Example POV.1 Video: Deal's Gap ride

I've been posting about the POV.1 camera on my R1150GS Adventure, but haven't provided any examples of video shot while riding. What better ride to capture on video than the infamous Deal's Gap (US 129) on the NC/TN border (also know as the Tail of the Dragon). If you're reading this blog, you are sure to already know about its 318 turns in 11 miles. On a quiet weekday it can be a lot of fun. On a busy weekend, there are better (safer!) roads to ride.

I had the opportunity to ride it from East to West on a somewhat quiet Monday afternoon early in October. You can see from the video that there was still a bit of traffic to content with. The POV.1 was set to record 720p at 30 frames per second (the best it will do). Enjoy!

Part 1:

Part 2:

V.I.O. POV.1 Camera - More recording time!

OK, so either I'm stupid, mistaken or both. I thought v1.2 firmware for the POV.1 video system was ALREADY supposed to support 4GB and 8GB SD Cards for extended recording times. Experience this summer shows that my SanDisk 8GB card didn't allow any more time than my 4GB card (about 76 minutes +/-). Now, mind you, that's recording at the highest resolutions and at 30 frames-per-second, but one would think double capacity would mean double recording time.

I finally spent a little time out at the V.I.O. website this morning and found that there's a v1.3 firmware that claims compatibility with these cards. I don't know how long that firmware has been available, but fifteen minutes later, I had it loaded on the POV.1 and was testing.

Wow! What an improvement!

An old 2GB card now shows 85 minutes of recording time (better than what I thought I was getting with the 4GB card I'd been using!)

The 4GB card now shows 166 minutes and my 8GB card, a lofty 334 minutes! Running in 5-minute Loop mode, I don't think I'm going to need more than just the 8GB card for a week-long trip!

V.I.O. also has a new Exposure Control Firmware release. It costs $10, but looks like it might be worth it. I'm considering it and will post here when I do.

V.I.O POV.1 Camera - Change in "Mounting" Plans

If you've read my older postings on the V.I.O. POV.1 Camera, you'll see where I purchased their specialty Mount Kit and used what I called their universal mounting bracket to bolt the camera to a RAM adapter. I've shot a bit of video with this and don't really have anything to complain about - at higher engine speeds. At low RPM, the engine vibration causes to plastic of the mount to oscillate and the camera wobbles from side to side until the engine's rev'd up to over 3K.

While It the MOA Rally in Gray, TN last month, I spent some time at the booth belonging to the the guys at Adventure Designs. I happened to notice their demo bike had the POV.1 camera mounted on it using the original mount plate and hard(er) plastic camera holder. I mentioned the problem I was having and they suggested I give the original a try.

Today was a good garage day since rain was heading in, so I bolted up the original mounting plate to a RAM adapter and clipped the camera in place. The first thing I noticed is that the camera barrel wasn't held tight enough in the holder to avoid rotation. This became a head scratcher until I noticed that the plastic was molded in such a way that it looked like the camera could be secured using a pair of zip ties. Besides making sure the camera wouldn't work its way out of the mount while going down the road, it looked like the "pressure" of the tightened zip tie would also compress the plastic mounting clip just enough to keep the camera from rotating in the mount. I was right!

Here's the new mount assembled on the bike. Note the two black zip ties keeping the camera in place! Since I used a RAM adapter with the camera mounting stud, all I had to do was spin the camera mounting plate onto the threaded stud and then use a single not and bolt to eliminate the mount from loosening on the RAM adapter.

The retired mount from the "Mounting Kit" might need a new home.

When the sun comes back out, I'll have to get out and shoot some video to see how the stability of this mount has (hopefully) improved.

Update on Sunday, August 23, 2009 at 10:26AM by Brian Young

While out at the V.I.O. website this morning, I spotted a picture of the original mount showing a different way to secure the camera. It involves an O-ring stretched around the left and right portions of the plastic clip.

It's easier to understand this by checking out V.I.O.'s photo page for the POV.1. Look for the picture of the various mounting options.

I did some riding this morning with mine secured by the zip ties and I'm impressed with the improvement so far.

Newest farkle project - Onboard video recording with a V.I.O. POV.1

One of my Christmas presents was this sweet POV.1 video recording system from the folks at V.I.O.

Full disclosure: I selfishly purchased this for myself from my Ebay sales windfalls. What can I say? Adding farkle is addictive and I hadn't done anything with video - yet.

Everything you think you'll need comes in this nice soft case, allowing quick deployment. The POV.1 is intended for mobile and personal use (skiing, biking, skateboarding, etc.). I intend to semi-permanently mount it on the GS.

Video files are recorded to an SD Card which can be removed from the recording unit to allow the files to be copied to your computer - or you can use the included USB cable to transfer them. I'm not sure I'll be dragging a laptop to the garage to transfer the files, but it's at least an option.

The three main components of the POV.1 include:

• The weather-proof, rugged video recording unit with built-in LCD display and speaker
• The wireless remote control used to start and stop recording
• The metal encased video camera with lens cap

AA batteries and a small 1GB SD Card were included in the kit from V.I.O. I purchased mine through Adventure Designs when they were running a special that included free shipping and a 4GB SD Card.

Some initial observations:

AA battery power wasn't going to cut it when installed on the GS. Being able to power it from the bike would be necessary.

The camera mount included in the kit is probably good for some applications, but didn't seem like it would hold up to the pounding it might have to take on the GS.

The good news: Both of these issues were apparently well understood by the engineers at V.I.O. because I learned in January that a DC Power Adapter and better mounting kit were in the works. I immediately warmed up the credit card and placed my order for one of each.

Update on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 10:05AM by Brian Young

The camera connects to the recording unit with a rugged 1.5M cable. There's even a small microphone molded into the cable. The cable connectors on both ends are keyed so you can't mess up the pins. Once inserted into the mating connector on the recording unit and camera the knurled ring is tightened to prevent the connector from coming loose.

That's a small ferrite core permanently mounted on the cable. (visible at the left edge of the photo). This presumably works to prevent ignition and other electrical noise sources from messing up the video. We'll have to see how well it works.

The V.I.O. logo molded into the black plastic strain relief on the cable indicates the end that must be connected to the camera.

Update on Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 6:15PM by Brian Young

Lots of other interesting pieces and parts come with the POV.1, including a set of 4 AA batteries!

Admittedly, I didn't expect a set of alkalines to last very long in the POV - and well, they didn't. