irish44j

iTrader: (38)

...so since I'm low on money for "real" mods, decided to make a new camera mount, giving me the option of using several mounting locations. The primary locations are outside the passenger rear window, and about a foot back between the seats. Also has some other mounting points that I might use too.

Made of aluminum tubing and random hardware. I also filled it with foam to reduce vibrations. It's not pretty, but it's strong as hell, only weighs about 2 pounds, and does the job! So...here it is:

It attaches to the passenger headrest. Here's how....in this pic all the bolts are not tightened up yet


One one side I have a diagonal arm that has three mount points. In this pic the ball mount isn't fitted, but you can see where the camera will go, roughly


The best part is the arm that comes out the window, for some "side of car" shots. It's somewhat adjustable, and the door can be opened without hitting the camera mount, provided the passenger seat is far back


I think it will capture a cool angle of the front wheel and course when autocrossing and road racing

Black Maxima

Yo, that's HOT. I like the out of the window action. Mine only goes between the two seats.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

yeah, the one I've been using is the same as yours probably...works fine, but I had some spare materials so figured I'd mess around....Really I'd like to get a few of the small remote lenses and put them in various places and wire them all to my laptop, but that's a major expense I can't justify at the moment!

F4i Caveman

Damn, thing goes outside the window of that car? That's kick ***.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

used it this weekend....though I cut the arm a bit shorter so it did'nt stick out so far. Worked well...camera didn't go flying off anywhere

a little more vibration than I would like, but I have a plan to reduce that for the next time....

97SEdriver

iTrader: (3)

Is the video good enough to put on the web?
I am thinking about making something for this upcoming weekend, where did you get the mount for the camera? I am guessing everything else came from Home Depot (per avatar)

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

At that meet I got video from between the seats, outside the window (aim was poor though, so it's kind of wierd), and from the hill above the course...had two cameras with me.

Video is actually pretty good aside from some minor vibration, but I have no way to host it. Haven't edited it yet, but I think it would be at least 1 meg if not more.....if anyone has a way to host it, I will put it together and send it to you!

I got the ball mount from org member Requin6 (Paul) who also runs CDC in Maryland. I think he has alot of them. shoot him a pm.

The rest of the mount was made from Aluminum square tubing, filled with foam, and some creative bracing for the seat. All materials came from (you guessed it) Home Depot. So much more fun to build a $25 mount than to buy a nice suction mount for $100+

99 SE-L

Damn josh must of mounted that camera very well for it too stay in place at those speeds and turns nice job man

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

it's amazing what you can learn in engineering school

SkinnyMax

iTrader: (1)

was that in statics or dynamics?...I must have missed the class on camera mounts...

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

that was in "How to Make Ghetto Things from Random Parts at Home Depot 101"

Norm Peterson

Let me STRONGLY suggest that you (and everybody else) incorporate a safety strap into the design.

This is either already mandated by SCCA or about to be, since without a secondary means of holding it captive, a single failure of the ball/stud/screw/whatever will result in the camera becoming a loose projectile flying about the interior/into the driver/under the pedals/etc.

You'll need something more to get it through tech.

Norm

97SEdriver

iTrader: (3)

Norm,
are you the guy I've seen at the various phillyscca auto-x's? If you are that guy ripping around in that old Chevy, I've always enjoyed watching the faces of confusion of people in sports cars as to how you beat them.

Norm Peterson

Guilty.

But the real fun in shaking up preconceived notions came the first times I went to a NNJR event at E-town and an SJR event at Atco and the dragstrips were running as well ("Are you sure that you're in the right place? The pits for the dragstrip are over there . . . (pointing)").

This year I've kept the Chevy's CP number (85), but for a number of reasons have been running in STS in the gold Mazda 626 (with rather less success).

Norm

97SEdriver

iTrader: (3)

You planning on gunning the Maxima through a auto-x or 2? I am trying to get Irish to go next time we're at Ripken, so I won't be the only Max at the meet. Irish will more than likely kill me with the various suspension mods he has, but it would be nice to compare none-the-less.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

Good point Norm....

I do, however, have a double safety strap setup, attached to the camera, bracket, and car itself.....just didn't put it on in those pics....


not real interested in my cameras going flying across a parking lot!

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

Let me know bro....none of that "kill you" stuff....it's all about the course and the driver when we're both over 3000lbs!

also, I have one distinct disadvantage: my autocross wheels double as my winter wheels...17x8 g35 coupe wheels weighing in at 24lbs each....can't go smaller, won't clear my front brakes. can't get a lighter set, wife won't let me have 3 sets of rims@! Also, the stage 2 LTB puts me up into STX, where I can really get my butt kicked.

Ripken Stadium I could do.....Philly is a bit of a hike!

btw, do they ever use the old airfiled on the old Philly Naval Base for racing? I lived right next to the airfield as a Navy kid, and remember it as being pretty darn big...

