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Time to start recording my commute - recommendations?

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Snorty
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PostPosted: 14:21 - 01 Nov 2017    Post subject: Time to start recording my commute - recommendations? Reply with quote

I have endured just one more fucking moron on my commute today...

Some idiot pulled out on me, at which point I had to mount the pavement at 35+mph to avoid a collision.

I've been looking at a Roadhawk R+ to go on the side of my helmet.

However, I do have a GoPro 3 Black edition which has been sat in a cupboard for a while - would this be a suitable thing to use? The GoPro is bulky to go on the helmet but could mount on the tank.

What setup do you guys use? helmet/bike mounted?
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M.C
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PostPosted: 14:28 - 01 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Helmet camera's are good because you capture what you're looking at, although they're maybe not so good during a crash Neutral I think if you go bike mounted you really need a front and rear to capture (for example) someone turning into the side of you.
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Itchy
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PostPosted: 14:43 - 01 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use a(nother) drift HD. My first one was borked after a few weeks.

It's pretty decent during the day and an NP60 battery lasts around 75 minutes.

It's not so great at night though. Plus there are loads of iffy Np60 type batteries out there. I've got 2 batteries that last 75 minutes and 2 lasting only 35 minutes.

One battery is enough to travel 60ish miles. It's annoying on long pleasure rides when you hear it beep and stop to change the battery.

Personally I'd go after something you can change the batteries on or you can hook up to an external power supply either a battery pack or to your bike battery.

Borg and a few others had cameras where the internal battery died or the charging circuit died meaning it became a big paperweight.
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eifion
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PostPosted: 14:52 - 01 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had a Roadhawk Ride for about a week before I sent it back, USB connection was so loose and dodgy it wouldn't charge properly, would randomly turn off in use, or just stop recording.

Have used a Drift Stealth 2 daily for over a year new, been pretty much faultless.

YMMV

Oh yeah, the sticky mounts that came with the Roadhawk were rubbish. They just didn't stick. Drift ones have been rock solid.

(I don't work for Drift)
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Hawkeye1250FA
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PostPosted: 15:03 - 01 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sena 10-c

When running the camera, the battery is only about 70 mins in summer and around 45 mins in winter... So I have a battery pack in my jacket with a wire to it keeping it constantly charged.

Agree with M.c though, its only good if you hit someone (because they pull out on you - poor obs Wink ) or if they pull into the side of you but slightly in front of you.

No use if they run into the back of you, but then you should be filtering out of danger so - I dont really worry about it.

Smile
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 15:33 - 01 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

M.C wrote:
camera is are good

?

Drift Stealth 2 is OK. Despite some initial reservations and nits, mine has been fine in daily use for over 2 years. Battery life is down to 90 - 100 minutes but that's still usable.

I'm disappoint the price hasn't come down substantially, but I'm not sure what I'd replace it with. TechMoan says Sena Prism Tube.
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P.
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PostPosted: 15:41 - 01 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Polaroid do a nice one.

I just use a chinese '4K' GoPro rip off for £30 and its superb.
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Hong Kong Phooey
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PostPosted: 16:53 - 01 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Go pro hero session 4. Battery life was 2 hrs, but after 18 months or more is now about 90mins.

Waterproof without a case, small and light. Footage in daytime is ace, not too great at night though.

Even though, I'd rather have it than none even if you missed it, as people are more likely to tell the truth if they believe you caught them on camera.
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goto10
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PostPosted: 11:04 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rogerborg wrote:
M.C wrote:
camera is are good

?

Drift Stealth 2 is OK. Despite some initial reservations and nits, mine has been fine in daily use for over 2 years. Battery life is down to 90 - 100 minutes but that's still usable.

I'm disappoint the price hasn't come down substantially, but I'm not sure what I'd replace it with. TechMoan says Sena Prism Tube.


I currently use a TomTom Bandit - it's OK but a bit fiddly for a bike IMHO (it's certainly no Contour Roam in the usability stakes)
Battery easily lasts the 1~1.5 hour commute - I do recharge it once at work (and at home) though. It's very fussy about memory cards, I bought the recommended type & latency, but I ignored the capacity limit (it recommends 32gb, so naturally I ignored this and went with 64gb) which, as I discovered, renders the highest resolution mode far too unstable (I'd get to destination only to find an error on the screen) - switching the resolution down to 1080 has cured this (using 60FPS on 1080 also causes issues (again, down to my poor choice of memory card), so it's set to 30FPS, which has been completely reliable for the last year)
The overlays are great though (it has GPS onboard) - so you can choose to include a GPS breadcrumb trace/speedo/G-force etc on the final video - or you can just choose to use the video footage alone.

