Backer Update - shipping to re-commence this week
over 4 years ago – Tue, Oct 22, 2019 at 01:11:28 AM

Hi Backers, here's your fortnightly updates on the NANO1 camera campaign. 

It's all good news, but firstly we apologize for the late backer update. TLDR below.

While we were preparing the update, we received some good news with regards to the C mount shield. We were taking some videos to show the tolerance testing we had done with the injection moulding company. Originally we thought that we needed a new re-tooling, which had already been commissioned to complete this Friday. But it turned out that the test piece was defective and the part already works. Hence, no re-tooling is required. The initial batch of C mount shields are being installed on the remaining cameras and shipping will recommence this week.

First batch of mount covers were incompatible with the IR cut holder. We have increased the diameter of the C mount cover, to prevent M12 lenses from touching the cover, which used to cause difficulty in installing the lens.

The latest version fits. This was the video we realised that the original C mount cover actually works with the new IR cut holder. It turned out the C mount cover tested had a small defect, that was big enough to prevent 20 samples of the IR holder from being installed, but small enough to allow M12 lenses to be installed, hence avoiding detection.

Its smooth surface was invisible from the top when mounted in the camera.

TLDR: We have the new C mount covers and shipping re-commences this week.

The 75mm lenses also arrived on last Thursday, 17th October 2019. We are going through the QC processes. We have already certified approximately 20 pieces, so those should be going out ASAP within this week as well.

Thank you,

Grey & TinyMOS Team

Backer Update
over 4 years ago – Mon, Oct 07, 2019 at 03:26:59 AM

Dear Backers,

Here's the fortnightly update on the NANO1.

C Mount Covers

The supplier has sent us 2 sets of new C mount covers. One set is made from ABS and another is made from Nylon. From our testing, it appears that the Nylon covers are a lot stronger and fit better in the NANO1 covers, so that is what we will be using.

We are following up with the tolerances with the suppliers, as the IR cut holder currently does not hold the IR cut glass and will fall out from the C mount cover. We hope that the rework can be done in the next week or two so that shipping can resume to normal.

For Backers with broken C mount shields: While expensive worldwide shipping fees will be incurred on our part, we sincerely want to address the problems with the broken C Mounts. If you would like to support our initiative, you can head to our webstore and purchase the C Mount Replacement shield at $5 instead - shipping will be free for affected Backers.

Regardless of the chosen option, please note that our priority will still be to fully deliver all NANO1 orders first.

For full details on how to replace the shield cover  please refer to the guide on this version of the Backer's update: https://bit.ly/2YVlg1m 

New 75mm lenses

New 75mm lenses is scheduled to arrive this week. After testing and calibration they will be ready to send out, about the same time as the C mount cover and IR cut holders are ready from the factory.

Software update

Here are some previews of the new star maps app we've been working on.

A large part of the technical requirements have been done, we're hoping to release some of the new functions of the star map in the next software release in about 2 weeks time.

Thank you everyone for your support.

Best regards,

Grey & TinyMOS Team

Backer update - upgraded C mount covers
over 4 years ago – Fri, Sep 20, 2019 at 09:15:53 PM

Dear Backers,

Here’s the fortnightly updates on the NANO1 astronomy camera.

C mount Cover Upgrades

Following feedback from backers that received the new 3D printed C mount cover, we’ve decided to change the process to injection molding instead. While the new version has improved significantly over the original version, we are still getting feedback of breakages to the covers.

The injection molded version would be made out of ABS plastic injected at 4 tons of pressure, into a steel mold. It is expected that the part will be far more durable than any 3D printed version we have made so far.

The downside is that the tooling itself is very expensive and takes over 30 work days to manufacture. The above photo is the rough machining of the injection tooling on hardened steel. A process that tool 1 week.

Here's the same tool after fine machining, which took another week. The tool will then be polished, textured and tested on the injection molding machine. The production of the C mount cover will commence after dimension tests are passed.

The whole process started nearly 3 weeks ago and it is going through its paces now. We expect to receive the parts in another 2-3 weeks barring any errors.

