Six dollar video cam.

[Jerry Barnes]

Found these good instructions for the keyfob camera.

http://www.chucklohr.com/808/#Instructions

[Jerry Barnes]

Wow Tom, you are far ahead of me in thinking about how to use it. Let us know when you get some made.

[ttrigg]

Jerry, now that we have them working well the, potential for their use is open-ended. I was thinking inside the copula instead of on top of the caboose, on the floor of the boxcar looking out the door, inside the passenger car, even inside the cab for the engineer’s point of view. Even taped to the bottom of a boxcar for the view of the world as seen by the "king of the road" from his "hammock". Taped to the front coupler of the engine would give a unique view of the rails and ties racing by.

[Jerry Barnes]

 Sure glad you got one and posted about it Trig. WOrked out in the end. I think it will be quite versatile. Might put it on the back of a train pointing to the front, on top of the caboose could be cool, as well and facing it to the rear.  On the tender looking back could be neat also, good reason for a LONG train with all my cars!

[ttrigg]

Since two of us have been able to get it to work properly, obtaining clear video and audio, I would like to amend and revise all my previous disparaging remarks in this thread. I like it; I fully recommend it to anyone interested. I cannot recommend the instruction sheet that comes with the camera.

　

[ttrigg]

Following those instructions I too was able to get some nice (very clear) video. Hour and half of "happy" holiday shoppers at wallyworld.  I put a 36 hour charge on it, put it on top of my ammunition case aimed out over my sales counter.  The video is very clear, and the audio is way more than I expected.  I can clearly understand all the conversations at my sales counter, and even from customers as the walk past in the main asile. That is clear conversations at 18~20 feet.  No, I'm not posting that anywhere, too much risk of problems and wallyworld pays the $16,000 monthly medical expences for my wife.  If I can get all the chores done this weekend I'll run the trains with this thing in the passenger "point of view" that I bought it for.

[Jerry Barnes]

I shot this video with the camera, worked fine, following the above instructions. The light only blinks when the video starts recording, does not keep blinking.

http://www.youtube.com/user/gunjeep444#p/a/u/0/1Y9CRU0xhMQ

[Jerry Barnes]

 Over on the G Scale Central site, in their video section Robert Morgan posted a good instructions sheet for the keyfob camera that Trigg has been describing. Pretty clear, no Chinese instructions. I plan to try them out.  Jerry

 

[Mt Beenak]

Gents,

 I had a productive day and I have compiled a video about the spy pen camera and how I use it.  It is at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY5nENIcGP8

Enjoy!

Mick

[Mt Beenak]

Jerry, I bought mine through www.crazysales.com.au. I have just searched their site and found they are out of stock. I recommend you type "2GB spy pen camera" into Google and search a stockist close to home. They are listed at various sites in Oz but the price varies enormously. I am preparing a video to show how I use it. More to follow. Mick

[Jerry Barnes]

You might give the address where you got the camera pen at. I have one of the keyfob ones but have not had much luck with it. Jerry

[Mt Beenak]

Thanks Guys. The railway has been evolving for over 20 years. The spy cam is great because it has a clip like most pens, and I mount it on a piece of lead sheet so I can mold it into the perfect position, and being heavy, it tracks well, giving a good steady shot. If any one is interested, I will post a video showing how the spy cam is mounted. I also use the strip of lead sheet to weigh down the regular camera to give a steady shot. I know it is dangerous handling lead often, but with a little care, I might survive. Mick

[dwbeckett]

Nice Vidio, how long has your RR been in place all of your shots were steedy with no bonce or jidder 

Dave

[PJM20]

I have a spy camera in sunglasses, but I haven't used them yet.

Mt Beenak

I purchased a 2GB spy camera pen from CrazySales.com.au. It cost a little more than your $6.00 special, but it is a spy camera and a pen and a USB storage device.

Your spy pen takes good videos Mt. Beenak, it is like your really standing in the train. - Peter

[Mt Beenak]

Gents,

To change the topic ever so slightly, I purchased a 2GB spy camera pen from CrazySales.com.au. It cost a little more than your $6.00 special, but it is a spy camera and a pen and a USB storage device. I shot a series of videos using it inside and outside a train, uploaded them and edited them and posted it on you-tube. The link is below, if you are interested. 

