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Is there any way to save settings instead of it always reverting back?

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#11 npeters
Hello again Hans - Thanks for the schematic, I really apperciate your help.

I haven't yet posted anything on Youtube or anywhere else. I'm just getting back into it after 4 or so years of thinking about it after my last efforts, and have finally decided to jump in properly. I am using a Canon 5D2 body, (I was using a Canon 700D previously). I'm also sorting out power as the internal camera battery dies quickly in the cold Australian winter. I'm now using a 5200 milli-amp hour Li-Po RC car battery for the 5D2 with a dummy battery adapter to power it overnight. I have also just bought a new, good copy of the Samyang (Rokinon) 14mm f2.8 lens which I am playing with, but we have cloudy skies at the moment nearly every night. I'm also thinking of getting the Samyang 24mm f1.4 as I get deeper into it (my shortest prime is otherwise a 35mm Canon f1.4 L, and I don't want to use my Canon 16-35 L zoom for timelapse work).

I was using Magic Lantern for the timer, but I found LRTimelapse a few weeks ago and it piqued my interest. I built the timer and have used it a few times (works well and lasts all night on 4 x AAA Eneloop batteries), and I have a really stable Manfrotto 075 pro tripod to put it all onto. Where I live in Canberra is right near the center, by our lake (Lake Burley Griffin, google it) but the skies are not dark enough. My wife and I also have a house on the far south coast of New South Wales that we get to every few weeks, and the skies are really dark there so that's where I'm planning on doing most of my night sky shooting, so it will be a while before I get any material worth posting. I'm planning an astro time-lapse over rocks at at place called The Point at Tura Beach, New South Wales (again, google maps is your friend) for my first few sequences as it is wild, with rocks, cliffs and water so it should look OK I hope. (You can see the rocks at The Point here in my flickr stream: https://www.flickr.com/photos/norm_p/397...ed-public/

The reason I built the timer is that I had found your slider stepper controller and I wanted to move up to that level , so Pro Timer Free first, your controller second and then a slider as the final bit. I know I could have just bought a Syrp Genie and a Rhino slider but I wanted to do it myself on a tight budget for my own satisfaction.

Again, many thanks and I will let you know when I have started on the controller build. I'm waiting on the Arduino Nano, a stepper control board and the NEMA17 motor to arrive, I have bought everything else already.

Cheers, Norm, Canberra Australia
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#12 Sheeba
Hello Norm,
Thank you for your answer and the link to your flickr pictures. Really good!!!
Thanks also for your detailed description of your timeplase work. I will write you an email shortly !!!
Greeting,
Hans
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#13 npeters
Hello Sheeba - You asked about what slider I will use. As I said, I haven't yet got one, however there is only 1 supplier of sliders in my city where I can physically see one. He keeps Sevenoak slider hardware.

There is one he carries that already has a belt and flywheel for moving the carriage: http://photovideo.com.au/sevenoak-extend...-8387.html

It is expensive - $799 - and I am wondering if I can get away with a much cheaper unit like these 2 he also sells:

http://photovideo.com.au/sevenoak-slider...-8385.html or
http://photovideo.com.au/sevenoak-slider...-8391.html

What slider did you use for yours?

Any advice appreciated on belts / tracks / gears. I am hoping the last parts of my slider control turn up today so I can start building it (I am waiting on the Arduino Nano and the stepper motor, the stepper controller arrived yesterday in the mail).

Many thanks, Norm
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#14 Sheeba
Hello Norm,

I think we should change on another thread, otherwise people who are interested in the topic also do not find this info.

I also searched for a slider for a long time and finally decided on a track from Igus. https://www.igus.de/wpck/6189/filmtechnology This track is made of full aluminum. The price for a 1m rail incl. Slider is under 100 €. That gave me many options to mount the motor and DIY feet. Here is a video of my first slider with DC motor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwPpeX5Mp4g&t=4s
The text is in German, but you certainly see the important details.
I first used GT2 parts of 3D printers for the gears and timing belt
Meanwhile, I use GT5 parts.
The company Igus also has a branch in Australians. Maybe you can shop there.
https://www.igus.eu/Contact/Sales/AU/iglidur
If you decide for the Igus Slider, I will send you the article numbers.

Greetings Hans
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#15 npeters
Hello Hans. Just a quick note to let you know that all of the parts for your stepper controller have now arrived, and I will start laying out a circuit to build during the coming week. As soon as I get finished I will post a message and maybe some photos (depending on how untidy my soldering is :-)

I just had a thought as I'm lazy - do you have a bare, unpopulated circuit board available for me to buy? I have already purchased all of the components. I can pay via PayPal if you have one available and are happy to post it to Australia.

I have also been in contact with the Australian distributor of the slider carriage parts you recommended. As always, we at the "bottom of the world" end up paying far more for the privilege of buying anything - they want $258 plus postage, and for less than that I can buy a pre-made slider locally, so I will probably do that once I have finished building the controller.
Cheers, Norman
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#16 Sheeba
Hello Norman,
Unfortunately, there are currently no unpopulated printed circuit boards available. New PCBs will be ordered, which will be available in about 2 weeks. What I can offer you is a complete controller.
Greetings Hans

...also check out: