INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Orion StarShoot™ Compact

Astro Tracker
#21192
* Nightscape Photography
* Long-Exposure Astrophotography
* Daytime and Nighttime Time-lapse Photography

Congratulations on your purchase of the Orion StarShoot Compact Astro Tracker (CAT). This
palm-sized, high-precision camera tracking module is designed for long exposure astropho-
tography as well as daytime or nighttime time-lapse photography with a DSLR or mirrorless
camera. The StarShoot CAT houses a right ascension DC servo tracking motor with select-
able sidereal, solar, and lunar tracking rates. Its small size and light weight make it conve-
nient for taking with you to remote locations. It is Wi-Fi enabled and controlled wirelessly from
your smartphone or tablet with the free, downloadable Tracker Console App for Android and
iOS platforms. The StarShoot CAT is easy and fun to use, and will add a new dimension to
your photographic capabilities!
This instruction manual will help you set up, properly operate, and care for your tracker.
Please read the following text thoroughly before getting started.

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Customer Support: [email protected]
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Copyright © 2020 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars. All Rights Reserved. No part of this product instruction or any of its contents
may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of Orion Telescopes & Binoculars.

IN 631 08/19
Contents
Included Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Appendix IV. The Optional Declination Bracket. . . . . . 21
Optional Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Appendix V. How to Restore Factory Wi-Fi Settings . . 21
Parts and Features Identification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Appendix VI. Updating the Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Appendix VII. StarShoot CAT Specifications . . . . . . . 22
Downloading and Installing the Tracker Console App. . 4
Basic Power-Up, Wi-Fi Connection, and Status LEDs. . 4
Time-Lapse Photography with StarShoot CAT . . . . . . . 5
Setting Up for Regular Exposure Time-Lapse and Long
Exposure Time-Lapse Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Included Components
The StarShoot Compact Astro Tracker basic kit includes the
Using the Tracker Console App for Time-Lapse
following components (Figure 1).
Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1. Tracker module
Time-Lapse Parameter Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2. Polar scope
Time-Lapse Progress Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 3. Ball head adapter
Astro Time-Lapse Using the StarShoot CAT. . . . . . . . . 9 4. Polar scope illuminator (two pieces)

Astro Time-Lapse Progress Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 5. Panoramic ball head mount

6. CR-2032 3V lithium battery (not shown)
Night Sky Photography (Astrophotography) with the
StarShoot CAT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 7. 3/8” to ¼” thread insert (removable, comes installed in
Tracker module)
Using the Tracker Console App for Night Sky
Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1
Astrophotography Progress Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Manual Control of the StarShoot CAT. . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Reviewing the Settings of the Tracker Console App . . 13 2

Network Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Appendix I. Polar Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5
Polar Alignment in the Northern Hemisphere . . . . 16
Polar Alignment in the Southern Hemisphere . . . . 17
Appendix II. Calibration of the Polar Axis Finder Scope .
4 3
19
Appendix III. The Optional Equatorial Base. . . . . . . . . 20
Figure 1

WARNING:
• NEVER look at the Sun through the polar scope, even for an instant. Doing so could cause permanent eye
damage, even blindness. Do not aim the polar scope at or near the Sun.
• Do not use in the presence of flammable gas, as doing so could result in explosion or fire.
• Keep out of reach of children. Failure to do so could result in injury to the child. This item contains small
parts that constitute a choking hazard. Consult a physician immediately if a child swallows any part of this
device.
• Do not disassemble this product. Touching the product’s internal parts could result in injury. In the event
of malfunction, contact Orion Technical Support for assistance.

2
8. Optional Accessories
The following optional accessories are available for use with
the StarShoot CAT:
A. Equatorial base (#4802)
B. Declination bracket (#4803)
C. Counterweight and shaft (#4804)
D. DSLR control cable (SNAP)
· Canon 3-pin plug (#4805)
· Canon 1-pin plug (4808)
· Nikon 1-pin plug (#4806) C.
· Sony 1-pin plug (#4807)
E. StarBlast AutoTracker Altazimuth Mount Tripod (#8976)

D.

A.

E.

B.

3
Parts and Features Introduction
Identification The StarShoot Compact Astro Tracker (CAT) is a compact,
1. SNAP Port: DSLR shutter control versatile camera tracking module that excels for taking long-
exposure night photographs and daytime or nighttime time-
2. Micro USB Port Setscrews
lapse videos. For astrophotography, StarShoot CAT’s precise
3. Dovetail Lock Knob sidereal tracking enables long exposures of celestial objects
while keeping star images pinpoint sharp. Use StarShoot CAT
4. Saddle
to capture jaw-dropping Milky Way nightscape shots and pan-
5. Saddle Rotation Lock Knob oramic starscapes. Use the timelapse modes to “compress
6. Power Button time” by capturing fun daytime time-lapses, or the rising of the
Milky Way at night, or the progression of a lunar eclipse. The
7. Power Status LED
creative possibilities are endless! And you can do it all from
8. Wi-Fi Status LED the convenience of your smartphone or tablet running the free
9. Battery Compartment (2 x AA) Tracker Console app.

10. Tripod Mounting Disk Retaining Knob Read on to learn how to set up StarShoot CAT for different
applications and how to control it using the intuitive Tracker
11. Tripod Mounting Disk Console app.
12. 3/8” Threaded Side Socket (with 3/8” to 1/4” thread
insert installed)
Downloading and Installing the
Tracker Console App
You will control the StarShoot CAT wirelessly
via a Wi-Fi connection from your smartphone
or tablet using the free Tracker Console app
1 2 3 (Figure 3). The app is available for both iOS
and Android platforms. Go to the App Store or
Google Play, respectively, and search for the
Tracker Console app, then download it to your Figure 3. The
device. Guidelines for use of the app are pro- Tracker Console
app icon
2 8
vided in the relevant sections of this manual.
4
7
Basic Power-Up, Wi-Fi
Connection, and Status LEDs
5
6 This section describes the basic power-up and Wi-Fi con-
A B nection procedures for the StarShoot CAT. Please familiarize
yourself with them before moving on to specific uses such as
astrophotography, time-lapse, etc.
Power Sources: StarShoot CAT can be powered by two on-
board AA type batteries or from a 5V external power source via
USB, or from the USB port of a computer. Don’t worry about
frying the internal electronics by using a 5V power source
9 instead of the 3V (2 x 1.5V) on-board AA batteries: StarShoot
CAT has a 5V-to-2.8V DC converter inside.
11 12 Power On: Push and hold the PWR (power) button until the
red Power LED lights up (Figure 2B). The green Wi-Fi LED will
D start to blink, indicating that the built-in Wi-Fi is activated and
10 ready for connection to your smartphone or tablet.
C
Connect to Wi-Fi: After power-up, go to “Settings > Wi-Fi” on
Figure 2. Familiarize yourself with the parts and features of the your phone, find and join the Wi-Fi access point “SynScanWi-
StarShoot CAT. Fi_xxxxxx”. Start the Tracker Console app and tap the Connect
button. Once the Wi-Fi connection is established you can run
the Tracker Console app to access its many features. See spe-
cific details in the relevant sections.

