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avengingangel

Well Known Member
Has anyone tried the motocam 1080p? This particular model I'm interested in has audio and gps. Camera looks to be very similar to the contour.
 
What a timely post. I to have been researching cameras and have found a few threads on this subject.

To answer your question, yes it is a Contour camera. Motocam has taken the ContourHD and ContourGPS and have simply modified the camera to allow for external audio input, like from your intercom via the headphone jack. They also have a nice setup for multiple cameras.

If you want to save a couple hundred $$s, you can mod your camera yourself as described in this linkhttp://www.members.iinet.net.au/~crashman/ContourHD%20Microphone%20modification%20ext.htm

By doing the mod, you are voiding your warranty. I'm not positive, but I assume Motocam would have to warranty their version since Contour does not support that mod. There is a rumor that Contour is looking at adding this feature in future cameras.
 
ContourHD vs Drift HD 170 Stealth vs GoPro HD Hero vs Oregon Scientific ATC9K

The title pretty much lists the current contenders for HD "on the go" video. There is a good comparison video on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGXPKHbOm7o

I regrettably own a ContourHD. The video is really washed out and the focus is inconsistent across the image. I sent it back and they said it was "within spec". I have a pilot friend who just did a flight down the Hudson River with the GoPro.

I'm likely going to get the Drift but that's just my choice. One of the best ways to decide is to go to Youtube and search for examples. Then go to the vendor sites and look at their examples.
 
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Cameras

Let me shed some insight to these HD cameras, as we've played with all of them.

Yes we warranty our modified Contour with audio input and/or start stop controls. The basic Contour requires 1 button to turn it on and 1 button to initiate recording. We eliminate this double button press with a single trigger cable that also gives you a status light of the camera (on, off, recording). We call this One-Touch operation.

The HD170 is a great camera too. The nice feature about this camera is the integrated LCD screen for alignment. Additionally, exposure level can be modified quickly right on the camera, whereas the Contour must be plugged into a PC to make this change. The problem with the HD170's nifty wireless remote control is the limited 10ft range and no feedback light to know whether the camera is on or off..... very frustrating. We offer the same audio input and one-touch button operation with indicator light as we do for the Contour.

We have chosen to stay away from the Go Pro for now because the mounts always break and people lose this camera all the time.... or atleast that is what a handful of customers tell us at every show we attend.

Lastly, you will find that all of these All-in-One HD cameras are very limited on battery power. We offer ship power input on each of our systems that accepts up to 32v input and filters/steps down the voltage accordingly to run the cameras indefinitely (until the SD card fills up).

You will see more of our offerings at www.FlightCam360.com in the coming weeks.

Thanks,

Tim
MotoCam 360
 
Batteries outlast storage

Speaking with two friends who are using the GoPro and the Drift respectively, the battery is outlasting the storage - even with big cards. Unless they wanted to record a cross country flight, these units are fine to "start on the ground" and just let run until full.

If you are looking for a multi camera system for business, then units like the GoPro, Drift, etc are probably not flexible enough. For the pilot looking to make some videos of their favorite airports, their community, etc. They do a nice job.
 
Battery Vs. Storage

Batteries outlast the storage?????????

I have to ask what size SD card you are running when you make this statement?

A 32Gb Class 10 SD card will last 8 hours at a bit rate of 12Mbps and you're telling me the standard battery will outlast 8 hours? I will have to politely disagree according to my years of testing.

Obviously this is a moot point when you talk continuous flying because nobody packs that kind of fuel or has a bladder that can hang, but it's nice to know the camera is charged for long trips and the pilot has one less thing to worry about.

Tim
 
Tim - you are right. My error.

I asked the question again and one is using full 1080p so a 32gb is about 4hrs and they have a 1700mah battery which is bigger than the 1100mah default. I should have double checked.

I flight plan at about 4hrs so it would work for me but I'm not sure I'd want to edit down an entire cross country flight. A confirmable remote trigger would make that more manageable.
 
hmmm, very interesting info all, ty.
Well, I'm learning a lot about these cameras.
First the most important next to the video is for it to be tied into my comm for audio. As to modifying the camera myself I will give that some thought. It doesn't look too difficult.
I also liked the idea of gps info but the info is not presented in the way I had imagined. So not sure how this will be affected in relation to me editing the video. I do like the 170 camera.
Even if these cameras just had a regular aux mic plug in. Do they?
 
