Hi Z,

Do you (or anyone else for that matter) have any experience with these? IMHO they don't really lend themselves to helmet use well because of the cord, but on the other hand that's what I would like about them for airplane use. The ability to have the monitor mounted in the cockpit so you can see what you are filming in real time would be very cool..

http://www.vio-pov.com/index.php

Does anyone have any real life experience with the Oregon Scientific ATC9K?

The ability to remote control it with an IR remote would be a nice feature for a strut mounted camera. No hours of irrigation circles to edit out.

TD

TomD wrote:Does anyone have any real life experience with the Oregon Scientific ATC9K?

The ability to remote control it with an IR remote would be a nice feature for a strut mounted camera. No hours of irrigation circles to edit out.

TD

Yes Tom, I have 2 of them. What would you like to know? They can be mounted via standard 1/4" tripod mount stud. You can start/stop recording with the remote but all status info is on the LCD display on the unit so you have to guess if it's mounted out of view.

Have you activated one from the cockpit and how big a pain is it?

I know you no longer have your bird, but thought you might have a "loaner" test stand for these field tests. Oregon Sci. should be paying you to fly and test them

TomD wrote:Have you activated one from the cockpit and how big a pain is it?

I'll do some tests and get back to you. It's as simple as click the remote once to start, again to stop.

Thanks.

The GoPro is a good rig but there is no remote.

What is the size of the ATC9K vs the GoPro? The pictures makes it look larger.

I am considering attaching it to the strut (top or bottom??) outside the pilot window. I have seen a GoPro mounted there and it seems to work well.

TD

The ATC 9K is much larger than the GoPro, but it has an LCD display built it in, which makes precise aiming and playback possible. It also has a laser pointer. The larger form factor is actually nicer in my opinion because you can hand hold the camera much easier. The only thing the smaller GoPro would be better at would be for mounting on your head, and on the tail of the aircraft.

Also, I'm not sure how the audio quality on the GoPro is, but the ATC9K is not impressive. Perhaps it's a result of the unit being waterproof to 65 ft, but the captured audio is really tinny. My Panasonic Lumix on the other hand, is amazing. Its audio gain attenuation made it possible for a conversation with my dad in the cockpit of my 170, at cruise power, to be heard clearly.

From my Lumix LX3:
http://www.vimeo.com/15100787

Sample of the ATC9K:
http://www.vimeo.com/14413213

Kind of spendy:

http://sportys.com/PilotShop/product/16093

No hours of irrigation circles to edit out.

TD

When I'm on the ground, I like 'hours of irrigation circles' better than hours of traffic........

And that is your food growing, might at least give a 'nod' of appreciation......

Ok, I'm a little sensitive, ok?

lc

porterjet wrote:Kind of spendy:

http://sportys.com/PilotShop/product/16093

It is spendy, but looks like a very versatile unit. I like the ease of plugging into the intercom and have the GPS info.

Zane,
In a lot of the reviews of the Atc9k, the reviewers said the mounting hardware is flimsy and breaks easily. What is your take? For outside the cockpit is it a duct tape installation?

dawgdriver wrote:Zane,
In a lot of the reviews of the Atc9k, the reviewers said the mounting hardware is flimsy and breaks easily. What is your take? For outside the cockpit is it a duct tape installation?

What I believe they are talking about is the dorky notched rubber strap that they expect you to use as your versatile solution to mounting...and I agree.

However, no camera solves this. The 9K, as do many other cameras, is 1/4-20 tripod stud compatible. I attach it to my mini-tripod and just use that. I never use duct tape for stuff like this. That's...giving up.

I found some footage that I had forgotten about, so I cut it up and posted it...

Landings: OK
Music: not

Hey, Merry Christmas Zane!
Ask Santa for a guitar... then you can learn to sing along. Will improve your landings I think.

Well, Nick, I sold that airplane, so the soul searching must go deeper. I couldn't find my Ray Stevens CD so I had to improvise on this one.