4
Power Off: Press and hold the PWR button for about 5 sec- Time-Lapse Photography with
onds to turn off the power.
StarShoot CAT
Reconnecting the Wi-Fi After a Time-out: In the
absence of Wi-Fi traffic the StarShoot CAT’s internal Wi-Fi There are three different time-lapse modes to choose from
automatically shuts off and the green Wi-Fi indicator light goes with the StarShoot CAT: Regular-Exposure Time-Lapse,
out. The default time-out is 10 minutes but you can set it to Long-Exposure Time-Lapse, and Astro Time-Lapse.
other values using the Tracker Console app. To resume Wi-Fi, Regular-Exposure Time-Lapse mode is for capturing time-
press the PWR button briefly until the green Wi-Fi LED comes lapse videos in daylight or well-lit conditions with short expo-
back on, then release the PWR button. Re-connect to the Wi-Fi sures. In this mode, exposure settings are set on your camera
as described above. itself. The StarShoot CAT pans your camera and sends sig-
Refer to the sidebar below for a detailed description of all sta- nals to trigger the shutter as it creates your time-lapse video.
tus indicators. In the Long-Exposure Time-Lapse mode StarShoot CAT con-
trols the exposure time instead of your camera doing so. This
way you can use exposures that exceed 30 seconds, which
are often needed in low light conditions. Whenever you use
LED Status Indicators Long-Exposure Time-Lapse mode set your shutter dial on
Red LED Off: The power is off. your camera to BULB. If it is not set on BULB mode the cam-
era shutter speed setting will be used instead.
Red LED Solid On: Power is on and system is normal.
You can make time-lapse videos using StarShoot CAT to
Red LED Slow Blink: Low Battery Level or Firmware control the shutter only (no panning), or to pan continuously
Update in Progress. The red LED blinks two times while firing the shutter of your camera at intervals set by you.
per second when the battery level is lower than Use the first of these techniques to produce a time-lapse
2.3V, or during firmware upgrades. video from a fixed perspective and the second to create a
Red LED Fast Blink: The red LED blinks three times time-lapse video in which the perspective moves – that is, the
per second to indicate motor speed errors exceed- camera pans -- during the video.
ing 5% and/or motor stalls that last over 5 sec- Unlike in Regular-Exposure Time-Lapse mode, in Long-
onds. Speed errors can be caused by overloading Exposure Time-Lapse mode rotation stops during the expo-
the mount and by low battery levels. To correct a sures. This enables the camera sensor to capture more of the
speed error reduce the load or supply new batter- available light resulting in a better image.
ies. Motor stalls are usually caused by obstructions
of the mount so that it cannot rotate. In the case For the Astro Time-Lapse mode, the StarShoot CAT tracks
of motor stalls, remove the obstruction, then restart the sky to allow amazing videos of celestial vistas.
your task. Note that StarShoot CAT does not generate time-lapse
videos for you; it just collects the individual exposures,
which must then be combined into a time-lapse video
using a third-party software program.

Setting Up for Regular

Exposure Time-Lapse and
Long Exposure Time-Lapse
Green Operation
Red
Attaching StarShoot CAT to Your Tripod
Set up your tripod and ensure it is stable and set at the
desired height. The top of the tripod should be roughly level.
For regular-exposure time-lapse photography StarShoot CAT
should be mounted directly to the tripod via the tripod’s 3/8"
threaded post. If your tripod has a pan head or ball head
mount attached, it is recommended that you remove it and
attach StarShoot CAT directly to the tripod using the 3/8"
Green LED Off: Wi-Fi is turned off. threaded socket in the knurled Tripod Mounting Disk (Figure
Green LED Blinking: Wi-Fi is activated and ready for 4).
connection.
Green LED Solid On: Wi-Fi is connected and
Tracker Console app is running.

5
 Orion BHM-13 Panoramic Ball Head Mount
A ball head mount is the perfect camera mounting plat-
form because it is easily adjustable, solid when tight-
ened, and allows pointing of the camera in any desir-
able direction. We recommend using the included Orion
BHM-13 Panoramic Ball Head Mount with the StarShoot
CAT for all photographic and time-lapse applications
except possibly when using the Dec Bracket with its Dec
Platform.
The BHM-13 Panoramic Ball Head Mount has a weight
capacity of 13.2 lbs. (6 Kg), which well exceeds the load
capacity of the StarShoot CAT itself.
3/8" Socket To attach the Ball Head Mount to the StarShoot CAT,
3/8" post
just thread it onto the 3/8" post of the included Ball Head
Adapter via the 3/8" socket on the bottom of the Ball
Head Mount. Then slide the Ball Head Adapter into the
saddle of the StarShoot CAT and lock it in place with the
dovetail lock knob.
Remove the Ball Head Mount’s quick release (QR) plate
by turning the QR plate lock knob counterclockwise until
Figure 4 it stops. Then remove the plate. Attach the QR plate to
the bottom of your DSLR camera via the ¼"-20 post until
Mounting Your Camera
tight. Then place the QR plate back into the saddle of
Now you can attach your camera gear (Figure 5). We recom- the Ball Head Mount and tighten the QR plate lock knob.
mend attaching the included Ball Head Mount to the StarShoot
CAT and attaching your camera to the Ball Head. The Ball
Head will give you the ability to aim the camera in any direc-
tion, allowing far more flexibility and control when composing
your shots. Once your camera is attached to StarShoot CAT, 1/4"-20 post
QR plate
it’s time to connect them electronically using the appropriate
SNAP Cable (sold separately) for your camera model. One QR plate
end plugs into the camera’s shutter control port and the other lock knob
into the SNAP port on StarShoot CAT.
Saddle

Ball Head
Mount

SNAP Ball Head Ball joint

Cable Adapter lock knob

Tripod
Azimuth
lock knob

Figure 5

6
Using the Tracker Console App
for Time-Lapse Photography
Now you are ready to start making time-lapse videos using the
Tracker Console app on your smartphone or tablet. This section
assumes that you have installed the app on your device. If you
have not, please refer back to the section titled Downloading
and Installing the Tracker Console App on page 4.

Figure 7

sures may range from a second or two to several minutes. Take

some test shots to establish the best settings and exposure for
your needs, then enter that value into the Exposure parameter
field. Again, you must set your camera to BULB mode, other-
wise the shutter speed setting on your camera will take prece-
dence over the value in the Exposure field.
The screen shot in Figure 7 shows the various parameters
that you can set to create your time-lapse video. All of the
parameters are explained in detail below.
The simplest way to get started is to set StarShoot CAT up on
a tripod and take a static time-lapse video (one that doesn’t
involve panning). To do this, all you need to know is the time
Figure 6 span over which your video will be taken and the desired
length of your final video. For instance, if you want to get a
Boot up the Tracker Console App. The main screen will be time-lapse video covering the last hour leading to sunset, enter
displayed (Figure 6). From the main screen, select Regular- a value of 1 for Video Time Span. If you want to compress that
Exposure Time-Lapse by tapping on it. This is the simplest hour into a 45-second video, set your Video Length to 45. It’s
mode for StarShoot CAT and a good one for helping you get that easy. The Tracker Console app will calculate the other nec-
the hang of setting the control parameters. essary parameters for you.
Regular- and Long-Exposure Time-Lapse Once all of your parameters are set, just tap Run to start the
Parameters time-lapse sequence. If you are happy with a set of parameters
The parameters for Regular-Exposure Time-Lapse and Long- you can save them in a profile to recall again whenever you
Exposure Time-Lapse are identical except for the Exposure like.
parameter. On the Regular Exposure Time-Lapse screen you
cannot change the value for Exposure. It is fixed at 0.5 sec-
onds, which is a requirement for StarShoot CAT to provide
Time-Lapse Parameter Details
an adequate signal to control the camera shutter. Note: This The following is a complete list of the parameters you can set.
0.5-second period is automatically taken into consideration Note that because several of the parameters are interdepen-
when the App calculates the Video Time Span parameter. dent some may be unavailable at certain times. For instance,
In the Long-Exposure Time-Lapse mode the Exposure param- when Frame Rate and Video Length are set you cannot manu-
eter controls the shutter speed setting of your camera and can ally choose the number of Photos, as it is calculated for you
be set to suit your needs. For night scenes individual expo- based on the other two parameters. However, if you deselect