I looked into point of view (POV) cameras a few months ago. The four that really caught my attention were: GoPro, Contour, VIO, and Drift HD170. I think any of these would be just fine. I was wanting something without wires, so VIO and Contour were out. I chose Drift because it had the remote to start and stop. Also, you can hook a microphone to it as well. So far it has been really great. Here is a video taken recently:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht4X7w2P4dY&feature=player_profilepage

This is not to take away from any of the mentioned cameras as I expect they are all really good, but it is just what I ended up with and I like it.
 
thanks, If there is a mic input on the drift then that will be what i go with. Maybe I missed it but on their site i didn't read the aux mic input.
I really like the idea of gps on the other two i was looking at however it's not as easy as watching the video and having the info displayed on the video itself.
 
Drift package & performance?

Mike,
would you mind running thru a few more details? The video looks great, I wonder where you mounted it....some say the GoPro mounts are prone to breaking, but is that just insane 16-yr old snowboarders?

Are you using the wide andgle lens? looks like about 90 or 100*
I like some of the wider angle ones too.

how is the range on the remote?...I wondered if an underwing installation on on RV would work if not line-of-sight with the remote, if InfraRed type.

do you run off ships power, or just battery? hows the battery life?

thx for all info
 
flyboy, i may be wrong but i think he is using the drift.
I'm just about to look to see who offers it in canada and confirm a few more specs but i think this unit also offers a screen to know what you're aiming at.
 
drift cam

Oh, Angel...I was only making an observation about mounting a $500 cam on the wing, to have the $30 mount break off!
Didn't mean he was using a GoPro. I do like the preview screen idea, and the remote is really almost a 'must-have'.

I talked to the young 'experts' at Future Shop...they observed that almost every single basic GoPro they sold came back....and they upgraded to the HD version!(...no feedback on the mount issue though!)
 
For our trip to Alaska this summer, I am thinking about mounting one on the underside of the wing on the RV-10, using one of the inspection plates as a baseplate. I'm curious if anyone has mounted one outside of the aircraft, both from a secure mounting design and video quality (shaking?). I'm thinking I don't care to monitor the video on the flights. Just download the data card at the fuel stops and then start it up again for the next leg. Maybe even wire the power into the nav lights to get it to turn on and off? I would be curious if the remote for the HT 1080 mentioned above will work from in the cockpit to the underside of the wing, or is there too much metal in the way. I sure would appreciate some reports from those of you who have them. :)

Thanks.

Vic
 
i could be wrong but I believe i read the range for the remote was about 10 feet on the drift 170.
Looks like i'll be ordering the drift 170 stealth. It and the action have input for an external mic.
I'm still trying to get some final info on the gps funcion on some other cameras.
 
The vio does look very nice. Real professional too. For my use a self contained is going to surfice. other wise the vio looks best.
 
Drift users please stand up! Gary? Angel?

so youse guys who have a Drift, I think it's the winner in my research, but
1. does the remote work?
2. Can you see the little status lite turn from green to red from the cockpit, if mounted on the wingtip?
3. anyone using the $200 xc170, or just the $350 HD 170. I want to know if the video quality is a big issue....or not....( if you are over 18 yrs old! )
4. do akaline batteries work at all? or do you have to use Lithium AA?

thanks for the info. ( gee, Videos posted on the internet aren't really a good indicator of camera performance, are they :)
 
Drift

I Love it !
I have only used it on the glare shield so far, but I am in the process of making a mount to screw into the tie down. The remote will work that far, but because it's under the wing, I won't be able to see the light. I can get two hours of video on it, so I just turn it on when I get in the plane and turn it off when I am done flying. Having the lens rotate for proper orientation is a very nice feature. I highly recommend the drift.
 
The remote works, sort of. I could NOT get it to work with the camera mounted under the wing at the tie down point. It does work when mounted on top of the wing out at the tip.

No, you cannot see the status light when mounted at the tip. Maybe at night but no way in the daylight.

I'm using the HD170 Stealth

Comes with special Li 1100mAH battery or you can opt for the 1700mAH for something like $29.00 US.

I'm happy with it so far but have only flown with it one time. Working on a cabin mount now.
 
yes I bought the 170 stealth about a month ago with the aux mic input cable.
I have used it once. mounted in the cockpit. I wasn't very happy with the first session but my second will improve.
audio was poor when coupled directly into my intercom but i have a mic now which i will place inside my headphone.
the video was ok although my hand held flip video camera is an obviously clearer image.
i didn't find they had enough mounting brackets included.
I bought the stealth because it had variable fps. I've tried it on 30. Will any other fps get rid of my rubber prop?lol
 
Cheap Audio..