Zane, back on topic....
How did you mount the camera on the 170 for that sequence? I made an aluminum plate with 1/4-- 20 stud that straps to my strut with stainless clamps. It faces forward. I can't start it remotely, so it just runs for the duration of the flight. I am always scared that the camera will come loose and sail away into the Grand Canyon. (not that I would fly into the SFAR and break any rules)
I did some reading on the Oregon Scientific that you guys have been discussing. The specs say the IR sensor is at the front, near the lens. In that case, would you be able to start it up from a 90 degree angle in the cockpit? Presuming the camera is looking forward.
Some of the guys have mentioned audio quality now and then. And of course many dub in music. Has anybody tried doing the video and later adding the sound back... but use engine noise and sound effects in a creative way? Just wondering. Ohio Bush planes gets my vote, not that anyone asked.... for best aerial videos.
His sense of humor, subtle irony and creative editing is always right on target. I looked forward to each episode of the Alaska journey more than I would any televsion series. More, in fact.
So... thanks for doing the research on cameras. It may just encourage others to get out in the back country and film cool stuff. ( I filmed an 1100 pound brown bear trying to "hide" on the beach by acting like a rug.... I was harassing him from a Super Cub on tundra tires) Don't know what kind of music I might pick to go with that one! But I know for damn sure... he would have effected some revenge had the engine quit around that time... forcing me to share his territory on the ground. Happy holidays!

My method of mounting is not impressive, but it was rather secure. Those orange stretchy, tacky, rubber straps I use can be tensioned very tight. The camera pictured is of course not the ATC9K.



Need to experiment more with the IR remote. As of this time I have misplaced the remote.

Sound quality is a tough one. Often the reason I use music is because the sound from the video is not good. As I mentioned before, my Lumix has INCREDIBLE, clean sound (from my McKenzie Bridge 2010 video) but the ATC9K allows the audio to clip and distort. I find it...highly annoying and so I just put music over it.

I recently took the ATC9K up in a Sukhoi SU-29, and battled with the best place to mount it. We Ultimately decided the safest place was inside the cockpit in case 7G's of force was too much for the mounts. It wasn't for the suction mount, but it was for me

I work with Oregon Scientific, and would like to address any other questions that members of backcountrypilot.org might have.

The ATC9K Facebook page is one way Oregon Scientific can communicate directly with you. Post any questions or feedback here. We are listening, and would love to hear from you.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ATC-Actio ... 6353365314

Attached below are some basic specs for the ATC9K that might be of interest.

WATERPROOF & SHOCK RESISTANT
•Waterproof up to 20m

•Shock Resistant up to 1.2m

VIDEO
•Light Sensitivity: Low-light sensitivity (>1.3V/lux-sec)
•1080p = 1920x1080 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, ~12 Mbit/s data rate
•720p = 1280x720 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, ~12 Mbit/s data rate
•720p = 1280x720 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, ~8 Mbit/s data rate
•WVGA = 848x480 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, ~8Mbit/s data rate

AUDIO
•Microphone: Built-in, mono with AGC (automatic gain control) Audio Format: 48kHz (Max.) ADPCM

CAMERA
•3 Megapixel
•5 Megapixel
•Continuous Shooting every 10sec./ 20sec./ 30sec./ 1min./ 2min./ 5mins. / 10mins
•Full Manual Control Including 6 Camera Effects

SIZE - WEIGHT
•Size (H x W x D): 55mm x 44mm x 100mm. Don't let the close up product photo's fool you. The ATC9K is compact. 
•Weight 6.5oz, or 185g/.2kgs which is slightly lighter then the GoPro with waterproof housing.


UNIQUE FEATURES
•Light Sensitivity: Low-light sensitivity (>1.3V/lux-sec)
•Optional GPS SENSOR Measure Speed, Log latitude and longitude, view route and stats on Google Maps
•G-Force Sensor

•HDMI Cable Included

•1.5" LCD Color Screen
•Laser Pointer (To Aim Camera)

MEMORY
•Up To 32GB (Micro SD)

BATTERY
•Rechargeable 1050mAh lithium

MOUNTS
•Tripod
•Helmet Grip (With Nylon & Silicon Straps)
•Handle Bar Mount

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
•GPS SENSOR Measure Speed, Log latitude and longitude, view route and stats on Google Maps
•Suction Cup Mount For Use On Any Smooth Surface
•Extra Battery

User Manual (A great way to preview all the features of the ATC9K)
http://www2.oregonscientific.com/ulimag ... /ATC9K.PDF