24 May 2025 - 04:14 PM.

[ButterFly]

Not sure about the NINA plugin, if available.  For time lapse, though, just turn tracking off, for ground based timelapses of things that don't "move".  For example, the Milky Way rising over a mountain - the mountain doesn't move, so your mount doesn't either.

 

For following a cloud, and timelapsing that, it gets a little harder.  For each individual shot, you don't need tracking.  But, you do move the mount to recenter as needed before taking the shot.  You could, for such slow moving things, take a shot where it was the last time, then move according to how much it drifted in the present shot, then retake the shot.  If you like coding, there is plenty of image feature detection code out there for you to use and adapt.  Planes are obviously harder than clouds, which are harder than a mountain - no motion at all - unless you're in California during "the big one".

 

For a simple mountain like time lapse, just point there, and turn tracking off.  Sequence away.

[norcalryder]

Not sure about the NINA plugin, if available.  For time lapse, though, just turn tracking off, for ground based timelapses of things that don't "move".  For example, the Milky Way rising over a mountain - the mountain doesn't move, so your mount doesn't either.

 

For following a cloud, and timelapsing that, it gets a little harder.  For each individual shot, you don't need tracking.  But, you do move the mount to recenter as needed before taking the shot.  You could, for such slow moving things, take a shot where it was the last time, then move according to how much it drifted in the present shot, then retake the shot.  If you like coding, there is plenty of image feature detection code out there for you to use and adapt.  Planes are obviously harder than clouds, which are harder than a mountain - no motion at all - unless you're in California during "the big one".

 

For a simple mountain like time lapse, just point there, and turn tracking off.  Sequence away.

Thanks - The 2i has an astro timelapse feature where it will open the shutter, track for some amount of time then close the shutter then return to the original position.  While this can obviously blur the terrestrial element it gets rid of star trails and it's not so bad if the terrestrial element is far away (like a mountain or the Golden Gate Bridge from Treasure Island).

Edited by norcalryder, 24 May 2025 - 04:56 PM.

[ButterFly]

Adding in the foreground separately for each frame may be necessary if you want to actually track the sky at longer exposures.

 

It's a choice of which one to blur otherwise - the sky or the foreground.  If you do track the sky for a little while, you simply return to the alt/az position you were at when you started, then carry on with tracking from there.  One master foreground shot gets added into the same position of each shot.  With a moon out, you may want to account for shadows changing.