I'm contemplating a bit of 'bahnstorming and maybe a few laps of the Nürburgring in the near future, and would like to get some footage of the event. I think a Hero will do the job, but I'm not sure where to mount it. What I'd like to be able to do is get a viewpoint that shows both the instrument pod and what's outside, not just the windscreen view, so that the speed/RPM are visible. Putting a suction mount on the screen won't give me the right field of view. So I really need a stable mounting point further back.

Has anyone out there done this? Any hints & tips?

 

I just bought a Sony AS-15 with Wi-Fi. It comes with various mounts including a head/helmet strap that I plan to use on track. I can adjust the camera to basically see what I do with its wide field of view, including from side to side as I move my head. I'll have to play around with it a bit to see if it will be suitable as I just picked it up. This model has very good image stabilization which should take care of vibration to some extent I hope. The Wi-Fi will allow me to check the camera's aim on my helmet by viewing it on an I-pod or other android device in the car prior to going on track.

The GoPro may have similar features or options.

 

Thanks, Bruce - I would prefer to mount the camera on the car rather than me, to give a fixed viewpoint. I'm starting to wonder whether using a suction mount onto the inside of the rear hatch, facing forward, might give me what I want. However, these 'action cams' are rather wide-angle, so I may end up with too much interior.

Meh - need to get hold of one & experiment, I guess.

 

I see lots of canyon racer bikers using the helmet mount rather than the chassis mount. Not sure why, perhaps because of vibration issues.

How about making a bracket to mount it to the central rear-view mirror bracket or the mirror itself? I don't have the car so, can't fully picture the arrangements.

Albert

 

Best mount for your needs would be a headrest mount. Allows the Gopro to set off to the center area.

Be sure to add "Harrys Lap timer Pro" to your track day tool box...

Vince

 

There are plenty of mount types available, but the mirror is still too far forward. I really need some way to mount it in the centre of the car, perhaps between the seats, but it needs to be pretty solid otherwise I'll get vibration.

I guess 'suck it & see' will be the only approach...

 

I thought going that far back might give it too much of a tunnel effect. I fabricated a crude camera bar in another car that used the coupe's garment hook attachment points and a third point to steady it. That placed it just behind and between the front seats and worked well for that particular car and camera.

Bruce

 

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, but there doesn't seem to be a headrest mount in the GoPro catalogue.

 

I used dual Go Pro cameras on my formula race cars and did get some vibration, which is expected due to the stiff suspension of the Formula F1000 car. Inside the cabin of the Jaguar should not be a problem. Can you consider mounting it to the rear window? or perhaps find some kind of arm from an architechts light that can extend outward for a closer view of the dash and front window.

Otherwise the Go Pro's work well and are used quite frequently in motorsports.

 

I think I'll see if I can borrow a Hero for a try-out - off the inside of the hatch window does seem the obvious choice, using a suction mount. But if I have to use an extension to get it far enough forward to avoid a 'tunnel' effect, that will increase the chances of vibration.

I'm sure I can come up with something - we Kiwis are supposed to be able to fix anything with some No. 8 fencing wire and some baling twine...

 

For $15-$20 you can make one >Clicky<
Looks simple enough to me...

 

I went shopping for a gopro yesterday, and by the time I priced it all out I was going to spend over $400. So I bought several gopro mounts and made a couple of "minor adjustments" and now my iPhone suspends securely from my rear view mirror. A little more than $20 in the end. The arm actually acts as a image stabilizer, rather than worsening vibration effect.

 

While this post may surprise a few people, may I recommend the following:

HD 1080p Dash Car DVR Cam Vehicle Camera IR LED Night Vision Blackbox GS1000 | eBay

I have one of these cameras mounted in each of my cars and the result of the videos are excellent. I have used GoPro cameras on my Formula F1000 race cars and these low price cameras are just as good as a GoPro that would be priced at $169.00 +....

I have the camera mounted onto the inside windshield and every time I turn on the ignition the camera starts, and stops when turning off the ignition. It holds a 32GB Micro SD card that will loop the recordings in 10 minute intervals. I have these cameras and use them just like a law enforcement agency uses video cameras in police cars. They capture any potential incidents like accidents and so on. In fact, I was recently stopped for what the police officer stated that I did not make a complete stop at a stop sign. I told the officer that I have a video camera that has recorded all movement of the car. Once he heard that and saw the camera he become hesitant to issue any citiation as he may not be able to prove that my stop was not long enough. In review of the video after returning home, the police officer would have lost his case in court. The video showed that I did in fact, complete a full stop.

Check out the link, buy just one and test it. You will be quite surprised at whats out in the markletplace at such low pricing. International shipping is quick and I have never had at problem with this seller.

 

Well, OK. Why the heck not? So it's continuously looping the recording--does that mean there's something you push and it saves the previous 10 minutes?

 

I bought a clamp-bracket off ebay to mount my camera to the post of the headrest, works OK but in the XJ you don't get to see the gauges in the dash.


(the camera was an old one, hence the video/sound quality)

Here's Davey's clip from the Nürburgring, with a newish camera on the windscreen, much better quality.

 

The camera on eBay as I suggested will record 10 minute intervals then start a new 10 minute sequence. I get about 30 or 40...10 minutes sequences. Once a 32GB Micro SD gets filled, the new recordings loop over the old. So you end up with lots of 10 minute interval recording. In addition it will record date and time of the video and you can increase or decrease the field of view. You can have audio or no audio of sound recording. Quite a few features for under $50.00. If you order the camera you will need to order a 32GB MICRO SD card with adapter, which is about $21.00 on ebay.

Here's a Youtube of the Blackbox GS1000 and the quality you get for $50.00....quite impressive.


High Speed Genuine 32GB 32G Class10 C10 MicroSD SD SDHC TF Memory Card Adapter | eBay

 

Is it just me or is the audio really sped up in that clip? Yet the clock timestamp on the upper left doesn't appear sped up...

 

By the way, I never reported back on what I did. In the end, I just used the sucker mount on the windscreen, and used a medium field of view. I was a little disappointed with the colour balance, but it achieved what I wanted:

 

Hey Richzak, you are right that the price is amazing for this camera. The only thing is that it looks a bit bulky. How have you got it setup so it doesn't block your visibility? A pic of your dash setup would be great! Thanks in advance.

 

I grabbed one off eBay shortly after that post. It's been sitting in a box in my office--I dug it out today. It's pretty small and very light. Feels like a toy. Maybe 4.5-5 inches wide. Turns out it doubles as a web cam with the included USB adapter. Now I have to buy a micro SD card to try it out in the vehicle. The suction cup is almost bigger than the camera.