7
Video Length and set Photos directly, the app will calculate a Wi-Fi Off on Run: When enabled, StarShoot CAT will automat-
new value for Video Length. ically turn off Wi-Fi at the start of a task to save power. Wi-Fi
Exposure (Sec): Fixed at 0.5 seconds for Regular-Exposure can be restored at any time by pressing and holding the power
Time-Lapse. For Long-Exposure Time-Lapse set this value to button until the green LED Wi-Fi indicator light comes on.
suit your exposure requirements. Be sure to set your camera Profiles Save / Edit: To save a profile tap Save. To edit or
shutter to BULB mode. delete a profile tap Edit. You can store multiple profiles of your
Video Time Span (Hr): Set this parameter to the total Video favorite settings for recall at future sessions.
Time Span time for your video in hours. For example, if you
want your video to cover a span of three hours, set Video Time Time-Lapse Progress Screen
Span to 3. Note that Video Time Span does not refer to the
length of your video, it refers to the time span over which it is Once your tripod, StarShoot CAT, and camera are set up and
photographed. You set the desired length of your video in the all of your task parameters are set, just press Run to start the
Video Length parameter. task. Your parameter settings will remain in view and Status will
appear at the bottom of the screen. To view the task progress
Video Length (Sec): Set Video Length equal to the desired tap on Status. (See Figure 8.)
length of your video in seconds. For a one-minute long video,
set Video Length to 60. Pressing Stop brings up a confirmation screen; you can cancel
the Stop request and resume the task or proceed to end the
Frame Rate (fps): Select NTSC (30 fps) or PAL (25 fps) task at that point.
according to the video standards for your location. You can
further adjust the playback speed of your video in your video The Long-Exposure Time-Lapse progress screen shows the
editing software. In the United States, NTSC is the standard. same information and works in the same manner.
Photos: This parameter is automatically set by setting Video
Length and Frame Rate using the formula: Photos = Video
Length x Frame Rate
Frame Period (Sec): You can set the Frame Period to select a
desired interval between photos taken rather than have it cal-
culated for you based on other parameters. Note that if you set
Photo Interval and Video Length the app will re-calculate Video
Time Span. Anytime you are changing a parameter it is a good
idea to check its effects on the other ones.
Swing Range (Deg): Use Swing Range to create an interest-
ing swing or pendulum effect for your time-lapse video. When
used, StarShoot CAT 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.
For instance, say you have two interesting subjects that you
want to feature in your video. Set Swing Range to the angle
between them and Swing Count to 1, then point your camera
at the first subject. As the time-lapse video is being recorded,
StarShoot CAT will pan from the first subject to the second
subject, then stop. By setting Swing Count to 2, it will pan to
your second object, then back to your first object, then stop.
By using Swing Range values greater than 1 you can have
StarShoot CAT pan back and forth multiple times during the
video. Set Swing Range to 0 for no panning and to an even
number to always end up where you started.
Speed (Deg/Hr): Speed determines how quickly StarShoot
Figure 8
CAT will pan in degrees per hour. In most cases, you do not
need to set this parameter unless you want to control the pan-
ning speed but are not concerned with the actual video time Astro Time-Lapse Using the
span. If you do not want StarShoot CAT to pan in your time-
lapse video then set Speed to 0.
StarShoot CAT
Clockwise: ON will cause StarShoot CAT to rotate left to One of the most powerful features of StarShoot CAT is its abil-
right (viewing down with the saddle on top). OFF will cause ity to create time-lapse videos of celestial vistas. Now you can
StarShoot CAT to rotate right to left. do this in Regular-Exposure Time-Lapse or Long-Exposure
Time-Lapse mode – for instance, taking a video of the Milky

8
Way rising or a constellation moving across the sky. But in Tracking Rate: If you are making a time-lapse video of the
those modes you are not tracking the sky – and the StarShoot Moon then select Lunar. Otherwise, select Sidereal.
CAT is not polar aligned – therefore you will be limited in the Wi-Fi Off on Run: When enabled, StarShoot CAT will auto-
length of exposures you can make before trailing of the stars matically turn off Wi-Fi at the start of the task to save power.
occurs. Wi-Fi can be restored at any time by pressing and holding the
The beauty of the Astro Time-Lapse mode is that it combines power button until the green LED Wi-Fi indicator light comes
StarShoot CAT’s astrophotography functions with its time- on.
lapse functions. That means you can take longer exposures Profiles Save / Edit: To save a profile tap Save. To edit or
without trailing, so instead of a 30-second exposure you can delete a profile tap Edit. You can store multiple profiles of your
go for 60 or 90 seconds, or whatever you like. Doing so will favorite settings for recall at future sessions. Once your tripod,
result in a brighter foreground and greater resolution of the StarShoot CAT, and camera are set up and all of your task
star field or Milky Way. You might wonder that if the StarShoot parameters are set, just press Run to initiate the task. This will
CAT is tracking the sky, won’t the foreground move slightly with bring up your Progress Screen.
each image, causing it to “smear”? Yes, but it’s fairly negligible
because StarShoot CAT automatically returns to the starting
point after each exposure, which keeps the foreground in rea- Astro Time-Lapse Progress
sonably sharp focus. Pretty cool! Screen
Note that to capture astronomical time-lapse videos you must
Once your task has started tap Status to review information
polar align StarShoot CAT as described in Appendix I. Below
regarding the number of photos completed and time remaining
are the parameters you can set in the Tracker Console app
(Figure 10).
along with explanations for how they’re used to produce astro-
nomical time-lapse videos (Figure 9).
Exposure (Sec): Exposure should be set to a value that is
Night Sky Photography
sufficiently long to record detail in the nighttime sky, which is (Astrophotography) with the
typically longer than 30 seconds. Be sure that your camera StarShoot CAT
is attached to StarShoot CAT via the SNAP control cable,
then set your exposure time in this field. Make sure also to With the StarShoot CAT you will be able to take stunning pho-
set your camera to BULB mode, otherwise your shutter will tographs of constellations, the Milky Way band, star clusters,
close according to whatever shutter speed is selected on your galaxies, and gaseous nebulas. But before you do, let’s start
camera. with why you need a tracking mount in the first place. What
benefit does the StarShoot CAT offer for night sky photogra-
Video Time Span (Hr): Video Time Span refers to the amount
phy, or astrophotography?
of real time (in hours) that will elapse from the start to the end
of the recording. Video Time Span is affected by Exposure, The answer is that it solves two problems that you don’t
Photos, Video Length and Frame Rate, and will be calculat- encounter in typical, terrestrial types of photography. One is
ed based on the parameters you set. However, you can also the need to use long exposures (e.g., greater than 30 seconds)
directly set a value for Video Time Span. For instance, if you
want to follow the Moon for 5 hours to record the stages of
a lunar eclipse, you could set Video Time Span to 5. Set the
length of your desired time-lapse video in Video Length and
the appropriate frames per second (fps) in Frame Rate. Other
related parameters will then be calculated automatically.
Video Length (Sec): Set this parameter to the desired length
in seconds of your finished time-lapse video. You can set this
parameter directly, or you can allow it to be calculated for you
based on the values of other parameters.
Frame Rate: Select NTSC (30 fps) or PAL (25 fps) accord-
ing 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 exposures you wish to make up
your video. It is usually easier to let this field be calculated
based on settings for other parameters. For instance, you
have more creative control on your time-lapse video by set-
ting the Video Time Span and the Video Length parameters,
and letting the app calculate the number of Photos that will be
required.
Figure 9 Figure 10

