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Reasons to own a helmet cam

I

iowabiker

Tricycle
While going to work a few weeks ago, I had the misfortune of running behind a cement truck that dislodged fist-sized chunks of hardened cement that struck and damaged my front fender, windshield and right side fairing (on my 2013 C14).  The incident was captured on my helmet cam (always on when I ride) and reported to the truck company's safety manager.  The manager reviewed the video and quickly admitted liability and offered to pay for replacement of the parts.  I'm happy to say that all repairs were made quickly and paid for.  Fortunately, none of those cement chunks got under my front tire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As9G9TpG1bs
 
I know a couple people who have started running video in their cars for accident purposes, much like many do it europe.  you never know when something is going to happen and video doesn't lie.  I'm glad they resolved the issue for you.
 
Seems like these cameras attract trouble, cause every time I see something on youTube, they had a camera  ;D

In all seriousness, I'm strongly considering a camera, because someday I'm gonna need evidence. Especially in parking lots. I guess rules and lines and common sense mean nothing in parking lots.  :eek:
 
I ride with my GoPro 99.9% of the time. You never know when something is going to happen like this. Even in my cage I'll throw the GoPro in.

Over in Russia it's like the wild wild west on the roads there. They have cams just to eliminate all the he said she said BS and prove liability. Often needed here too!
 
KevinRLI said:
I ride with my GoPro 99.9% of the time. You never know when something is going to happen like this. Even in my cage I'll throw the GoPro in.

Over in Russia it's like the wild wild west on the roads there. They have cams just to eliminate all the he said she said BS and prove liability. Often needed here too!
Click to expand...

How do you deal with battery life?  I tried using a gopro, but it seems it doesn't start when it's supposed to, thus missing large sections of a ride, the battery dies mid-ride, the storage card runs out (since you can't tell how much space is left), etc.  Ended up being such a hassle, I stopped using it.
 
wipfel said:
KevinRLI said:
I ride with my GoPro 99.9% of the time. You never know when something is going to happen like this. Even in my cage I'll throw the GoPro in.

Over in Russia it's like the wild wild west on the roads there. They have cams just to eliminate all the he said she said BS and prove liability. Often needed here too!
Click to expand...

How do you deal with battery life?  I tried using a gopro, but it seems it doesn't start when it's supposed to, thus missing large sections of a ride, the battery dies mid-ride, the storage card runs out (since you can't tell how much space is left), etc.  Ended up being such a hassle, I stopped using it.
Click to expand...

I don't have any issues starting or stopping it. Power on and then hit record. Done. Always starts for me. I have it mounted on my handle bars in plain sight so I can see the little record light on the back of the unit blinking so I know it's on.

Battery life. 1st I got the battery back pack. That adds like 45 minutes to the regular battery which lasts about 30 minutes. Most of my riding is to and from work. 30 minutes each way so one charge and my round trip commute is covered. If I'm going to have it on longer I plug it in. I just run a USB cable from the camera to the outlet. Granted this doesn't work in the rain but does in fair weather.

I also have a 64GB card which will hold about 5 or 6 hours of video. If I'm going longer than that and nothing has happened that I need to save video I'll just delete and over write it as needed. If I want to save more than that I'll bring my back up SD card.

Hope this helps.

 
Thud300 said:
Seems like these cameras attract trouble, cause every time I see something on youTube, they had a camera  ;D
Click to expand...

You laugh, but I was sitting around a table at the store in Deal's Gap listening to a bunch of sportbikers telling a newbie to take the video camcorder (geez, how long ago was this???)  off his bike because it practically guaranteed that either he or someone in front of him would get into an accident.  They were really serious about it too.  They wouldn't ride with him; thought it was bad mojo.
 
ChipDoc said:
Thud300 said:
Seems like these cameras attract trouble, cause every time I see something on youTube, they had a camera  ;D
Click to expand...

You laugh, but I was sitting around a table at the store in Deal's Gap listening to a bunch of sportbikers telling a newbie to take the video camcorder (geez, how long ago was this???)  off his bike because it practically guaranteed that either he or someone in front of him would get into an accident.  They were really serious about it too.  They wouldn't ride with him; thought it was bad mojo.
Click to expand...

