I am looking for ideas to mount GoPro cameras to a large high powered pad.
Looking for ideas to:
- Thread starter cwbullet
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Nytrunner
Pop lugs, not drugs
Check out the setup of RocketryPhotography
https://www.rocketryphotography.com/index.html
May be worth reaching out for advice
https://www.rocketryphotography.com/index.html
May be worth reaching out for advice
You mean to watch the rocket take off as sen from the pad? I wouldn't think that would be hard. I haven't used a GoPro yet (OK, OK, laugh all you like, get it out) so I don't know how they mount to anything. Is it a good old ¼-20 thread insert? Weld, braise, or otherwise fasten a shelf to the pad structure with a bolt and nut on the shelf. Screw the camera onto the bolt and pointed at the rocket (the bolt has to be positioned right, of course) and then run the nut up to the bottom of the camera to take out the slack. That's how cameras have been mounted to tripods and other platforms for decades. Instead of a simple bolt you can get swivel mounts with ¼-20 studs to make aiming the camera much easier; I have one somewhere with a ¼-20 opening beneath the swivel so the whole thing mounts to a fixed bolt/stud.
If the camera has to be close enough to make you concerned about damage from exhaust gas then point the camera away from the rocket and place it under a piece of sheet metal. Then mount a mirror on a swivel where it's in the camera's line of sight, and adjust the mirror's angle to give the camera the view you want.
And if none of that works for you, just tell me why not; articulating what the solution needs that my suggestions haven't offered should be enough to get you to the answer.
If the camera has to be close enough to make you concerned about damage from exhaust gas then point the camera away from the rocket and place it under a piece of sheet metal. Then mount a mirror on a swivel where it's in the camera's line of sight, and adjust the mirror's angle to give the camera the view you want.
And if none of that works for you, just tell me why not; articulating what the solution needs that my suggestions haven't offered should be enough to get you to the answer.
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One of the things that are often done when filming in a hazardous areas is to mount the camera inside of a protective case, and point it at a mirror. The mirror is then aimed at the source of potential damage, and if it breaks... it breaks... but the camera is not impacted. Prime example is how in "Mythbusters" there's a "Don't try this at home" segment that shows Adam juggling large metal ball bearings, then at the last moment, he tosses one at the "camera" only to break the mirror that was used.
There’s a guy at our club who uses some kind of gooseneck which was designed for GoPro and it just clamps to one leg of quad pod.
boatgeek
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You might get some ideas from the MIT IREC tea. I don't know how many cameras they destroyed, though.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXt-SJ9F4kwuM_OFWwPkFSA
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXt-SJ9F4kwuM_OFWwPkFSA
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Camera flambe...
dr wogz
Fly caster
We once put our go pro under a sheet of plexi just under the pad. worked out OK..
And that got me thinking: A mechanical arm that would raise as the rocket left the pad.
Think about it. a long arm (6'?) extending from the pad (or pegged in the ground.) At the 6' point there is a pivot. At this pivot, is another long arm that extends to the pad, on top the deflector, and the rocket just sits on it. Its almost neutrally / negatively balanced, ever so slightly heavier on the opposite (not rocket) end.. (a weight on the other side of the pivot.) And the Go pro is mounted at the pivot to this. the idea being that no weight on the arm, the weight will tip the arm (and camera) up..
So, when the rocket is loaded on the pad, the go pro is pointed at it. The rocket is sitting on this pivoting arm.
As the rocket starts its accent, the pivot arm will raise / pivot as the rocket ascends the rail (becomes unloaded and falls "up").. The camera remains pointed at it as it ascends.. (or mostly at it's beginning boost phase). And maybe another pivot, so that when the arm reaches, say, 45°, the camera flops back further to almost vertical to watch the whole ascent..
get what I mean?
And that got me thinking: A mechanical arm that would raise as the rocket left the pad.
Think about it. a long arm (6'?) extending from the pad (or pegged in the ground.) At the 6' point there is a pivot. At this pivot, is another long arm that extends to the pad, on top the deflector, and the rocket just sits on it. Its almost neutrally / negatively balanced, ever so slightly heavier on the opposite (not rocket) end.. (a weight on the other side of the pivot.) And the Go pro is mounted at the pivot to this. the idea being that no weight on the arm, the weight will tip the arm (and camera) up..
So, when the rocket is loaded on the pad, the go pro is pointed at it. The rocket is sitting on this pivoting arm.
As the rocket starts its accent, the pivot arm will raise / pivot as the rocket ascends the rail (becomes unloaded and falls "up").. The camera remains pointed at it as it ascends.. (or mostly at it's beginning boost phase). And maybe another pivot, so that when the arm reaches, say, 45°, the camera flops back further to almost vertical to watch the whole ascent..
get what I mean?
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I've made these for "GoPro" to mount to the top of the rails looking down...
You can see them mounted to some of the pads and the video they provided here.
Tony
You can see them mounted to some of the pads and the video they provided here.
Tony
Yes. Tfish: That is what I am looking to do. I saw one this weekend that was neat that had 3 cameras mounted to an arm to look at the rocket from various angles as it comes up the rail and leaves it. The goal is to see it take off and leave the rail and to be able to adapt to 1010, 1515, and unistrut.
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