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sundevil777

Chin mount alternatives to Grellfab for G3 and KISS

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sundevil777

These seem to be a well executed design, what do you think?

https://chinmount.com/



I like it. I just bought a Cookie G3 and am keen to mount my GoPro on the chin. B|

mh
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"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

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markharju

***These seem to be a well executed design, what do you think?

https://chinmount.com/



I like it. I just bought a Cookie G3 and am keen to mount my GoPro on the chin. B|

mh
.

I have no experience in freefall videography, but I also think the chin is a better location than top of helmet. This mount keeps the camera very close to the helmet, significantly closer than the Grellfab mount by the looks of it.
People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

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I have used the chinmount.com unit for the KISS helmet for several jumps.

The quality of the design and the 3D printed parts is very high.

Total cost including shipping is only $45 for my session mount for a KISS helmet. It would be only 20 or 25 for a G3 helmet depending on whether you will use a session camera or "full size" gopro.

The design has a very high priority on keeping the camera as close as possible to the helmet. The limit for how close it can be depends a lot on the "upward" angle that the camera can achieve. I needed a design that allows a little more "up" angle because I don't naturally fly with my head as high up as a 20 year old...but it was OK because the guy in Sweden that makes these things already has a modified design like that.

I love that it has a cutaway and it can be dislodged/snap back in place. I already tested that on a hula hoop dive where I dragged the camera against the hoop. The camera got dislodged, allowing it to get past the hula hoop without upsetting the hoop too much, then snapped back right into place. If a bridle or line does manage to snag it, I think there is a good chance of it clearing on its own. That still leaves the cutaway as an option, or the 2 rubber bands holding it on can break.

It hits on the mudflap area of my harness if I don't lean my head back a little when looking far to the side. I think I'll quickly get used to leaning back. Besides that, it rocks!
People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

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sundevil777

I have used the chinmount.com unit for the KISS helmet for several jumps.

The quality of the design and the 3D printed parts is very high.

Total cost including shipping is only $45 for my session mount for a KISS helmet. It would be only 20 or 25 for a G3 helmet depending on whether you will use a session camera or "full size" gopro.

The design has a very high priority on keeping the camera as close as possible to the helmet. The limit for how close it can be depends a lot on the "upward" angle that the camera can achieve. I needed a design that allows a little more "up" angle because I don't naturally fly with my head as high up as a 20 year old...but it was OK because the guy in Sweden that makes these things already has a modified design like that.

I love that it has a cutaway and it can be dislodged/snap back in place. I already tested that on a hula hoop dive where I dragged the camera against the hoop. The camera got dislodged, allowing it to get past the hula hoop without upsetting the hoop too much, then snapped back right into place. If a bridle or line does manage to snag it, I think there is a good chance of it clearing on its own. That still leaves the cutaway as an option, or the 2 rubber bands holding it on can break.

It hits on the mudflap area of my harness if I don't lean my head back a little when looking far to the side. I think I'll quickly get used to leaning back. Besides that, it rocks!



I succeeded (after much effort and swearing) to get the chinmount product on my Cookie G3. I had to give up on the rubber bands because they kept getting sawn through when attempting to remove the pull-up cord (there was a dinky one supplied with the product made from 550 cord but it was way too short. I had my own 550 cord but I opted not to use it. My mistake).

Anyway, after about two hours of effort I gave up on the rubber bands and grabbed a Tube Stow from my kit bag. I tied a knot in it to shorten it, then pulled it through the center louvers of the G3 and pinned it in place with a pair of needle-nose pliers. This held the band in position so that the locking tab/cutaway handle could be inserted.

One this was done I was able to remove the pull-up cord without sawing through the elastic.

I have a GoPro mounted on it and was going to try jumping it this past weekend, but Skydive Verona was closed (see Incidents forum).

Pluses: Good communication with seller, fast shipping and good information about how to install / use the product (pics and video on the chinmount.com website).

Deltas (suggested improvements): Would like to see an installation one-sheet included with the product (since the inventor is from Sweden I thought it might be cute if he did an Ikea-style pictographic - hah), and/or an installation demo using common household items like I did because I don't own and don't know where to obtain (aside from ParaGear, I guess) a rigger's packing tool as was used in the demonstration how-to online. It shouldn't be necessary to purchase a specialized tool to install something on one's own, though I guess one could ask a packer or rigger nicely to allow one to use a packing tool.

In short: although I'm satisfied with the product (really good design and kudos for including a cutaway method) and at $25 plus shipping the price absolutely can't be beat (the inventor said he wanted to keep the product cost around that of a lift ticket - he succeeded admirably), I found it a bitch to install and I'd really not want to do it in the field if I had to take the chinmount off my Cookie G3 for some reason and needed to put it back on again.

Edit to add: Although there is obviously still a risk of snagging, the chinmount concept seems to me to be a much safer approach than the "Teletubby" mounting scheme (where the GoPro is sticking straight up off the top of the helmet, complete with that huge mounting screw, which practically begs "Snag me!") I see a lot of people using (I replaced the mounting screw on my GoPro mounts with a 5mmx20mm Allen head. Yes, I also pack an Allen wrench in my gear bag :S)
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"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

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I found the small rubber bands supplied with it just too short. The guy that designed/makes the mounts shows it to be easy, but I just went with the larger rubber bands and it was a lot easier. Applying a little silicon lube also helped a lot, and would likely help prevent rubber bands from being shredded during installation. I had not thought about using a tube stow, and I wonder which would break first, a tube stow or 2 rubber bands!
People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

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