I always wear the same underwear when I ride because of the mojo risk of changing it.  By Friday at the rally, some people were looking at me funny. 

:))
 
ChipDoc said:
Thud300 said:
Seems like these cameras attract trouble, cause every time I see something on youTube, they had a camera  ;D
Click to expand...

You laugh, but I was sitting around a table at the store in Deal's Gap listening to a bunch of sportbikers telling a newbie to take the video camcorder (geez, how long ago was this???)  off his bike because it practically guaranteed that either he or someone in front of him would get into an accident.  They were really serious about it too.  They wouldn't ride with him; thought it was bad mojo.
Click to expand...

I must have the opposite luck. Since getting the camera about 18 months ago I've been riding with it almost all the time and I have yet to get anything too exciting on video. About the most exciting thing I got was a deer trying to cross the NJ Tpke a few weeks ago.

 
New product needed:

Dashcam, suitable for car or motorcycle.

Specs:

1.  VERY High Def. 

2.  Tiny, battery and DC operated, USB plug. 

3.  Records and then deletes as needed.  Will record a limited amount of time, then overwrite as it continues to record, so that you only get 30 min or so of most recent video.

4.  All video easily downloaded to Mac, PC, etc.

Purpose:  Same as the cops need:  to record accidents and incidents.

I'd buy one.
 
The GoPro Hero4 already has all of those features except for the auto-overwrite.  It wouldn't surprise me to discover that there's a software solution for that too.  You  can now have cinema-quality 4K video of that idiot pulling out of a parking lot in front of you!
 
Sport Rider said:
ChipDoc said:
Thud300 said:
Seems like these cameras attract trouble, cause every time I see something on youTube, they had a camera  ;D
Click to expand...

You laugh, but I was sitting around a table at the store in Deal's Gap listening to a bunch of sportbikers telling a newbie to take the video camcorder (geez, how long ago was this???)  off his bike because it practically guaranteed that either he or someone in front of him would get into an accident.  They were really serious about it too.  They wouldn't ride with him; thought it was bad mojo.
Click to expand...

I always wear the same underwear when I ride because of the mojo risk of changing it.  By Friday at the rally, some people were looking at me funny. 

:))
Click to expand...

Um, you don't have to attribute the strange looks to the week-old underwear...
 
TLR said:
New product needed:

Dashcam, suitable for car or motorcycle.

Specs:

1.  VERY High Def. 

2.  Tiny, battery and DC operated, USB plug. 

3.  Records and then deletes as needed.  Will record a limited amount of time, then overwrite as it continues to record, so that you only get 30 min or so of most recent video.

4.  All video easily downloaded to Mac, PC, etc.

Purpose:  Same as the cops need:  to record accidents and incidents.

I'd buy one.
Click to expand...

Tom,  I've had the same idea,  with the following additional specs/features.

  Flush mounted (or somehow almost invisible), waterproof, semi-permanent mounted, hard wired and fully automatic...bike running-cam running, bike off-cam off.

  One facing front,  one facing rear.

  Capable of taking any capacity micro-SD card and overwriting.

Somebody needs to make this camera.  I'll buy 2.
 
WillyP:  I need the Ultralight!  Beautiful video there.

Kevin RLI:  Yep, they've started to make them, but they're too big at the moment, I think.  No doubt prices and sizes are coming down.  They make too much sense to not be available, sooner or later.  Maybe GoPro will build it, although I bet they are having a hard time keeping up with demand for the camera they make now.

Flat-spot:  Yep.  Agreed.  Exactly.  Also, night vision or IR capable, so it can read license plates at night.
 
TLR said:
WillyP:  I need the Ultralight!  Beautiful video there.
Click to expand...

The point was that while watching a video, you can pan around... look left, right, behind you, spin around 360deg, even straight up and down. Rather pricey setup, though... Aside from the bracket they sell, you need 6 Go-Pro's, plus the software to stitch it all together.
 
Flat-spot said:
TLR said:
New product needed:

Dashcam, suitable for car or motorcycle.

