Mounting Keychain Camera
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You can get some Velcro strips at Home Depot or Lowes. That's how I do it and then I put a wrap of tape around the rocket to secure it. I launched a 4x24mm and a 3x24mm powered rocket and the camera stayed on and I had no issues....of course until the rocket exploded, but the camera survived the blast and I still use it.
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I'm (mentally) designing one to externally resemble the Cineroc, but I haven't got the 808 #16 in my hands yet. It's coming in from Hong Kong now, and due around 4/16 or so.
Yoehahn
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I have lost keychain cameras just from electrical tape. one wasn't found, the other one fell of twice ad was recovered both times. I'm going to do a much stronger mount for my two stage darkstar 3", ill post here when i figure it out.
besides the true mount or shroud, i have thought of using the material that is rubbery like in a tool box or kitchen drawer. then put the electrical tape around the camera, my thought was the camera couldn't side out from under the tape.
there is someone in the rocketry forum that sells pre-tested and us supplied 808's. i have searched TRF and came up with 14 pages of forums on keychain cameras. i gave up looking after page 2. anyone know of whom i speak?
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I can't help you there, but the E-Bay seller: eletoponline365 has a 99.9% feedback score (7300+ reviewers), and is the manufacturer of the 808 #16 according to several sources I've seen online. They aren't "pre-tested" but those scores were convincing enough for me to buy from them.
awseiger
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Just tape it on, being sure to make a little bit of a streamline so that the camera's front doesn't catch air. I've heard of this surviving up to mach.
If you want to make a shroud, I recommend something that allows you to turn on the camera, then put the shroud over. it's very hard to push the buttons and determine if your camera is going through a non-see-through shroud. Especially because these little suckers are already confusing to operate.
You can also remove the entire circuit board from the case, and mount the board inside your rocket, allowing the lens from the camera to stick out. Just be careful, the wires are *very* flimsy.
It's not that hard to solder wires onto the button points, however, and attach them to buttons mounted on the outside of the rocket.
If you want to make a shroud, I recommend something that allows you to turn on the camera, then put the shroud over. it's very hard to push the buttons and determine if your camera is going through a non-see-through shroud. Especially because these little suckers are already confusing to operate.
You can also remove the entire circuit board from the case, and mount the board inside your rocket, allowing the lens from the camera to stick out. Just be careful, the wires are *very* flimsy.
It's not that hard to solder wires onto the button points, however, and attach them to buttons mounted on the outside of the rocket.
gdiscenza
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patelldp
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I have made fiberglass shrouds in the past that work on 3" and 4" tubes. I still have the mold and materials to make these shrouds. If you're interested, please let me know and I can make more.
Link here:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showt...icro-Keychain-Cameras&highlight=camera+shroud
Link here:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showt...icro-Keychain-Cameras&highlight=camera+shroud
really? that is surprising. I thoroughly wrap tape around my. there is now way it is coming off, but then again I'm not going anywhere close to supersonic.
I made a shroud out of electrical tape on mine.
that is cool! nice work. what diameter bt is that?
I've thought about making a shroud from a plastic coke bottle, but never got around to it. the plastic should be flexible enough to press the buttons while in the shroud.
patelldp
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The BT shown is 3", but I have found that the shrouds actually work best on 4" body tubes. For future shrouds intended for 3" tubes, I'd do 2 or 3 layers of glass instead of 4 to allow a little more room for the camera.
dickmoran
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I used to be picky about dirtying up the outside of my rockets. I purchased a key chain camera for my HPR and saw that people just taped them on. I ended up putting a piece of Velcro on the rocket and camera and then making a small loop on the key chain out of a tywrap and another tywrap went around the rocket and through the tywrap of the camera. The camera is so light weight that it stays put. BUT I did get a hard landing once that broke the case loop on the camera but the unit was saved. Now I am using the GearCam HD DVR. It is bolted to the side and works pretty good. A little more dirty but works good.
great look, i will have to think about that.
luke strawwalker
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Probably bayourat rocketry... He sells pre-tested cams...
Shouldn't be THAT hard to find...
Later and good luck! OL JR
scsager
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Electrical tape and a Kevlar leash - works fine up to I power.
A wrap of half inch white or yellow vinyl electrical tape around the camera to hold in the micro SD card, and give the camera some color.
A loop of #400 Kevlar in the key ring hole, just long enough so it can be looped around the airframe.
A square of double stick tape on the bottom of the camera to help it keep "stuck" to the air frame.
At least twice around the airframe with the electrical tape - keeps it in place.
I have also tried a little balsa "wedge" to get less rocket in the camera's view.
