Keychain cam.

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Some helpful links in buying & some tweaking to the device:


https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1362692





https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=17518104&postcount=1940


I just ordered an HD keychain cam from this vendor:


https://stores.ebay.com/hxelepro360-Dianas-Store/Spy-Keychain-/_i.html?_fsub=1585006011&_sid=951839751&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

https://cgi.ebay.com/H-264HD-Car-Blackbox-Camera-Driving-Recorder-Video30FPS-/320646798823?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa809dde7

I'll let you know the results when I get it.

FYI: There is a 10% coupon when you use PayPal. You have to use Pay Pal because that is all the vendor will accept.

JD
 
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I just bought one of these on eBay for $0.99. If it seems like it works pretty well I'd like to get a few more.

I don't know if it's been covered here yet, but the Chuck Lohr site reports that these things sometimes come with a computer virus on them. So be careful, friends.
 
Regarding the virus. It's odd since most of them don't carry any storage. I have a few of them, work fine although the FPS is overstated - reality is more like 15-20fps. Also check the lohr site.
The HD versions are probably only extrapolated from the standard definition resolution, so I'd stay away from those.

I did a few launches on an Custom Rockets Redliner, the keychain cam stripped from it's case and strapped to the tube with some tape.
https://m.youtube.com/#/profile?user=hydlide&v=zRdAX78jfuI
https://m.youtube.com/#/profile?user=hydlide&v=yZEDEiafcdw
https://m.youtube.com/#/profile?user=hydlide&v=xWGkfDZhdiI

That was my first rocket and first cam launch :) stripping the casing from the cam saves about 20 grams of weight.
I purchased a transparent "egg" cone in which I'll put two of these spycams. Something for spring.
 
rockets4kids said:
Ok, what was for final price after shipping? IME, the *real* price tends to come in somewhere between $10 and $15 regardless of the *item* price.
Click to expand...

It's a trick some sellers use on Ebay to avoid paying more commission on the sale... the commission is only charged on the sale price of the item, not the sale price plus shipping... so by pricing a $15 item at $1 + $14 shipping, they don't pay hardly any commission on the sale.

That's why it's hard to figure out whether something's a 'steal' or 'robbing your blind' on ebay... unless you always sort by "price+shipping, lowest first" in the sorting method...

Later! OL JR :)

PS. Yeah, the "hi-def" keychain cams are just that-- upconverted from standard def, meaning duplicated pixels... not native resolution. Not really even true upconverting, but simple duplication of pixels instead of "interpolating" what the missing pixel should look like in true upconverting...

If you want REAL HD you'll have to go to boostervision or some of the other "HD sports cameras" available on the web, and pay ~$100 or more for them... :) (at least for now... in a year or two, yeah, they'll probably have TRUE HD keychain cams... )

Later! OL JR :)
 
luke strawwalker said:
It's a trick some sellers use on Ebay to avoid paying more commission on the sale... the commission is only charged on the sale price of the item, not the sale price plus shipping... so by pricing a $15 item at $1 + $14 shipping, they don't pay hardly any commission on the sale.

That's why it's hard to figure out whether something's a 'steal' or 'robbing your blind' on ebay... unless you always sort by "price+shipping, lowest first" in the sorting method...
Click to expand...

It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. ;-)

luke strawwalker said:
PS. Yeah, the "hi-def" keychain cams are just that-- upconverted from standard def, meaning duplicated pixels... not native resolution. Not really even true upconverting, but simple duplication of pixels instead of "interpolating" what the missing pixel should look like in true upconverting...
Click to expand...

Are you aure about that?

This thread:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1362692

Seems to state otherwise.
 
rockets4kids said:
Ok, what was for final price after shipping? IME, the *real* price tends to come in somewhere between $10 and $15 regardless of the *item* price.
Click to expand...

$0.99 for the camera plus $6.89 for shipping equals $7.88. Seemed like a good enough deal just to try one.
 
I bought a couple of these from U.S. vendors on ebay at $13 each including shipping. I've seen them for about half that price coming from china. I've flown them a few times on rockets and a boost glider. The image quality is really pretty good although they do drop a frame once in a while.

I actually received two different versions. Externally they appear identical but the time date displays are in different locations on the image and the time date set up is different for the two. The image quality is the same for the two but one seems to drop more frames than the other.