Specs:

1.  VERY High Def. 

2.  Tiny, battery and DC operated, USB plug. 

3.  Records and then deletes as needed.  Will record a limited amount of time, then overwrite as it continues to record, so that you only get 30 min or so of most recent video.

4.  All video easily downloaded to Mac, PC, etc.

Purpose:  Same as the cops need:  to record accidents and incidents.

I'd buy one.
Click to expand...

Tom,  I've had the same idea,  with the following additional specs/features.

  Flush mounted (or somehow almost invisible), waterproof, semi-permanent mounted, hard wired and fully automatic...bike running-cam running, bike off-cam off.

  One facing front,  one facing rear.

  Capable of taking any capacity micro-SD card and overwriting.

Somebody needs to make this camera.  I'll buy 2.
Click to expand...

Small, double ended camera, 3 hours recording time and battery life. Doesn't have to be more than 720p & 24 fps.  You could sell a million of them to bicycle riders.
 
Flat-spot said:
TLR said:
New product needed:

Dashcam, suitable for car or motorcycle.

Specs:

1.  VERY High Def. 

2.  Tiny, battery and DC operated, USB plug. 

3.  Records and then deletes as needed.  Will record a limited amount of time, then overwrite as it continues to record, so that you only get 30 min or so of most recent video.

4.  All video easily downloaded to Mac, PC, etc.

Purpose:  Same as the cops need:  to record accidents and incidents.

I'd buy one.
Click to expand...

Tom,  I've had the same idea,  with the following additional specs/features.

  Flush mounted (or somehow almost invisible), waterproof, semi-permanent mounted, hard wired and fully automatic...bike running-cam running, bike off-cam off.

  One facing front,  one facing rear.

  Capable of taking any capacity micro-SD card and overwriting.

Somebody needs to make this camera.  I'll buy 2.
Click to expand...

Look at this: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__62530__Turnigy_HD_ActionCam_1080P_Full_HD_Video_Camera_w_Waterproof_Case.html?strSearch=turnigy%20hd%20actioncam

It's a bit bigger than the gopro hero 4, but it's also a lot less expensive at $65. Has the loop mode, erase older files, automatically power up into recording, takes micro-sd cards, etc.
 
I'm really holding out for a camera that records forward and backwards at the same time.  It's kind of morbid, but I would like a good record if someone runs me over.  I'd also like to document close calls on my bicycle and post them to a website.  If enough people did it, you could build up a data base of repeat offenders and draw attention to their behavior before they hit someone.
 
At $65 each, you could afford two cameras and still not be spending nearly as much as a single gopro.
 
Uncle Rob said:
I'm really holding out for a camera that records forward and backwards at the same time.  It's kind of morbid, but I would like a good record if someone runs me over.  I'd also like to document close calls on my bicycle and post them to a website.  If enough people did it, you could build up a data base of repeat offenders and draw attention to their behavior before they hit someone.
Click to expand...

Not morbid at all.  I would like to have a 360 deg. record of all of my riding.  I've thought some more about my ideal setup.  Most importantly, for me, it would be completely automatic.  If the engine is running, both front and rear cameras would be recording.  The only things mounted externally would be wide angle, hi-def., low light and IR capable, waterproof lenses.  They would be mounted permanently, small and stealthy and hard wired for power and signal routed to the actual camera with memory card(s) mounted under the seat or in the glovebox. All powered by the bike, no small batteries or chargers to mess with.  The cards would be continually over-written until you switch them out to download and save.
 
Flat Spot,

The camera I linked to will do everything you just mentioned, except they are all-in-one units. Because of the way the digital imagers work and interface with the control logic, they need to be on the same circuit board, so you will not see any consumer level device that has the logic and storage in a separate enclosure from the imager and lens. Oh, and I don't think it has IR capability. Not a big deal for me since I rarely ride at night.
 
Flat-spot said:
Uncle Rob said:
I'm really holding out for a camera that records forward and backwards at the same time.  It's kind of morbid, but I would like a good record if someone runs me over.  I'd also like to document close calls on my bicycle and post them to a website.  If enough people did it, you could build up a data base of repeat offenders and draw attention to their behavior before they hit someone.
Click to expand...

