Keychain cam.

[UPscaler]

I read a few good reviews on here about the $10 keychain cams from china.

I'm going to buy one, and I needed to make sure that it's the right one.

https://cgi.ebay.com/Spy-Camera-Key...ltDomain_0?hash=item2559744728#ht_5313wt_1004

Also, How should I mount it onto rockets? I understand tape works fine with smaller stuff, but should I come up with some kind of mount for higher velocity rockets?

I was thinking when we build our 6x Alpha I can just build a payload bay and a mirror hood, and use my actual HD camcorder.

any suggestions are appreciated!

Thanks!
-Up

 

[mamba max1]

Hey,

I use a keychain camera on my rockets and R/C 1/8 truck.

A few vids on my rockets:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfLyAuacnRY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px-x3wzl5os


Really can't beat the quality for the price. Because they are so cheap, its not so bad if you loose one. Downside is you have to retrieve your rocket to get the video. I had to wait 5 days to get my first video lol.

You have a good one linked. You want that pixel size, and the 30fps. I just use electrical tape to secure it to the side of the rocket.

Keep in mind, that you will also need a micro SD card. An 8G card holds an hour of video, but the camera's battery lasts about 2hr.

The cameras seem to accept shock well, I've had a few very rough landings with mine on it an it keeps on ticking.

 

[kullas]

These are alot of fun here is a thread that has alot of info This could be fun

 

[Winston]

Here's an excellent keychain video camera tech info site describing what to look for. There are a bunch of different models that look virtually identical but which perform differently:

https://chucklohr.com/808/

Based upon the info found there, this camera fits the specs of the preferred keychain camera #3 (while not in keychain form, it's still very small):

https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.32022

And the file name used as well as the font and color of the time stamp in this video demo from that camera:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5YGnYjaMQk

pretty much confirm that it uses the desired chipset with its associated and desired SPCA driver.

 

[Vanel]

I have one of these critters, but can't figure out how to set the time. Something to do with a SetTime text file, but I cannot understand the very poor english and my attempts so far have resulted in no time change in the camera.

Anyone done this?

Hey,

I use a keychain camera on my rockets and R/C 1/8 truck.

A few vids on my rockets:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfLyAuacnRY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px-x3wzl5os


Really can't beat the quality for the price. Because they are so cheap, its not so bad if you loose one. Downside is you have to retrieve your rocket to get the video. I had to wait 5 days to get my first video lol.

You have a good one linked. You want that pixel size, and the 30fps. I just use electrical tape to secure it to the side of the rocket.

Keep in mind, that you will also need a micro SD card. An 8G card holds an hour of video, but the camera's battery lasts about 2hr.

The cameras seem to accept shock well, I've had a few very rough landings with mine on it an it keeps on ticking.

 

[BEC]

There's a big thread on YORF about these and other inexpensive eBay cameras (for which I can't give you the link right now because YORF is down) and a HUGE one on RC Groups here: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1115052

The ones you want are the versions that take separate micro SD cards rather than those with memory built in. It looks like the one you linked to is of that type.

I have flown them both on a rocket (taped to my Fliskits Triskelion with a little bit of shaped foam to adapt to the BT-55 curvature) and on a small RC airplane. Amazing quality for the price.

The one rocket flight I've edited down and posted is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_PdeNmZxL4

 

[MattieShoes]

There's a big thread on YORF about these and other inexpensive eBay cameras (for which I can't give you the link right now because YORF is down) and a HUGE one on RC Groups here: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1115052

The ones you want are the versions that take separate micro SD cards rather than those with memory built in. It looks like the one you linked to is of that type.

I have flown them both on a rocket (taped to my Fliskits Triskelion with a little bit of shaped foam to adapt to the BT-55 curvature) and on a small RC airplane. Amazing quality for the price.

The one rocket flight I've edited down and posted is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_PdeNmZxL4

Wow, that is pretty amazing... Was the parachute the culprit?

 

[BEC]

Wow, that is pretty amazing... Was the parachute the culprit?

Yes as you can see in the frame grab at the end. And, of course, too long of a delay. I've since flown it with a C6-3 with rather less "interesting" results.

