Mounting options for a RunCam2

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snrkl

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Friends, I am the proud owner of a new RunCam2 that I am thinking about strapping to my L1 cert attempt this weekend... (65mm airframe)

I have opened the box and now I am starting to think through mounting options...

To date, I have only used cheap $7 knock-off 808 cams, which were so cheap (and nasty, hence the RunCam2 purchase) that I haven't really worried about how the 808 clones were mounted, other than to whack 3-4 turns of blue masking tape to the rocket...

Now that I have a camera that runs into the ~$200 AUD (once you add a high speed 64GB microSD card into it), I am taking a little more care into thinking how I mount it.

The camera comes with a plastic snap enclosure, some velcro tabs and some "grippy" velcro wraps - when I was researching the purchase, I assumed that the snap enclosure's side slots would accomodate the grippy velcro tabs to pass through and under the camera, allowing a combination of velcro tabs on the outside of the rocket and enclosure, augmented with the grippy straps (where the inside of the strap is coated with sticky rubber).. This ultimately proved incorrect...

85670-package.jpg

I have been looking at 3d printed shrouds from the usual suspects (additive aerospace and LiquidFyre) but none of them seem to have a product for the RunCam2...

So I ask for inputs (other than designing my own 3d printed shroud, as I have zero 3d printing experience and no access to a printer at present)..

I have been thinking this morning about using some epoxy clay to make a curved underside to the snap enclosure to increase surface area contact for velcro (or some other kind of adhesion source - inputs welcome) as the enclosures can be bought spare for under $10 AUD, so I could have several for different diameter bodies.

My issue is that velcro alone is not enough, and I don't think the giant grippy velcro strap will be very useful going over the top of the camera (rather than under it)

While composing this, I am thinking if I am making an epoxy clay moulded "curved inner" I could incorporate the strap there, but that would be getting into much more complex "sculpting" than I think I am looking for..

So at this point I open up to suggestions, noting that nothing I have built yet is into the size or complexity that would allow for a mounting inside the airframe..

Thoughts?
 
With a little bit of creative play, and some VERY patient threading of velcro straps, I have managed to come up with this.. Not ideal but the best I can figure so far using only the things that came in the box....

Affinity Designer009.png

It leaves the camera wobbly front to back, so I am thinking it will require me to add the velcro pads to the rocket body under the bracket fwd and aft of the strap...

It's not ideal, as the strap pictured in black actually comes almost all the way back up to the mounting bracket and only adheres with about 50% of the hook part of the velcro... if I rotate the whole thing around to make better contact on the black strap, the red strap then has the buckle loop right on top of the runcam, which defeats the purpose of having the grippy inside of the velcr strap running over the top of the camera to add extra friction to encourage it not to jump from the mounting...

Still open to suggestions if any are out there...
 
Honestly, I think you will be fine with tape unless your rocket will be going really fast, but at $200 AUD I can imagine a significant pucker factor relying on tape. How fast will the rocket be going? What motor will you be using?

Let me add that putting a camera on your L1 cert is not something I recommend. Just one more thing to worry about and cert flights are stressful enough. Yes, it would be great to have a video of your cert flight, but its just another complication when you need to be thinking about the cert flight itself.
 
Do you have access to 3D printing? I'd be happy to throw together a mount in CAD given dimensions and such next time I have a moment to spare... I ask nothing for it- HD flight video is payment enough!

Sent from my LGL44VL using Tapatalk
 
Honestly, I think you will be fine with tape unless your rocket will be going really fast, but at $200 AUD I can imagine a significant pucker factor relying on tape. How fast will the rocket be going? What motor will you be using?

Let me add that putting a camera on your L1 cert is not something I recommend. Just one more thing to worry about and cert flights are stressful enough. Yes, it would be great to have a video of your cert flight, but its just another complication when you need to be thinking about the cert flight itself.

My level 1 is a little bit different.. I build a 29mm capable rocket, simmed with an H135 and it fit under our club's launch ceiling, so I figured, what the hell, I was going to launch it on a 29mm motor anyway.. for me it is flight first, L1 cert is just a bonus...
 
Do you have access to 3D printing? I'd be happy to throw together a mount in CAD given dimensions and such next time I have a moment to spare... I ask nothing for it- HD flight video is payment enough!

Sent from my LGL44VL using Tapatalk

My local hobby shop will print for a fee.. I have been looking for an excuse to try it.. If you are willing to invest the time, I am more than happy to participate!! :) I will PM you my email address - just let me know what you need, and as soon as I get a chance, I will shoot details over to you...
 
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I don't think they make them anymore.. when I was researching prices, they never came up as an option...

That's too bad. I must have bought the last 2 they made. It's the same size as Mobius & about $40 cheaper & takes the same hi quality HD video.
 
With a little bit of creative play, and some VERY patient threading of velcro straps, I have managed to come up with this.. Not ideal but the best I can figure so far using only the things that came in the box....

View attachment 340664

It leaves the camera wobbly front to back, so I am thinking it will require me to add the velcro pads to the rocket body under the bracket fwd and aft of the strap...

It's not ideal, as the strap pictured in black actually comes almost all the way back up to the mounting bracket and only adheres with about 50% of the hook part of the velcro... if I rotate the whole thing around to make better contact on the black strap, the red strap then has the buckle loop right on top of the runcam, which defeats the purpose of having the grippy inside of the velcr strap running over the top of the camera to add extra friction to encourage it not to jump from the mounting...

Still open to suggestions if any are out there...

To close this thread out - the option I went with was not a good idea - camera came off under boost about 1.5 seconds into the flight... Details can be seen in the video of the flight: [video=youtube;492dD2168TY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=492dD2168TY[/video]
 
Congrats on your L1. I'm glad the malfunction did not fubar your rocket, although it makes for a very interesting video...

Edit: Btw, For anyone interested, I found a U.S. supplier who states that they have the RunCam HD in stock. Aloft Hobbies.com
 
To close this thread out - the option I went with was not a good idea - camera came off under boost about 1.5 seconds into the flight... Details can be seen in the video of the flight: [video=youtube;492dD2168TY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=492dD2168TY[/video]

I’ve had good luck securing cameras to rockets with electrical tape.

But who cares now?....Congrats! Great video.


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I have my RC RunCam2 completed disassembled and placed in a LiquidFyre casing and it worked great on my 38mm rocket


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