Not morbid at all.  I would like to have a 360 deg. record of all of my riding.  I've thought some more about my ideal setup. Most importantly, for me, it would be completely automatic.  If the engine is running, both front and rear cameras would be recording.  The only things mounted externally would be wide angle, hi-def., low light and IR capable, waterproof lenses.  They would be mounted permanently, small and stealthy and hard wired for power and signal routed to the actual camera with memory card(s) mounted under the seat or in the glovebox. All powered by the bike, no small batteries or chargers to mess with.  The cards would be continually over-written until you switch them out to download and save.
Click to expand...

PaulP said:
Flat Spot,

The camera I linked to will do everything you just mentioned, except they are all-in-one units. Because of the way the digital imagers work and interface with the control logic, they need to be on the same circuit board, so you will not see any consumer level device that has the logic and storage in a separate enclosure from the imager and lens. Oh, and I don't think it has IR capability. Not a big deal for me since I rarely ride at night.
Click to expand...

That's a tempting unit for the money, for sure.  I'm sure I could live with it being an all-in-one unit and lack of IR capability, but it does not have my 3 most desired features (highlighted above),  but I was describing my dream system that doesn't exist, and maybe never will.
 
LinuxGuyGary....BINGO....almost.    Every feature I want except waterproof lenses. :( for $220.  NICE FIND. :great: :great:
 
I run a camera from time to time. I am always afraid it will catch me doing something stupid and be used against me. I have little control when another bike sneaks past me... LOL I must win!
 
Flat-Spot,

Actually it does have all those features, even if they are not highlighted on that page I linked to. It's basically a clone of a gopro3 clone that's popular in Europe for dashcam use. You can power it through the USB port so that it comes on and goes off with the car, as long as your adapter is powered by a switched circuit. It has 1, 3, and 5 minute loop modes and will erase the oldest loops when the memory card fills up. I have a friend that has one for his quad copter and it takes pretty good video; wide angle, but not too fish-eyed.
 
Cool, good to know. :great: 

But I'm really liking the stealth possibilities and features of the one LinuxGuyGary just posted.  If the lenses could be waterproofed.
 
Yes, but for almost 3 times as much? And then you still have to find a way to waterproof it? Oh, also the one I linked to has NTSC video out, so if you have a small monitor you could also use it as a rear-view cam.
 
Sounds like you're sold on that camera.  You better order up a couple.  It doesn't fit my dream description at all, so I'm gonna wait.  Oh, and since you need two of them at $65/ea.,  how is that 1/3 of $220?  IF somebody made that dual lens component system with smaller, stealthier, waterproof lenses and IF it had the reliability of the Gopro,  I'd be willing to pay much more than $220.  Since it would live on the bike permanently and run all the time I would not be shopping price point.
 
Oh, I see, it's a dual lens system. OK, I couldn't look at that site from here at work, so I just assumed it was a single system. Frankly putting cameras on my bike is not that high on my list, so I'm not really sold on anything yet. But when or if I put cameras on my C10, I won't be wasting my money on super hi-def stuff (4K, really?). 720p at 60hz is plenty to prove who wiped you out after the fact. I'm not a big enough narcissist to think that people want to watch youtube videos of me driving back and forth to work.  :motonoises:
 
ChipDoc said:
The GoPro Hero4 already has all of those features except for the auto-overwrite.  It wouldn't surprise me to discover that there's a software solution for that too.
Click to expand...

Hero 4 black loops video.
I use a $120 Contour and just delete the footage each day as it charges.
 
PaulP said:
Flat Spot,

The camera I linked to will do everything you just mentioned, except they are all-in-one units. Because of the way the digital imagers work and interface with the control logic, they need to be on the same circuit board, so you will not see any consumer level device that has the logic and storage in a separate enclosure from the imager and lens. Oh, and I don't think it has IR capability. Not a big deal for me since I rarely ride at night.
Click to expand...

Quickly shown to be wrong.

