Video Cameras For Motorsport Use

[Marlin]

I'm getting a Radcam soon mate, and have used a POV1 and 1.5 extensively.

Will let you know!

[Beer Baron]

yeah I wouldn't write of the radcam just yet. it's HD where as the pov 1/1.5 is not. it's also a bit cheaper (and heaps cheaper than the POVs used to be).

it looks to me to do everything the VIO does. and they both accept an external mic (which is the best way to get sound in a POV anyway) so if using the same mic on a radcam and a POV I can't imagine the sound being all that different.

I think till recently the VIO was the best option without spending massive dough as they are easy to use and pretty reliable. but the radcam looks to me to have a few key advantages on paper at least. they support much bigger SD cards for starters.

I'd wait till marlin tests his out as like he said he's got lots of experience with the VIO products so can make a good comparison.

ps: marlin, what size card were you using in the VIO I've got? do you know if it has the update firmware to allow 8gig cards or is it on the old firmware which only allows up to 2gig?

[paulR32gtr]

Its the 32gb capacity and external power that grabs me. I am not too concerned about ultra high resolution video - nice bonus though.

Its such a royal pain messing around with turning cameras on and off, changing memory / tapes, conserving batteries etc - I wouldn't wish it upon any nav! They already have enough to deal with, and they don't get to drive - poor bloody navs.

[Roy]

We will soon know. Pov in Barons car and Radcam in my car belting around Nurburgring next week. Also doing sessions in the same car so will most likely having up to 3 cameras on a car (in case the coroner needs to understand how we ended up so far off the track)

I cant remember is i got 64GB or 32GB for the Radcam...i rememebr i paid extra

I am doing Silverstone on Monday in a Caterham, so if sound quality is a problem then this will expose it. Hopefully the external mic mounted low in the cabin will give good engine note and not too much wind noise!

Edited September 1, 2010 by Roy

[Beer Baron]

We will soon know. Pov in Barons car and Radcam in my car belting around Nurburgring next week. Also doing sessions in the same car so will most likely having up to 3 cameras on a car (in case the coroner needs to understand how we ended up so far off the track)

I am doing Silverstone on Monday in a Caterham, so if sound quality is a problem then this will expose it. Hopefully the external mic mounted low in the cabin will give good engine note and not too much wind noise!

lol, and yeah good point. we will be able to nicely compare the radcam and vio. anyone care to send some inducements my way before I review the stuff???? anyone???

crash footage should at least help us identify who grabbed whose hand first and therefore who is gay.

PS, the RADcam is also ahead in my book. being a child of the 80s the rad-ness of it all certainly appeals to me.

[phunky_monkey]

It's depressing how cheap the POV1.5 is now

External mic is dfefinitely the go though. Sound is what let's the side down in my opinion. Other than that it's fantastically easy to use and very durable.

[paulR32gtr]

What cars are you guys taking around the ring?

[Roy]

I have a Sirroco for Fri and borrowing Count's M3 for the Saturday. I will be gettint tips on how to pilot a Sirroco this weekend when watching the Sirroco Cup that support the DTMs. Such a blokes holiday this one...cars, cars and motorsport. (hopefully a slapper here or there to boot)

Edited September 1, 2010 by Roy

[PHaT MR30]

Its the 32gb capacity and external power that grabs me. I am not too concerned about ultra high resolution video - nice bonus though.

Its such a royal pain messing around with turning cameras on and off, changing memory / tapes, conserving batteries etc - I wouldn't wish it upon any nav! They already have enough to deal with, and they don't get to drive - poor bloody navs.

Thank you! Someone actually cares about us plebs!

[Snowman]

Its such a royal pain messing around with turning cameras on and off, changing memory / tapes, conserving batteries etc - I wouldn't wish it upon any nav! They already have enough to deal with, and they don't get to drive - poor bloody navs.

That's where the VBOX is great. It starts recording when you start moving and stops recording when you stop. Every movement is saved as a new file.

