Suction cup mount is too big for 1/10th scale
vehicles
Onboard
cameras have always been somewhat disappointing when it comes
to using them on rc planes, helis, boats, and vehicles. Granted,
there are some high-end wireless video systems that can transmit
on 2.4ghz that are designed for rc airplanes, but I'm referring
to any camera that does not transmit a signal and instead records
video to a memory card. Almost all of them are designed to be
hand-held and offer very little in the way of mounting options.
After
doing some research, I came across a company that makes what I
feel is the best camera for practically any rc application. This
camera is the Motorsports Hero made by GoPro.
The Motorsports Hero is designed to operate in the high-impact
world of auto racing, motocross, boat racing, or any environment
where the dirt is flying or the water is splashing. This makes
it just as practical for the rc world. The video quality is leaps
above other onboard cameras out there and it records tv-quality
footage at 29.97 frames per second for up to 2 hours with an optional
2-gig memory card. If your not sold yet, the camera is completely
waterproof and very shockproof when nestled safely in its protective
case.
If
you've ever considered capturing high-quality onboard footage
of an rc vehicle, plane, or boat, please check out my review of
the GoPro Motorsports Hero.
Name:
Motorsports Hero onboard video camera Price: Battery: $179.99
Sensor:
3 megapixel (2048x1536)
Lens: Glass f2.8
Exposure: Auto
Internal Memory: 16mb, expandable to 2GB SD card
Video: 513x384
Self timer: 10 seconds
PC Connector: USB. RCA cable included
Power: 2 AAA batteries included
Operating System: Windows ME/2000/XP/Vista/ Mac OS 9.1/10.2 and
later
SD
memory card
Other
Helpful Items
Foam
is useful when using the camera on a boat. Tape or zip-tie a
small piece of foam to the camera mount or the back of the camera
to keep it afloat if it comes off.
The
Motorsports Hero is a wireless miniature video camera that records
footage to an SD video card. The card is inserted into the side
of the camera much like any full-sized digital camera. While any
sized SD card will work, I suggest paying twenty-something odd
dollars and getting a 2 gig card. That way, you can record up
to 56 minutes of footage before the card is full. That's way more
time than you will ever need for a single run but you can record
multiple runs, flights, whatever, on the card. Once you plug the
camera into your computer, a folder will open that contains all
the video footage you recorded.
The
hero has only two buttons; a power/mode button located on the
front of the camera and a shutter button on top. To turn the Hero
on , press the front button. Continue pressing the front button
until you see the SET icon. Press the top shutter button to enter
setup. In the SET mode you can do a number of things which I will
describe below. Setting the functions is very easily done through
the shutter button. A detailed explanation of each mode and how
to choose different settings is included with the Hero.
HOLD
FUNCTION SETTING
HLO- This means "hold function on" and will turn on
the camera in the last mode you used it in when you turned it
off.
HLF- This means "hold function off"
POWER
FREQUENCY SETTING
This setting can affect the quality of indoor photos if not set
to your regions power frequency. In North America, set it to 60Hz.
In Europe, set it to 50Hz. This setting doesn't have anything
to do with shooting onboard video outside.
NYSC/PAL
This controls the video output of the camera when viewing on a
TV. Choose NTSC for North America, PAL for outside of North America.
HI/LO
SOUND RECORDING (VIDEO)
HI setting is good for recording any non-high vibration activity
such as electric cars boats and airplanes. Any high vibration
recording, such as gas or nitro, should be done in the LO sound
setting.
UPSIDE
DOWN IMAGE CAPTURE
This feature is especially useful if you mount the camera under
the nose of a helicopter or under the wing or fuselage of an airplane.
Choose UP for normal shooting with the camera facing up. Choose
UPd if you mount the camera upside down and the image will record
as if it is right side up.
AUTO
POWER OFF SETTING
You can program the camera to automatically turn off at 60,120,
or 300 seconds. Or you can choose OFF and the camera will remain
on until you turn it off. Note that the camera will not turn off
if it is recording, but rather only when it is sitting idle.
The
Hero has a few different shooting modes; two for still photos
and one for video. We will only focus on shooting video in this
review. Once you press record, a red light will flash both on
the front of the camera and in the viewfinder, this lets you know
the Hero is recording. Take off, drive, boat, hover, whatever
you want to do... just have fun and experiment! The Hero can be
mounted in almost any position and can take video at some very
interesting angles. Once you are done, bring the vehicle in and
press the shutter button to stop recording. The LCD on the front
will now show a "1" to indicate a video has been saved.
The number will change as more videos are recorded. To delete
a video, scroll through the menu by pressing the front button
until the "delete last picture" icon appears and press
the shutter button to delete it.
Front
Back
Camera removed from waterproof/shockproof case
The Hero requires an SD memory card
The suction cup mount is fully adjustable
The stick-on mount is smaller and a better fit for 1/10th scale vehicles and small boats
One
of the great things that separates the Motorsports Hero from most
other small onboard cameras is it's protective case. Its made
of clear plastic and features a rubber seal that, when closed,
allows the camera to be fully submerged without fear of destroying
the it. Keep in mind the Hero will not float and a piece of foam
or one of those floating key chains needs to be attached to it
if you are using it on a boat. The housing closes with a black
plastic clip on top, once you snap it shut, it will not open until
you flip up the piece facing forward.
There
are a number of ways to mount the Hero. Included in the package
are two different types of baseplates that attach with 3M adhesive
discs. One type of baseplate is completely flat for mounting on
flat surfaces, the other is slightly concave for mounting on curved
surfaces such as under the nose of a helicopter cowl, a curved
boat nose, etc. Mounting the camera with the baseplate is going
to be the lightest setup and it will work on 1/10th scale vehicles,
smaller boats, and nitro airplanes without massive wingspans.
Another
method of mounting the Hero is with the included suction cup mount.
The suction cup stays put and does not move, even if you flip
or crash. It's also adjustable so you can get that awesome camera
angle, but it comes at the expense of weight. On a large gas boat,
gas vehicle, or large rc airplane, the suction cup mount is fine
but it's just too heavy for small vehicles. I'm not saying it
can't be done, but you run the risk of rolling your vehicle with
the added weight on top of the body.
There
are multiple mounting options included with the Hero
The
GoPro Motorsports Hero is one of the better memory-card based onboard
video cameras available. It offers superior video quality, good
sound quality, and excellent protection from the waterproof/shockproof
case. You can mount it virtually anywhere and it will stay put.
If you are into creating onboard video, I suggest you take a look
at the Motorsports Hero. It's a great tool for getting that 1st
person view of your car, boat, helicopter, or airplane.
Thanks for the reply. Okay, I actually went to the website later and viewed their videos. The audio is decent. In contrast, something like the FCO2 camera has absolutely abominable audio in all circumstances. I like this GoPro product and have decided to purchase it. I will use it to replace my Samsung SC-X210L Sports Camcorder in most circumstances of hobby video recording.
I have the wide angle version that someone bought for me to use in a racecar. Since I got it for christmas and it was not race seaon I decided to strap it onto my rc car. I used the double sided tape and it stuck real well and took nice video. With the sound on Lo and it in the case you can just hear the engine and it is at a good volume that you could put music over it and still keep it in the background. I did not give the tape much time to bond and the first time I rolled my car it came off but after I put it back on and let it sit for a while it seems to be on there very tightly. It is a nice camera for any kinda of automotive recording
The comments, observations and conclusions made in this review are solely with respect to the particular item the editor reviewed and may not apply generally to similar products by the manufacturer. We cannot be responsible for any manufacturer defects in workmanship or other deficiencies in products like the one featured in the review.
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