Norm Peterson

This year in addition to Ripken we're using Boeing (a couple of exits south of the Philly airport) and Northampton Community College (up near Nazareth). And we had a one-shot event at another site (hope we get to go back there).

www.phillyscca.com for the Philly Region schedule or www.autox4u.com for a far more complete listing of events in the region. I know that Autocrossers, Inc also runs at Ripken.

Norm

97SEdriver

iTrader: (3)

It was a figurative term, no fast and furious types in this thread.

Well I feel your pain, I'm still technically in GS, so Mini S's eat my lunch every time, especially when I haven't got R-compounds
that's what I expected, the next time we're at Ripken is Oct 16th, if I can go I'll send a friendly reminder.
I have thought the same thing, and any one of the philly stadium parking lots would be great too, quasi elevation changes too.

Norm Peterson

I think that inquiries have been made regarding the stadium lots, just that those places want outrageous lot rental fees. Well over what 100 entry fees would cover, as a hint.

Norm

97SEdriver

iTrader: (3)

I guess if they have 75 people show up for just the morning heat like sometimes happens at Ripken, that might work out. Actually someone should find out how much NASA pays for the Giants stadium parking lot and use that as leverage for negotiation the fees in philly. I know most of their event turnouts are not as big as at Ripken or Boeing.

Norm Peterson

Don't forget things like sanction fees and insurance . . .

D I R T Y I 3 0

Bump, I want to make this when I have the time. Does anyone have anything similar to Irish's mount, or even in the video below? Pics of your mount and instructions would be awesome

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

honestly, just get a GoPro. $199, better vid, can mount it anywhere. That headrest mount had so much vibration, as do most of the improv'd mounts IMO.

awesome that you dug up this old thread though!

silver5andahalf

Bought it from eBay, less than 6 bucks for the mount and the ipod case, trimmed it, glued it and walla!! HD video from the ipod plus a nice mount for those times when I want to listen to music (I have an ipod adapter for the radio) mostly use it in the MSM but in the max could be used anywhere inside and out.







A few weeks back I bought a BulletHD and made my own mount for it as well so I can mount the ipod or the BulletHD on the same mount and record from any angle I want. I still need to take pictures of the BulletHD mount, it does not look pretty (I used a white broom as raw material) but works perfectly. I still want to fab one of those for the headrest seat though...

D I R T Y I 3 0

Wow silver, the capture on both is spectacular

silver5andahalf

Thanks, that is just the ipod. I still have to test the BulletHD capture on the car. I would post a vid once I do. I am currently away from home but have the camera with me so, we'll see.

The problem with the ipod is the weather and the mic when using it outside, it catches only wind noise and I drove over a puddle once during autox-no good, luckily nothing happened to the ipod but I didnt wanna risk it anymore.

a33nismo

Looks like it should keep the camera pretty steady nice.

silver5andahalf

It is actually better than I thought, with the Bullet it seem to be a bit too stiff...

BEJAY1

iTrader: (19)

BulletHD huh? Nice. So much easier than a regular bullet cam and external PVR. You can mount it in a wheelwell, under the car, next to a shock, etc..

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

wow, thread back from the dead.

I'm currently using a pair of GoPro2's on the rallycross car. I need to rig up an external mic for sound still, but I've been pleased with the vid quality and stability, especially considering how much mud, dirt, and extreme vibrations a rallycross car's camera gets.

ex (not in HD, since RaceRender wasn't working well, but even in non-HD pretty smooth)

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

here's one in 720p

Norm Peterson

Odd. First video "does not exist".

Back from the dead indeed.


Norm

BEJAY1

iTrader: (19)

What happened at :49s? Just lost traction on the front tires?

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

lol....this was on my first run and I basically just forgot about the gate. Jammed the brakes and locked up all four at the last second (front wheels were cocked right, but just sliding). Just wanted to make sure to actually hit the cones so no off-course penalty.

Rallycross = all the runs combined count, so you don't want an off-course since it pretty much means you will NOT win that day. You can't just have a throwaway run like autocross.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

ok, fixed the first vid I think.

Norm Peterson

Yup, fixed, thanks.

That course reminds me of a very unofficial section our small club used to insert into an annual SCCA time-speed-distance rallye back in the 1970's (we weren't SCCA, kind of did it as "subcontractors"). Ask any of the older members in your region if they remember "Fastest through the Forest" on the Colonial Trail rallyes.


Norm

97SEdriver

iTrader: (3)

Norm tell me you're still running that old Chevy.

Moved back into phillyscca territory, but haven't had a chance to get out to anything

And wow, bumping a thread from '05, hilarious

97SEdriver

iTrader: (3)

and bring back the homedepot avatar!!!!!!

you know to whom I'm talking

silver5andahalf

Back from the dead again lol, I havent had a chance to record anything at all, still away from home but I may record something even if it is regular city driving (you tell me if it could be compared to autox, over here you have to avoid cars and specially motorcycles instead of cones, but if you hit one the penalty is more than 2 seconds! lol)

As for mounting the camera in the wheelwell or something, I dont have a reliable mount easy to "mount" or attach to the car, I could work on that maybe.