Video Camera who uses one?

[Jmuzz]

Heat is also a big factor for battery damage rate.
So never leave them in a hot car or sitting in direct sun, especially the new FlyCE black enclosure.

It's a shame they aren't made with a swappable battery pack. The integrated battery trend is so wasteful.
Would be good to have the option of various battery sizes so you could run a lighter 2 hr pack or carry 2x 8hr packs for a huge day.

[Nate]

If you aren't going to be using it, leave it about half charged.

I heard this was bogus?
reference? or is it that battery university site?

[InTheWoods]

If you aren't going to be using it, leave it about half charged.

I heard this was bogus?
reference? or is it that battery university site?

Battery university but also any other half decent site. Battery advice varies depending on the type of battery chemistry in use. Ie. NiCad, NiMH, lead acid, and lithium are all different.

[trailgumby]

I didn't get to run the tests as it was getting too late but it appears the battery was not the problem.

Formatting the card and changing a couple of settings (turning off the no-movement time-out mode and the collision recording lock mode) seems to have stopped the complaining. I'm still getting an appropriate number of beeps (3 or 4) before the power-down tones so I'll keep an eye on it for the next few rides but so far it looks like my worries about the battery were a false alarm (haha so punny ).

The downside is that I lost the recording of a close pass from Tuesday's ride as a result, as my laptop was cranky about recognising the card for me to take a backup first.

[feral grasshopper]

[quote="trailgumby"

The downside is that I lost the recording of a close pass from Tuesday's ride ......

Don’t worry, there’s plenty more where that came from .... .[/quote]

[trailgumby]

If you aren't going to be using it, leave it about half charged.

I heard this was bogus?
reference? or is it that battery university site?

Battery university but also any other half decent site. Battery advice varies depending on the type of battery chemistry in use. Ie. NiCad, NiMH, lead acid, and lithium are all different.

Yep. Very dependent on battery chemistry.

NiCds need to be stored fully discharged. I have R/C model car packs that are over 22 years old that still operate close to full original capacity and discharge rate. I discharged fully on a rack that zeroed each cell independently and then left them with a resistor across the plugs for storage. A couple of packs from that set that I built into a headlight and didn't do that with are past retrieval and are awaiting transport to Aldi for recycling. The rest are fine.

NiMH I have no real experience with - I stepped out of the pastime just as they were coming in. Being nickel based I suspect the same treatment would be appropriate.

LiPos however supposedly die if discharged below 3.2V per cell. The electronic speed control in my buggy has a cutoff to prevent this. I've read hints of fire risk if trying to recharge from below this figure. I use a fireproof bag when charging in my workshop. The charger maxes out at 4.2V per cell. There are apparently newer graphene LiPos that are safe for up to 4.35V per cell. Important when you're looking for speed but unimportant for device applications.

[Nevene]

GoPro seems to be the go-to camera these days. The one thing I like about the newer GoPros is the wifi control/preview; if a car does hit me and I'm talking with the police, being able to show them the video right there on my phone would certainly be helpful. It seems most cameras don't have a screen or any way to preview; I don't want to have to get to a computer to show a cop what happened.

I know there are several companies entering the space (Garmin has one coming out, Sony has a camera out, Monoprice has an inexpensive one, etc.)


______________________________________________________________________________________
There are no solved problems; there are only problems that are more or less solved.
All the best,Nevene Diceus

[Jmuzz]

. It seems most cameras don't have a screen or any way to preview; I don't want to have to get to a computer to show a cop what happened.

SD card readers for phone are as low as $2 and are about as big as a $2 coin.
Provided you have an OTG capable phone.

Best way because you can read the card even if camera or your own phone with the app has broken in the crash, and it's easier to ask a helpful bystander to pull the card out and put into your wallet to go to the hospital with you if things are that bad.

[Drizt]

I know there are several companies entering the space (Garmin has one coming out, Sony has a camera out, Monoprice has an inexpensive one, etc.)

Interested in hearing more about this new Garmin camera?