9
to record dim night sky objects. The second is the need to have Star trailing is caused by the rotation of the Earth on its axis.
the camera follow – or “track” – the sky during the exposure. It’s the same phenomenon that causes the Sun and Moon to
appear to rise and move across the sky and then set every day.
The Earth’s rotation also causes the stars to move across the
sky from east to west over the course of a night. And a cam-
era sitting still on a tripod will, after a relatively short period of
time, record that apparent movement of the stars as streaks, or
trails. (See Figure 12A.)
StarShoot CAT overcomes this problem by moving your cam-
era precisely at the same rate that the Earth is rotating, which
negates the effects of that rotation while a long exposure is
being made. Such tracking keeps the specific area of the sky
you’re targeting from moving relative to the camera’s sensor,
so stars remain pinpoints and everything stays sharp rather
than smearing (Figure 12B).
So with StarShoot CAT, two of the primary challenges in
doing astrophotography are simplified and automated for you.
Figure 11. Antares region of Scorpius at 200mm. This is a stack First, StarShoot CAT’s camera control function enables you to
of 30 1-minute exposures tracked with StarShoot CAT. take exposures longer than 30 seconds in duration. Second,
its tracking capability compensates for the Earth’s rotation to
Why Take Long Exposures? produce pinpoint star images even with long exposures. As
For night sky photography, you need a sufficiently long expo- your skill level in night sky photography progresses you can
sure for your camera to collect enough light to reveal celestial set StarShoot CAT to take multiple, successive images of your
objects that are much too faint for our eyes to see. Many DSLR subject, then use post-processing techniques like stacking and
cameras can be set to take up to a 30-second exposure, which stretching to produce truly rich, detailed celestial images.
may be sufficient for shooting some night sky subjects. But you
can take an even longer exposure -- like a minute or two, or Setting Up for Night Sky Photography
four! -- by selecting the BULB mode on your camera and using For long exposure night sky photography, or astrophotogra-
StarShoot CAT’s SNAP cable connection to really capture the phy, you will need the Equatorial (EQ) Base (sold separately).
starfield or celestial object in glorious detail (see Figure 11.) This will allow you to precisely polar align the StarShoot CAT
so that it can track the sky. The polar alignment procedure is
But solving the exposure problem reveals the second problem. described in detail in Appendix I.
The Need for Tracking To assemble the components of the StarShoot CAT needed for
In your now nicely exposed photo, the stars don’t look like night sky photography, follow these steps:
sharp pinpoints anymore – they’re “smeared” into little lines 1. Set up your tripod and ensure it is stable.
and arcs! This is called trailing, and it becomes more notice-
able as the focal length of your lens and/or your exposure time 2. If you have a pan head or ball mount on the tripod,
increases. remove it. Doing so should expose a 3/8" threaded post.
Attach the EQ Base to the tripod’s 3/8" threaded post via
the 3/8-inch threaded mounting hole on the bottom of the
EQ Base.
3. Once the EQ Base is securely attached, align the tripod
so that the Altitude Adjustment Knob on the EQ Base is
facing north.
4. Now, level the tripod as best you can by eye. It is
not required that the EQ Base be level for night sky
photography, but it makes subsequent adjustments
easier.
5. Next, loosen the Altitude Lock Handle a bit, then rotate
the Altitude Adjustment Knob until the Altitude Indicator
points to your latitude on the Altitude Scale (Figure 13).
(The altitude of Polaris above the horizon at your location
matches your latitude). If you don’t know your latitude you
A B can look it up in the Tracker Console app under Settings:
Location (assuming the GPS function of your phone is
Figure 12. Two 60-second exposures at 24mm.
A) No tracking – star trailing is evident. B) Tracked with StarShoot
CAT – stars are sharp.

10
 enabled), or on the internet. The retighten the Altitude 8. Remove the Tripod Mounting Disk from the back of the
Lock Handle. StarShoot CAT (refer to Figure 2). To do this you will
6. Next, attach StarShoot CAT to the Dovetail Mounting need to loosen the Mounting Disk Retaining Knob one
Plate included with the EQ Base; the 3/8" post of the full turn or so.
mounting plate threads into the 3/8" socket in the side of 9. Once the plate is removed, fully insert the Polar Scope
the StarShoot CAT housing. (You will likely have to first into the exposed hole (Figure 16). It should snap into
remove the 3/8"-to-1/4" thread insert that comes installed place.
in that socket.) Orient the Plate so that the end with the 10. Finally, you will install the Polar Scope Illuminator on the
Safety Stop is nearest the StarShoot CAT’s Saddle, as front end of the Polar Scope. First, assemble the grip
shown in Figure 14. Use a quarter, a large flat blade adapter to the Illuminator as shown in Figure 17A. Then
screwdriver, or (preferably) the included 4mm Allen fit the grip adapter over the exposed end of the Polar
wrench to tighten the bolt head on the underside of the Scope (17B).
Dovetail Mounting Plate.
7. Now slide the Dovetail Mounting Plate into the Saddle of Connecting the SNAP Camera Control Cable
the Equatorial Base, as shown in Figure 15, then tighten Make sure you have the correct SNAP camera control cable
the Saddle Lock Knob to secure it. for your particular camera brand and model. Insert the camera
end of the cable into the camera’s shutter release port and
the 2.5mm mini stereo plug end into the SNAP port on the
StarShoot CAT. You’re all set!
Saddle Lock Saddle
Knob Polar Alignment
With the StarShoot CAT now assembled for night sky photog-
Altitude raphy, it’s time to polar align. Please refer to Appendix I for the
indicator Altitude detailed procedure.
Scale

Altitude lock
handle

Altitude
adjusment
knob

Azimuth Polar
adjustment Scope
knob (x2)

Figure 15 Figure 16

Figure 13

Safety stop

A B A B

Figure 14 Figure 17

11
 Installing the Battery in the Polar Scope Illuminator
1. Unthread the knurled battery compartment cap of the
Illuminator.
2. Place the 3V CR-2032 lithium battery in the compart-
ment, positive (+) side facing up.
3. Replace the battery compartment cap.
Operating the Polar Scope Illuminator
To turn the Illuminator on, rotate the brightness (MIN/MAX)
dial until the red LED bulb lights up. Adjust the brightness
of the LED to the desired level between MIN and MAX
with the brightness dial. To turn off the Illuminator, turn the
brightness dial all the way to the MIN setting. (Note: The
ON/OFF dial is for removal/replacement of the threaded
battery cover.)