A wrap of half inch white or yellow vinyl electrical tape around the camera to hold in the micro SD card, and give the camera some color.
A loop of #400 Kevlar in the key ring hole, just long enough so it can be looped around the airframe.
A square of double stick tape on the bottom of the camera to help it keep "stuck" to the air frame.
At least twice around the airframe with the electrical tape - keeps it in place.
I have also tried a little balsa "wedge" to get less rocket in the camera's view.
luke strawwalker
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That's a good idea I almost added to the comments... glad you brought it up...
IMHO there's not much point to videos where the rocket and fins end up taking up half the frame of the video... like a rearview mirror, the camera's need to be adjusted a bit in how they point to get the best view...
IMHO the fins and tube should only be visible in the lowest 1/4 to 1/5 of the frame, IOW, RIGHT ALONG THE EDGE of the picture, not sticking out into the middle of it... A little shimming and experimentation doing test shots should quickly determine the right amount of shimming...
Later! OL JR
Probably bayourat rocketry... He sells pre-tested cams...
Shouldn't be THAT hard to find...
Later and good luck! OL JR
thanks, yeah i didn't think it would be that hard to find either. there sure are a lot of threads with keychain camera in it.
i was thinking about ordering this product to make a molded wedge for the camera to sit in. https://sugru.com/ i hope it works, my thinking is that it would be a place for the camera to nest into and be a constant angle instead of it changing with each rocket attachment. it dries to a rubbery silicon material.
azzie
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I use wood inserts like this one:
Drill a hole in the airframe, put a bit of epoxy, screw in the wood insert. Once cured, use a regular 4-40 bolt to attach the camera.
When removing the camera, keep the bolt in, it will close the hole, plus you won't lose it.
-Alex
Drill a hole in the airframe, put a bit of epoxy, screw in the wood insert. Once cured, use a regular 4-40 bolt to attach the camera.
When removing the camera, keep the bolt in, it will close the hole, plus you won't lose it.
-Alex
tomtom
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Zip ties and blue painters tape. I figured this out when I thought about what I always bring to launches with me.
First remove the keychain chain. Make a small zip tie loop through the free hole you now have. Pass a large zip tie through this around the airframe of your rocket. Cinch the large one to the rocket once you have the camera roughly where you want it. Cinch down the small zip tie. Use a small wrap of blue tape(keeps your paint job perfect) to keep the camera from wobbling.
First remove the keychain chain. Make a small zip tie loop through the free hole you now have. Pass a large zip tie through this around the airframe of your rocket. Cinch the large one to the rocket once you have the camera roughly where you want it. Cinch down the small zip tie. Use a small wrap of blue tape(keeps your paint job perfect) to keep the camera from wobbling.
Scott Evil
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Somewhere around here is a thread about hard mounting these cameras. Can't find it though.
The basic idea is to permanently adhere a screw to the camera body and thread it into the rocket(s). Something I'll set up my latest and greatest when the time comes.
As far as tape goes, my last two flights had these key chain jobbies secured with 3M Super 33 (the only REAL electrical tape)
1st up was a heavy (mod-ed) Endeavor up on a K550...nice vid of MWP and landing on Wildmans starboard mirror.
2nd up was same rocket on something AT K/metal flavored and less nS (i forget but same rocket) at Bong...This time I had the keycam facing up at another more expensive down facing camera (taped on as well). The down facing camera failed before it was flown but the up video demonstrates how much the tape buzzes around during the boost phase.
I only posted stills here of that flight but maybe you can catch the tape at some high octave.
The basic idea is to permanently adhere a screw to the camera body and thread it into the rocket(s). Something I'll set up my latest and greatest when the time comes.
As far as tape goes, my last two flights had these key chain jobbies secured with 3M Super 33 (the only REAL electrical tape)
1st up was a heavy (mod-ed) Endeavor up on a K550...nice vid of MWP and landing on Wildmans starboard mirror.
2nd up was same rocket on something AT K/metal flavored and less nS (i forget but same rocket) at Bong...This time I had the keycam facing up at another more expensive down facing camera (taped on as well). The down facing camera failed before it was flown but the up video demonstrates how much the tape buzzes around during the boost phase.
I only posted stills here of that flight but maybe you can catch the tape at some high octave.
AndyC
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+2 on electrical tape. I don't bother even going around the tube all the way - just enough to hold it on, then some extra strips on the leading edge like a poor-man's shroud. I've gone through mach with it a couple of times, no problems.
I also put a short piece of popsicle stick under the bottom to tilt it away a bit from the rocket.
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