Hi,
Regards,
Cor
To show some test results i have created some video's
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjQlbsJ3UHdRdT4rc9cdWKQ/videos
I'm now investigating if it is feasible to produce camera's for interested people... It is at the moment an out of control hobby... :-)
I bought a Contour ROAM2. It's about 1-1/2' wide by about 3-1/2' long. Small package.
Not WiFi but it only takes a minute or two to download your video. My only minor disappointment is the super wide angle view. I'd rather have a variable ratio lens but... it does the job and is reasonably priced.
http://www.amazon.com/Contour-ROAM2-Waterproof-Video-Camera/dp/B009CN8VRK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392832998&sr=8-1&keywords=contour+roam2
The advantage to your system would be a "live view" I suppose.
Take care, Ed
I being cheap bought a hot wheels video racer for $15 from Amazon. Doesn't take great pictures but it does capture the feel of my layout. I placed it on a flat car and pushed it around.
Joe Staten Island West
Hi Ed,
Yes i agree the main topic is the live real time image. I have build software to control my modeltrain from the internet. The quality difference between my side track cams and the onboard analog cam was significant, so i was searching for a small quality Cam, didn't found that so decided to develop one myself. The advantage using WIFI is the digital signal transmission. and also i have a computer onboard so that opens up new posibility like on screen display of the speed, motion feedback to a gamers chair etc.
LION bought a small video cam. It had to fit completely on the front of a subway car. It could not overhang the car envelope or it would hang up on the wayside, in the tunnels or the overhead.
Since is not real time, I cannot use it to contol trains. No matter, I do not control my trains anyway. Each train has an LPP in the cab to drive the train, while *I* run the *railroad* from the tower. While I ought to make another video soon, once I have completed the layout (fat chance) and have a "good video" what more would I knead.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
I have one in the front of one of my subway trains. I started with a camera from SJT Enterprises, and one of their DCC power modules. This camera outputs RF, which is received by a box which converts it to an old analog TV signal. This is the original camera, power supply and the car it needed to go into.
The power supply was too big, and it also required a huge plug-and-jack assembly to get power from the board to the camera. I contacted the manufacturer, and he was happy to modify the connection and the power supply card for the princely sum of $15.
With a small amount of modification to the car's light board, this fit neatly inside.
The interior of the subway car is confined, and I needed to disconnect the interior light at the front end of the car. The extra heat was causing non-permanent degradation of the video image from the CCD camera. Also, the tunnels are dark, so the large holes in the front of the car were filled with big LEDs to add light ahead of the train.
Here's the final result.
Even in the edited video, there are some dropouts. These are from the RF signal from the camera to the receiver unit.
Foo. I may have to edit this later to get the video to embed. I have problems with this site at work.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I have severall of those camera's as noted, i was dissapointed by the poor video quality, So that was the trigger to develop the cvdTrainWIFICam, see my channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjQlbsJ3UHdRdT4rc9cdWKQ/videos for the live WIFI transmitted live video....
gmpullman I bought a Contour ROAM2. It's about 1-1/2' wide by about 3-1/2' long. Small package. Not WiFi but it only takes a minute or two to download your video. . .
Not WiFi but it only takes a minute or two to download your video. . .
If I am not mistaken, the new Contour + 2 includes bluetooth support so you can see real-time video on your cell phone. Not sure if there is support for other bluetooth enabled devices.
Richard
I have created a Mockup of the camera, I’m satisfied with the chipset I have selected, and I have two different sensors, one that is more suitable for N scale. Currently test fitting in some N scale train models. Just wanted to share, my little project J
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5pmoJ5g72M
Cor,
This is very nice step forward. Real time transmission without static interference will produce cleaner video.
I will await your final version.
They already make them, saw one in action on a flat car.
I agree with you on the quality of the video on the existing 2.4 ghz camera's . They also have a noise problem with dropouts appearing from time to time. I've been looking for a real time camera system with better video quality to be used on a simulator to operate trains on a HO scale layout. I'm using a PI Engineering full size AAR control stand connected to my NCE system for train control. I would like real time video on a 36'' flat screen to be placed in front of the front cab windows in the simulator. The biggest hurdle is the video quality. --- Ken
Hi Ken,
If you have such a stand, because my camera has a complete OS on board there are endless posibilitys. I'm currently experimenting with attaching a small movement sensor, the ones you find in phones, transmit back the movement and do force feed back on my chair :-) so you kan feel the actual movement of the train running over the track...
@ moderator is it posible to start direct communicating on the forum ?
Cor, I've had the control stand for about 5-6 years. About a year ago a good friend and some people on the JMRI group came up with the needed software to allow the control stand to work with my NCE system. My intention is to build a half EMD cab and install the control stand, put a 36'' flat screen in front of the cab windows. Install speakers in both the floor and ceiling for sound. Use a real time camera car on the railroad . The railroad is built and fully operational. It's been in MR twice . It's based on the PRR Buffalo line . It's built on the second floor of a 32 x 80 outbuilding. Project has taken longer than expected but I'm hoping to get the cab built this spring/summer. --- Ken
That sounds very cool love to see that! My project started in 2007, and in 2009 I presented my first milestone, driving my trains live from Seattle (USA) on my attic in the Netherlands (Europe). Since then I was searching for a better quality camera onboard to get rid of the electronic interference and low color values, last summer I decide to go and try develop my own camera, and ended up with a complete onboard computer J.