Cockpit Camera

Sea Angel · Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 5:00 pm Post subject: Cockpit Camera

Has anyone thought about a camera to view aft from the cockpit of the CD25?

I'm only exploring the idea to see if this may help, with a 105mm wide angle lense, improve the control and safety while towing and maneuvering , in reverse, to dock.??

TyBoo · Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 7:06 pm Post subject:

Yeah, Stevej put one on Shearwater and I am fixing to put one on TyBoo. The older 25's have only the small door window aft - can't see a thing. The new Garmin I put in supports two video inputs (view one at a time) and I am going to check out Home D for an outdoor CCTV cam this evening if they ever let me off work. Plus - I have this old Guest spotlight with radio remote that was never much for a light, so I may be able to put the camera in it and have a real cool 355º horizontal and 240º video setup for under a hundred bucks. I'll let you know if it works. It might be good for passing by clothes-optional beaches, too.

Sea Angel · Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 9:58 pm Post subject:

Mike, I thought I was the only one with this way of thinking... Thanks for the feedback.

One on the techs here at the TV station was looking into a camera system for another News truck and came across this link. I looked at this and it may be a possible answer. We have a similiar unit in our Sat. truck and our newer uWave News truck as a safety item.

I like the 115 degree field of view and the IR ability for low light. With this FOV you can cover all of the stern area. With my camper back, I don't need to have any telephoto range, only for the safety of the stern's [OBs] relationship to the dock and where my crew is. It also has audio, but so does a(my) hailer system.

I think the price of the unit I'm interested it is abt $600, complete. This also will not clutter my helm any more than it is already by using the LCD monitor. My C80 & Garmin 2006C do not have video inputs as far as I know.

http://www.cctvheadquarters.com/backup_cameras_cs68047.htm

Hope this helps your search, also.

Sneaks · Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 10:49 pm Post subject:

You might also want to look at http://www.rvcams.com/ which is a highly rated source for RV backup cameras.

Don

TyBoo · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 12:11 am Post subject:

Holy smokes! I went to Home D to get some stuff, and to look at what they had for cameras while there. They had one hooked up to a TV for demo. Color, infrared for night, audio, weather resistant, and little tiny dinky - maybe 1.5" diameter. Fifty bucks! I bought two. I just got home and hooked one up. Wow. I stuck it in the top of the bulkhead fishpole storage holder and fired it up. I can see the almost the full width of the transom, and wider view as it goes back. Clear as can be. I am amazed. Fifty bucks! If I didn't have the Garmin, I would hook it to the LCD TV which is already there. It has a 110vac power transformer, but I already have a small inverter to run the TV so no problem. The camera itself is 9vdc. And it has 60' of little tiny cable and a clip-on holder. Fifty bucks!

Here is the link to the thing from the manufacturer's page. It is a penny les than fifty bucks at Home D.

B~C · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 12:15 am Post subject:

cool camera, you aint going to put one in the head are you? How much did you pay for those?

TyBoo · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 12:17 am Post subject:

I'll give a report on the night vision in a few minutes. For fifty bucks, it better work. Maybe I can get a digital pic of the video pic to post in the electronic pics and imbed as an image pic.

TyBoo · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 12:36 am Post subject:

The night vision only works at short range, ~3' or so. So I took a pic of me taking a pic of the video pic with the cabin lights on. The camera switches to B/W in low-light, but when the sun was still shining it was fair quality color. Fifty bucks! If I had bought the eighty-nine dollar model, it probably would have shown the hair on top of my head.

B~C · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 12:52 am Post subject:

that's a pretty good pic of a pic of a pic. Can you just toggle your Garmin from radar/plotter to plotter, ? I can see that thing would be well worth whatever you paid for it on your boat.
fancy TV, camera, fancy radar with the jumbo dome, hit the lotto or sumthing?

Sea Wolf · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 12:53 am Post subject:

For $100 (on sale) from Harbor Freight Tools, you can get a complete underwater camera and monitor that works on 12 v. Works both above and below the water's surface indoors or out.

Has infared night vision, too, including an illuminator for total darkness.

Can be sent down on your downrigger to watch the fish bite (if your lure is close enough to the cable). Interesting to see them look it over and choose what to do:

Bite

No Bite

Give you that UP YOURS, BUDDY, LOOK- then swim away slowly...

Joe

TyBoo · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 12:59 am Post subject:

416rigby · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 2:33 am Post subject:

Mike, How much was that camera again???? Shocked

Donna

CatyMae n Steve · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 7:58 pm Post subject:

I sure wish he wasn't so zipperlipped and would just tell us how much it was!

Sea Wolf · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 10:39 pm Post subject:

"I sure wish he wasn't so zipperlipped and would just tell us how much it was!"

C-Brat Reading Comprehension Test, Part I

HOW MUCH DID TyBoo's CAMERA COST?

A. Fifty Dollars
B. $50
C. $50.00
D. Fifty Dinero
E. Half a C-Note
F. Varies with the U.S.Dollar to Fujiian Rupee exchange rate times the week's differential change in the OPEC price of crude in constant 1972 Euro dollars.

CatyMae n Steve · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 10:58 pm Post subject:

someone needs to design a tease quiz for the engineer to see if he has a funny bone Wink

oops sorry...teacher...engineering teacher?