Underwater Camera

gljjr · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:33 pm Post subject:

I purchased one of the Walker cameras off of Ebay a while back that came with the cable. Evidently someone snagged up and lost the whole camera/cable assembly. I haven't figure out how to wire it up to a monitor yet but once I do I'll likely modify 1 of my Scotty downriggers so that I can use it with the camera.

Tom, did you see the 2nd video of the Jigging for bass? The Jig was literally sitting on the fishes nose and he didn't bite it! Talk about frustrating!

Caty, Here are a few salmon for ya!

http://www.naturevisioninc.com/aquavu/aquavideo2/Salmon/Lake_Washington_Salmon.wmv

SEA3PO · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:54 pm Post subject:

I have a professional underwater camera that I use for my diving business... but I am less than thrilled with it..... It is almost impossible to keep out of the mud and facing the direction you want to look.... it has a good picture and the lights work well..... I have been thinking of making a platform for it...with legs.... and maybe even little electric motors so I can "fly it" like those remote underwater vehicles..... would be fun..

Joel
SEA3PO

SEA3PO · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 4:15 pm Post subject:

Darn it.....Ya Did It Now..... Ya got me thinking and looking on the web...and I went and joined a discussion group .... Underwater ROV.... And now I just GOTTA build one of those things.....what fun... I especially like the one made out of PVC pipe that uses bilge pump motors for propulsion.... great ideas... and I will just mount my camera on top....gonna do it..

I have been trying to cut back on hobbies....not get new ones...

Joel
SEA3PO

gljjr · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 5:35 pm Post subject:

So how deep would you be able to go with the ROV? That would be too cool!

CatyMae n Steve · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 6:31 pm Post subject:

Gary, those videos are way cool, eh? I'm excited to try the camera this weekend, but if I see a ton of fish with lockjaw, I'll be changing methodology until I run out of ideas Smile

Sounds like a hoot -- maybe the next "toy" will be a wetsuit and harpoon for the 'lockjaw days!' Smile

Caty

gljjr · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:09 pm Post subject:

Yeah they are. I keep hoping to find a deal on the Walker system but haven't come across anything cheap enough that I want to spend the money for it.

Maybe this winter I will be able to figure out how to make the camera I have work so I can modify my downriggers to work with it. The camera isn't anything special but the cable is. It is a braided stainless cable with 2 small wires inside. It is about the same outside diameter as a 14 gauge single strand jacketed wire so it isn't that much larger than regular downrigger cables. I figure it would be pretty easy to glue some brass rings to the bottom side of the spool and solder the wires to the spool. Then have a spring loaded "Brush" run on the rings as the pickup and mount a plug on the bottom of the downrigger to plug the camera into the monitor. The biggest problem I have right now is finding out how to wire the camera as I can't find a wiring diagram. Also, there are only 2 wires coming off the camera so I have to believe this should be pretty simple.

Chivita · Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 4:19 pm Post subject:

Who knows, might help you find your truck at the launch ramp...

http://www.wftv.com/slideshow/14411405/detail.htmlindex.html?currentSlide=6&taf=orlc

CatyMae n Steve · Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 5:57 pm Post subject:

perhaps if I still had the Fo-o-rd, but now I have a Dodge and chocks, so it won't be rolling backward I hope!

Caty

gljjr · Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 6:08 pm Post subject:

SEA3PO · Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 6:38 pm Post subject:

To make it useful to me commercially I need to go down to about 300'.....that rules out all the units that use bilge pump motors for propulsion... my camera is a commercial underwater video camera so it will easily do the depth....I have the parts to build the ballast system....but propulsion motors for that depth are really expensive ($800-$1000 each and ya need 6)....somehow I will figure it out.... (oil filled or magnetic drive)
I dive to 125'.... a shallow water ROV would not benefit me... but if I could hook on to some salvage at 300' I sure could get more jobs....and those are insurance jobs... $$$

Joel
SEA3PO
KEA (the tug)

CatyMae n Steve · Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:37 pm Post subject:

We took of early Saturday morning heading to Yaquina with the new tow rig

It worked great...it's gas, Ford was diesel, it's half ton, Ford was 3/4 -- Steve and I agree we really like this truck. The lifetime warranty on anything that has oil or grease in/on it sounded really good to us after the Ford being in the shop for half of our summer, leaving the boat in the yard.

Anyhow, our first tow trip came off without a problem and the truck's NOT in the shop! We took along the underwater camera and had some fun with that -- in the river, the tides were pretty fast this weekend, so it was fairly ineffective to "fish watch" -- however, at slack, we stopped and drifted for a bit, watching the bottom of the river -- not much life down there -- and Steve's convinced the fishfinder which was beeping all day is a liar Xmas LOL

When we got back from dinner last night, we settled in the cockpit, put the crabtrap off the back of the boat and lowered the camera. There were about a kazillion perch and a few sculpin who paid NO attention to the camera, but swam around checking out the pot -- then the crab came right smack up to the camera (those eyes looked HUGE as he bore down on the camera as if it were edible) -- Steve quickly recrieved the camera, thinking he didn't want the cable severed by crab claws Smile

We lowered it back down, but it seemed the crabs were more interested in the camera than the bait in the pot.

We had quite an evening of underwater entertainment...really clear until it got really dark and the water was just a lot of "bubbles."

Fun weekend..can't wait to go sturgeon fishing to see if we can see them! No fish nor crabs to be had over at Yaquina for us this weekend, but sure was good to get the CatyMae on the water again!

Caty

Aurelia · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 4:27 pm Post subject:

Forget Cameras and take a look at this little unit. Not sure if the baiting portion would be quite legal.

http://java-toys.com/products/Jabo%252dIIB-Sonar-Fish-Finder-Electric.html