Using the Tracker Console App Tracking Rate: The StarShoot CAT can be set to one of
three different tracking rates: Sidereal, Lunar, or Solar. While
for Night Sky Photography stars (other than our Sun) and deep-sky objects move at the
For Astrophotography, Sidereal rate, closer objects such as the Moon and Sun move
or night sky photog- at slightly faster rates. Choose Sidereal if you are shooting the
raphy, there are only Milky Way or a constellation, and Lunar if you are tracking the
a few parameters that Moon (e.g., to record the stages of a lunar eclipse). Solar is
need to be set. These reserved for advanced uses where specialized equipment –
are described below most notably a protective solar filter -- is being used to photo-
(refer to Figure 18): graph the Sun.
Exposure (Sec): Wi-Fi Off on Run: When enabled, StarShoot CAT will auto-
Exposure should be set matically turn off Wi-Fi at the start of a task to save power.
to a value (in seconds) Wi-Fi can be restored at any time by pressing and holding the
that is sufficiently long power button until the green LED Wi-Fi indicator light comes
to record detail in the on. If you encounter any problems, reconnect to StarShoot
nighttime sky, which CAT’s network on your device.
is often longer than Profiles Save / Edit: To save a profile tap Save. To edit or
30 seconds. Be sure delete a profile tap Edit. You can store multiple profiles of your
that your camera is favorite settings for recall at future sessions. Once your tripod,
attached to StarShoot StarShoot CAT, and camera gear are set up and all of your
CAT via the SNAP task parameters are set, just press Run to initiate the task. This
control cable, then set will bring up your Progress Screen.
your exposure time in
Figure 18 the Exposure field. Be
sure your camera is set Astrophotography Progress
to BULB mode, otherwise the shutter will close according to Screen
whatever shutter speed is selected on your camera.
Any time you have a process running you can view its progress
Photo Interval (Sec): This is the time in seconds between the by tapping on Status at the bottom of the parameters screen.
end of one exposure and the beginning of the next exposure. This brings up information about number of photos taken,
StarShoot CAT continues to track the object during the Photo percentage of task complete, etc. The information may vary
Interval, then resumes with the next exposure once the Photo slightly depending on which function you are currently using.
Interval has elapsed.
Photos: Enter the number of exposures you wish to capture of Manual Control of the StarShoot
the subject. You can combine multiple exposures of an object
into a single image in post processing to increase the signal- CAT
to-noise ratio. In other words, by digitally “stacking” multiple Manual Control gives you the ability to nudge your camera, but
images of the same target, you will see less noise (graininess) without touching it directly – a handy feature when you need
and more detail than can typically be recorded in a single long to tweak your composition to get that perfect shot, or to move
exposure.

12
the camera incrementally, without bumping your gear out of Finder LED Auto-Off:
alignment. After the selected delay
Go to the Main Menu and tap on Manual Control. This will the Polar View Finder
bring up the manual control arrows on either side of an angle LED will automatically
given in degrees, minutes, and seconds (Figure 19). Tap or turn off. To turn on the
touch and hold the arrow symbols to nudge or continuously LED again just quickly
move StarShoot CAT press StarShoot CAT’s
to the left or right, Power button, or set
respectively. Release the LED to on using
the arrow symbol to the Tracker Console.
stop StarShoot CAT’s Wi-Fi Auto-Off: Tap
movement. The angle to choose a delay to
yo u h ave ro ta te d a u to m a t i c a l ly t u r n
through will show up off Wi-Fi to preserve
between the arrows. power. Wi-Fi will turn
You can also use off when no Wi-Fi
Manual Control to activity is detected
determine the Swing during the Auto-Off
Range for your time- interval. You can turn
lapse video composi- it back on by quickly
tions. For instance, say pressing and releasing
you have two points of Figure 20
interest and want your
video to swing from StarShoot CAT’s Power button. Note: Wi-Fi is not needed once
one to the other. Aim parameters for a given task have been set.
your camera at the Auto Shut Down: To save power StarShoot CAT will automati-
first point, then Zero cally turn off after the specified amount of time if no tasks are
the counter. Now, tap running and there have been no communications between
Figure 19 and hold the arrow StarShoot CAT and the Tracker Console app.
keys until your camera Auto-Run Task: If enabled, StarShoot CAT will automatically
is pointing at your second point of interest. Record the angle re-start the previous photography process the next time the
that is showing between the arrows and enter it as your Swing power is turned on.
Range parameter when you are ready to create your time-
lapse video. Wi-Fi Network
Tap on Wi-Fi Network to bring up the Wi-Fi options as detailed
Reviewing the Settings of the below. You can choose either Access Point (AP) Mode or
Station (STA) Mode. Use AP mode for a basic connection to
Tracker Console App StarShoot CAT. Use STA mode if you wish to control StarShoot
Tap on Settings on the home screen to set a variety of device CAT while simultaneously being connected to a wireless net-
functions as detailed below. work (e.g., for internet access) or want to control StarShoot
CAT remotely via the internet. Be sure that you have the correct
Language: Choose the default language for the Tracker STA SSID and Password information. If you enter the incorrect
Console. information you may need to reset StarShoot CAT to its factory
Night Mode: This mode is designed to help preserve your settings using the procedure outlined on p. 21.
dark adaptation. Tap and choose On or Auto to display a black Access Point (AP) Mode: This is the default and sim-
background with red text. Note: if there are any visual astrono- pler mode. In AP mode StarShoot CAT acts as a wireless
mers in your vicinity you should set the app to On as a cour- access point so that you can connect to it via the Tracker
tesy to them. Console.
Location: Tap to get a sub-menu that gives you the option AP Mode SSID: The SSID will automatically appear
to use the location sensor in your device to set your current based on the SSID you entered to make your initial Wi-Fi
longitude and latitude. If the sensor is disabled you can enter connection. Select it to connect your device to StarShoot
the coordinates manually. Location determines the hemi- CAT. Before attempting to connect be sure that StarShoot
sphere you are in and sets the correct rotation direction for CAT is powered up and the green Wi-Fi light is blinking.
Astrophotography and Astro Time-Lapse functions. It is also The green light signals that StarShoot CAT is ready to
used to display the position of Polaris and Octans on the Polar make a Wi-Fi connection.
Scope reticle.

13
 AP Mode Security: Select Open if no encryption is to be
used. Otherwise, tap on the settings field and choose an
encryption type from the list.
Station Mode (STA): Choose this mode if you wish to
have internet access while using StarShoot CAT, control
StarShoot CAT via the internet, or to save battery power.
When you select STA mode StarShoot CAT will join an
existing Wi-Fi network. To use STA Mode, select it, then
set the SSID and Password for the network you are join-
ing. When all of your selections are made click on Apply.
StarShoot CAT will restart and join the network. The new
settings will be stored in StarShoot CAT’s memory and will
remain there until the settings are changed.
STA SSID: Select the network you wish to join and enter
the SSID for that network.
STA Password: Enter the Password for the network you
have selected to join.
STA Use DHCP: Turn this off ONLY if you want to set the
IP address manually.

Network Troubleshooting
Re-establish Wi-Fi Connection
The Wi-Fi connection to StarShoot CAT will disconnect if either
the SSID or Password is modified. If you lose your Wi-Fi con-
nection please follow the procedures to reconnect your device
to StarShoot CAT as outlined on pages 4-5.

