24Chromium

Since buying the GoPro Hero 2 HD camera, I've been slowly upgrading it for more functional usage in the car while on track. I hit upon a few gems that I wanted to share with my fellow track rats:

1 - The great thing about the GoPro motorsports edition is all the cool mounts they include. These allow you to stick the camera just about anywhere on the car - inside or outside. My personal favorite location for the camera is on the roll bar, behind the seats and centered at roughly eye-level. This give a decent view out the windshield while also being able to see my hands on the wheel. GoPro doesn't include a specific roll bar attachment with the motorsports edition (they do sell one, though), so I purchased the heavy duty one from I/O Port. It allows a lot of freedom in positioning the camera:


http://www.ioportracing.com/Merchant...gory_Code=IOPP

You'll want to use the tripod mount that GoPro makes (but does not include) with a traditional camera mount such as the I/O Port mount:


http://gopro.com/camera-mounts/tripod-mount/

2 - Starting and stopping the camera is a major pain when its located in my favorite spot (on the roll bar). I stumbled upon a cable that uses the 30 pin connector on the back of the camera. This allows for a wired remote start/stop button as well as USB connector to power the camera:


https://www.facebook.com/EasyStartRemote

I've got the iPod connection in my car, so this cable plugs right in. If you search around, you'll find several iterations of this cable. Here is another that might even be better than the one I purchased:

http://cam-do.com/wired.html

Note that in order to actually plug either of these cables into the camera, you've got to create a slot in the rear door (cover) of the housing. The plastic cuts pretty easily with a Dremel tool. Just take your time and use the polishing bits to clean up your cuts.

3 - The one drawback to the mounting location I use is that the contrast in the car is awful. The light from the windshield is super bright while the rest of the car is very dark. The poor camera can't really give you a decent view of the entire scene, so I set off in search of a solution. I knew that SLR cameras have lots of choices for filters and such, just to tackle the exact nature of the problem I've got. But how to get that sort of filter on my GoPro? Snake River Prototyping to the rescue! They make a product called the BlurFix Naked that allows you to use common 55mm SLR filters:


http://snakeriverprototyping.com/products.html

You need to do a wee bit of disassembly and reassembly, but it's very simple, requiring only a fine phillips screwdriver.

4 - Now we just need a 55mm SLR camera filter to darken the windshield portion of our lens. Here is the one I chose:


http://www.adorama.com/HYHND458.html

After you thread this filter onto your camera, you need to secure it into place (the actual lens rotates freely so that you can position it as necessary). You can do this via tape or thread locker (glue). I used a tiny dab of Loctite red to secure mine in place, once I had it positioned just so.



Naturally, you'll need to do a bit of adjusting of the camera location and positioning in order to get the filter to work properly. You'll want the transition line of the lens to be at the level of the dashboard in order to get the best contrast.

5 - Finally, I had to address the sound of my videos. The wind noise is awful. Fortunately, the GoPro does have a connector for an external microphone, so let's use that! I purchase the Audio-Technica Pro 24-CM stereo mic (it's got "24" in the product name, so I couldn't resist!):


http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wi...9a8/index.html

The cable on this mic is rather short (it's designed specifically for camcorders), so I sourced a short (1m) stereo extension cable that allowed me more freedom in placing the mic. I've got mine tucked into the cubby just forward of the gear shift. Again, I had to create the hole in the camera housing to plug in the mic, but this one is even easier than the remote start cable, since it's just a round hole.

Izzone

http://store.traqmate.com/TraqDash-H...e-p/930007.htm

I love my go pro, it integrates direct to the Traqmate with the new cable / converter they have

Press start timing on Traqmate and it starts go pro at exact same time, same with turning it off

drl

That is quite handy. I am looking at AIM SoloDL - any idea if this set up has a similar gadget?

Nick Wong

Yeah, it's called a Smartycam.

drl

Smartycam = $1000 = nonHD
Gopro = <$300 = HD

I know the smartycam easily integrates with the data from the AIM, but no way I'm going to pay $1000 for a nonHD camera.

Izzone

with Traqmate go pro now simple to integrate......it is no brainer

Nick Wong

I don't blame you either. I don't have a Smartycam but I do have a Solo DL. Izzone's Traqmate and GoPro integration is pretty slick, saw it sync up quick.

karmx7

The only disappointment I've had with the Go Pro HD is the mic audio, I didn't realize the new one had an external input, thanks for the information! Guess it's time to upgrade as having proper Mezger audio really makes the videos much more enjoyable.

NJ-GT

Much better. The SmartyCam and Solo DL connect directly and start recording automatically when the car reaches a certain threshold of movement.

Data and Video are merged automatically during your runs, no need to merge data. Merging data and video in Traqmate and any video source takes hours, for just a few minutes of videos, files are gigantic, a total hassle.

I don't have hundreds of free hours to merge data and video with Traqmate, I still have my Traqmate Complete with a vast amount of accesories, but AiM Solo DL and SmartyCam made me convert after 8 years of exclusive Traqmate use.

Sound quality from GoPro sucks. My AiM Solo DL cable to the SmartyCam has an external mic with a long cable that I can locate anywhere to pick up sound where I want it. I'm still playing with multiple pick-up locations, but sound is much better.

Small files, no need to charge camera or data logger, 16Gb give me 8 hours of video already merged with data, real-time monitoring of engine oil and water temperatures, and the most amazing analysis software "Race Studio 2".

Traqmate Complete+GoPro is not that much cheaper than AiM Solo DL + SmartCam.

The whole HD vs. SD is a moot point, YouTube and vimeo take the quality down anyway. My sony HDR-TG1 solid-state camcorder is vastly better in producing videos than a GoPro, and I still prefer the SmartyCam over it.

FilmTools has professional grade camera mounts (they handle up to 75 lbs of weight on a single suction mount), and eliminate vibrations. For rollbar camera mount ==> I/O Port.

TRAKCAR

+1 on Solo DL with Smartycam. If I upgrade now, that's what I would get.

Nick Wong

Trakcar, what are you doing here? Don't you have a pool and patio furniture to clean up? Hehe...

TRAKCAR

LOL, the pool is crystal clear and furniture rearranged..
All is well again in my little bubble...

Lots of flooding In other parts of town though.... Just watched the 5 o clock news about the terrible conditions and here comes this kid paddling by in his pool chair LOL..

First airboat accident reported on public road, too funny.

mdrums

Race Keeper seems easy enough for Deputy Dog and I to figure out.

deputydog95

Never had the aim unit, I much prefer the RK to the TM after using them both. The multi cam option with pip playback is cool too.

Nick Wong

If you want a cheap, flexible roll bar mount just get a RAM mount. These cameras weigh less than 1/2lb and the IO Port mounts are just overkill. Not enough mass for the IO Port mount to actually stabilize in my opinion- it won't work any better than the RAM ones.