Testing Oregon Scientific Camera

[ricochet112]

My guess is people are more worried about aiming the camera than driving

Nope, it's about the extra drag on the helmet if you enter the water, neck injuries...

[Cameraboy]

I agree with Daren - I think the motor and deck mounted cameras have proved the best perspectives. The next trick is to live stream a camera at the start line and each turn such that you could view a race using three windows.

I think I'll keep the referee. My experience is that he can the run tightest schedule of any referee I have seen. That is needed for races where we have spectators that often wonder why there are 10 minutes between heats and 30 minute flight breaks - which is another marketing issue. In addition, racing in the midst of a major metro area as we are this weekend, we will have to allow for river traffic - which also means keeping to the schedule. So I don't have a problem if he is too much of a hard a$$ for some people. Wait until you see what a hard a$$ I have to be about fuel spills this weekend.

[propnuts]

Reactionaries

Oh boy. Pretty soon you won't be allowed to have porrta potties at the race sites because it is a saftey issue.........

Time for these dudes to lighten up on shoving all these saftey issues down our throats. We are the only friggen racing organization that will ban helmet cams used to promote the sport which is dying a slow death ? Come on........

Time to change the board I think.

Unbelievable how we go from "find someplace else to mount your camera" to "change the board" in 7 hours and 5 posts. No discussion of whether it might be a good idea, whether it's a real safety issue, just change the board. I am on the board and we have had no input on this, today is the first I've heard of it. If asked I would back the referee 100% BTW. Let's try to at least hear the charges read before the lynching commences. Take it from a guy that has not always practiced restraint of pen and tongue sometimes it helps to take a deep breath and think or ask questions first.

[blueskyracer]

I posted the specs on the camera and asked about the safety in question. Nobody has answered the question or shown the safety data that must of caused the unsafe ruling.

We plan to use the camera this weekend for the first time and inquiring minds want to know for our own safety. Thanks

[sponsonhead]

We now resume your regularly scheduled thread, already in progress

Mikey B,

We used the Oregon Scientific Cams last year and in 07 with the U-48 and U-50 as in-cockpit cams. We got great footage, but since we had to turn them on at about 10 minutes before the 5 minute gun, and didn't get to turn them off until the boat was back on the trailer, there was a lot of 'before-and-after' editing that had to be done, and we had to upload the video to the laptop from the card after each run, which was about a 30 minute process.

Add to that the factor that certain crew members were overly territorial about anybody other than themselves working in the cockpit prior to or after a run, and more often than not, the camera "missed" getting turned on.

Still, the few videos we got were pretty cool. Jim Simpson of ABRA had 3 or 4 of them and frequently loaned them out to teams that were willing to use them. We had our own.

R-19
(Former U-48/U-50 crew)

[pro350hydro]

I posted the specs on the camera and asked about the safety in question. Nobody has answered the question or shown the safety data that must of caused the unsafe ruling.

We plan to use the camera this weekend for the first time and inquiring minds want to know for our own safety. Thanks

First the color is not legal

Second, if you do enter the water, it is extra drag on the helmet which could cause neck injuries

[99R]

After my gymnastic routine across the water at Lawerence Lake you couldn't pay me to have that camera on my head. Thank you SRP for the restraints!!

99R

[propnuts]

Safety data (rejacking thread)

I posted the specs on the camera and asked about the safety in question. Nobody has answered the question or shown the safety data that must of caused the unsafe ruling.

We plan to use the camera this weekend for the first time and inquiring minds want to know for our own safety. Thanks

Mike, it would be great to always base decisions on scientific data. On the other hand racers might get needlessly hurt collecting the data. If a guy showed up with lead lining in his vest for impact protection we could say "that's not illegal, we'll wait to see what happens when somebody crashes with this kind of vest on", but I don't think anyone would think collecting data would be worth it. I'm just jealous that I didn't pick up on the safety aspect of it too, but that's what makes Rick one of the very best.

That was really preachy, sorry. BTW how's the new MJR treating you?

[blueskyracer]

After my gymnastic routine across the water at Lawerence Lake you couldn't pay me to have that camera on my head. Thank you SRP for the restraints!!

99R

I was there for that one and happened to be watching you coming fast when it happened. I see your point. We will play a lot with boat mounts for different angles.

I guess I should also start using my SRP restraint system. That brings up a question, how tight should the straps be adjust and still allow you to see the competition behind you

[Susan Rautenberg]

Mike-Im sure you will find a "safe" spot to place the camera. Not sure the helmet is a good idea- extra piece to grab the water if you go on your noggin. I am with Rick on this one and also your a*%istant ref.... so lol no good Mr Mason in ditching him cuz the back up isnt any less strict lol!!!!!

[pro350hydro]

I was there for that one and happened to be watching you coming fast when it happened. I see your point. We will play a lot with boat mounts for different angles.

I guess I should also start using my SRP restraint system. That brings up a question, how tight should the straps be adjust and still allow you to see the competition behind you

I'll help you adjust your helmet restraint this weekend at Banks Lake. Just come find me.

Personally, I'm surprised more drivers dont wear them.

[jeff55v]

OK - I've never been sea sick before. But, that did it..... LOL

Shoot! That ain't nothin' Early this spring, I played around with my helmet cam. I stuck it on the harness on one of our dogs.
(I posted it under my wife's YouTube account)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5_Wxvy5CWg

The durability of these little cameras is amazing!

[pro350hydro]

Shoot! That ain't nothin' Early this spring, I played around with my helmet cam. I stuck it on the harness on one of our dogs.
(I posted it under my wife's YouTube account)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5_Wxvy5CWg

The durability of these little cameras is amazing!

LOL

Now i know what it'd look like to ride a bull. I think I need to go laydown now.....

[39R]

Cullaby and Capital Lake

Rick, Susan and I have disagreed on many things over the years, but this one I'm in alignment with. As Ref for the Region 10 Divisional at Cullaby Lake and at Capital Lake this year, if you want to mount a camera it better be on the boat and not on your helmet.

There is nothing ambiguous about 2009 Junior, Mod, PRO, Stock Rule 3.6 which states "The referee or inspector has the power to prohibit the use of any helmet or life jacket that he/she determines to be potentially unsafe."

So if in the opinion of the referee the mounting of a helmet cam renders a helmet "potentially unsafe" it is with-in their power to prohibit its use.

Sorry, game over.

[Racerkyle20]

The camera angles on the helmets didn't do it for me anyway. If we want to promote the sport, have a camera angle so the viewer can actually have a chance to see what's going on. If the driver is looking around everywhere...so is the camera and the viewer (who may know little about the sport) has no idea what the boat or driver are doing. So far the Byrnes boys have done an excellent job finding good camera angles that work.