 

[RoyAtl]

Yes as you can see in the frame grab at the end. And, of course, too long of a delay. I've since flown it with a C6-3 with rather less "interesting" results.

That fin was wobbling on the way up. It probably would've detached on landing if the parachute hadn't gotten to it first.

 

[MattieShoes]

I bought one of these a couple weeks ago and it just came in the mail today. I'm gonna tape it to my Barracuda and see how it goes this weekend. I think I ended up with a #2 with a micro-SD slot. In case anybody is curious, it weighs about 14 grams without the keychain portion or micro-SD card. If you look at a new five dollar bill, it's roughly the size of lincoln's head, down to the strip where his name is at the bottom.

 

[Scott Evil]

Here's an excellent keychain video camera tech info site describing what to look for. There are a bunch of different models that look virtually identical but which perform differently:

https://chucklohr.com/808/

Based upon the info found there, this camera fits the specs of the preferred keychain camera #3 (while not in keychain form, it's still very small):

https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.32022

And the file name used as well as the font and color of the time stamp in this video demo from that camera:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5YGnYjaMQk

pretty much confirm that it uses the desired chipset with its associated and desired SPCA driver.

Thanks for posting these links Winston. I've been worried about un-scrupulousness and product variability amongst overseas vendors.

I just ordered one from here...

https://cgi.ebay.com/Key-Chain-Spy-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a52df8414

...hopefully I got it right.

 

[Evo666]

I might have jump on this bandwagon too.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Checked out the ebay link... looks good and the price is right-- though you DO tend to get what you pay for, even with these things... but for $5.98 how can you go wrong?? That won't even buy you lunch nowdays! :jaw:

Check out these links for more info, especially Chuck Lohr's site, as he has just about everything you'd ever want to know about these things on his site...

Here's the links:

https://www.chucklohr.com/808/

https://forums.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=15&m=378648

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1115052

That aught to get you started... the RC Groups thread is LONG but there is literally TONS AND TONS of information in there... I follow that thread regularly because there is SO much information posted (and cool vids).

Good luck and be sure and post your experiences with this Ebay vendor... that price is fantastic... hope he's not selling stuff other vendors throw away... LOL

Later and good luck! OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

One other thing I forgot to mention-- buy your micro SD cards from reputable (probably local, or newegg.com) sources-- a lot of the TF cards coming with these things are fake memory and not up to par... more info on that at the chuck lohr site...

Some of the flash cards have been faulty or tampered with so that to Windows, it appears to be a 4 or 8 gig card, and Windows says it is (because that's what it tells Windows) but when tested with a secondary test program they turn out to be 1 gig cards... or other than advertised...

Caveat emptor... OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

I have one of these critters, but can't figure out how to set the time. Something to do with a SetTime text file, but I cannot understand the very poor english and my attempts so far have resulted in no time change in the camera.

Anyone done this?

This thread details how to do it several different times, for several different types of cameras... there are several different ways and tricks to doing it depending on the type of camera and the model.

Good luck! OL JR


https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1115052

 

[luke strawwalker]

Thanks for posting these links Winston. I've been worried about un-scrupulousness and product variability amongst overseas vendors.

I just ordered one from here...

https://cgi.ebay.com/Key-Chain-Spy-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a52df8414

...hopefully I got it right.

myzone50 has good ratings from the RCGroups thread people...

THere is a certain amount of hit and miss with these things-- they're probably "factory seconds" or rejects and stuff that didn't pass muster quality-wise for shipment to big vendors. You CAN find them from other sources online, but of course they're higher. I don't know that you'll really get any higher quality by paying more, but your chances probably improve somewhat. There are similar type cams with password nonsense and stuff like that going for as much as $300 online-- which is a total ripoff IMHO.

Some folks have reported getting them and having them not charge, dead out of the package, not recording right, lenses out of focus, the hot glue that holds the camera to the circuit board broken loose (easy to fix by remelting the glue, but requires you to open the case), various other firmware problems inside the camera's guts, Lipo's crapping out after a short time, etc.