[cjrich]

I see Drift have a new Ghost X camera coming out with good battery life. I know the previous Drift 4K had some major issues so hoping Drift have got their stuff together with this model. Overall been pretty happy with my current Stealth2 model.

https://driftinnovation.com/products/ghost-x

[Mububban]

My Fly12 camera footage clearly shows the car that hit me not slowing down at all before rolling through the give way intersection. So far the guy's been very honest in admitting his fault and is paying for the damage to my bike, but it's good to have that footage in case of drivers being less than honest (as seen on so many dashcam videos).

[outnabike]

GoPro seems to be the go-to camera these days.

I keep seeing cameras fetching higher and higher prices that's about it. I don't get that members haven't cottoned on to the vehicle type cameras that can couple up to the modern battery pack and can run for 7 hours.
I used to post such info but continually got the "disapproving and judgemental "I don't see the need" or My God why do you add stuff to a camera which is a safety item".
So I dropped the issue.

For example my Mobius camera that I have had for 5 years is still going strong with a battery pack. It starts as a vehicle cam does, simply by turning on the power. I hooked it up to an Samsung phone back up battery which cost around $70-00.
The mobius on its own only runs for an hour on HD.

The battery is the same as an ignition switch. It over runs its card when full.

[outnabike]

Just on the same theme my rear cam is an older Sony that I also run off a similar battery and it also gets around 7 hours.
The Sony how ever has to have the card formatted or rewound as it is from the age of being an action camera and will not over writ its card. These cams can run off a dummy battery which replaces the original battery to hook up to the power pack.

As I say I used to post all these things but the negativity of some members sort of took the wind out of my sails.
My front cam is a G1 auto camera and also has its own battery. It goes for a minimum of 7 hours as well.

What seemed to be the problem in the forum was that either they didn’t look good, they disobeyed helmet regs, they needed cables, the blurb about the cam from a new inventor etc., and it appeared to me unnecessary bias.

I mean I can install a Garmin gps from a vehicle and run it for 7 hours off a power pack. Or you can pay $700 -00 for a dedicated unit. I tried it and it wasn’t a problem at all.
I know that if it doesn’t look good that’s enough to not fit it. That’s cool. Light weight it is also a negative. But on my run-around and only bike it is great. I mean I get from the street to home with 15 to 18 kg of veggies and all I do is go down a gear.

I hate having to fiddle with the cameras every day after only an hours use.

[AUbicycles]

Many people are not into the DIY solution and from a brand perspective it is easier to design a device without removable batteries and also means these customers are back on the market. Another side effect is that camera quality is steadily improving as well.

In the best case we move away from the consumer society and increase the importance of longevity and sustainability - this would align more closely with your goals and even though business win in the long term, in the short term they can be less attractive (particularly because of their costs and also the sales price).

[jasonc]

this looks interesting:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Bike-O ... ce-Sensor/

[AUbicycles]

The link above us a DIY distance sensor using a Raspberry Pi (for the non-techies, that is now something you can eat, it is a small electronic device that can be relatively easily programmed).

There are fairly detailed DIY steps... anyone here want to give it a go? I would chip in a few dollars to get a prototype tested in Australian conditions and to see how police react to this (in conjunction with backup video of illegal passing).

[Lukeyboy]

Should be easy to mount to a roadie. Specialized saddles come with the swat system. Attach the water bottle mount, make an alloy angle bracket and then attach the sensor to it.

Syncing it with other cameras is also easily done. Just turn all cameras on and with a single loud clap you should be able to sync everything up to that sound. Requires post editing to do so but it also gives you a chance to overlay the footage from the camera with footage from other higher quality/better positioned cameras mounted on the bike.

[biker jk]

I'm looking for a 1/4 inch tripod to goPro adapter mount. I want an aluminium model. The K-Edge model is over $30 so seeking a less expensive option. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[VibeZone]

I'm looking for a 1/4 inch tripod to goPro adapter mount. I want an aluminium model. The K-Edge model is over $30 so seeking a less expensive option. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I saw a brand called SmallRig on Amazon that had a variety of camera accessories, including a 1/4 inch to GoPro adapter mount. Their aluminum alloy adapters were well under $30, closer to the $10-$15 range.

[biker jk]

Thanks for the thread dredge but I solved this five years ago.

[VibeZone]

Glad you solved the issue but maybe there are still people looking for solutions, a cheap goPro is smth many are looking for.