Please note that all camera shipments are withheld until the C mount Covers are upgraded.

We regret to cause this delay but we would rather ship a better product out of the gate.

New batch 75mm lenses

Following the shortages of the 75mm lenses, we have ordered another batch of the same lens. It is expected to arrive in our office in 1-2 weeks. It’ll be processed and shipped out on a rolling basis thereafter.

New Camera Shipment

We’ve taken delivery for another shipment of semi-assembled NANO1 camera and have fully assembled the cameras. The cameras will be awaiting the ABS injection molded covers before shipping to backers.

Software update

The software team is currently still working on getting the Star Map and Capture presets integrated with the remote application. In the meantime, a new NANO1 app update has been uploaded last week. The updated app has stability improvement to the viewing gallery and file transfer.

iOS app

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nano1-companion/id1471337806

Android app

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tinymos.Nano1Connect

Please note that the Android app listing has changed. Updating it from previous version would not work.

Thank you,

Grey and TinyMOS Team

Backer update - Milky Way Photos and more
over 4 years ago – Mon, Sep 02, 2019 at 02:58:58 AM

Dear Backers,

We took the production version of the NANO1 cameras out to the field, to get a better sense of how our Backers are using the camera, the good and the bad.

The trip brought us into Mersing, Malaysia. Where we took this photo:

The image was taken with the NANO1 and the 3-12mm zoom lens at the widest view possible. The image was processed from RAW converted to DNG. 2 images were loaded to Deep Sky Stacker for stacking to produce the image above.

If all that sounds alien to you, here's what you can get straight out of the camera now:

The NANO1 is probably the world's smallest camera that can get a view like this. We hope that it helps you dip your toes into enjoying astronomy viewing and hopefully into astronomy imaging and processing in the future.

There will be more images and guides to come from this trip.

A few quick pointers for Backers who have difficulties using the camera outdoors

1) Focusing

Focusing the NANO1 is pretty easy if you follow the steps below.

• Pre-focusing

Installing the lens you want to use and focusing it on something about 1-2m away will help greatly in acquiring focus. Simply focus on a phone screw 1-2m away will help the camera get into ball park range of being in focus.

• In camera zooming

There is a + and - sign on the right side of the camera screen that allows you to zoom in on the objects you want to focus on, so that you can get tack sharp focus. if the + and - sign does not appear, simply go into video mode, settings and disable image stabilization.

Please remember to zoom out before capturing the image.

• Using a bright object to focus

When zoomed in, the noise from the sensor can overwhelm the dim star light. Using a street lamp at a distance or bright planets such as Saturn/Jupiter, bright stars such as Orion/Sirius, or the Moon to focus, can help greatly in achieving focus.

2) Imaging

• Tripod

Exposing for the Milky Way will always require more than a few seconds of exposure, even with the best DSLR/mirrorless cameras. Using a tripod such as our TinyMOS Mini Tripod will definitely help keep the camera stable and pointed at the right direction.

• Lens choices

Milky Way/Northern lights are very wide objects. Using the kit lens or prime lenses up to 6mm focal length definitely helps bring the Milky Way into the frame. The 3-12mm zoom lens is also noticeably brighter than the kit lens and helps improve the image quality significantly

• Imaging Settings

While we are working on the imaging pre-sets - a good starting exposure with the wide angle prime lenses for the Milky Way is a 30-60s exposure. You may want to use ISO1600 and work your way downwards, if light pollution is causing the image to turn white. Lowering the ISO until the screen starts to show the Milky Way is a good way to get to the correct exposure. Please note that the brightest part of the Milky Way is in the direction of Sagittarius and is not visible all year round.

Using the photo lapse mode with RAW enabled will help you get consecutive images, which can be "stacked" together using more advanced techniques.

Shipping update

Shipping has been on hold for the past two weeks due to the imaging trip and a media interview which took several days combined.

We're expecting to resume shipping the remaining cameras in the next couple of weeks.