14
Appendix I. Polar Alignment
In order to accurately track the movement of the night sky, the Little Dipper
rotation of the camera must occur about an axis that is paral- (in Ursa Minor)
lel to Earth’s rotational axis. Therefore, the two axes must be
aligned with each other before StarShoot CAT’s tracking fea- Big Dipper N.C.P.
ture is turned on. (in Ursa Major)
Polaris
Polar Alignment refers to the procedure for aligning StarShoot
CAT’s rotational axis with the Earth’s rotational axis. If we r
te
extend Earth’s rotational axis out into space it intersects an Poin Cassiopeia
imaginary point called the Celestial Pole. In the Northern hemi- Stars
sphere that point is called the North Celestial Pole, or NCP. In
the Southern hemisphere it is the South Celestial Pole, or SCP. Figure 21
Because the celestial poles are imaginary points, you can’t
see them. Fortunately, there are a couple of celestial “land-
marks” close to the poles that help us pinpoint them. In the
northern hemisphere that landmark is Polaris, the North Star.
In the southern hemisphere it is the star Sigma Octantis.

Polar Alignment in the Northern

Hemisphere
To successfully polar align the StarShoot CAT in the northern
hemisphere, you must perform the procedure at night with an
unobstructed view of Polaris. To find Polaris in the sky, look
north and locate the pattern of the Big Dipper (Figure 21).
The two stars at the end of the “bowl” of the Big Dipper point
right to Polaris. If you need help determining which direction is
north, you could use your smartphone’s compass feature or
find a physical compass to point the way.
Assuming you already followed the setup procedure detailed
on pages 10-11, the next step is to turn on the Polar Scope
Illuminator. A red LED bulb illuminates a reticle inside the Polar Figure 22
Scope (Figure 22). Now when you peer into the eyepiece end
of the Polar Scope you should see the illuminated reticle pat- Polaris
tern. (You can familiarize yourself with the reticle in daytime
without the need for the Illuminator.) Adjust the intensity of the
Illuminator by turning the brightness (MIN/MAX) dial. You want
enough brightness to see the reticle pattern, but not so much
that it overpowers your view of Polaris.
Orient the tripod so that the Polar Scope is roughly aimed at
Polaris when you “eyeball” it (Figure 23). Next, rotate the Polar
Scope so that the “0” label on the reticule pattern is at the 12
o’clock position (i.e., at the top, as in Figure 22). When posi-
tioned correctly the “3” will be seen at the right, “6” and the bot-
tom and “9” to the left. Use the Altitude and Azimuth Adjustment
Knobs on the EQ Base to move the Tracker incrementally while
viewing through the Polar Scope, until you can see Polaris in
the field of view. (For the Azimuth Adjustment Knobs, turn one
clockwise and the other counterclockwise the same amount,
or vice versa.) It doesn’t matter where it is in the field of view
at this point; you will make fine adjustments to position Polaris
where it needs to be in a moment.

Figure 23

15
 Attaching the Panoramic Ball Head Mount and
Camera
The Ball Head Mount will allow you to aim the camera at any
area of the sky. Attach the Ball Head Adapter to the bottom of
the Ball Head Mount by threading the adapter’s 3/8" post into
the 3/8" socket in the bottom of the Ball Head Mount until tight.
Then slide the Ball Head Adapter into the StarShoot CAT’s
Saddle and tighten the Saddle Lock Knob (Figure 25).

Ball head adapter

Saddle Lock
Knob

Figure 24 Figure 25

Using the Polar Clock Utility to Nail Your Polar

Now remove the quick-release (QR) plate from the Ball Head
Alignment
Mount by loosening the QR plate lock knob as far as it will go.
Select the Polar Clock Utility in the Main Menu of the Tracker
This will allow you to lift the QR plate out. Attach the plate to the
Console app. Tap on Northern Hemisphere if it is not already
bottom of your camera via the ¼"-20 threaded post. Then with
selected. The app displays a graphic that matches the reticle
the camera attached to the QR plate, re-insert the plate into its
in the Polar Scope (Figure 24). Note the position of the small
saddle and tighten the QR plate lock knob.
black dot - it represents Polaris and shows where Polaris
should be located relative to the NCP at the current time.
Without moving the tripod itself, turn the Altitude and Azimuth Polar Alignment in the Southern
Adjustment Knobs until the position of Polaris in the Polar Hemisphere
Scope matches that of the black dot. When it does, you are
precisely polar aligned with the NCP (represented by the inter- Unfortunately, there are no bright reference stars in the imme-
section of the perpendicular lines at the center of the reticle). diate vicinity of the Southern Celestial Pole (SCP), so the polar
alignment procedure is a little more involved. However, there is
Now carefully remove the Polar Scope Illuminator and Polar a small group of stars near the SCP that can be seen in your
Scope, making sure that you do not disturb the position of the Polar Scope. Once you have this group of stars in view, a preci-
tripod in doing so. NOTE: You do not have to remove the Polar sion polar alignment is just as easy to achieve in the Southern
Scope completely; you can just back it out enough (about ½") Hemisphere as it is in the North, with the aid of the Polar Clock
so that the end of it does not protrude into the StarShoot CAT’s function included in the Tracker Console app.
saddle.
We’ll start with a coarse polar alignment, which is intended to
Now that the StarShoot CAT is polar aligned, you can go ahead bring a small group of four stars near the SCP into the Polar
and attach your Ball Head Mount or Declination Bracket, your Scope’s field of view. We refer to these stars as the Sigma
camera, and the SNAP cable connecting the StarShoot CAT to Octantis group, with Sigma Octantis being the brightest of the
your camera. NOTE: If you are using the optional Declination four (but still only barely visible with the naked eye under ideal
Bracket you can perform the polar alignment procedure with conditions), and always the one that is nearest the SCP. You
all of your gear already mounted. More on that later. will use the easily identifiable constellation Crux, also known
as the Southern Cross, to point the way.