PaulP said:
Yes, but for almost 3 times as much? And then you still have to find a way to waterproof it? Oh, also the one I linked to has NTSC video out, so if you have a small monitor you could also use it as a rear-view cam.
Click to expand...

And again.

PaulP said:
Oh, I see, it's a dual lens system. OK, I couldn't look at that site from here at work, so I just assumed it was a single system. Frankly putting cameras on my bike is not that high on my list, so I'm not really sold on anything yet. But when or if I put cameras on my C10, I won't be wasting my money on super hi-def stuff (4K, really?). 720p at 60hz is plenty to prove who wiped you out after the fact. I'm not a big enough narcissist to think that people want to watch youtube videos of me driving back and forth to work.  :motonoises:
Click to expand...

Assumptions made.

Trying really hard to brag up a cheap item you're not even interested in.

Indignance swells.  Implied insults are spewed forth. :c029: Oh, and I have no idea how to upload a video to Youtube.  I never mentioned 4k HD.

I was just trying to describe my dream system for full time video evidence recording (that doesn't even exist yet) and you found it necessary to repeatedly tell me how misguided I am to not want some cheap camera that doesn't fit my description at all.  Please forgive me for not wanting exactly what you think I should buy. Something you don't own yet, so you have no personal ownership experience with yet.

Narcissist?  Who?  ;)


 
Flat-spot said:
I never mentioned 4k HD.
Click to expand...
I'm the one who mentioned 4k, which the new Hero4 Black will do.  But you don't HAVE to shoot in 4k; it'll take a whole lot more 720p on the same chip.  And it apparently does record over old video if you set it that way.

But let's all take a deep breath, guys.  This has been a pretty informative thread and it suddenly devolved into bickering.  What the heck???
:truce:
Sit down and let me buy you a beverage of your choice...  :beerchug:
 
You are absolutely right, ChipDoc, and I apologize. :truce:  I'll have a Vernors please. :beerchug:
And you're right, it has been very informative.
 
I know when I feel passionately about something and some dead-wrong know-it-all tries to say otherwise, I get a bit prickly myself. 
But a deep breath and a few cold Vernors with friends...  :beerchug:

img-vernors-group-shot_132119896815.png

I think the low-res setting on the helmet cam would be sufficient for the encounter ;)
 
Off topic for vehicle, On topic for cameras

Dash cams are very popular for truck drivers, if only for self preservation. Some decent $100 models are out there that take fat memory chips, record in HD (kinda), have night capabilities without an IR light source, and offer the auto over write at the memory's end deal. They typically record in x minute segments (2,3, 5, 10 and the like) and if a significant event occurs, one can push a button and save an x minute segment from over write. A perusal of non sponsored cam review web sites should provide what is hot now. Avoid buying (almost everything besides fuel) at truck stops - ebay is far far cheaper.

Just my two cent - if it works fairly well, and for $100 lasts a year, it's worth it to throw it away at failure from vibration time.

Why I had a dash cam -- 87 south near North Jersey on a very busy Friday afternoon. I am in right lane with my 62 MPH top speed and a set of pup trailers behaving myself like the old man I am. (side note -- truckers who tail gate are idiots) 4 cars in very tight procession want to merge at 45 MPH in a 65 MPH stretch of 87. I slow to 45 in a 65 with 4 ways on to try to help them, but with a car carrier trying to climb my arse and no left move options, I couldn't let #4 merge and kept on. He "rewarded" me by calling the 800 number to report that I tried to run him off the road. Did I mention the merge lane yield sign?

What I would usually see in a truck, during at least 8 out of 10 merge scenarios - the merging traffic trying to enter the highway at 10 or 20 MPH blow the speed limit. I don't understand it, but that's how it works when they see a truck. This is also why you see trucks hogging the middle lane - it's because 7 or 8 out of 10 are clueless about merging correctly, and ignore the yield signs as well.  What we would prefer -- floor it, drag race us while you're on the ramp, and win by merging x hundred feet ahead of us.

Why does this make truckers nervous? Because at our 50 state legal 80,000 lb gross weight, regaining speed to the speed limit can take a matter of miles depending upon the grade.

