It's comin' in!! (helmetcam)

[Sombeech]

My helmetcam, that is. I just got off the phone 10 minutes ago. It's coming in tomorrow!

I got mine from www.helmetcamera.com. I got the 1B, 480 line Extreme kit shown here:
https://helmetcamera.com/store/products.php?cat=10

We'll test it out in St George this weekend, then I'll hit the slopes with it.

It's waterproof, so I can gaurantee some wakeboard footage too.

[derstuka]

Hopefully it is as tough as this guy's was....

http://uploads.filecabin.com/flash/f...ycle_crash.swf

[Sombeech]

Wow, that just happened last friday! Sounds like it was a woman too.

[Sombeech]

It's here.

[derstuka]

Looks nice! Can you elaborate on the contents of your new possession? Also, are you going to be hooking it up to that handycam (the one that you were taping to your head) that you have? Does it add any zoom?

This is who I was thinking of buying from originally, but now I'll have to see how your camera works out.

http://www.bulletcam.com/

[Sombeech]

Looks nice! Can you elaborate on the contents of your new possession? Also, are you going to be hooking it up to that handycam (the one that you were taping to your head) that you have? Does it add any zoom?

This is who I was thinking of buying from originally, but now I'll have to see how your camera works out.

http://www.bulletcam.com/

I looked at the bulletcam, but it seemed like I was getting a better deal here at helmetcamera.com. Also, this is submersible up to 100 feet! Wakeboarding footage, here we come!

I'll pull all of the contents out and label them for you guys. It'll have to be tonight though. I'm at work.

[derstuka]

Looks nice! Can you elaborate on the contents of your new possession? Also, are you going to be hooking it up to that handycam (the one that you were taping to your head) that you have? Does it add any zoom?

This is who I was thinking of buying from originally, but now I'll have to see how your camera works out.

http://www.bulletcam.com/

I looked at the bulletcam, but it seemed like I was getting a better deal here at helmetcamera.com. Also, this is submersible up to 100 feet! Wakeboarding footage, here we come!

I'll pull all of the contents out and label them for you guys. It'll have to be tonight though. I'm at work.

What camera are you gonna hook this lens up to? The one you used to use on trail rides? What kind of connector options does it have for connecting to a video camera?

[Sombeech]

What camera are you gonna hook this lens up to? The one you used to use on trail rides? What kind of connector options does it have for connecting to a video camera?

Temporarily I will use my parents' camcorder. It's a Sony, and I forget the model number. My Camcorder is not compatible, because it doesn't have A/V "IN", just OUT.

I placed a "want ad" on the forum looking for a used, old camcorder that can even have a broken lens or viewfinder. I don't need the lense to shoot with my helmet cam.
http://uutah.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1885

Until then, I will be borrowing camcorders. I may look at trading mine in.

[Iceaxe]

This should be awesome..... I can't wait to see the video of you having sex in the backseat of the Pinto while wearing the helmet cam

[Sombeech]

This should be awesome..... I can't wait to see the video of you having sex in the backseat of the Pinto while wearing the helmet cam

That footage won't even need to be editted either. The filesize will be so small because of the time frame, that I can upload those 5 seconds directly to the forum.

[Windwalker]

That footage won't even need to be editted either. The filesize will be so small because of the time frame, that I can upload those 5 seconds directly to the forum.

An I thought I was the only one in the world with that problem!

[Mtnbiker]

I was getting pretty close to buying that setup too from helmetcamera, then I made a big oopsy and got my mini-dv without ANALOG IN - dang it!

so...... that kinda stinks. I don't know if I'd try to sell mine to upgrade to the AV capability or not.. I had thought about trying to rig up a bracket on my helmet for the mini-dv but I don't want to smack it into a tree or crash on it either

let us know how it works for ya.

by the way, do you know of anywhere you could actually trade in a camera like that? Mine's a brand new Panasonic, with maybe 2 hours recording time on it, perfect condition.

[icthys]

How's that cam gonna work wakeboarding? Are you gonna get a waterproof recorder also or just tape it up with DT?

[Sombeech]

How's that cam gonna work wakeboarding? Are you gonna get a waterproof recorder also or just tape it up with DT?

I'll have a waterproof box with the cable coming out of it. Then I'll put the box in my camelback while I ride.

Stay tuned this week for our st george bike footage. I've got 2 gigabytes, 2-1/2 hours of film. I'm trying to get it down to 30 minutes of film for you guys n gals.

[Sombeech]

BUMP

[RedMan]

Hey all,

I have spent some time getting my Helmet Camera system setup and thought I should share the results with you.