16
1. Attach the EQ Base to your tripod via the 3/8" mounting
post.
2. Then attach the StarShoot CAT to the EQ Base.
3. Once the EQ Base is securely attached, align the tripod so
that the Altitude Adjustment Knob on the EQ Base is facing
south. Sigma Octanis
group (4 stars)
4. Now, level the tripod as best you can by eye. It is
not required that the EQ Base be level for night sky
photography, but it makes subsequent adjustments easier.
5. Next, loosen the Altitude Lock Handle a bit (refer to Figure
13) then rotate the Altitude Adjustment Knob until the
Altitude Indicator points to your latitude on the Altitude
Scale. If you don’t know your latitude you can look it up in
the Tracker Console app under Settings: Location, or on the
internet. Then retighten the Altitude Lock Handle.
6. Next, attach StarShoot CAT to the Dovetail Mounting
Plate included with the EQ Base; the 3/8" post of the
mounting plate threads into the 3/8" hole in the bottom of
the StarShoot CAT housing. Orient the Plate so that the
end with the Safety Screw is nearest the StarShoot CAT’s
Saddle, as shown in Figure 14. Use a quarter, a large flat
blade screwdriver, or (preferably) the included 4mm Allen
wrench to tighten the bolt head on the underside of the
Dovetail Mounting Plate.
7. Now slide the Dovetail Mounting Plate into the Saddle of the
Figure 27
EQ Base, as shown in Figure 15, then tighten the Saddle
Lock Knob to secure it.
view of the Polar Scope (see Figure 27). If you can’t, keep
8. Remove the knurled Tripod Mounting Disk from the back of making adjustments until you can using the Altitude and
the StarShoot CAT. To do this you will need to loosen the Azimuth Adjustment Knobs on the EQ Base. Be sure the
Mounting Disk Retaining Knob one full turn or so. Once brightness from the Polar Scope Illuminator is not cranked
the plate is removed, fully insert the Polar Scope into the up too high, or it will wash out the view of the Sigma
exposed hole. It should snap into place (Figure 16). Octantis group of stars.
9. Now, install the Polar Scope Illuminator on the front end of
Using the Sigma Octantis Clock Utility
the Polar Scope as shown in Figure 17.
Once you can see the Sigma Octantis group in your Polar Scope
10. Find the Southern Cross (Crux) in the sky, and its brightest field of view you are ready to refine your polar alignment to the
star, Acrux. Acrux is considered the “foot” of the cross. SCP.
Referring to Figure 26, draw an imaginary line between the
foot of the cross and the “head” of the cross, then extend 1. Bring up the Tracker Console app and tap on the Polar
it another four and a half lengths from Acrux. That is the Clock Utility.
approximate location of the SCP. 2. Tap on Southern Hemisphere if it is not already selected.
11. Now point your polar scope to that spot. You should be able This will bring up a representation of the reticle in your Polar
to see the Sigma Octantis group of four stars in the field of Scope (Figure 27).
3. Rotate your Polar Scope to match the view in the Polar
Clock utility. That is, rotate it so that the representation of
the Sigma Octantis group in your Polar Scope has the
same orientation as shown in the Polar Clock utility.
4. Now use the Altitude and Azimuth Adjustment Knobs on the
EQ Base to move the EQ Base incrementally while viewing
through the Polar Scope, until all four stars of the Sigma
Octantis group fall inside the little circles representing them
on the Polar Scope’s reticle (refer to “Octans” in Figure 22).
When they do, you are polar aligned on the SCP!

Figure 26

17
Appendix II. Calibration of the its support and no longer be adjustable. If this happens you
will need to unscrew the eyepiece from the polar scope, manu-
Polar Axis Finder Scope ally center the glass reticle as best you can, then reinsert the
For accurate polar alignment the Polar Scope’s reticle must be screw that had lost contact.
aligned exactly with the polar scope’s mechanical axis. A sim- Continuing from Step 3 above, note how far your target moved
ple calibration procedure will ensure that this is the case. But off the crosshairs. To align the reticle you need to adjust the
first, check to see whether the Polar Scope requires calibration three small Allen screws (tighten/loosen) so that the target
at all. It may be precisely aligned right out of the box, so do this moves one half of the distance back toward the crosshairs.
simple test before attempting the calibration procedure:
4. Choose one of the screws and loosen it 1/4 turn. Note
1. With your Polar Scope installed in the StarShoot CAT, the movement of the crosshairs. If it moves in the correct
aim it at a distant object at least 100 yards away. A street direction, tighten the two other screws about 1/4 turn
light or distant chimney is a good choice. each, then loosen the original screw again.
2. Center the distant target on the intersection of the 5. With each loosening of a screw and tightening of the
crosshairs in the Polar Scope reticle. opposing screws the crosshairs will move. Continue
3. Now rotate the Polar Scope 180 degrees. until the crosshairs move half way out to the target at its
maximum deviated position. Now, gently tighten all three
If the distant target is still centered on the crosshairs, or if it
has barely moved from that point, then YOU DO NOT NEED
tate 180°
TO CALIBRATE your polar scope. If the distant target has
moved away from the crosshairs significantly, then you should
Ro ×
perform the following calibration.
Aligning the Polar Scope Reticle to the Polar
Scope Optical Axis
×
You will need a 1.5 mm Allen wrench to perform the calibra-
tion. Refer to Figures 28 and 29 during this process. The Polar
Scope’s thin glass reticle is held in place by three small Allen A B
screws around the perimeter of the eyepiece. You should not
completely loosen any of these screws as the reticle will lose ×
×

Figure 29. Calibration of the Polar Scope

Allen A. Look into the Polar Scope and, using the EQ Base’s Altitude
Screws and Azimuth Adjustment Knobs, place a target on the reticle’s
(x3) crosshairs. Make sure the reticle is oriented with “0” at the
top as in the illustration.
Now rotate the Polar Scope 180 degrees.
B. The target has moved off of the crosshairs, indicating that
the Polar Scope reticle is misaligned. Adjust the reticle using
the three Allen screws as described in steps 4 and 5 until the
crosshairs move half the distance out to the target (not all the
way!).
C. This illustrates the point made in B, that the adjustment
should reduce the displaced distance by half. (The crosshairs
should move halfway out to the target.)
Now rotate the Polar Scope back to the starting position and
repeat A and B. When rotation of the Polar Scope 180 degrees
does not result in a significant movement of the target off of the
crosshairs, the Polar Scope is calibrated.

Figure 28

18
 Allen screws to secure the reticle. Do not overtighten the Saddle lock knob 3/8" post Dovetail mounting
screws or you may crack the glass reticle! plate
6. Now reset the polar scope so “0” is up, and repeat steps
2 and 3. Note the location of your target relative to the
crosshairs.
7. If the target has moved off the crosshairs again, repeat
steps 4 through 6. Perform the adjustments until the
Safety stop
target stays centered on the crosshairs when the Polar
Scope is rotated 180 degrees. Altitude lock
handle
Remember:
• First verify that your Polar Scope requires calibration
before starting the calibration adjustments!
• When adjusting the Allen screws, always proceed by first Altitude
loosening one screw, then tightening the other two gently. scale
Azimuth
• Do not loosen one screw completely or loosen more than adjustment
one screw at a time as the reticle may lose its support knobs
and become nonadjustable.
• To make things easier, perform the calibration during the
daytime.
Altitude
adjustment
Appendix III. The Optional knob
Equatorial Base
To use the StarShoot CAT for long-exposure astrophotography
or astro time-lapse, polar alignment is a must. The optional Figure 30
Equatorial Base accessory (Figure 30) enables the fine point-
ing control required for accurate polar alignment. 1/4"-20 post Dec platform
The Equatorial (EQ) Base includes the following key parts:
Dovetail Mounting Plate: The removable Dovetail Mounting Fine-tuning
Plate includes a 3/8" threaded post for attachment of the control knob
StarShoot CAT.
Safety Stop: The Safety Stop prevents the StarShoot CAT Adjustable
clutch
from slipping out of the saddle of the EQ Base should you let
go of it before tightening the Mounting Plate Lock Knob.
Camera
Saddle Lock Knob: Secures the Dovetail Mounting Plate in attachment
the Saddle. knob

Azimuth (Horizontal) Adjustment Knobs: These two knobs

enable fine pointing of the EQ Base in the left and right (azi-
muth) directions. Once the azimuth is set, make sure both
knobs are lightly tightened.
Altitude (Vertical) Adjustment Knob: This knob enables fine
pointing of the EQ Base in the vertical (altitude) direction.
Altitude Scale: This scale indicates the altitude setting of the
EQ Base. Note that for polar alignment procedures, the alti-
tude of your Base is equal to the latitude of your observing site. Figure 31

Appendix IV. The Optional

Declination Bracket
The optional Declination (Dec) Bracket (Figure 31) provides
more convenience and control for mounting your photograph-
ic payloads. It gives you finer pointing control for Declination
adjustments when StarShoot CAT is used in its polar-aligned

