Faired in 'Small Format' camera?

[TheRealOps7 0]

So I started skydiving a month ago and, like many newbies, I thought, "Ooh, this would be cool to video". Luckily I learned about the hazards and the safety recommendations before I asked my AFF instructor if i could - so I saved myself that embarrassment.

I'll have a few hundred jumps soon enough - if I'm any good at this - and if I don't then at least it won't be me fiddling with a camera that kills me.

But in reading about all of the incidents that have been collected at the top of this page I thought, "Self, why not just mount a GoPro to the top of a helmet and then fair it in with fiberglass? That would reduce line entanglement issues."

I'm usually a day late and a dollar short - not to mention too lazy to market my ideas - so i took to the internet and activated my googler thinking if this had been done it would be found on Dropzone.com or at least on Google Images.

So I looked for "Faired gopro", "fared gopro", "gopro fairing" "frenched gopro"and "frenched GoPro". I came up with nothing.

So has this been done?

I like to think I am pretty handy with the fiberglass, etc (i used to build a bunch of model planes and jets) I am wondering if i would be reinventing the wheel?

Here's a frenched tail light: http://hotrodders.com/journal_photos/00002439/thumb_10869245732.jpg


Am I being overly difficult in thinking about this? Is this a real problem or just an answer that satisfies better than blaming users?


[edited for non-photo related content]

[cbrown1311 0]

Unfortunately snags aren't the most dangerous part of using a camera. The real danger comes from the distraction they provide, made obvious by the small format camera incident list which provides many examples of people who were too busy "trying to get the shot" and forgot to do other things that, had they had more experience, might have been second nature. Designing a snag free camera mount is a nice idea, but it won't be a cure all for inexperienced camera fliers strapping go pros to their helmets. It would fix a real problem, so if you have the free time and desire, go ahead and explore it, but realize thats not the root of the problem.

[DSE 3]

I'm fairly behind in posting incidents, there have been a few more than I've pasted up. I guess I need to get on it.

It's a fair assumption that you didn't read the entire post; yes...it's long. If you walked away thinking "snag hazard" then you missed the bigger points in many of the postings.

There was an AAD fire in the midwest a few days ago from a low-timer thinking it's all about the snag hazard....

It's mental.
You barely know how to skydive.
You barely know what to be focused on during the ride to altitude and in the skydive.
On the other hand, some very useful training video has been obtained from low-time skydivers wearing small format cameras in recent months.
And yes...it has been done. You might not find it via Google, but frenched/molded in cameras have been done.

[TheRealOps7 0]

I did actually take the time to read it all, and a bunch of other posts on mounts. I figured there was no point in asking questions if I hadn't bothered to read what was already out there. What I took away was "distraction coupled with inexperience kills".

Do you have any pics or links to the helmets you've seen?

[Divalent 89]

The least "snaggy" mount I've seen for the go pro is this one:

http://www.chutingstar.com/newgear_en/square-one-gopro-top-mount.html

[skyjumpenfool 2]

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It's a fair assumption that you didn't read the entire post; yes...it's long. If you walked away thinking "snag hazard" then you missed the bigger points in many of the postings.

I'm assumiing the OP is talking about producing a snag free go pro mount, and not debating the do's and don'ts of jumping cameras....

If you build something small, light, durable, easily mounted, ect. that is snag free.... you'd make a bunch of money. Personally, I can't believe it hasn't been done.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[DSE 3]

Deltagear, Square 1, and Chutingstar offer low-snag potential systems. Vidiots have been putting GoPro's in the empty space of their Flattop Pro and VaporPro for a couple of years now, totally eliminating snag points.

However...seeing someone with 2 jumps already speaking of cameras is a concern, whether you agree or not.

[skyjumpenfool 2]

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However...seeing someone with 2 jumps already speaking of cameras is a concern, whether you agree or not.

Absolutely agree... But if he's asking about designing and building a snag free camera mount, marketing and selling them, I want to make sure we encourage his effort. You don't need 200 jumps to develope a prototype?

Convincing him that wearing a camera without proper training and experience is dangerous... well, that's another issue.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[davelepka 4]

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Do you have any pics or links to the helmets you've seen?

Here's a couple of the problems with your idea -

For one, people are looking for light and simple when it comes to cameras like the GoPro. They also need to have easy access to the camera for downloading, removing cards or charging. So if you did want to 'french' it in, and stick to the above requirements, you're looking at making thin, removable fairings, and that's going to involve some sort or hinge and latch, and that adds weight and complexity.

Also, what helmet will this fit? A stick-on mount works on any helmet, while what you want to do would be specific to one helmet.

Along those same lines, what happens when a new camera comes out next month? Your entire mount would be obsolete.

It's the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid) at work. The adhesive mounts work, and anything more than that is just added complexity. People have gone to great lengths to make custom camera helmets, mounts, and boxes, but that was more popular back in the day when the tech moved a little slower. If you went for the top of the line Sony, you could count on a couple years of the tech still being relevant, but not anymore, and not for cameras like the GoPro. The camera itself is so small, light and simple, the mounts should be likewise.

[skyjumpenfool 2]

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It's the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid) at work. The adhesive mounts work, and anything more than that is just added complexity. People have gone to great lengths to make custom camera helmets, mounts, and boxes, but that was more popular back in the day when the tech moved a little slower. If you went for the top of the line Sony, you could count on a couple years of the tech still being relevant, but not anymore, and not for cameras like the GoPro. The camera itself is so small, light and simple, the mounts should be likewise.

(in my best Donald Sutherland voice...) "what's with all the negative waves, man?" (Kelly's Heros)

O.K. True enough that creating a "fairing" for a go pro will be difficult and have it's problems. The OP is not asking why not to do it, he's saying he'd like to take a stab at it. I say Good Luck and let me know how I can help.

How about a blow molded clear acrylic cover?

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."