KeyFob sound & video camera stuff

[robsmorgan]

Just had a few minutes play with the camera.
Now quite happy (except for paying too much!)

Where have you posted the footage Rob?

Rob (the other)

Hello Rob (& all),

Sorted some clips and posted 3 to YouTube:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UJxuZlNRHU MR Key Fob Trial 1 camera on HLW 4w truck behind bogie chassis on test.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8SEfxJ0GvA MR Key Fob Trial 2 including speedo car
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZWqjdJVQog MR Key Fob Trial 3 camera on bogie car in front of loco.

These are under my username of "Muddledale" along with numerous other views of my line and other "big" railways.

Great stuff Rob G

Good idea to use it for checking running and things..... QUESTIONS.... did you have any trouble resulting from installing the date removing software? (read some critique about affect on other vid software)
What size micro SD card have you installed? - seems to have plenty of filming time
AND is that a modified cycle speedo? - give us the gen please

Thanks
Rob S M

 

[Steve]

Brilliant Video and Railway MRail

 

[MRail]

Great stuff Rob G
QUESTIONS.... did you have any trouble resulting from installing the date removing software? (read some critique about affect on other vid software)
What size micro SD card have you installed? - seems to have plenty of filming time
AND is that a modified cycle speedo? - give us the gen please
Thanks
Rob S M

Hi Guys,
No problem with date stamp. BUT... It doesn't go into the camera, it's installed on the PC.
You need to use a video editor called VirtualDub (really good freeware).
The date removal filter is downloaded and copied into the VirtualDub plugins folder, and loads when you run VirtualDub.
Load the video file from the camera (or card reader) and tell VirtualDub to save it somewhere else. (takes a while).
You'll then have a copy of the video without the date stamp.
The date is not totally removed, but in a moving pic the blurry pixels are not seriously noticeable.
With a fairly static scene you can just see the faint outline of the date/time.
It's much less distracting than the yellow print.

My Micro SD is Kingston 2GB from 7 DayShop and came with an adapter for a standard SD slot.
I haven't managed to fill it yet.

The speedo is a cycle computer. The magnet is clamped to an axle, and the sensor mounted next to it.
The computer is set to MPH and the bike wheel size is the scaled up size of the railway wheel.
ie a 24mm wheel in 16mm scale = a bike/wagon wheel of 18". I don't know what you would do in G "scale".
The readout is then 16mm scale MPH. I don't claim originality for this - I got it from the 16mm eGroup.

My latest trial is mounting the video under the coach frame.
It works very well, but it was 9pm when I tried it and the light was fading.
Attached frame from the video (minus date).
I'll have another run tomorrow, if it's not raining too much, and post the result.

I think that's all for now.

 

[robsmorgan]

Thanks again Rob

I read the crit of Virtual Dub on one of the US pages I published the link to previously - Complaints that the software automatically took over all video functions from other installed packages, which, if true, can be verrrrrry frustrating?!

Must try the mod on one of my bike speedos!

Thanks again Rob

Rob (the other)

 

[MRail]

I read the crit of Virtual Dub on one of the US pages I published the link to previously - Complaints that the software automatically took over all video functions from other installed packages, which, if true, can be verrrrrry frustrating?!

Rob,

I used Vdub in the past, when making video CD's, and had no trouble.
I revisited it last year, and found its saved AVI files were not happy in Ulead Video Studio.
Now VS is under the Corel name, and version 12 (Pro!) is my current editor, I've just reinstalled Vdub and find it works well.
The modified AVI files load OK and VS12 converts to MPEG with no hassle, and uploads to YouTube are OK.
I'm quite happy with the set-up, although I haven't tried other editors (must check Win DVD maker).

Now in process of editing an "underslung" video for YouTube. I can already see some ballast needs chipping away!

 

[robsmorgan]

That's encouraging Rob, perhaps the crit was by somebody from Adobe.... Ha!
I have Adobe Premiere, Pinnacle Studio & Ulead plus the usual Windows Media, QuickTime & RealPlayer s/ware doing different things - so really didn't want to foul that lot up.....

Regards
Rob

 

[MRail]

I read the crit of Virtual Dub on one of the US pages I published the link to previously - Complaints that the software automatically took over all video functions from other installed packages, which, if true, can be verrrrrry frustrating?!

Rob,

I used Vdub in the past, when making video CD's, and had no trouble.
I revisited it last year, and found its saved AVI files were not happy in Ulead Video Studio.
Now VS is under the Corel name, and version 12 (Pro!) is my current editor, I've just reinstalled Vdub and find it works well.
The modified AVI files load OK and VS12 converts to MPEG with no hassle, and uploads to YouTube are OK.
I'm quite happy with the set-up, although I haven't tried other editors (must check Win DVD maker).

Now in process of editing an "underslung" video for YouTube. I can already see some ballast needs chipping away!

4th clip now on YouTube. This is the KeyFob camera underslung on a bogie chassis.
The 3 compartment chassis was too short to get the bogie in focus, so I've removed the body from a 4 comp. and it's better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk7Ovwk9Gko

Regarding Micro SD card size, the Website in your link says the battery lasts about 50 mins, and a 4Gig card will take about 2hrs of video. The FAT system limits files to 4GB, and some later cameras do a close file at 30mins, and start a new file. I think the 2Gig card will therefore take 30mins of video, but so far my clips have only been up to 8mins. I can't really see much point in using cards above 4 Gig, unless for multiple sessions after a recharge, by which time I would expect to have uploaded the file and deleted it.
Phew!