Bullet cam / dual mic test run

Firegod said:
Man I'd so love to do this. Could anyone help list out the kit needed? I've had a look at the microphones and bullet-camera but not too sure about the other bits, such as a camcorder which has the right inputs and doesn't cost the earth. :(

How do you route the cables from the microphone and camera back in to the car?

Cheers. :o
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trying to find a modern camcorder with AV in is a nightmare, you're best getting something like DreXeL bought, a hdd based recorder.

Then, just plug your bullet camera into that, and your microphone (if you get one with a built in amp like mine) into one of the sound channels (or like me, 2 mics), and away you go! The cables are pretty thin tbh, they easily go through the gap between bonnet and wing, then into the door, your rubber seals should allow the door to close without damaging the cable. Oh yea, you'll probably need a phono extension cable to be able to reach the bullet cam! :)

Tom.
 
rG-tom said:
trying to find a modern camcorder with AV in is a nightmare, you're best getting something like DreXeL bought, a hdd based recorder.

Then, just plug your bullet camera into that, and your microphone (if you get one with a built in amp like mine) into one of the sound channels (or like me, 2 mics), and away you go! The cables are pretty thin tbh, they easily go through the gap between bonnet and wing, then into the door, your rubber seals should allow the door to close without damaging the cable. Oh yea, you'll probably need a phono extension cable to be able to reach the bullet cam! :)

Tom.
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Cheers Tom, appreciate the reply. I don't get AV stuff. :) lol. Really confuses me... think it's just the lingo. :o

I've clicked DreXel's links, so if I bought....

2.5" HDD Digital Video Recorder
2x Tie mic's (from your link)
Phono extension cable
Bullet-Cam
Battery Pack (?)

Then I'd be all sorted? Or have I missed something off the list? :)

Cheers Tom!
 
The bullet cam comes with a battery pack so it's reet, but an inline 12v DC regulator and an inline fuse is an easier way so you dont have to worry about finding somewhere to take the weight of 8aa batteries :) hook it up to a live in the car then (battery is a gooden :p)

You would need to get some mono 3.5mm to phono adaptors too:

Mono mic socket to phono

Like that, and depending on the gender of the AV in cable on the hdd recorder, some couplers:

Coupler


replace the stars with a big electronics parts retailer that a girl called lin might used to navigate ;)
:)

Tom.
 
Ok mate, cheers. Think I'm nearly there. So from the top:-

2.5" HDD Digital Video Recorder
x1 Tie mic (from your link) Think I'll try one mic first see how it goes.
Phono extension cable
Bullet-Cam with 12v rechargable pack
Mono 3.55mm to phono adapter
Phono coupler

The only problem which I've just realised is that the 2.5" hdd recorder runs off DC power. So unless I can find something to power that I'll be stuffed. lol. No point powering the kit and hooking it up if the hdd isn't on.

DreXel, how did you get round this issue?

Thanks guys.
 
Firegod said:
Ok mate, cheers. Think I'm nearly there. So from the top:-

2.5" HDD Digital Video Recorder
x1 Tie mic (from your link) Think I'll try one mic first see how it goes.
Phono extension cable
Bullet-Cam with 12v rechargable pack
Mono 3.55mm to phono adapter
Phono coupler

The only problem which I've just realised is that the 2.5" hdd recorder runs off DC power. So unless I can find something to power that I'll be stuffed. lol. No point powering the kit and hooking it up if the hdd isn't on.

DreXel, how did you get round this issue?

Thanks guys.
Click to expand...

you have two options, get a cig socket converter with a multi-head, multi-volatage output or get an inverter....inverters are bloomin useful anyway, allows any mains powered unit to be powered from the car :D

Also, look around at some other hdd enclosures, some come with a car socket.

You're getting the 12v li-ion battery for the bullet cam then?

Tom.
 
Well this is my list... hope it looks correct:-

Sport-Cam 480 Camera - With 12v Rechargeable Battery Pack & Head Band - £84.99
(http://www.sport-cam.co.uk/products.asp?cat=56)

Jessops Microphone TMM1000 Tie Clip - £9.99(x2)
(http://www.jessops.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?SkuId=3900)

DC Cable Extension (5m) - £11.99
(http://www.sport-cam.co.uk/products.asp?cat=47)

AV Cable Extension (5m) - £11.99
(http://www.sport-cam.co.uk/products.asp?cat=47)

2.5" HDD Digital Video Recorder/Player DIVX/AVI/MP4 - £24.99 + (£21.98 P&P)

80Gb Western Digital 2.5" IDE HDD - £36.65

Cigarette Power Adapter (1.5v/3v/4.5v/6v/7.5v/9v/12v) - ~£5.00


TOTAL --- £217.57

So my thinking is thus. You hook the bullet cam to the front of your bumper or wherever you like, run the dc cable with the extension back through to inside the car where the 12v pack is. Then also run the AV from the bullet cam in to the car as well (extension maybe required, just like for the power). So that's that part sorted.

The microphone, again, positioned wherever you run into the car as well. Possibly use some adapters here 3.55mm to phono (depends on what the Recorder takes, etc). Now, from the pictures of the Digital Recorder it has one input called "AV". So I'm guessing i need to get an adapter that'll join the sound and video to one cable????

The Cigarette Adapter is for the Digital Recorder as it requrires DC 5.6v to run. I'm hoping that with the adapter, supplying 6v will work ok (as I can't find any that do exactly 5.6v)! Anybody think it'll fry it?

And obviously the hdd is for the Digital Recorder as it does not come with one.

PHEW!

Tom, just saw your reply above, thanks. Does this list sound about right.
 
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OK, my DV recorder finally arrived today. I fitted the spare HDD I had lying about, hooked it all up inside for a test, and the DV recorder just wouldn't get a signal from the camera, it would either say 'no input signal' or just be a garbled mess. After much messing about I decided it must be faulty (I know the camera works). Anyway I opened it up again and tried it without the case on, and low-and-behold it worked.

Turns out that the board inside the recorder was shorting on the case (Chinese build quality eh :rolleyes: ), so I covered the bottom of the board with insulation tape, put it back together and it works perfectly :cool:

Just waiting for this DC/DC power adpter to come now so I can put it all in the car (the DV recorder takes a 5v power input):

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=350020192760
 
Right, bit of an update on my setup. The power adapter I bought from ebay was no good, it started smoking after about a minute's use, turns out it is only rated to 500mA and the DV recorder pulls 2A :o

I 'modified' my Tom-Tom adapter (which is rated to 2A), and it now works fine. Here is a test video I made (just cruising round the block and not giving it any beans, not very exciting I know, but it gives you an Idea)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDS_9kzh1a0

I'm very happy with the footage it gives, the camera is probably a tad low down but that's pretty much the only place I can mount it permanently without it sticking out like a sore thumb.

There is no audio because the mic I am using is useless and just distorts badly, so sorting a decent mic is my next thing.
 
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I was just about to comment on the no sound, but then saw your comment, video quality is pretty good!



Ben.
 
Yeah pretty impressed with it TBH, it's even better in the raw MP4 format without the YouTube compression.
 
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