I seriously considered a Nuviz (because gadge) - but I read that the speaker volume was a bit on the low side (Nuviz themselves conceded this too) - although I've since read that they're now collaborating with Sena - so I'm holding out for this....
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Cadbury
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PostPosted: 11:31 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use an SJ4000+ mounted on a chest mount.
It gives a good view out the front (think it has a 170degree lens) but disadvantage is it doesn't capture what you see (turning head etc)
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Kris
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PostPosted: 12:31 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

How would having a camera avoid the situation in the first post?

Thinking
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 12:42 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kris wrote:
How would having a camera avoid the situation in the first post? Thinking

That's a great point, OP was an idiot for thinking and saying that it would.
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pompousporcup...
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PostPosted: 12:45 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

cant knock my contour roam.. think mine is the 2. Newer versions seem better.

Had mine over 2 years of daily use. Battery lasts at least 2 hours from full charge as i can film both commute to and from work on one charge Thumbs Up Quality image in day light.. not so much at night but then it may be better on the newer models. I'm not fussed on that side of things, as long as i can read the reg.. i am not vlogger

Main reason for buying the roam was that its quite low profile when mounted on the lid. Doesn't stick out like the go-pro cams... you barely notice it.. OH, and the swivelly camera head is also damn useful as you just mount the cam where you need to and then swivel the head so that the image is level Thumbs Up
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ADSrox0r
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PostPosted: 14:27 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Drift Stealth II here. But to be brutally honest I always forget to either charge the bastard thing or turn it on.

I'm thinking of switching to bike mounted ignition-on type recording instead. Fit and forget.
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Vracktal
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PostPosted: 14:48 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a contour 1080 HD, it's good image quality (I set mine to 720p to maximise space on the memory card) but it can't do on the fly overwriting and has no mic port so the sound is all wind noise.

If I were to replace it i'd look for a camera with the following:

-low wind profile (I borrowed a goPro for a while and the boxy shape meant it made noticeable wind noise

-ability to overwrite the saved files without needing to connect to a computer daily and wipe old recordings.

-mic port (2.5mm or 3.5mm), without one your helmet cam will struggle to record useful audio above 20-30mph

With all that in mind the next camera I get will probably be a Drift Innovation.
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M.C
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PostPosted: 15:27 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Re: Time to start recording my commute - recommendations? Reply with quote

Itchy wrote:
[Drift HD]It's not so great at night though.

Depends, if you have street lighting it's very good, I'd say it's better at night/on overcast days than when it's sunny, when everything seems overexposed.

Rogerborg wrote:
M.C wrote:
camera is are good

?

Drift Stealth 2 is OK. Despite some initial reservations and nits, mine has been fine in daily use for over 2 years. Battery life is down to 90 - 100 minutes but that's still usable.

I'm disappoint the price hasn't come down substantially, but I'm not sure what I'd replace it with. TechMoan says Sena Prism Tube.

I did the rarest of things on BCF and answered the question asked Wink

Snorty wrote:
What setup do you guys use? helmet/bike mounted?
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 16:32 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Re: Time to start recording my commute - recommendations? Reply with quote

M.C wrote:
I did the rarest of things on BCF and answered the question asked Wink

It are your grammar is that trigger was me.
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M.C
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PostPosted: 18:40 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Re: Time to start recording my commute - recommendations? Reply with quote

Rogerborg wrote:
M.C wrote:
I did the rarest of things on BCF and answered the question asked Wink

It are your grammar is that trigger was me.

Ah, well technically that of autocomplete but as ever I appreciate your efforts to educate the proles.
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doggone
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PostPosted: 18:57 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

GoPro battery life is pants, can be run connected to charger but that compromises waterproofing.
Drift are still more or less best on helmets and battery life should be at least two hours.
It's all quite a faff to deal with on a daily basis.

The roadhawk cameras are pretty s-h-i-t but seem to have a big cycling following due to being very small - somewhat less important on MC
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B0ndy
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PostPosted: 18:58 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

My gopro basic bitch edition is good, £99 full HD at 30fps isn't bad.
Numberplates are easily readable, not that I use it for that though.

Two velcro straps hold it infront of my chin and avoid me looking like a teletubby.
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arthurmo
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PostPosted: 22:27 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I’ve got the Innov k1. It has front and rear cameras and is supposed to be fit and forget as it runs from the battery. It forgets to record quite often and when it does record it’s usually all the forgettable moments of the ride. I think it’s a loose power connection and while the whole thing looks good in theory it’s been nothing but a pain.
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adam277
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PostPosted: 23:11 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fuck cameras that is the biggest problem in this country. Can't take a dump in the street without someone recording it and sending it to the police.