Components:
A: Sony TRV22 DV camera. This is the perfect camera for this type of use. It is small, shoots digital video. It has an external Microphone input, external headphone out, S-Video and a DV in/out jack. It has a LANC remote control jack and you can get a battery that will power it for 10 hours. You need all of these functions or trying to shoot video will drive you crazy fiddling with the start and stop or not knowing if your audio is working. Most camera menu steps can be painful to record in VCR mode (the TRV22 thinks its acting as a VCR), not something pleasant to do when wearing gloves or in the dirt, mud, rain snow etc. Using the TRV-22 with a LANC makes life a breeze. This is a discontinued Sony camera. ebay $137.50 in new condition. 10 hour battery $29. I do NOT recommend using any of the new digital recorders such as the Archos. All of these "record to hard disk" systems record in a highly compressed format. Mpeg4 is very popular. By the time you have recorded, edited and prepped your video for viewing you will realize that the initial compression made a real mess of things.
B: Skullcamz bullet camera. 580 line Sony Ex-view CCD. Best picture I have ever seen from a bullet. Great low light color and fantastic white balance. Better than the CCD on the TRV-22. comes with a mic and battery pack that will last 7 hours. $189 plus batteries. This was the best deal I found and the guys who run the company were super to deal with, know their stuff and seem to be enthusiasts about shooting video with helmet cams, not just hawking a camera.
C: Cam-Eye Sport LANC v1.4 remote control. This allows you to power up, power off, start and pause recording of the combined system using a single button. Has a dual colored LED that indicated the mode and function you are using. Even tells you if the battery or tape is near its end. $65 eBay
D: A remote on-off switch with LED indicator to power up/off the bullet camera. About $6 in Radio shack parts.

Total about $450 including shipping.

This project was assembled with a few simple parts from Radio shack and as you can see we simply put a switch and LED in a small project case and attached the LANC to the face of it and taped the wires together creating a single wire remote control for the system.

The Cam-Eye LANC v1.4 (do not get the v1.6 for a TRV22)


The Various Radio Shack parts (with RS part numbers) for the power switch to control the bullet camera.


Both controls assembled and combined into a single unit. The one LED tells you the bullet cam is powered on. The LED on the LANC tells you the status of the camera, recording, standby, off etc.


The Bullet Camera inside of a small Flashlight case with a removable UV filter on the front
This is simply to protect the camera from the elements.


The whole system assembled. The TRV22, battery pack and cables go in a padded fanny pack.
The bullet camera is attached to a strip of Velcro on top of my helmet.

Do not use the "stud" mounts that screw into the rear of many cameras. A crash will likely rip the camera apart. With the velcro and the case I built and the quick connects I do not expect to have camera damage in a crash. When placing the microphone remember to keep it out of direct wind. I place the mic on the rear of my helmet. Seems to work fine for voices when stopped and chatting, does not get wind blasts that overpower the audio when riding at 50mph.

After using this setup for a while I realized that I did not have an easy way to "inspect" the video. So I added one of these small field monitors to my setup.
It is a 1" B&W (they also make a color version).

It is $99.95 at www.supercircuits.com.

It is a very tough built unit with an RCA connector. Will run 24hrs on 3AAA's. Simple push button for on-off.
However you only turn it on when checking the shot, then turn it off and put it away.

I added this because in bright sunlight the process of opening the fanny pack and trying to check the LCD on the Sony DV is a huge PIA. The problem is you are trying to check the shot to make sure the camera is still getting a level shot, at the same time you are looking down into a fanny pack. You end up taking it off and holding the whole affair out in front of you while trying to hold your helmet level in the recording position.

With this unit I can simply fish out the field monitor at any time. Check the shot from several angles and stuff it back in the pack. MUCH easier to deal with. Also now I can seal the DV in a ziplock with a silica gel tin and never open it while riding. I feel much better about the moisture situation now.

So now I'm at about $550.


This is from the product description

The new pocket-sized MON-1 is perfect for installation applications. The MON-1 makes setup easy. The MON-1 comes with a standard RCA female built-in connector. All that is required for operation is to plug the camera into the MON-1 and then press the activation switch above the viewfinder. Adjustable eyepiece ensures clarity. Measuring 4.4

[Sombeech]

After using this setup for a while I realized that I did not have an easy way to "inspect" the video. So I added one of these small field monitors to my setup.
It is a 1" B&W (they also make a color version).

It is $99.95 at www.supercircuits.com.

That was my main concern as well. I felt that when I assembled it, and zipped it up in my pack, I was just hoping it would still be recording when I got done with the trail.

I rode one trail, and found out I had a short circuit on the power cable, so it would only film certain times. It would be nice to see what you were recording, also making sure you had a good camera angle.

[RedMan]

Sombeech,

After I had a couple of outings where I missed the good stuff because I had no way of knowng what was actually being captured I got the monitor.

It is well worth the $99. It makes it very easy to pan your head around and be certain that the camera is mounted level when your head is in a normal riding position so you not shooting sky or chopping the subject in half.

Also learned you need to check it regularly. Just because it is working at the beginning of the ride is no guarantee it will keep working. I found out once that I had inserted a AA battery wrong. Worked fine for the first 20 minutes then started putting blue streaks in the video because the voltage was too low for the camera.

What kind of Waterproof box are you using? Any links or pics?

[Sombeech]

What kind of Waterprooof box are you using? Any links or pics?

Nothing yet. I can't decide whether to build my own, or just buy it.

[RedMan]

I have looked at a few pelican type boxes but none seems to fit what I want as far as running cables out to the camera, and remote.
And then I'm unsure what to do with the montitor, maybe it just goes in the box. But that could be a PIA.

Do you know of sources for waterproof cable ports?

I will probably not be submersing any of this, just keeping it out of the heavy rain and snow.

BTW, remember to put a serious amount of desicant in any closed bag with a runnig camera. The heat differential will almost certain cause condensation and screw up your equipment quickly.