For the price they are pretty cool and they give the lpr rocketeer a capability that was only dreamed of a few years ago.
 
I just received my "HD" key Chain cam.
It is reported that the #11 model is real 720P HD. Mine also came with a 12 volt car charger & external aluminum battery battery holder for longer recording time.

Everything was well packed & the key chain ring was package separately as opposed to being pre-installed like the others that I have purchased.

I let you guys know more once I get another micro SD card for it.


JD
 
There are a few that have built in storage, 4 & 8 GB ( I believe). They aren't that good & a virus compounds the problem.




JD


mfrissen said:
Regarding the virus. It's odd since most of them don't carry any storage. I have a few of them, work fine although the FPS is overstated - reality is more like 15-20fps. Also check the lohr site.
The HD versions are probably only extrapolated from the standard definition resolution, so I'd stay away from those.

I did a few launches on an Custom Rockets Redliner, the keychain cam stripped from it's case and strapped to the tube with some tape.
https://m.youtube.com/#/profile?user=hydlide&v=zRdAX78jfuI
https://m.youtube.com/#/profile?user=hydlide&v=yZEDEiafcdw
https://m.youtube.com/#/profile?user=hydlide&v=xWGkfDZhdiI

That was my first rocket and first cam launch :) stripping the casing from the cam saves about 20 grams of weight.
I purchased a transparent "egg" cone in which I'll put two of these spycams. Something for spring.
Click to expand...
 
rockets4kids said:
It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. ;-).
Click to expand...
:tongue::eyeroll::D

rockets4kids said:
Are you aure about that?

This thread:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1362692

Seems to state otherwise.
Click to expand...


Well, I haven't been keeping up with the threads on the keychain cam lately, so you might be right... BUT, I DID read something someone posted that they could tell it wasn't a TRUE HD camera based on the filesize alone (well, write rate to the card in MB per minute) and that the file sizes for a given length video were WAY too low to be true HD... not unless the frame rate was cut in half to minimize the data needing to be written to the card...

SO, buyer beware! OL JR :)
 
My two keychain cams (from the link at the front of this thread) arrived after less than two weeks from when I ordered them. :cheers:

I finally got around to buying a microSD card to put in one... I was at WalMart and saw a 4 GB card with a 4 in the little C thing, so I figured it was class 4 which ...should... work. Got home, checked online, and the Sandisk site says it's class 2 based on the part number (grr) but it could be they have since upped the spec.

After charging a cam for a while, I got it to work. I did have to reset the thing (my computer kept telling me it was unrecognized), but after resetting it things seem better.

Definitely a lot of dropped frames on my first test video (just here at the house, not a rocket).

Will get a faster card and do further tests.

Marc
 
I believe that mine is an actual HD #11 cam.
The case is the same, but it acts differently than the other 2 #3 cams that I have.

The video out puts in MOV not AVI as with the #3.
There is both a red LED & a Yellow LED; depends on what mode you are in. you can just charge the cam when the red led is on or download / upload to the memory when the yellow LED is lit.


Can you tell the difference?

KeychainCam003c.JPG



JD

luke strawwalker said:
:tongue::eyeroll::D




Well, I haven't been keeping up with the threads on the keychain cam lately, so you might be right... BUT, I DID read something someone posted that they could tell it wasn't a TRUE HD camera based on the filesize alone (well, write rate to the card in MB per minute) and that the file sizes for a given length video were WAY too low to be true HD... not unless the frame rate was cut in half to minimize the data needing to be written to the card...

SO, buyer beware! OL JR :)
Click to expand...
 
I was going to go to Radio Shack to pick up an Micro SD card for the new cam, but there wasn't one in the immediate area that I was in.

I stopped at Staples instead & they had Sandisc 4gb card for $29.99. On the rack below it they had some other brand on sale for $10.00, but they were all out ( darn), Then I saw a PNY 4gb car with SD adapter for $12.99
I went with that one.... When I was being checked out it came up as $10.00 without any coupons; class 4 no less:)!


JD


Marc_G said:
My two keychain cams (from the link at the front of this thread) arrived after less than two weeks from when I ordered them. :cheers:

I finally got around to buying a microSD card to put in one... I was at WalMart and saw a 4 GB card with a 4 in the little C thing, so I figured it was class 4 which ...should... work. Got home, checked online, and the Sandisk site says it's class 2 based on the part number (grr) but it could be they have since upped the spec.