Seriously though cameras are bad. Government is big on them + plus they are constantly trying to get you to shop your friends/families and neighbors for silly stuff. Probably get to a point in which you cant scratch your nose without some fucker uploading it to the interweb.
How long until we all have forward facing cameras on our clothes for our own protection lol? "YOU GAVE ME THE WRONG CHANGE MR MCDONALDS MAN AND I HAVE THE RECORDING TO PROVE IT GONNA GET U THE SACK" Thank god for cameras Rolling Eyes
Seriously the amount of people on YouTube shoping people for petty stuff from delivery drivers throwing parcels to people not indicating is crazy.
Pretty sure black mirror done a episode about this subject.

Call me crazy but the government wants to turn people against each other and this is one of the ways they do it. Because you are much easier to control if your one person not a group.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Tin_foil_hat_2.jpg

Also the head mounted cameras look fucking stupid.
AND ANOTHER THING. No one wants to see your shitty commute to work or any of your driving unless you crash because we are shitty people and find it funny to watch.
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Moo.
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PostPosted: 23:14 - 02 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use a now old Drift HD1080 hobby. Still works great, quality good enough to see crashes. Battery easily changeable, stick on my original which lasts me too and from work. 45 mins each way, also mimic that there are some dodgy Chinese battery's out there that are pants...
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Serendipity
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PostPosted: 09:32 - 03 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been using the Dogcam Bullet HD2 (which is exactly the same as the Roadhawk Ride R+) for over 4 years and it's been pretty good. Used daily the battery life has deteriorated from at least 2 hours when new down to under 1 hour now.

Would I recommend this camera? On balance, no. However it does have some good points.

It's small and lightweight. Tough alloy housing. Very waterproof. I've taken it diving under 5 metres for extended periods of time without a hint of moisture getting in. The picture is good on 1080 setting with excellent exposure and the best low light performance of any camera I've tried. I like the vibration feature to indicate status. That's better than beeps when you're wearing earplugs. Oh and it has a fricken laser if that gets you hard. It's meant to help you check the aim, but I turned it off the day I got it.

The downsides however are a sales killer. It hates cold. Once you get down to about 7 degrees the battery life is cut down. I can just about squeeze 50 mins out of it this week, but I know it will reduce further as it gets colder. And if you forget to turn it on at the start of a cold ride, forget switching it on after the first few minutes. If you try to turn it on once cold it hangs and stops responding until you either reset it or the battery runs out. If I realise I forgot to power it on, maybe when I stop for petrol, then I pop it off the helmet and rest it on the engine to warm up while I go and pay.

In the summer it's fine.

Can't think of anything else right now.

Edit: Yes I can. The sound is shit. With the waterproof cap on you can hear nothing except maybe shouted obscenities Embarassed and without the cap (or with the perforated cap) it's all wind noise.

I'm considering a GoPro Session when the Dogcam finally packs up, but I'm too tight to replace it while it still does the job.
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Last edited by Serendipity on 10:13 - 03 Nov 2017; edited 1 time in total
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M.C
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PostPosted: 09:50 - 03 Nov 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

adam277 wrote:
Fuck cameras that is the biggest problem in this country. Can't take a dump in the street without someone recording it and sending it to the police.


Seriously though cameras are bad. Government is big on them + plus they are constantly trying to get you to shop your friends/families and neighbors for silly stuff. Probably get to a point in which you cant scratch your nose without some fucker uploading it to the interweb.
How long until we all have forward facing cameras on our clothes for our own protection lol? "YOU GAVE ME THE WRONG CHANGE MR MCDONALDS MAN AND I HAVE THE RECORDING TO PROVE IT GONNA GET U THE SACK" Thank god for cameras Rolling Eyes
Seriously the amount of people on YouTube shoping people for petty stuff from delivery drivers throwing parcels to people not indicating is crazy.
Pretty sure black mirror done a episode about this subject.

Call me crazy but the government wants to turn people against each other and this is one of the ways they do it. Because you are much easier to control if your one person not a group.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Tin_foil_hat_2.jpg

Also the head mounted cameras look fucking stupid.
AND ANOTHER THING. No one wants to see your shitty commute to work or any of your driving unless you crash because we are shitty people and find it funny to watch.

I agree if people were honest/had a shred of integrity. The last thing you want after a smash, whilst you're trying to recover from your injuries, is arguing over liability. Also been in the situation where someone has crashed into me (in a work vehicle) and gone what accident.

Keep it for insurance purposes, don't become a grass and I think you're fine. I think the hostility and ultimate failure of Google glass shows we don't want everything to be filmed, like the black mirror episode the entire history of you(?). The main problem's most of us have a camera/smart phone, hence why a lot of humanities less dignified moments are captured Smile
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