I found my new helmet cam

**bwhip** · 02-17-2007 10:05 PM

...too bad it arrived a few hours after I left for trackdays last weekend!

Anyway, I finally got a chance to test it out today. After researching all of the manufacturers and models I could find, I finally decided to give this one a try:
Sportzshot PVS-6XPRO-1 Helmet Cam Package.

I have previously used both the Viosport Adventure Cam 3, and the Motorcycle Camera from Twenty20. The Viosport had very good video, tons of great accessories, but truly awful audio. I tried everything to improve the audio, without success. The Twenty20 was okay, but the video quality was really pretty poor, with weird colors and stuff. It also required power from the motorcycle battery, which could be a pain to access on some bikes.

The Sportzshot is very compact, has a good variety of lens options, and I can use most of my previous mounts with it. It also comes with a rechargeable battery, unlike the Viosport, which requires eight AA's (which have run out on me before while on the track, costing me some really good footage).

I also found a refurbished (cheap!) Sony camcorder, the Sony DCR-HC42. It's REALLY small, about the smallest Mini-DV recorder I've found. The great thing about the Sony is that it enables a LANC controller (which I could never use with my Canon). The LANC is basically a remote control button (via cable) that I can mount on my tank to easily turn the record function on and off while riding. This will save me a ton of wasted footage, as I've always had to turn "Record" on in the pits, go take my warm-up laps and so on, sometimes with lots of empty track in my footage to sift through during editing.

I took a little spin on the DR-Z today, up and down the street with each camera, to compare the video and audio quality. Although there was a wider angle lens on the new camera, the attached video shows that the new camera has significantly better audio quality, and the video quality to me looks better too, with brighter colors and good clarity. Keep in mind that to keep the file size reasonable, the video has been converted to MPEG format, which is MUCH lower quality than the original, which is DVD quality level.

I'm looking forward to the next time I get to the track, and can really put this setup to the test.

http://www.bwhip.com/images/CamComparo.mpg

**ND4SPD** · 02-17-2007 10:11 PM

Video link doesn't seem to be working.

**bda116** · 02-17-2007 10:19 PM

The audio is FAR superior on that new one, and the video looked better to me as well.
Looks like the mic cord is pretty long, so you could position it just about anywhere on the bike.
Their website says they are looking for someone to offer rentals of their units. With them being just up the road, maybe I should stop in and see what they had in mind. I'd bet that at the right price there would be a grundle of guys wanting to get video for a day at the track. Both moto and auto.

**bwhip** · 02-17-2007 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by ND4SPD

Video link doesn't seem to be working.

It's working now.

**ND4SPD** · 02-17-2007 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by bwhip

It's working now.

That second one is waaay better! Nice find! Keep that DVD quality turned up for the Grattan footage

**bwhip** · 02-17-2007 10:40 PM

In both cases I had the microphone placed in my backpack, in the outer mesh portion. They weren't directly exposed to the wind that way, being shielded somewhat by both me and the backpack, but you wouldn't know that from the sound of the first clip!

I'll certainly experiment with different mic positions on the bikes, and also perhaps with some sort of windsock over the mic to keep the sound from being shrill.

**evl_twn** · 02-18-2007 03:02 PM

That looks similar to the one I got last year from helmetcamera.com. I got the 560 line kit:

Product Listing - HelmetCamera_Kits

It came with a pretty small mic, and I had a LOT of wind noise when I first started using it. I had it mounted on my helmet, and the camcorder was in a backpack with the mic clipped on pretty high up. After watching the vids, I cut some foam and zip tied it around my mic and that greatly improved the sound. I now have a power lead mounted on the CBR, which I used at Grattan last year. I just routed that into the tankbag, and had more of the foam (wally world car wash sponges) surrounding the camcorder for shock resistance. A bit cheesy, but it works.

**evl_twn** · 02-18-2007 03:26 PM

This one is a bit grainy (wmv) and the connections started getting flaky toward the end of the front straight, but here's one from last May following Kawboy around Putnam:

www.rc30.us/kawboy.wmv

(32mb)

**CBRVFR** · 02-18-2007 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by bda116

I'd bet that at the right price there would be a grundle of guys wanting to get video for a day at the track. Both moto and auto.

If something failed to work correctly, they could get disgrundled in a minute.

**evl_twn** · 02-18-2007 03:29 PM

Heh, here's a funny one from Deal's Gap last May. This is just a partial clip, I was riding the XR motard and a guy in a MINI was driving on the edge, I guess trying to keep me from passing.

www.rc30.us/OMG-MINI.wmv

(10mb)

This one was with the camera mounted on the helmet, and the mic covered up with foam.

**bwhip** · 02-18-2007 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by evl_twn

Heh, here's a funny one from Deal's Gap last May. This is just a partial clip, I was riding the XR motard and a guy in a MINI was driving on the edge, I guess trying to keep me from passing.

www.rc30.us/OMG-MINI.wmv

(10mb)

This one was with the camera mounted on the helmet, and the mic covered up with foam.

Weird. It's like he was moving over to let you pass, and then suddenly decided to cut you off. Knucklehead.

**SheepOfBlue** · 02-18-2007 04:14 PM

Be aware there are two versions of LANC on the model you have be sure to get the newer version (1.6 I think) It will allow you to start the camera in VCR mode directly with the button. The older version will allow you to start and stop recording but you cannot control power up/down with it.