After charging a cam for a while, I got it to work. I did have to reset the thing (my computer kept telling me it was unrecognized), but after resetting it things seem better.

Definitely a lot of dropped frames on my first test video (just here at the house, not a rocket).

Will get a faster card and do further tests.

Marc
Click to expand...
 
Marc_G said:
My two keychain cams (from the link at the front of this thread) arrived after less than two weeks from when I ordered them. :cheers:

I finally got around to buying a microSD card to put in one... I was at WalMart and saw a 4 GB card with a 4 in the little C thing, so I figured it was class 4 which ...should... work. Got home, checked online, and the Sandisk site says it's class 2 based on the part number (grr) but it could be they have since upped the spec.

After charging a cam for a while, I got it to work. I did have to reset the thing (my computer kept telling me it was unrecognized), but after resetting it things seem better.

Definitely a lot of dropped frames on my first test video (just here at the house, not a rocket).

Will get a faster card and do further tests.

Marc
Click to expand...


I read they don't do NEARLY as well in lower light conditions, so you really need to shoot some video outdoors in full sunlight to see what kind of video quality you're going to get...

Good luck! OL JR :)
 
JDcluster said:
I believe that mine is an actual HD #11 cam.
The case is the same, but it acts differently than the other 2 #3 cams that I have.

The video out puts in MOV not AVI as with the #3.
There is both a red LED & a Yellow LED; depends on what mode you are in. you can just charge the cam when the red led is on or download / upload to the memory when the yellow LED is lit.


Can you tell the difference? JD
Click to expand...



Well, I wouldn't expect to see much difference in the cases... it's the guts that matter... (the "magic smoke" boards... LOL:) Pray you never let the "magic smoke" out of one! :y:

Good luck! OL JR :)
 
Although I did get a special spider that came with mine....



JD


luke strawwalker said:
Well, I wouldn't expect to see much difference in the cases... it's the guts that matter... (the "magic smoke" boards... LOL:) Pray you never let the "magic smoke" out of one! :y:

Good luck! OL JR :)
Click to expand...
 
Man this thread will never die!

that's okay, because I have a question. My other cam crapped out, but I just ordered two more. Is it still safe to tape it to a rocket that would on a normal basis go mach?



Braden
 
UPscaler said:
Man this thread will never die!

that's okay, because I have a question. My other cam crapped out, but I just ordered two more. Is it still safe to tape it to a rocket that would on a normal basis go mach?



Braden
Click to expand...

That's a question I've had and no one has answered yet. I'm hoping someone had used one on a mach+ rocket and has the DOs and DON"Ts of that.
 
Handeman said:
That's a question I've had and no one has answered yet. I'm hoping someone had used one on a mach+ rocket and has the DOs and DON"Ts of that.
Click to expand...

Well, I guess there's only one way to find out... I'll get back to you, we should be hitting that speed May 7th.

Better find an ultra cheap SD card :wink:

Braden
 
I put a zip tie loosely around the circumfrence of the rocket. Then slide a second zip tie under the first one virtically. The second tie goes through the hole where the key ring would go. Tighten everything down and use electrical tape to adjust the angle. So far i've only had it to 750 mph but i bet it would hold up just fine to faster speeds. Even if it did happen to slide, it wouldn't get past your fins.
 
sparky said:
I put a zip tie loosely around the circumfrence of the rocket. Then slide a second zip tie under the first one virtically. The second tie goes through the hole where the key ring would go. Tighten everything down and use electrical tape to adjust the angle. So far i've only had it to 750 mph but i bet it would hold up just fine to faster speeds. Even if it did happen to slide, it wouldn't get past your fins.
Click to expand...

didn't think about zip ties. NICE

I was also considering tying a piece of kevlar thread to the key ring and running it into the AV bay, and running it through the pressure hole and anchoring it to the shock cord U bolt. Just in case the tape comes loose.


Braden
 
I came close to mach with it & it still held quite well with only masking tape. I went 675mph or so... No duct tape required, as it's only rated for 200mph:D.


JD

Handeman said:
That's a question I've had and no one has answered yet. I'm hoping someone had used one on a mach+ rocket and has the DOs and DON"Ts of that.
Click to expand...
 
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