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Cockpit Recording Help

BCP Boys

Well Known Member
For those that record sound for your videos, can you help explain 2 things :
1- What device do you use to record the sound that you hear in your headset? iPhone, mini recorder, the camera? )
2- For those who use the Bose headsets, and have LEMO plugs, how do you connect it all together?
2b- And those that don't use Bose or LEMO plugs, what adapters do you use?


This should be simple for me but it's not :rolleyes::(:eek: Embarrassed a bit
 
I use the video camera. A Y cable sends headset audio to both the headset and to the camera. Make sure that the camera is set to External Microphone. (You're not the only one who gets embarrassed...)

Video and audio is a great combination. Silent movies are good, but I've never got much mileage from straight audio.

Ed
 
I have a GoPro Hero 4 and I use an adapter which plugs into the GoPro and goes in between the headphone speaker jack in the plane and the headset jack.

This gives me very good sound quality.

UNLESS.....

The adapter also has a plug for USB power so that I can power the GoPro from an aircraft USB port. When I do that I get some noise. So I either keep the GoPro usage short enough so that it's internal battery does not give out or I connect it to an Anker 20,000mAH power supply instead of ship's power.
 
Garmin

If you have a Garmin audio panel, it will connect via Bluetooth directly with the Garmin Virb camera and transmit anything heard over your headset to the camera. No wires, crystal clear audio and video with the option to overlay tons of data fields including it's own GPS track, etc.
 
I have a few GoPros but I think I'm going to get a Virb since I have a Garmin Audio panel and sell my GoPro.
 
noisy USB adapter

... when I plug the power cord into ships power I get some interference on the audio. ...
which USB adapter are you using? Some seem to be noisy - I've heard the blue sea is quiet, but I have not yet used mine in anger. I also saw a video from avweb where Paul also said the same thing, so perhaps it's just smarter to use an external battery.
 
Audio on video recording

I decided to ditch all the cables. Replaced the Garmin GMA 340 audio panel (sold it here on VAF) and replaced it with a GMA 245 Bluetooth capable panel. I can Bluetooth the audio to my Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 HD cameras (yes you can use multiple cameras in slave mode). A neat feature of my Garmin Aera 660 backup GPS is that is has a button to stop and start recording to save batteries. It uses a wireless proprietary ANT+ technology between devices so no interference with Bluetooth or WiFi. Camera battery will last the whole flight and music can be recorded real time as you?re listening to it inflight.
 
Cheap solution

I use a GoPro Hero 2 which has a 3.5mm jack on the side. I bought a cheap lapel mic on eBay, plug one end into the camera and then just lay the mic inside one of my headset ear cups. It sounds great and I don’t even notice it.
 
which USB adapter are you using? Some seem to be noisy - I've heard the blue sea is quiet, but I have not yet used mine in anger. I also saw a video from avweb where Paul also said the same thing, so perhaps it's just smarter to use an external battery.

Don't know Mike it came with the plane. It's a cheap thing that plugs into the cigarette lighter. It could be the source of noise...or maybe the carrier of noise. the noise sounds something like a quiet machine gun.
 
I use a Garmin Virb with the aviation adapter, which plugs to the USB port on the camera to capture the audio.
 
Thanks for the input. I've already put both of my GoPro up for sale and planning on using the Virb with my 245 Audio panel.
 
The GMA245 audio panel to Garmin Virb (over bluetooth) was pretty good.. essentially a clean digital connection to the camera..

But it seems that Garmin has dumped the Virb product line.. I suppose admitting defeat to GoPro... Can the GMA245 send its audio output over bluetooth to a non-Virb recorder?
 
I have a GoPro Hero 4 and I use an adapter which plugs into the GoPro and goes in between the headphone speaker jack in the plane and the headset jack.

This gives me very good sound quality.

UNLESS.....

The adapter also has a plug for USB power so that I can power the GoPro from an aircraft USB port. When I do that I get some noise. So I either keep the GoPro usage short enough so that it's internal battery does not give out or I connect it to an Anker 20,000mAH power supply instead of ship's power.

This could explain my issue as I always have the USB charger plugged into the panel and I get a bit of interference on the audio.
 
I uploaded two very short videos to compare in the sound when powering the GoPro with ship's power via a USB port or with an external battery. I used a cable to connect the sound via the headset jack into the GoPro in both cases.

That way you can judge whether the interference I saw sound like the interference you are getting.

In this video, the GoPro is powered with ship's power via USB::

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JujDEbBQBA

In this video, the GoPro is powered by an Anker external battery:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQbZVXu1bFc

That's Gloucester Ma. in the distance.
 
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I use a GoPro Hero 2 which has a 3.5mm jack on the side. I bought a cheap lapel mic on eBay, plug one end into the camera and then just lay the mic inside one of my headset ear cups. It sounds great and I don’t even notice it.

Same here. It also works when I shoot video with my iPhone and stuff the "hands-free" microphone (either a little bluetooth ear-piece, or the thicker part of the white earbud wire) into the headset ear cup.

Edit: Before I had an iPhone, I did the lapel-mic thing. I had the idea when I knew that my first solo was coming up and I wanted to make sure I could capture the moment, in a way that I could turn on before I started the taxi and then not worry about again until I shut the airplane down.
 
I uploaded two very short videos to compare in the sound when powering the GoPro with ship's power via a USB port or with an external battery. I used a cable to connect the sound via the headset jack into the GoPro in both cases.
...
Very cool flying!

Which USB port are you using? I've got the bluesea and I don't get any static in my recordings. http://www.rv8.ch/blue-sea-usb/

My only complaint is that I installed one up front, one in the back for a total of 4 USB ports - should have installed a couple more.
 
I uploaded two very short videos to compare in the sound when powering the GoPro with ship's power via a USB port or with an external battery. I used a cable to connect the sound via the headset jack into the GoPro in both cases.

That way you can judge whether the interference I saw sound like the interference you are getting.

In this video, the GoPro is powered with ship's power via USB::

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JujDEbBQBA

In this video, the GoPro is powered by an Anker external battery:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQbZVXu1bFc

That's Gloucester Ma. in the distance.

Thanks for the vids, that's almost exactly what my audio sounds like when plugged into the ship's power (though my interference isn't nearly as loud). I've been using a GoPro Hero 5 Session with the NFlight Cam audio cable. Sounds like I just need to get an external battery and the issue will be solved.
 
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