Most sellers will make it good if you get it and it doesn't work, but after that you're pretty much on your own. These things don't seem to have a long life expectancy-- some do better than others, but again it' **** or miss... just don't expect this to be a purchase you can hand down to your grandchildren...

Good luck! OL JR

 

[Winston]

Here's a photo of the camera I bought here:

https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.32022

It fits the specs of the preferred keychain camera #3 on the tech page I posted a link to. I'll post videos on Youtube after I get around to making some (there's already one made by another owner that I linked to in a previous post).

As you can see, even though it's not a keychain cam, it's still extremely small and the stock orientation of the video sensor will make it easy to insert into a rocket from the side with the sensor pointed downward. There's even an anchoring point that's intended for a lanyard that could be used to anchor the cam to the rocket. I'm sure that without its case it's going to be significantly smaller, thinner and lighter still.

 

[UPscaler]

thanks for the info guys!

I ordered one yesterday.

So all I do is tape it to the side of the rocket?

 

[mamba max1]

That's what I did with my keychain cam.

When you tape it, do not tape it over the first two buttons, it will turn it off. Just tape it over the rear half of the camera.

 

[Rocketjunkie]

I just got in 3 ($10.80 each, $6 each for the 2GB MicroSD cards). It took about 3 weeks. Testing gives 25 min of video to fill the card. Mine are type 3 https://chucklohr.com/808/

 

[cwbullet]

There are some instructions for the key chain cam.

 

[Vanel]

Finally figured out how to set the date/time on my keychain camera.

Today at the local TARC launch, I taped this little keychain cam to the outside of my scratch built Salvage-90, which flew about 10:30, and then to my Fliskits Deuce's Wild, which flew just after 1. Got home and downloaded the movies into my computer for processing, and you can see the results of the Deuce flight at the link below (uploaded it to YouTube, but it's still processing )

https://gallery.me.com/cookewj#100052

The movie above is at standard 640x480 quality, but I must say I am pretty pleased with this purchase.

Sometimes cheap is good

 

[Pantherjon]

I didn't get any video:confused2: some good audio though!

 

[Evo666]

I didn't get any video:confused2: some good audio though!

I got video and sound.

 

[Pantherjon]

Okay..Got it to play the video after I downloaded it and opened in iTunes..

KewlNext time rotate the camera placement 90 degrees so you can get both smoke trails from the motors!

 

[mn-rocketry]

I flew my old Estes Longshot 2-stager yesterday with a keychain cam taped onto the side. Videos are at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPfTv9pSPh8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrb1iSgmxBI

I see that I am getting some duplicate frames. I'll have to try a different micro-sd card and see if that helps.

I also have a couple rocket videos up using the "gum" cameras.
https://www.youtube.com/user/mnrocketry

Alan

 

[UPscaler]

I flew my old Estes Longshot 2-stager yesterday with a keychain cam taped onto the side. Videos are at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPfTv9pSPh8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrb1iSgmxBI

I see that I am getting some duplicate frames. I'll have to try a different micro-sd card and see if that helps.

I also have a couple rocket videos up using the "gum" cameras.
https://www.youtube.com/user/mnrocketry

Alan

Very nice videos. I like how straight the rocket was when it staged. That doesn't happen too often.

 

[DAllen]

Here's what happens when the silly rocket wants to be a submarine:

[YOUTUBE]gS5DQfm7L7k[/YOUTUBE]

Not sure if the camera is going to make it. It's currently not working quite right.

 

[UPscaler]

Here's what happens when the silly rocket wants to be a submarine:

[YOUTUBE]gS5DQfm7L7k[/YOUTUBE]

Not sure if the camera is going to make it. It's currently not working quite right.

Mental note, keep away from water.

Luckily we don't have any water at our launch site, just gopher holes.

 

[DAllen]

Mental note, keep away from water.

Luckily we don't have any water at our launch site, just gopher holes.

We don't have much either - just a 3' wide drainage ditch running the length of our field that usually has about 6" of water in it most of the year. Out of the 300 or so acres the rocket could've landed in it chose that spot. :bangpan:

That's rocketry for ya'.