I've got the Gopro camera figured out..mostly

[DanDarcy]

Mark, you have the GoPro Wide

[paultg]

Hey Paul- -- too bad you ordered one on line, I have been selling them to Com members for $160- including Shipping I also have some of the fancier camera sets ups with screen, radio and MP3 player, lipstick helmet camera all kinds of cables and hook ups for only $349-. As far as the GoPro, The quality of the video is surprising you can even set the camera to take pictures every 5 seconds, or other intervals. Good luck with it.

Well, I wish I had know (would prefer to support a local). My price included shipping so I guess I didn't overpay!
I'm looking forward to throwing the hardtop on the car and trying it out.

Mark, thanks for the other tips. I'll see ya at NHMS and/or at the October autox events I hope!

Paul G.

[horizenjob]

Rick, thanks so much for the pointer I have wondered about that footage for more then 20 years... It was right after we moved away from the stone tablet format. The camera had a wind up spring, LOL.

[rnoonan]

You're welcome, Marcus. If you're going to be at the Oct/Nov event, you can pay me back with a ride in your car. I'll bring my helmet visor this time - when I drove Jonathan's car, I found out that those bits of OPR really sting!

-= Rick =-

[horizenjob]

Trying to get there. While I was away from the track, all my equipment became "vintage". Glad you enjoyed your outing.

So what is OPR, "Other People's Rubber"? Even the language is different now - we used to call it "marbles" or "The stuff that got stuck on Rick's face".

found out that those bits of OPR really sting!

Problem is you had the wheel turned, this time just kick the rear end out by sliding your butt in the seat and go around with the wheel pointed straight.

[rnoonan]

Ah, true seat-of-the-pants driving! Sounds like fun! Seriously, I hope to see you and your vintage racer. It's been a while!

-= Rick =-

[CP]

I've been using the wide AND regular lens GoPro all season and have had mixed results in my Spec Miata. For the money, it's a bargain...when the camera works. I've found that NEW lithium batteries are required for each race weekend. I'm using a 4GB SD card in both and have never had storage capacity issues. Battery life has been my biggest problem. If the camera isn't getting a full 2.6V it shuts down.

I played around with the mounting location at the beginning of the season with the Wide camera. I really liked the view out the windshield because it also showed my hands, feet and action in the rearview. However the exposure setting isn't adjustable and the view out the windshield got washed out if it was sunny out: Click

So I moved it closer to the windshield which solved the exposure issue, but didn't really capture what my hands were doing or the view in the wink mirror: Click

I replaced the wide angle camera with the regular GoPro and moved it back behind my shoulder, but it didn't capture my hand movement: Click

Last weekend I decided to try the Wide on the trunk facing backwards using the supplied suction cup mount. It worked pretty well, but obviously doesn't catch the action looking forward. It still has an issue with the sun, but it's not as bad as the white washout from the beginning of the season: Click

Just wanted to share my experience with GoPro. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for next season...

[paultg]

Thanks for the videos CY!
I wonder if the wash out in your first example is the reflection off the dash board onto the glass?
Very exciting to watch them; and the trunk view in the rain is pretty cool as well.

Looks like your season is going pretty well!

[CP]

Thanks. The season's going well other than wrecking the car in the T2 NASCAR wall at NHMS a few weeks ago. It's being retired after my last race at Lime Rock next weekend.

The problem with that shot is the dark interior taking up 80% of the screen, and only 20% out the windshield. So the "self adjusting exposure" gets confused and adjusts so that we can see the 80% clearly and the 20% (that I really want to see) not so great.

[paultg]

Sorry to hear about the incident; glad you are OK. They should broadcast the Spec series on TV; really on the edge of the seat watching how close everyone is.

Got footage of the NHMS incident?

[CP]

Negative. I was down on the apron on the 3rd lap of a rainy qualification session when the car snapped around and careened into the T2 wall at speed. It knocked the wind out of me for a few seconds. The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was all my gauges flying out of the dash at me. I drove down to the apron after the hit and limped the car around for a lap while replacing allthe gauges. It seemed to drive fine and I didn't hear anything unusual. No black flags so I slowly got back up to speed (I should have come in to get the car checked over). A few laps from the end of the session I noticed that I had a new rear wing where a flat trunklid used to reside. I turned the 2nd fastest lap of the session on lap 14 but didn't make it to my spot on the front row to start the race that afternoon. The car is bent but still fast. I've gone through tech for the last 3 races since the incident with no hassles and have been finishing well with the car. These Miatas sure can take a lickin...

[paultg]

Wow. Must have been the "soft walls".. hee hee..
Not so "soft' are they. Can you imagine if they didn't have those safe barriers! Damn..