Do you have a photo of a bottom camera?

[Unclejake]

Folks, I am building a bottom camera system for an upcoming depth comp (here in New Zealand), but I am guessing a bit as I have never seen a competition bottom camera assembly - not even a photo of one.

Does anyone have a photo of a bottom camera arrangement they could share easily?

I have a plan of course, but perhaps it is flawed.

Ta.

 

[Unclejake]

Oh well. We will make it up as we go along then.

That will be more fun anyway. I'll post some pictures when it is done

UJ

 

[Kars]

UJ, I'm sorry there were no responses.

Perhaps you can post your design and stir a response from that? We can think along and come up with possible improvements.

I'm looking forward to your designs!

Kars

 

[Apneaddict]

I don't have a picture, but you could use a pipe and a go-pro with a rollbar mount.

For Cdn nationals we used a similar type of setup. The bottom plate had a pipe running through it which T'd off and the camera was about 2ft out and looking up.

 

[Unclejake]

Thanks team. It is appreciated.

My freediving equipment designs are more based on what materials I have laying about and what tools I have available, rather than an optimal, professionally engineered approach.

I have started on the camera rig and will post some better photos next week.

It isn't flash but I am happy enough with it so far. We will see how it preforms in the water as soon as possible, but right now it is gusting close to 50 knots and the nearby coast holds zero visibility.

It is a good time to be in the shed!

 

[Kars]

I think the Gopro housing is not strong enough for the depths UJ needs, think Dave Mullins...

 

[Unclejake]

Apneaddict, did your crew try the GoPro deep? GoPro rates the cases to 60m, but I wonder how much deeper they will run without flooding.

Our top guys (well, guy TBH) will probably be diving in the 90-100m region if all goes to plan.

EDIT: Snap Kars! Haha

 

[Unclejake]

Oh, for the record we are using a Contour camera with an aftermarket housing. The housing is lovely. I will find a link for it in a moment.

I have the camera 1,100mm horizontally away from the descent line and 1,200mm below the baseplate with the booms I have made. That should work well with a 1 meter lanyard.

 

[Apneaddict]

We used a German housing rated much deeper than a standard GoPro - perhaps 100M?

Alexei flew in and hit 90m at cdn nationals and the camera worked just fine.

 

[Unclejake]

The camera will be on the left of your screen, along with a torch. The right hand boom will be counter ballast.

I am yet to mount either. I will also integrate the terminal ballast into the assembly. I started on that tonight but have no photos.

It all folds up for transport.

 

[Unclejake]

This is the housing. It is very nicely made. I am impressed with it.

GMSconcepts

 

[Apneaddict]

Very slick! Looks lightweight too (one handed) and portable! Well done!

Ours was made of HEAVY pipe and didn't disassemble easily.

It's not load bearing... So as long as the pins and arms are strong enough to hold everything together when being raised (or a counter ballast is dropped) then it should work.

 

[Kars]

Ok, looks like a workable design.

I like the lightness because it makes for easier retrieval, and transport. (easier transport will make it feasible to use it more), thirdly less material makes it a bit more affordable.

A few idea's:

1 - put the light halfway on the beam, it will give a better video because there are no close up particle's lit.

2 - put also mounts on the other side, with the same surface area of the light and cam on the other side. Don't put weights on the other side, it will only slow down the retrieval process. Secondary, maybe you want to punt an extra light and or camera on the other side in the future too.

3 - fix the mounts, the cam and light really firmly because it's likely those heavy narced freedivers will graciously whip it with their monofins! - best is to have the tools hang under / lower then the beam.

4 - Allow for two lights on each side, just to have some redundancy for those precioussss records

Let's see if our responses line up in time again! LOL

Kars

ps if you have a mount for a horizontal pipe near the top you have a VWT sled too.

 

[Unclejake]

Kars, I doubt we will ever afford a second camera. Why shouldn't we ballast the boom without the camera to match the weight of the camera?

Also: I figure what ever weight the camera rig is should just be deleted from the terminal ballast, so apart from the effort of deployment and travel - the weight of the camera assembly shouldn't matter.

I would be very keen to hear the alternative opinions as this is all new to me. I am grateful for any advice the DeeperBlue community is able to offer

P.S. We already have NZ's best VWT sled.

 

[Kars]

Well I'm not sure it will make a significant difference having either an balancing surface area (mirroring the resistance the other side) or having a weight.

I think the difference will increase with the speed at which the plate, cam light and weight is brought up. A weight probably has a smaller surface area, hence has less resistance moving through water. This will cause a tilt, countered partially by the bottom weight that works like a keel. - I don't expect it to be much. But in a worst case scenario the whole construction could start to move from the vertical way up, spinning and might catch the passing counterweight.

I think the lights and the camera has not a big projected surface area, so welding a plate with the same area on the other side to provide the same momentum force should do the trick.

In regard to the whole general idea, I think a cross of arms, with two cams on the North and south, and two lights on the east-west, would be awesome. This will give redundancy, and always a good shot of the diver, being on both his sides.

A possible problem I see with the arms though is that a monofinner may get trapped with his legs and feet falling over the arm upon turning in a narced state. The chance is small, but I think it's there.

I find it nice to hear you've considered the lanyard issue, and I hope you read the thread on DB describing a person getting stuck on the tennis ball above the plate. I do there some suggestions too, like using an non deformable hockey ball to stop the lanyard.

Another idea for the organizers, please have the tags be white and a bit buoyant. So they're easy to see, and pick of the edge of the plate.

Let's see what other may come up with.

 

[Unclejake]

A (camera counter) weight probably has a smaller surface area, hence has less resistance moving through water. This will cause a tilt, countered partially by the bottom weight that works like a keel..

Kars. Thankyou for your feedback. It helps me plan and think.

I am keen to have the camera booms stable at rest, so I think I will weight the balance boom to match the camera boom's mass. The purpose of the camera is to record people reaching the plate. I would like that to be done well.

Whilst I firmly believe descent line CBs are a wise precaution, I am not aware of a descent line counter-ballast system ever retrieving a hapless diver faster than the safety divers can. Our camera rig may slow an emergency line retrieval by a small percentage, but once the baseplate rises to reach the lanyard I think a good deal of time will have passed already. The design of the camera boom ballast will have little effect on the speed of emergency retrieval.

The greatest CB retrieval delay is likely to be the decision making process of the volunteers on the surface.

Put the light halfway on the (camera) boom, it will give a better video because there are no close up particle's lit..

Excellent advice! We shall do just that.

It's not load bearing... So as long as the pins and arms are strong enough to hold everything together when being raised (or a counter ballast is dropped) then it should work.

I have had to guess a bit here Apneaddict. I think it will all be strong enough, but of course I want it light enough to be manageable. I think the camera rig is unlikely to collapse with a robust ascent (such as CB deployment).... and if it does bend in such an emergency then what the heck. It will be the least of the organizers worries.


With luck (and a bit of help from the local freedivers)we will get this camera rig finished by Monday. There has been very little free time available in the last few weeks, but the competition is very soon. I am not attending of course, as I am not a freediver, but I expect to hear great things. The AIDA NZ organizers have done a massive amount of work to prepare for this Depth Comp.

 

[Unclejake]

 

[Kars]

Interesting to see you try to keep things light weight, with plenty of holes Nice camera angle adjustment option. Do you have a photo of the light mount(s)?

Are the arm reinforcements really necessary? - how long are the arms?

 

[Unclejake]

I haven't built the light bracket or counter ballast yet. I hope to do that today.

The arms are 1.3 meters long.

 

[watts]

Looks very professional. Have you got a wide shot showing whole unit?