Hey folks,

Thought I'd post a little teaser of what I've been up to lately. Since news and updates on VacuCam products have been on vacation for quite awhile, thought I'd post what I did for a permanent rear camera. I utilized an area that was useless on my MINI and made it functional. Yes it's a little off centered--I just need to adjust the ball mount a bit.

Don't look for this to be available anytime soon though--this is just one of my experiments that will probably never become a product.

To make it stealth again, I just pop the little cover back on. I might just make a tinted panel here one day.

Do you see it??? More details later if interested.

Richard

 

I see it. Looks like my doctors colonoscopy camera. Pretty much installed the same way.

 

Hahahahahaha..ouch! Well it's kind different. LOL

 

That is a great idea. Folks will want to follow you on track days instead of pass you now.

 

And now a shot of my front camera mount--mounted on my modified "Blair No Hole Front License Plate Mount (BNHFLP), with Bar10Girl posing alongside my MINI from yesterdays c3 club run. Wires ran under bonnet, no taping necessary and no huge bundle of wires needed. I just ran with two cameras--front and rear, and worked out perfectly. Audio was a small mic ran through the firewall.

 

Now a short video clips showing front and rear camera in operation.

Flash version
http://www.littlemini.us/files/c3_re...lson_short.swf

Windows Media version
http://www.littlemini.us/files/c3_re...lson_short.wmv

Sorry no Quicktime

video clip has been sized to 320x240 and best quality is on the Windows Media version.

Richard

Richard

 

that thing picks up some nasty sounds....what's that from?

 

The mic is mounted right in front of the Alta intake--so you're hearing the air rushing into the intake combined with the super charger whine. I mounted it low to avoid the wind buffeting that rushes in from the scoop--but still not the best place for mic placement on the S.

Richard

 

you should get a remote mic set up for it because it sounds like bad wheel bearings or some metal on metal terribleness. just my 2 cents. pictures quality is quite good and it doesn't seem to shake too much either.

 

It is a remote mic. Not exactly sure what you're saying. But mic placement is key. There are some pretty funky sounds under the bonnet that are very "unMINI like" ---whirring of belts, clicking sounds, etc... when from the outside all you really hear is the super charger whine and exhaust and maybe the intake.

I've listened to this clip a dozen times and still not hearing this "metal on metal terribleness" you are referring to.

Thanks.

 

I don't hear the metal sound either- just the SC and trans whine and the sucking air from the alta- good quality video it almost looks like you stabilized or gimbled it in some way. The mic is going to be a tough nut as you mentioned a lot of wierd noises are going on under the bonnet.

 

Thanks for verifying that I'm not crazy. Yeah, it IS stabilized. I turned my MINI into a very large dolly! That's always been the premise of my VacuCams. Rigids mounts with light cameras--solidly connected to the MINI will produce "floating" shots. Thanks!

 

Awesome Richard... That rear mounting location is nifty. I still need to get up to see you about getting a VacuCam for my Elura.

 

It appeared to me that there was a small bit of digital artifact just in front or behind the car as it was moving. Is it just my internet connection or am I seeing things (which is always a good possibility)?

 

There actually is quite a bit of artifacting in these clips. They are resized from 720x480 down to 1/4 the resolution, and highly compressed. Any artifacting that was captured on the original tape will be the fault of the miniDV format which isn't kind to extremely detailed, fast changing footage.

Richard