Hi all,
Can anyone recommend a micro cam I can mount on an HO Flat Car to watch live and then save the video to an iPhone or iPad?
Gary
I have purchased about 8 mini cams for my layout and as far as I’m concerned the best one so far is the SQ13.I powered it using a micro DC to DC converter from the rails. The camera is battery powered and the converter supplies 5 volts to keep the battery topped off. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=sq13+mini+camera&_sacat=0&_sop=15 Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California Turned 84 in July, aging is definitely not for wimps.
Thanks Mel, I'll send pics of the Y6b DCC convention soon.
I have a camera system I bought from SJT Enterprises years ago. It's small enough that I fit the camera and its associated electronics including the RF transmitter and DCC power supply in one HO scale subway car, with the shell on.
I bought this one because I wanted a live view out the front of the train. I achieved that with the ability to watch the scene on a regular TV in the room. I have also made video recordings using a camcorder.
The problem that bothers me is the RF dropouts in the signal that brings the picture out to the receiver. I get dropouts even when using a battery, so it's not intermittent track power. When making a recording for viewing, I laboriously edit out individual frames to remove glitches.
I don't know if current technology has better RF transmission, but if you want to make nice recordings, even if you can't watch in real time, a recording camera is the way to go.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
A decent baby monitor? There for a while they were recommended a lot. Not sure if they are considered anymore.
shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
Could always find one of Lionels old railscope systems. Who remembers those? Been a few on the electronic bay lately
This probably isn't what you're looking for since it doesn't really allow for live viewing (unless you can stare down at the tiny little viewfinder screen while the train is moving), but I bought an Osmo Pocket for my cab ride videos. It does allow for downloading to computers later via a USB connection.
Here's an example of testing I did with the Pocket and the Pocket 2:
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Like Mel, I recommend the SQ13. It is small enough to fit on my N Scale layout cars.
However, I have struggled to get it to connect to my WIFI, and the result is that I am unable to get any live video. That doesn't bother me since I was not looking for that anyway. I use it strictly to record video and play back on my TV.
A word of warning: These track video cameras are very good at pointing out every little mistake and uneven track work. I didn't realize how bad my ballast would appear to an engineer and conductor riding my layout. Part of my layout has a very bumpy ride, and my N Scale scratchbuilt structures don't look nearly as perfect on camera.
York1 John
York1 A word of warning: These track video cameras are very good at pointing out every little mistake and uneven track work. I didn't realize how bad my ballast would appear to an engineer and conductor riding my layout. Part of my layout has a very bumpy ride, and my N Scale scratchbuilt structures don't look nearly as perfect on camera.
Rich
Alton Junction
As I mentioned earlier I have several cameras. The SQ13 has worked out very good. I can view live video and control the record function remotely via WiFi using the ‘Sports DV’ APP.I bought a 7” Tablet to use as a WiFi viewfinder, I mounded the Tablet on my control panel. Early on I went with a MD81S it worked OK but bought a SQ7 which worked much better.I built up an HO depressed flat car to hold a remote controlled 180° pan mount to hold either the MD81 or SQ7 cameras.The Bluetooth servo controller is a pair of Arduino NANOsMy grandson bought a SQ8 and didn’t like it and gave it to me. The SQ8 worked much better than the SQ7 so I went with the SQ8 for about a year and a half when I ran across advertising of the SQ13.I ordered a SQ13 and it has worked great for a couple of years. I still use the SQ8 as it is a bit smaller than the SQ13 but the SQ13 is a superior camera.The SQ13 fits nicely on a standard HO flat car, the camera has a powerful magnet on he back and attaches to the supplied adjustable swivel mount.
I made a adapter to adapt the pan mount for the SQ13, any of the cameras can be place on the depressed flat car.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California Turned 84 in July, aging is definitely not for wimps.
Thanks for the replies.
Rich; i know you're correct, I have a mini Yfi cam but it does not let me save or edit video on a computer. Also, that track I thought was "perfectly strait" well ...
Mel; your electronics work is very impressive and maybe intutive for you but I'm not as savvy and would probably burn down the house!
I'm looking for something that I can install on a flat car that either is rechargeable or can use track current and will allow me to download or use a micro SD card to transfer the video to a computer. It may not exist.
The SQ camera has just that, a mini SD card. I have the SQ8.
I tried the camera, like others, but my track work follows the outside of my layout, and I have a lot of hidden track, so It didn't turn out to be anything I wanted show off.
I have 2 videos on my You Tube channel.
One is named "Train video in 1080P", and the other named "My movie"
Mike.
My You Tube
Hi all, I have the SQ13 set up and functioning. I can replay the video when I'm connected to the SQ Network. However i cannot figure out how to transfer the video to a saved file on my MAC. I would like to be able to share the video.
Is this possible?
The Quelima manual for the SQ13 says the videos going to the SD card are AVI 1920x1080. I do not yet know if you can mirror the camera feed to WiFi and internal storage (or if the camera automatically saves as it streams).
You should be able to go into Cameras And Scanners or whatever OS X calls it in System Preferences and get the camera to 'show' as connected via the SQ Network. A program like iMovie should then be capable of receiving the camera stream and 'recording' it in whatever format you'd need.
I have an SQ13. I bought it after reading that it would stream live through a wifi network. However, I've never been able to get it to connect to my network.
I don't have a Mac, but on my PC, when I connect the USB cord, it allows me to download the file to the PC. From there, I can use just about any video editing program.