For those looking for an audio solution to any of these cameras, a cheap solution is to go buy a small digital recorder and plug it into the pax headset. I believe you can get the patch cord at Radio Shack with a built in 8 ohm resistance (I believe that's what you need). Once you have the audio, it's easy to synch up with the video using a number of editing tools. You get the radio/ intercom input as well as the aircraft audio, both of which can be leveled in the editor.
 
best place to buy & 'must have' accessories?

.especially the Canucks....where did you buy & how much for the xc or HD versions?
The FLIP has a better picture? really, I wonder if the fish-eye lense is part of the issue?
I like the water resistance of the Drift, without going to the GoPro type case.
appreciate all the pireps guys, keep 'em coming!
...maybe time for a new thread?

thx
 
avengingangel said:
yes I bought the 170 stealth about a month ago with the aux mic input cable.
I have used it once. mounted in the cockpit. I wasn't very happy with the first session but my second will improve.
audio was poor when coupled directly into my intercom but i have a mic now which i will place inside my headphone.
the video was ok although my hand held flip video camera is an obviously clearer image.
i didn't find they had enough mounting brackets included.
I bought the stealth because it had variable fps. I've tried it on 30. Will any other fps get rid of my rubber prop?lol
Click to expand...

What audio panel do you have and what was the issue with the audio? I would have expected that tapping into the passenger headphone jack would have given you a clearer sound than trying to insert a mic into your headphone.

A main factor in my buying decision will be whether or not I can get good sound by connecting to my PSE9000EX audio panel via the the co-pilot headphone jack. I refuse to stick a mic in my headphone and have yet one more wire going to my head:( I also don't want to deal with a digital recorder that I have to sync with the video, regardless how easy it may be with certain software.
 
ya, i can read instrument numbers on a flip video film but cant make them out with stealth in 1080 30fps from the same position in my cockpit.

for my audio. It's a y adaptor. it interfaces directly into my audio head phone plug.
the audio is poor because when transmitting and receiving there's a lot of static type noise, cant really make words out. Also when the channel is quiet(no trans or rec) I'm continuously getting back ground noise of some type. To my ear it's as clear as a bell but not to the electronic ear of the device recording. So, I'm going to test the mic system in my ear. Oh make no mistake i didn't want to go with the mic in the ear either but i was working on my plane yesterday and tried the fit and i wouldn't even notice the mic is there.
the noise problem of coupling in line may occur more easier than one would think. When I was comparing cameras i was looking at the av/ator hd. They did say that they had some type of audio circuitry improvement or something like that, **** maybe it's some type of noise reducer or something simple but i'm tending to believe there may be something actually to this claim.

i bought my stealth from an online place in vancouver. i think it was something like 350 plus another 30 for the aux audio mic input cable.
There's another place out there that sells the orange model what ever the **** that one is and you get it and a 16gb card for 330. The orange one is the same as the stealth but doesn't have the variable fps or something. Probably never use it anyway but i'll try it next time in 25fps.
 
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O.K., lots of info here for the "all-in-one" style camera.

What is a good setup for a central located recorder, with 3 or 4 cameras (lipstick style) mounted in various places in/on the plane???
 
Mike S said:
O.K., lots of info here for the "all-in-one" style camera.

What is a good setup for a central located recorder, with 3 or 4 cameras (lipstick style) mounted in various places in/on the plane???
Click to expand...

Mike,

I'm thinking along those lines as well, and keep revisiting this thread too. I know the cameras being discussed here are making great vids...lots of form guys have them, and love them. I'd like to do a tail-cam, cockpit-cam, "HUD"-cam combo, and the MotoCam 360 looks like a possibility (I originally thought this thread was about it!). Check this out. Its definitely a different price market than the Contour/Hero/Stealth offerings, but it looks pretty slick! I'm trying to figure out the res and field angle specs. Can lipstick cameras compete with their larger siblings in video quality?...I need more education in this area before making the leap.

Tim from MotoCam has posted here too. Hey Tim, wanna sponsor an RV at Reno this year (your logo would look good on my airplane!) :D

Mike, as I dig in this direction, will let ya know what I find...please do the same, brudda!

Cheers,
Bob
 
Hey flyboy and behrent. heres a video i took the other day. Im happy with this unit and the audio that I was after seems to work really well. In all honesty I didn't have any issues with the mic in my ear. Sure it would be nice to have the audio plummed direct but as I said earlier there was just to much noise in my sytem with it used that way. let me know how your audio works if you plum it direct.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIci8aArRvM
also i have a video I took with myflip video at this site. It may be wrong of me to say the flip is more clear. distance from the panel may be the only reason I can make numbers out. you be your own judge.:)
 
I tested the range of my Drift HD170 from all angles and equal elevation (of remote and camera) and it worked 100% up to 30ft. Beyond 30ft performance begins to degrade rapidly. I mounted mine on the tail of my -8 and the remote works perfectly inside the cockpit with canopy closed while in flight.
 