**bwhip** · 02-18-2007 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by SheepOfBlue

Be aware there are two versions of LANC on the model you have be sure to get the newer version (1.6 I think) It will allow you to start the camera in VCR mode directly with the button. The older version will allow you to start and stop recording but you cannot control power up/down with it.

Thanks - yeah, that's what I got.

**TraumaOne** · 02-20-2007 01:36 PM

what, no hi-def? 560 lines.. pshaw. You need 1080...

**SheepOfBlue** · 02-20-2007 02:04 PM

The new Sony chip does a lot better on changes of brightness also.

**bda116** · 02-21-2007 10:44 AM

This one is intriguing.
Oregon Scientific | U.S. | Product | AT18 | ATC2K Waterproof ActionCamera#
Not HD for T1, but self contained writing to an SD card. Give it better resolution and this could be a winner.

**ND4SPD** · 02-21-2007 10:48 AM

Looks like it's only expandable to 2GB though. That won't last too long...

**bda116** · 02-21-2007 11:02 AM

True, but one can always buy multiple SD cards or download it to the laptop after each session.
It's not perfect, but I like the idea.

**TraumaOne** · 02-21-2007 11:15 AM

2gb at 640x480 is about an hour...

**Hammer** · 02-21-2007 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by bda116

This one is intriguing.
Oregon Scientific | U.S. | Product | AT18 | ATC2K Waterproof ActionCamera#
Not HD for T1, but self contained writing to an SD card. Give it better resolution and this could be a winner.

I just got one about 2 weeks ago. I have only used it with the kids sledding down the park hill so no bike footage as of yet. Seems to be pretty good so far. I plan on DL the data about every 3 sessions or so into the laptop so that should not be an issue.

**KF810** · 02-24-2007 05:53 PM

How are you guys mounting the cameras to your helmets?
Also the camcorders, too?

**bwhip** · 02-24-2007 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by KF810

How are you guys mounting the cameras to your helmets?
Also the camcorders, too?

I use a variety of mounts, including ones found at the Viosport.com website and others. Some clamp onto parts of the bike like bodywork or the windscreen, others velcro attach to my helmet and so on.

The camcorder either goes in a small tank bag, or small Camelback backpack I have.

**evl_twn** · 02-24-2007 08:35 PM

I'm with Whipper on this one. Helmet mount is velcro tape, and I usually use a backpack for the camcorder. When I've had it mounted on the bike, I stuck the camera under the "nose" of the fairing (you can see the fender in the video) and the camcorder in a tankbag. I used velcro tape, and also drilled some small holes and secured the camera with a couple of zip ties.

**SheepOfBlue** · 02-24-2007 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by KF810

How are you guys mounting the cameras to your helmets?
Also the camcorders, too?

The industrial velcro on the side with the cam in the trunk. I run the cables under the seat so stuff is tucked away pretty good. I might move my LANC this year though. I have considered getting a second cam and point it backwards.

**KF810** · 02-24-2007 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by evl_twn

I'm with Whipper on this one. Helmet mount is velcro tape, and I usually use a backpack for the camcorder. When I've had it mounted on the bike, I stuck the camera under the "nose" of the fairing (you can see the fender in the video) and the camcorder in a tankbag. I used velcro tape, and also drilled some small holes and secured the camera with a couple of zip ties.

Aaahhh...yet another use for zip ties.

I'm surprised that the velcro holds it with the high speeds and all. The velcro tape doesn't do anything to the finish of the helmet?
The nose fairing shot would be cool.

**bwhip** · 02-24-2007 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by KF810

Aaahhh...yet another use for zip ties.

I'm surprised that the velcro holds it with the high speeds and all. The velcro tape doesn't do anything to the finish of the helmet?
The nose fairing shot would be cool.

I put the velcro on the side of my shield, so the helmet finish isn't affected. I use super-duper high strength velcro. You can see it on the side of my shield here:

**bwhip** · 02-24-2007 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by KF810

Aaahhh...yet another use for zip ties.

I'm surprised that the velcro holds it with the high speeds and all. The velcro tape doesn't do anything to the finish of the helmet?
The nose fairing shot would be cool.

I even have a piece of velcro on the bottom of my belly pan on the RC, for those rear tire-on-the-track shots. I only do it for a couple of laps, though, because I'm always nervous about it coming loose and getting under my rear tire at full lean. Whenever I use the velcro mount (pictured below), I also run some duct tape over the top of it just to be really sure it's not going anywhere.

**bwhip** · 02-24-2007 10:04 PM

This is my favorite clamp. You can use it in so many different places, and it is really universal in the ways you can point the cam (as long as the cam has a 1/4" threaded hole, which most seem to have).

**KF810** · 02-24-2007 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by bwhip

I put the velcro on the side of my shield, so the helmet finish isn't affected. I use super-duper high strength velcro. You can see it on the side of my shield here:

Ah-hah! Sweet pic, as usual Whipper. Man, I can't wait to get a new 600 this fall...

**wokstar** · 03-03-2007 06:58 PM

Ohhh yeah, look what arrived today...Hoyttech HC-Pro. Now all I need is NCIX to ship my PVR.

DAN

Thread: I found my new helmet cam

LinkBack

Thread Tools

I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Re: I found my new helmet cam

Similar Threads

POLL: Would you wear a Modular (flip-up) Helmet?

Will Arai say kill the helmet?

My new helmet: Arai RX7-rr4 (McCoy)

What helmet do you have/want?

Helmet Question: Brow area obstructed when tucked.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions