Pencam questions

[rbeckey]

If anyone out there has used the Aiptek pencam or pencam II and AYUCR controller for aerial photography, or is familiar with the operation of these little devices, I have a question. With my HP digital camera, there is a lag of approx 1 second between the time I press the button until the photo is actually taken. How does the AYUCR controller overcome this lag, or is there a shorter lag with the pencam? I am condsidering trying this arrangment out.

 

[Stymye]

Rbecky
this link should point you in the right direction

https://www.ayucr.com/cgi-bin/timermenu.pl?Content=pmanual

 

[SwingWing]

My Aiptek pencamII has no lag time when the shutter is pressed. The pix on my avatar was taken with it.
I have a pencamroc but I did not use the AYUCR controller. I wanted to, but Aiptek has changed their pencams in a way that causes a problem. Rob keeps the pencam from going into "sleep" mode by holding the "mode" relay closed. The newer pencams go to sleep instantly if the mode switch is held. So I designed a timer circuit that takes 1 pix per second and is activated with a pullpin. The camera stays "awake" for 30 or 60 seconds so I need to launch b-4 that time.

HTH

 

[SwingWing]

Here is some good Pencam info:

https://www.nira-rocketry.org/LeadingEdge/NovDec02.pdf

 

[rbeckey]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I had seen both of those sites, and still had a few questions.

Swingwing,
Could you tell me a little about the timer you used? If I can't use the AYUCR, then I'll need an alternative.

 

[SwingWing]

It is a cheap (~$12.00) circuit based on a LM555 timer chip. (available at RadioShack, or just about anywhere). I'll look up the specifics when I get home from work. I used these circuits as a start point.
https://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/LM555.html
The output was to the coil of a small relay that shorted the shutter sw when it fired. The pencam mods are the same as the AYUCR mods except I wire the timer to the shutter and the mode button to a switch mounted on the rocket body. Then I press the mode button just b-4 launch to wake up the camera. Then I have 60 seconds to launch.

 

[rbeckey]

Jim,
Here is the problem. The last time I soldered anything to a circuit board was in high school, circa 1980. I am capable of building the device if I get clear instructions, but design is way beyond me.
How is the device programmed? How do you set the interval and count?

 

[SwingWing]

This is a pretty simple device. It consists of 1 8-pin IC, 2 resistors, a capacitor and a relay. There is no programming. The values of the resistors and cap have been choosen to give a 1 pic per second interval. Other values could be choosen b-4 building, but then it's fixed.
The drawbacks are that the first pic is at the 1 second mark. No liftoff pic. It will continue taking pix until the memory is full or you recover and turn it off. My pencam holds 26 "high" res (VGA) pix or 101 lo res. I have only launched it once, and I recovered it and turned it off at the 24th pic. A good portion of the pix were sky, etc.

The attached is a pix taken with it in March. (BT-60 based rocket, 3-C cluster, flourescent slip cover payload tube)

 

[rbeckey]

Jim,
If its not too much trouble could you make a quick circuit diagram and parts list? What did you use for the board?

 

[SwingWing]

Well here goes. I just used perf board and soldered jumper wires to make the connections.

 

[SwingWing]

Here it is .jpeg

 

[rbeckey]

Jim,
Thanks for the diagram. What are the specific resistors that are referenced? Is that 1,000 and 2,000 Ohms? Can you tell me more about the relay? The daigram shows the trace from pin three and the capacitor ending before it gets to the relay. Is that how it is actually wired? I also need more detail on how the shutter was connected to the relay. I can see the picture of the AYUCR controller. How does the relay get wired in relation to that?
Thanks again.

 

[SwingWing]

Yeah, the trace was lost converting the file. It originally had a neat spiral, coil on it too. It is just a miniature relay with a 12 volt coil. I got mine at a surplus store called Axe man. Radio Shack should have them too. Hook the timer across the coil and the shutter across the normally open contacts. Then, when the circuit fires, it closes the contacts on the relay, causing the shutter to fire. Modify the pencam just per Rob's instructions at AYUCR. I connected the "mode" button to a pushbutton switch mounted on the rocket body.
The resistors are in fact 1K ohms(1000 ohms) and 2k ohms (2000 ohms)

I tried to get a pix of the board (for what it's worth) but I couldn't get enough light on it to show the detail.

 

[stevem]

I need some advice on using my AIPTEK pencam. I saw this thread was started and it looked like a good place to start.

I have one of Rob Nee's pencam controllers all put together and tested. Pretty slick deal if you ask me - works great (at least on the bench, haven't flown it yet).

Now I need to mount it in a rocket. I know some of you guys have done this and I wondered if I could please have your advice on how to mount the camera and controller into a rocket.

Do I just cut a hole in the BT and pack foam around the camera so it is looking out the hole?

I am just not sure how to go about this part of the project.
Thanks!
Steve

 

[SwingWing]

Originally posted by stevem

Now I need to mount it in a rocket. I know some of you guys have done this and I wondered if I could please have your advice on how to mount the camera and controller into a rocket.
Do I just cut a hole in the BT and pack foam around the camera so it is looking out the hole?
Steve

I mounted two 3/16" dowells into the balsa bulkhead at the bottom of the payload bay. I attached the circuit board between the dowells just above the bulkhead and the camera above that. The camera is held in place with velcro straps. It's crude, but it works.

 

[stevem]

thanks Jim!
did you do anything for access to the arming switch or power switch?

 

[SwingWing]

I mounted a momentary contact switch that is connected to the "mode" feature in the balsa bulkhead. I also mounted the pullpin switch in the bulkhead. (not necessary with Rob's controller). I arm the circuit during assembly of the payload, put the rocket on the pad, connect ignitors, etc. I then press the mode button once, turning the camera on in "high" res mode. This is confirmed by an audible bleep. I then have 30 seconds to launch b-4 it goes to sleep.
I am not using the AYUCR controller, and it may function differently.

 

[stevem]

also Jim - did you simply cut a hole in the payload BT for the camera lens to look through? or did yuo place some type of clear lens over the hole? I am wondering how much a hole in the side of the tube will affect aerodynamics (if at all).

I am going to try to rig this up so the payload tube recovers in a horizontal position with the camera pointing down. If that doesn't work out I may try the angled mirror thing to make the pencam look down.

 

[SwingWing]

I originally had the pencam in a clear payload bay made from a flourescent tube slipcover. (BT-60 size) It did o.k. but the tube soon was scratched and cloudy. I got pix right side up during launch and upside-down during recovery. (payload had its own chute) The camera took most of the pix that were faroff horizon shots. I have since modified the camera to shoot into a mirror, looking down the BT. I now have it mounted in a 2" diameter Deuces wild upscale. With this configuration, I get good ground shots during boost, arc over and apogee, but the pix under canopy are all the same. knowing this, I changed my timer to take pix rapidly (~3/second) so most of the 26 shots are of boost.

Some of the latest launch pix are in this thread:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4638

 

[stevem]

thanks for pointing me to that thread JIm - that's just the stuff I was looking for!
When I searched Pencam I must have overlooked that thread.

 

[SwingWing]

Steve m
Do a search for "bertha cam' and look at some of the stuff posted by pinter 75 and others. There is lots more good info there.

 

[pinter75]

In the Summer I flew a few pencam rockets, All the info and video I got has been compiled (sort of) on my site:

(A 1.3MB cam does have a long refresh time, I use mine for video only). A 1K pencam has 0 refresh time and is cool for photography.

1.3 Pencam adventures: Here

1K Pencam adventrures: here and here with pics from a good flight here


I found that getting the rocket to reduce rotation was a bigger hurdle than taking the pics using a timer.

When you are on the site, look through all the categories like, construction, flight logs etc...

Steve C. UK

BTW, I have some more video from more recent flights, If I have time I'll post them.

 

[stevem]

here's my pencam rocket so far...

pencam rocket

BT-70 w/home made nose cone and payload bay bulkhead.
Aiptek Pencam and controller from AYUCR AYCUR

Thanks very much for all the help and advice guys!!

 

[pinter75]

Looking v.nice How much does that thing weigh and are those 3 D motor tubes?

Also I take it this is for taking photos rather than video... Those 1.3mp cams don't like highspeed rides - blurry photos. The best shots I got were when the payload was drifting down slowly under the chute. I guess that on your 1.3mp cam the refresh between shots may leave you with only a few piccies?

Interested to see results, so get it finished and flying

Here are a couple from the 300k cam out of a set of 17 pics fom 1 flight.

Steve C.

 

[Mike]

SteveM, what way is the grain running on your fins?

 

[stevem]

Steve - I checked out your stuff, all I can say is WOW!
I only hope my stuff turns out half that good.

Since this is my first attempt at aerial photography I am only going for still shots.

Yep - that's three D motor tubes. Depending on how much the rocket weighs when I am finished I may try C11's first.

I wanted to do a cluster and this seemed like a good candidate.

I saw on Rob Nee's web site where he rigged the chute on the payload section so that the payload comes down horizontal with camera looking down. I am going to try this on my rocket.

I really like the AYUCR pencam conrtoller. I just downloaded the latest software for it and hooked up the pencam top my laptop - very cool! I can upload/download settings quickly.

I need to figure out how to make power and arming switches accessible form outside the rocket. I am thinking maybe some 1/8 phone plugs and jacks set up so that when you pull the plug out of the jack the pencam controller powers up and arms itself.

 

[stevem]

Mike, grain runs parallel to the leading edge of fins

 

[pinter75]

Flying pencams is cool, Took a few attempts to get it all working.

As for the arming switches I used a bit of plastic and some tin foil.

A bit home brew, but then again so is the rocket!

From this page

I also used a micro switch to toggle the cam mode.

Steve.

 

[stevem]

Steve C. - the English countryside is beautiful!
best I can hope for in NW Iowa is corn fields and maybe a cow or two!

 

[stevem]

Mike, I lied to you in my earlier post - but not intentionally!

I was just looking at my picture and I have the grain running parallel to BT! OOPS!! not what I intended to do.

This is what I get for working so late - must have been sleeping when I did that - I wanted the grain parallel to leading edge.

I may reinforce fins with paper lamination rather than re-do them.
or do you think they will be OK this way?