I just received my Stealth Drift 170HD this week end, and while working on an under-wing mount on the RV10 I did try the remote from the cockpit. It will NOT activate the camera while under the wing. Moving it forward of the wing allows it to activate, but unless I can convince Carol to fly on the wing and hold it I don't think the remote is going to do the job once it is mounted. My thoughts are to just use the 32G card and start the camera before I get in to the cockpit and let it go.

Vic
 
Nice video & sound

avengingangel said:
Hey flyboy and behrent. heres a video i took the other day. Im happy with this unit and the audio that I was after seems to work really well. In all honesty I didn't have any issues with the mic in my ear. Sure it would be nice to have the audio plummed direct but as I said earlier there was just to much noise in my sytem with it used that way. let me know how your audio works if you plum it direct.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIci8aArRvM
also i have a video I took with myflip video at this site. It may be wrong of me to say the flip is more clear. distance from the panel may be the only reason I can make numbers out. you be your own judge.:)
Click to expand...

Nice Video and sound. The audio portion was clear on the ground and fairly clear while in the air. It looked pretty bumpy up there and it seemed you had to adjust the mic in your headphone a couple of times. When you did, the sound quality improved.

I couldn't tell for sure, but do you have a Sigtronics intercom? I was wondering whether the sound quality issue you had before plugging directly into the passenger headphone jack was due to it's lack of noise filtering compared to a stereo audio panel/intercom like PSE?

It would be nice to hear from others who have tried interfacing the aux mic on these cameras to a stereo audio panel/intercom like PSE or Garmin.

BTW, I watched your other video of a landing and if that is the one you used your myflip on, WOW, it was a better quality video:cool:
 
vic syracuse said:
I just received my Stealth Drift 170HD this week end, and while working on an under-wing mount on the RV10 I did try the remote from the cockpit. It will NOT activate the camera while under the wing.
Click to expand...
What a bummer. I want one under the wing also but haven't found any good options either.
Moving it forward of the wing allows it to activate, but unless I can convince Carol to fly on the wing and hold it I don't think the remote is going to do the job once it is mounted.
Click to expand...
Ouch, bugs in the teeth in the summer and ice on the ears in the winter :D
 
I am able to turn on the recorder on the Drift HD170 from inside the cockpit but only when the engine and avionics are all turned off. With the engine on and avionics on I cannot get it to begin recording. I have yet to try to isolate the case of the interference. My camera is mounted under the right wing at the outermost access panel. Here's the latest vid (uh it's boring and over 10 minutes long, but you're at work so who cares :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m1L1bJKBXc
 
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kbehrent said:
Nice Video and sound. The audio portion was clear on the ground and fairly clear while in the air. It looked pretty bumpy up there and it seemed you had to adjust the mic in your headphone a couple of times. When you did, the sound quality improved.

I couldn't tell for sure, but do you have a Sigtronics intercom? I was wondering whether the sound quality issue you had before plugging directly into the passenger headphone jack was due to it's lack of noise filtering compared to a stereo audio panel/intercom like PSE?

It would be nice to hear from others who have tried interfacing the aux mic on these cameras to a stereo audio panel/intercom like PSE or Garmin.

BTW, I watched your other video of a landing and if that is the one you used your myflip on, WOW, it was a better quality video:cool:
Click to expand...

hey Kevin. Yes, the spot where the audio is poor for a short bit is actually an issue with my radio that i have to look at. Well not so much radio problem but could be a bad connection in the push to talk. It's only done it a couple of times but when you're going through controlled airspace and this happens it becomes an issue because i cant hear what tower/terminal is saying. this time I had a good look when it acted up and it appeared to be flashing tx transmit on my comm. So now I have a better basis of where to look for this problems.
my intercom is a flightcom 403. not sure if the noise cancel thing has anything to do with my issue when i plug in my y adaptor directly. In all honesty the noise sounded like what you'd get out of a bad or different bad grounds, however as you can here through my headphones it's very clear, no issues so i'm good with that. As i said before maybe the electronic ear is just far more sesitive.

So really i'm happy with my set up now. But it would be interesting to hear from some who plug directly in. Let me know which one you pick up.
oh ya, yes the other was taken with my flip.
 
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