Note - when I am driving a four wheel car or truck or on a bike, people merge with much greater facility. I guess the truck scares them into slowing down, but they go ahead and merge anyway.
Stoopit is as stoopit does?

More off topic -- to those who feel that 50 or 55 in a 65 is your right or privilege (and yes, by law  it is)  -- you are creating an accident waiting to happen jackpot, and I beg of you to take the side roads if the big road scares you. Doubt that too many here suffer this, but maybe tell your old lady neighbors.
 
Bucky, I can't begin to describe the crazy driving I witnessed in my short time behind the wheel of a semi. My favorite was the people who would pass me right before an off ramp, slam on their brakes, and then dive across the front of the truck to exit, with no one behind me! My opinion is that some know the size of the liability insurance on trucks and are just trying to get paid.
 
"What we would prefer -- floor it, drag race us while you're on the ramp, and win by merging x hundred feet ahead of us."

You betcha, Bucky.  I feel safest zooming past a big truck to merge in front of him.  Don't have to keep looking over my shoulder and he's got my back.  Only have to watch for what's coming around him.

Pbfoot said:
Bucky, I can't begin to describe the crazy driving I witnessed in my short time behind the wheel of a semi. My favorite was the people who would pass me right before an off ramp, slam on their brakes, and then dive across the front of the truck to exit, with no one behind me! My opinion is that some know the size of the liability insurance on trucks and are just trying to get paid.
Click to expand...

:rotflmao: :-[ :-[  Yep....but too stupid to keep in mind that a corpse can't cash the check.

 
When I was in training I was told the only vehicle to put the truck in a ditch for is a school bus, everything else is a Darwin Award.
 
For some time now I too have been daydreaming about a multi-camera vehicle system.  In the more paranoid versions the data records on a buddy vehicle nearby but out of the incident zone.
A start on it might be the Raspberry Pi camera module.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Raspberry-Pi-as-low-cost-HD-surveillance-camera/
Without reading the article in the link, my specs call for huge solid-state hard drives (I've seen 250GB in the store) and a dashboard "Bridge" switch so I can comply in the no camera zones.  I'd also figure on 1 system per direction recorded, and if the tech allows an automatic save to DVD while the bike is parked at home.
I'm still working on a 12 volt outlet which might be my first real farkle, the home made camera system will have to wait.  Don't fret about waterproofing, we used to make aquariums out of plate glass and silicone sealant.  Just don't get any goo in front of the lens.
 
Large solid state hard drives are available in a tiny form factor off the shelf today.  You can walk into any Best Buy and pick up a 128Gig SD Micro card today.  Or just follow THIS LINK.
 
128 gig. that fits on my thumbnail for $73 !!  That still just blows my mind.  14 years ago I was paying $100 each for 3 gig. Compactflash cards. :eek:
Moore's law has slowed down just a tad but still applies.
 
That was a great video!  I have the same windshield, your bike sounds like mine, I let pickup trucks pass me too.  I enjoyed riding along.  What are the machines that were running where you parked the bike indoors?  When I saw Old Glory and the POW/MIA flag I thought it would be a post office, but that proved wrong.
 
Thanks  ;D Those are pinsetters, and that's what it looks like behind the machines in a bowling alley.

That was during afternoon rush. Great time to turn a 1 mile trip into about 5 or 6  :motonoises:
 
No camera zones probably don't apply to moving cameras. In this endless war on terror the authorities do not want you out on foot photographing bridges and other infrastructure. They see it as intelligence gathering.
 
They don't want to make it easy for a remotely located terrorist to use internet (or any) photos to plan an attack.  Just like there were "No Camera" signs on the fence around the Naval Weapons Test Center (AKA Grumman Airport) back in the days of F-14 production.  OK for Hollywood, not ok for you & me.
The dang "No Camera" signs are really small, too, I often miss them even when I'm looking for them, and sometimes I just plain forget.
When I think what it takes to start the Go-Pro with the phone app, going over a "No Camera" bridge is problematic and likely why NYC and Long Island rides always seem to have a meet-up close on the other side.
 
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