Software update

There is an update on both the Android and iOS application. The change logs are as follows

• File transfer more reliable 
• Added share and delete button when previewing video 
• Fix crash when starting app on some devices 
• Changing camera settings more responsive
• For Android, there's a new video player that works better compared to previous version (already present on original iOS version)

The apps are submitted to both Play Store and App Store respectively for review. The changes should come live within this week.

C mount shield replacement

C mount shield replacement is in discussion with several injection molding companies. We're exploring injection molded parts made from ABS/Nylon to give the shields better longevity.

In the meantime,

1) If you have access to 3D printers or 3D printing services such as https://www.shapeways.com/ , you can download the high resolution .STL file from here and print your own shielding.

2) If you do not have access to a 3D printer, we can send a C Mount Replacement shield to you. Simply fill up the form at https://forms.gle/RHhHJVq8v1mQCqyj9 for a free replacement.

While expensive worldwide shipping fees will be incurred on our part, we sincerely want to address the problems with the broken C Mounts. If you would like to support our initiative, you can head to our webstoreand purchase the C Mount Replacement shield at $5 instead - shipping will be free for affected Backer.

Regardless of the chosen option, please note that our priority will still be to fully deliver all NANO1 orders first.

Fortnightly updates

The updates for the project will move on to fortnightly instead of weekly, as the shipping quantities wind down and the updates are for processes that take longer time to complete.

You may also want to join our Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/tinymosnano1/ to share photos, ask questions or just mingle with fellow NANO1 backers. We thank you for your continued support of the TinyMOS team.

Best regards,

Grey & TinyMOS Team

Delivery update - Silver's back!
over 4 years ago – Sun, Aug 18, 2019 at 12:40:39 AM

Dear Backers,

We took a week's hiatus in providing update as last Thursday and Monday were public holidays in Singapore. A belated Happy National Day for Singapore and Hari Raya Haji!

At TinyMOS we always support our Backers to capture images with the NANO1. In April, we shipped out a few cameras with the prototype front aluminum plate to meet the travel plans of a few Backers. One of the camera came back for a face plate update. 

The photo lets us take a look at how far the NANO1 has come from it's early prototype stage, to its current production iterations. From rough finish, poor corners and an offset lens mount hole, to a much more polished final product. We went from an incredibly small and unwieldy T2 Torx screw to a T4 one which is much more robust and secure to fit on the lenses.

All these small iterations and improvements are only possible because of the patience and support of our Backers like yourselves.

New shipment of silver aluminum plates

On that note we want to announce that the new silver covers arrived on 14th of August 2019. With the new shipment in, we're catching up to ship the silver camera orders that were delayed by the QC issue we faced previously.

As of the end the week, we've shipped out 401 cameras.

Right now, apart from the regular camera assembly, the team is working on quality check of the 75mm F2 lenses to resume shipping of the lens in the coming weeks.

Mount shield update

We'd like to reiterate on the C mount cover replacement plan. There are the following methods to resolve the weak C mount plate issue:

1) If you have access to 3D printers or 3D printing services such as https://www.shapeways.com/ , you can download the high resolution .STL file from here and print your own shielding.

2) If you do not have access to a 3D printer, we can send a C Mount Replacement shield to you. Simply fill up the form at https://forms.gle/RHhHJVq8v1mQCqyj9 for a free replacement.

While expensive worldwide shipping fees will be incurred on our part, we sincerely want to address the problems with the broken C Mounts. If you would like to support our initiative, you can head to our webstore and purchase the C Mount Replacement shield at $5 instead - shipping will be free for affected Backer.

Regardless of the chosen option, please note that our priority will still be to fully deliver all NANO1 orders first.

For full details on how to replace the shield cover  please refer to the guide on this version of the Backer's update: https://bit.ly/2YVlg1m

Software update

The software team is currently working on improvements to the remote control app, in terms of stability for file transfer and connectivity.

Features of the star map will be delayed until the app stability issues can be definitively fixed, so that the app doesn't incur technical debt.

Once again, thank you for your kind support.

Best regards,

Grey Tan & TinyMOS Team