A slight PITA for Targa stuff as you don't want to record 100km transport stages - but I always just plugged it in when we got to TC and then un-plugged it at the stop point (so you would get a number of small 3s vids from your creeping up to the start and then one full vid of your run). But it makes capturing the various stage times easy and means you need to do bugger all post event editting (not to mention the awesomeness of the data overlay). 1 x 8GB card easily lasts a whole days worth of rallying.

[Marlin]

baron, the POV you have in your dirty little hands holds 2Gb cards. We found that was ample for half a day's rallying, simple change at lunchtime.

IMO, the POV's have pretty average sound quality without an external mic. We found the best result was gained in using a powered aftermartket mic, about $80- from memory. Just keep it out of the wind, tucked out of the way under the dash is a ripper spot. When rallying we have it on Tim's seat near his mouth, that was we can here him, and the car. I think just hear voices when plugged into the headsets get a little boring.

And yes, I've been a nav too, and difficult to use camera systems just are not worth it. Cameras can probably one of the greatest stress raisers within the car, and a remote starting one such as POV or this new RADcam make life easy! When the navvie zero's his trip meter as the start, he turns the camera on too. Piece of piss

[paulR32gtr]

Thank you! Someone actually cares about us plebs!

I've done the hard yards Tim - I feel the pain!!

That's where the VBOX is great. It starts recording when you start moving and stops recording when you stop. Every movement is saved as a new file.

That does sound like a great feature.

but I always just plugged it in when we got to TC and then un-plugged it at the stop point

Tim will attest that this is the same time you are marking arrival time, handing clipboards out windows, furiously running through every page of the stage notes to make sure the corners are roughed up so you dont grab two pages, making sure your intercom is on, trying to give the driver one last look at the stage layout map, making sure your trip computer is ready to go... and making sure the camera is rolling

[Snowman]

I did say "I" plugged it in It took all of 2s to do.

The new car will have it hard-wired in with a dash switch to make it a 1s job instead.!

[Roy]

The nav gig is sooo easy.

I remember my one and only effort..plain sailing. 3-2-1...100, Left three 200 ..."off notes" then sit back and watch the driver get all upset and dodge trees

[Snowman]

and now we know why I secretly sawed my upper control arm in half at lunch on Day 1 so I had a good excuse to quit the rally

[Roy]

That pub did pour a good cold beer and grill a mean toasted sandwich!

Edited September 1, 2010 by Roy

[paulR32gtr]

I did say "I" plugged it in It took all of 2s to do.

The new car will have it hard-wired in with a dash switch to make it a 1s job instead.!

Yeah sorry I think I am just venting... im sure most drivers help out! Both these solutions look like a godsend compared to the cage mounted handheld I had to deal with.

Dash switch is gold.

[paulR32gtr]

mmmm beer

[Beer Baron]

What cars are you guys taking around the ring?

friday is alfa 3litre 75 for me, with cage, semis etc. saturday is M3 track car, again brakes, cage semis etc. and then for spa it's lotus exige 240S. for the F1 GP we are both riding our beer scooters though. not sure how a beer scooter fairs against the mighty 2010 RBR but it can't do worse than HRT or lotus....

[Beer Baron]

baron, the POV you have in your dirty little hands holds 2Gb cards. We found that was ample for half a day's rallying, simple change at lunchtime.

IMO, the POV's have pretty average sound quality without an external mic. We found the best result was gained in using a powered aftermartket mic, about $80- from memory. Just keep it out of the wind, tucked out of the way under the dash is a ripper spot. When rallying we have it on Tim's seat near his mouth, that was we can here him, and the car. I think just hear voices when plugged into the headsets get a little boring.

And yes, I've been a nav too, and difficult to use camera systems just are not worth it. Cameras can probably one of the greatest stress raisers within the car, and a remote starting one such as POV or this new RADcam make life easy! When the navvie zero's his trip meter as the start, he turns the camera on too. Piece of piss

thanks cobber. thought it was 2gb. if i wasn't so lazy I'd do mark a favour and update the firmware so it can handle 8gb but like you say 2gb can record a fair bit of wang mounted choc tunnel diving bedroom action so no real problem.