Fubar-One
Posts: 1774
Joined: 3/1/2003
From: Canyon Country, CA, USA
Status: offline
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by PoopStain
Well, I ordered one of Spylinker's 800mw wireless cams yesterday off ebay ($23.88 + $25s&h). Pretty inexpensive camera to get started with, I'm anxious to give it a try. I'm looking at mounting it to a Hanger 9 Solo Sport Trainer. Any recommendations or tips on mounting as well as getting good quality video from this inexpensive system?
Thanks,
Jason. [/QUOTE]
Lets see.
You want to get part of the plane in the field of view for a reference point but thats up to you. My first one showed TOO much of the plane, my second one showed none and I was told that was hurl inducing. Hehe.
You want as little of the prop showing as possible because the CMOS camera will translate the moving prop into a series of horizontal lines such as those in my "Eyelectra" video. Those lines were the Master Airscrew 12/8 folding prop passing in front of the camera. We thought it was electrical noise from the motor at first.
Wrap the camera in as much foam as possible to isolate it from vibrations.
Shield the camera from glare. It hates direct sun into the lens less than sunlight shining across the lens. I inserted my Spylinker camera about an inch into an EPP hood/pod on my slope glider and about an inch recessed in a balsa housing on my Electra.
Mount the rx on some kind of pole such as a length of pvc pipe. 6' or better if you can. You want the rx antenna above your head and the heads of spectators. 1.2ghz doesnt like traveling thru trees, vehicles, and bodies.
You can pretty much stick the tx anywhere you want but for aerial video, it works better with the antenna on the tx pointing downwards. For our latest outing (video coming soon) my father used a CCD camera and the Spylinker tx and just taped the tx to the side of his PT-40 with the antenna pointing downwards. Worked fine. You can stick the tx on top, bottom, the side, wherever it works for you and just bend the antenna to aim upwards or downwards.
THE FOLLOWING IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!:
If you decide to modify the system wiring such as removing all those RCA plugs be aware that there is a 5v regulator in the lead going to the camera itself. The tx runs on 8v but the camera itself runs on 5v. The regulator is inside that rubber bead between the RCA connector and the camera. You can remove it with an Xacto knife or razor blade if you are careful. The little PC board has the connections labled if you need to resolder it.
I left the system stock for my Slope Glider but modified the wiring for my Electra. We found out about the 5v regulator the hard way when my father rewired his for a direct 9v feed and smoked the camera. Other than that, your setup is going to depend on what you mount it on.
Post those videos! 
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"B Positive to ground, over..."
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All Forums >> Radios, Batteries, Clubhouse and more >> Aerial Photography and Video >> Ordered a Spylinker Yesterday 
Ordered a Spylinker Yesterday - 
Me too!! I just recieved mine!! (I ordered two 800mw systems as they work out so damned cheap) and the dude didn't even use a smart-ass postal service so I don't have an import tax on them!! 
Spylinker - 
not sure I'll bother... but on the other hand.... 
Ordered a Spylinker Yesterday -