19
equatorial mode. Use its adjustable clutch to make coarse
movements, and its fine-tuning control knob to make incre-
mental movements. The Dec Bracket is a must-have acces-
sory if you are going to use the StarShoot CAT extensively for
astrophotography.
One great benefit of the Dec Bracket is that it allows polar align-
ment with your camera already attached to the StarShoot CAT
(Figure 32). You do not have to back out or remove the Polar
Scope after polar alignment is completed. This way there is
less risk of accidentally moving the tripod after completing the
polar alignment procedure – for example when attaching the
Ball Head Mount or the camera. Any such movement would
ruin the polar alignment and require repeating the procedure.
The Declination Bracket also allows the use of heavier camera
and lens combinations, because the optional Counterweight
and Shaft can be attached to the Declination Bracket to coun-
terbalance the load (Figure 33A). Without such counterbalanc-
ing a heavy camera could put stress on the StarShoot CAT’s
motor and result in poor sky tracking. What’s more, adding the
Counterweight and Shaft increases the StarShoot CAT’s pay-
load capacity from 6.6 lbs. to 8.8 lbs.!
You can also remove the Declination Platform to reveal a 3/8"
mounting post to which you can attach the Ball Head Mount
and camera, if you want more freedom of movement and posi-
tioning than is afforded by the Declination Platform (Figure
33B). To remove the Declination Platform you will need an
Allen wrench to remove the two socket head cap screws that
couple it to the dovetail bracket.
Or, leave the Dec Platform in place and attach the Ball Head
Mount to it via its ¼"-20 post (Figure 33C) (you will need to
install a 3/8" to 1/4" thread adapter [sold separately] in the bot-
tom of the Ball Head Mount). This does put the camera up
higher, which means you must be sure to counterbalance that
load appropriately with the optional Counterweight and Shaft.
Figure 32

A B C

Figure 33. Different ways to use the Declination Bracket with the StarShoot CAT

20
Attaching the Declination Bracket and Camera 2. In the same list of files where you found the firmware
To attach the optional Declination Bracket to the StarShoot loader file, find the latest version of StarShoot CAT’s
CAT just slide it into the StarShoot CAT’s saddle, then tighten firmware and download it to your computer. Place it in the
the Saddle Lock Knob to secure it in place. Then attach your same folder as the firmware loader program.
camera to the padded declination platform’s ¼"-20 post by 3. Connect StarShoot CAT to the computer with a micro
turning the Camera Attachment Knob. (Or see above for other USB cable. If you have not connected StarShoot CAT to
mounting options.) Turn the Camera Attachment Knob clock- your computer before, wait a few moments for the drivers
wise to thread the post into the ¼"-20 receptacle on the bottom to load.
of your camera until tight.
4. Press and hold StarShoot CAT’s PWR Button to turn on
the power.
Appendix V. How to Restore 5. Run the Motor Controller Firmware Loader and select the
Factory Wi-Fi Settings firmware file you downloaded.
Occasionally you may need to reset StarShoot CAT to its 6. Select “auto-detect COM port”, then click on “Update”.
factory Wi-Fi settings. For instance, if you have forgotten the Do NOT turn off the power while updating the firmware.
Password or are having trouble establishing a W-Fi connection, After about 25 seconds, the program will display “Update
or if you have accidentally entered any incorrect Wi-Fi settings, Complete. Turn off power”.
you may need to “reboot” StarShoot CAT by restoring the fac- 7. If you didn’t select “auto-detect COM port”, or you have
tory defaults. To reset StarShoot CAT to the factory Wi-Fi set- other devices connected to the same computer, please
tings follow the procedures below: manually enter the COM port for StarShoot CAT as
1. Power down StarShoot CAT by holding the PWR button indicated in your Device Manager. Then click on “Update”.
for about 5 seconds. Let go once the red LED goes out. 8. Press and hold the PWR button for about 5 seconds to
2. Press and hold the PWR button for about 10 seconds turn off the power. The next time you power up StarShoot
until the red LED starts to blink slowly. This indicates the CAT the new firmware will take effect.
start of the boot loader mode.
3. The boot loader will restore the factory default with the
Wi-Fi SSID set to SynScanWi-Fi_xxxxxx. No password
will be required.
4. Power down StarShoot CAT by holding the PWR button
for about 5 seconds until the red LED goes out.
The next time you power up StarShoot CAT it will start with the
factory Wi-Fi settings.
Note: When the power button is pushed and held for more
than 9 seconds, or when a firmware upgrade is to be done,
StarShoot CAT will enter boot loader mode and the factory
default Wi-Fi settings will be restored. If you were using other
than the default settings you will need to go back to the Wi-Fi
settings screens in the Tracker Console to re-enter your set-
tings preferences.

Appendix VI. Updating the

Firmware
Occasional improvements may be made to StarShoot CAT’s
firmware. To update the firmware you will need to download
the firmware loader program as well as the updated firmware
update file. Both are available on Orion’s website in the Product
Manuals & Video link on the StarShoot CAT’s main product
page.
Follow the steps below to update the firmware:
1. Go to www.telescope.com and find the page for the
StarShoot Compact Astro Tracker. Click on the Manuals
& Videos link below the main product image, then click
on “Motor Controller Firmware Loader”. You will need this
program to load your firmware updates.

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Appendix VII. StarShoot CAT Specifications
Product Type Ultra compact tracking mount
Regions Northern and Southern hemispheres
Functions Astronomical tracking, Camera control, and Time-lapse video
Tracking Modes Sidereal, 0.5x Sidereal, 2x Sidereal, Solar, Lunar, and Manual
Payload Capacity Up to 6 lb. 10 oz. (3 kg)
Wheel Gear 36mm dia., 72 teeth, aluminum alloy
Worm Gear 11mm dia., high-tension brass
Motor Drive Precision DC servo
Wireless Mode Wi-Fi with selectable modes
Control Free Tracker Console app for Android and iOS
Polar Scope ~10° FOV, works for polar alignment to NCP and SCP
Power Internal: 2 x AA batteries (not included); External 5V via micro USB
Operating Time Up to 24 hours with 2 x AA batteries
Temperature Range 14° ~ 104°F (10° ~ 40°C)
Dimensions 2.75" x 3.9" x 3.0" (70mm x 100mm x 75mm)
Weight 1 lb. 6 oz. (0.71 kg)
Mounting Dual 3/8" threaded sockets (one has removable 3/8"-to-1/4" adapter installed)

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 One-Year Limited Warranty
This Orion product is warranted against defects in materials or workmanship for a peri-
od of one year from the date of purchase. This warranty is for the benefit of the original
retail purchaser only. During this warranty period Orion Telescopes & Binoculars will
repair or replace, at Orion’s option, any warranted instrument that proves to be defec-
tive, provided it is returned postage paid. Proof of purchase (such as a copy of the origi-
nal receipt) is required. This warranty is only valid in the country of purchase.
This warranty does not apply if, in Orion’s judgment, the instrument has been abused,
mishandled, or modified, nor does it apply to normal wear and tear. This warranty gives
you specific legal rights. It is not intended to remove or restrict your other legal rights
under applicable local consumer law; your state or national statutory consumer rights
governing the sale of consumer goods remain fully applicable.
For further warranty information, please visit www.OrionTelescopes.com/warranty.

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may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of Orion Telescopes & Binoculars.

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