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Cruiser
Posts: 52
Spokane, WA | Here's a short video of a ride in the Selah, WA area on my '09 Vision.
Nothing special going on here, but if you have a good-sized display and fast internet connection, try the 1080p version of the video. I think the Contour HD camera does a great job for the money, and you can check out what the S1L1 exhaust sounds like under light throttle loads. (it sounds louder in my helmet; the camera is mounted on the side of the helmet)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zge3e7ftelo
BTW:
Jeff from Yakima - if you happen to read this, when we met the other day I neglected to mention that seeing your Vision parked at Lowe's was the beginning of the end for me. I fell in love while packing 2x4's and paint out to the truck.
--jim
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Cruiser
Posts: 52
Spokane, WA | Here's another - more of the same, but I put a little more load on the motor at low RPM for a better demo of the exhaust note. It sounds 'blatty' on cheap computer speakers, but in person it actually has a deep rumble to it as well. I'm getting used to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROt990ZOg8M
--jim
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Cruiser
Posts: 172
Prescott, Az | Thanks for the ride, Jim. On 1080 on my large screen I felt I was riding bitch for the first time. What camera are you using? How much record time can it deliver? |
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Cruiser
Posts: 52
Spokane, WA | Necktie - 2010-03-12 9:14 AM
Thanks for the ride, Jim. On 1080 on my large screen I felt I was riding bitch for the first time. What camera are you using? How much record time can it deliver?
The camera is a VHoldr Contour HD:
http://www.vholdr.com/contourhd/helmetcam
They have several models from SD up to 1080p, I bought the 1080p version.
It comes with a 2GB microSD card, which records roughly 30 minutes 1080p with audio. (it will accept up to 16GB cards) The output format is MPEG4, with the fairly common Apple .MOV container. (which can be transcoded pretty easily to any other MPEG4 container, like WMV) It uses a lithium-ion telephone-style battery that's good for a couple of hours of recording. Charging takes 1 to 2 hours via a USB charging port. I tried a 12V USB charger plugged into a cigarette lighter/PowerLet adapter in the trunk of the Vision and it worked fine.
The original video is better quality than the YouTube rendering. As an experiment, I transcoded 30 minutes worth to AVCHD format, burned it to a DVD then played it through the 1080p projector in our theater room. It isn't as good as a $20K HD camera of course, but it's amazingly good. For the $340 (plus $50 or so in accessories) I paid for it, I'm very pleased.
They have a $40 watertight enclosure for it; I may pick that up just for the blackmail opportunities that come to mind with it and our swimming pool... ;-)
--jim
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | I was thinking it would be nice to mount a camera near the mirrors on the fairing that looks over the front blade in a watertight enclosure.
It would be great for parade work.
Ride Safe! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 189
Baltimore, Md | Nice little camera. I compared it to the Go Pro HD, which seems to be its most obvious competitor and about $40 cheaper, but the ContourHD1080 still has the edge. So, put in for your referral rebate  since I ordered one. Looking forward to playing with it. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 52
Spokane, WA | flint350 - 2010-03-13 7:43 AM
Nice little camera. I compared it to the Go Pro HD, which seems to be its most obvious competitor and about $40 cheaper, but the ContourHD1080 still has the edge. So, put in for your referral rebate since I ordered one. Looking forward to playing with it.
The only real issue I had getting it going was how to position the glue pad on the helmet. The positioning is rather critical, and you can't do it without the helmet on. I ended up standing up with the laser dots lined up at the top of a wall hanging, had my wife get it into rough position, then I tweaked it around and finally pressed it into place. The 2nd helmet was a little easier, but not much. Once it was in place, I slid the camera out of the mount and clamped it gently in place with a woodworking clamp overnight. (if you follow suit, be careful not to overtighten the clamp and bend the plastic mounting rails)
I took another shorty today - invaded another local Hogs 'N Dogs - I'll post it up to YouTube after a bit.
--jim
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| audioguy, cool camera. I hope you don't mind my saying this and my intent is not to be insulting, but your #2 ride video scared the hell out of me. I think if you watch it to see what you do when you ride you'll see it but it jumped out at me immediately. Your scans right and left at intersecions is really quick, almost too quick and several times you didn't even look for cross traffic from the right when you had right of way. I'd hate for you to get clobbered so I simply wanted to point it out to you.
It probably isn't any of my business... and as I said I really am not trying to be insulting. So if I have over stepped my bounds please accept my apology. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 52
Spokane, WA | Teach - 2010-03-14 10:26 AM
audioguy, cool camera. I hope you don't mind my saying this and my intent is not to be insulting, but your #2 ride video scared the hell out of me. I think if you watch it to see what you do when you ride you'll see it but it jumped out at me immediately. Your scans right and left at intersecions is really quick, almost too quick and several times you didn't even look for cross traffic from the right when you had right of way. I'd hate for you to get clobbered so I simply wanted to point it out to you.
It probably isn't any of my business... and as I said I really am not trying to be insulting. So if I have over stepped my bounds please accept my apology.
No problem. I'm not sensitive that way, especially not when it comes to potential safety issues. Thanks for pointing it out. The tricky bit is always modifying behavior based on 30-something years of habit.
--jim
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| Jim, well some folks are sensative when it comes to their riding and I really had to ponder whether or not to say anything. I try to take a MC course every 3-5 years for just that reason. Like yourself I'm a long time rider and it surprizes me each time I attend a course just how many habits I've developed inbetween that are not desirable.
I like that camera you have and think it would be a great tool for not only pleasure video but also to observe habits before they become ingrained. Thanks for posting about it and I am going to check it out.
And again I apologize. No matter how well intentioned nobody enjoys someone else point out their habits. If I get your way I'll buy the coffee. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 189
Baltimore, Md | Well, more on topic, I did buy one of those cameras and have uploaded my first effort to You Tube. It really is small and works well. The User Manual is pretty slim, but the equipment seems to be good. If anyone is interested, here's a link to the video and it has various resolutions available, a music track I added and runs about 9 minutes with some footage on hills and curves -nothing exciting though. Vision Video
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Cruiser
Posts: 52
Spokane, WA | flint350 - 2010-03-21 2:54 PM
Well, more on topic, I did buy one of those cameras and have uploaded my first effort to You Tube.? It really is small and works well.? The User Manual is pretty slim, but the equipment seems to be good.? If anyone is interested, here's a link to the video and it has various resolutions available, a music track I added and runs about 9 minutes with some footage on hills and curves -nothing exciting though. ? Vision Video
Nice work, Ray.
I'm too lazy to edit the video and add the music track. Putting it behind the windscreen was a good idea; no wind noise in the camera audio.
I'm still impressed by the cameras. Again, if I wasn't so lazy I'd figure out a way to safely mount my Sony hi-def camera on the bike for comparison.
--jim
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Cruiser
Posts: 189
Baltimore, Md | Thanks Jim. Mounting it behind the windscreen worked very well. In fact, the little mic, while not great quality, did a very good job of getting the ambient sounds and especially the rumble of the engine. You don't hear it as well with the music, but the raw sound without the music really shows off the engine and shifting on acceleration. Thanks for the initial post, leading me to this purchase. I'm off to the Deal's Gap area to meet a friend in May and the Contour will be going along. (Yes everyone, I know about the rockslide and that the Dragon is closed)
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High-def helmetcam