The pen/camera comes in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB, and I guess you get better video as you pay more, but to my mind the video quality of the 2GB I bought is fine. And I find it easy to operate. If the yellow light is on, it is on, and if the blue light is on, it is recording. And there is only one button to press, on the top where most pens have a button.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFp06fj16D0

[ttrigg]

LUMPY G

OK !! Guys I have been laughing at this topic for weeks the price should have given the
product quality away.

Lumpy: Even through the aggravation of not getting it to work correctly (at least on purpose, as I did get a good 20 min of my feet by accident) I’ve been having fun with it. Truth be known, I probably will not smash it as it takes very nice 90-second vids. The display quality of these short vids is just as good as my big camera.

[LUMPY G]

 OK !!

Guys I have been laughing at this topic for weeks the price should have given the
product quality away.

But if you look at the bottom of the instructions at the chicken scratch or ( fine print )
it will probably say WE-FO-KING-U- distributing co. 

 

[ttrigg]

Check back next month for the anticipated video, either passenger view, or impact resistance.

[ttrigg]

I am sorely tempted to apply maximum vertical impact with an eight-pound sledge hammer. Da Boss (wife) has advised me to set it aside for at least a month before trying one more time before checking its impact resistance.

[mgilger]

I agree with the others. When you get it figured out, please post the instructions so we all don't have to reinvent the wheel here.

I also ordered one. I'm not sure if I have the required card around here or not. I have about 10 camera's, so maybe.

Mark

[cacole]

I really love those Chinglish instructions.  Micro-Mark has a product called the "push hammer."  The instructions say, "Just hold push hammer and power it."

 

[ttrigg]

Deliberate attempts to "film" a vid produce 6~15 seconds worth of video. Accidental vids (when I think I turned it off and set it down) give 2~6+ minute vids.

[cudaken]

  Got it working yet?

[cudaken]

  Far as the chicken coop Tom, well guess I am a city boy. Besides, to me coop just sounds funny. Any look with your camera? I will add I would love to have a garden railroad. But I need three things to happen, extra money, job where I have time and money to work on it and find a kid that likes to dig trenches!

           Cuda Ken

[ttrigg]

Think I figured out what I was doing wrong.  I should say "a friend showed me what I was doing wrong."  He sent me a forum link about this thing and it said that charging time was 5~8 hours.  I have been charging it from my web book for only an hour or two, so it was not getting fully charged.  I took the charger for an "enVue" (electronic pocket picuter frame 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch screen) and am going to let it set until the little yellow light goes out.

 

I got 2 PM's tday from you guys aksing what are the two "buttons" nearest the key chain.  Well, them ain't buttons. They are a molded part of the case, just dummies to make it look like a car remote.

[ttrigg]

As requested I scanned the entire owner’s manual>

Here is the front.

Here is the back.

[ttrigg]

Seems as though the small scalers are having fun with this thing as well. 

So, what's the big deal about having a chicken coop?  Advantages to having chickens, 1. They clip the lawn so lawn mowing is reduced by 50%, 2. Natural weed control, 3. Natural insect control, 4. Sweetest eggs you ever had, the yoke is more orange that the friut we call orange, more nutricious than store bought. Major disadvantage: since they like to scratch around they have a tendancy to bury the tracks and under-dig structures out in Vine Arbor and Rosebud Flats.  Plus it is just plain fun to watch them gang up on the dogs and chase them around the yard.

[cudaken]

ttrigg

I know it will do more because I was just putzing around with it hanging out of my pocket while cleaning the chicken coop and got almost 20 minutes worth of video of my feet.

 

  Don't know which is funner, 20 minutes of your feet or the fact you have a chicken coop.

 You might try this link. 

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/171459.aspx

 Sorry it not it is not a live link, still trying to figure the ins and outs of Fire Fox.

 Santa Fee All The Way may very well have the same camera, posted he paid around $12.00 for his.

        Thanks for the effort.

              Cuda Ken

[ttrigg]

dwbeckett

So It's push button many time's and hope it workee

Dave

That be a most positive YES SIR!!!!

Every time I think I got it figured out and put it in a streetcar I get about 10~15 seconds of video. I know it will do more because I was just putzing around with it hanging out of my pocket while cleaning the chicken coop and got almost 20 minutes worth of video of my feet. Now I just got to try to figure out what the devil I did! The picture quality is a hundred times better than I was expecting from a $6 camera.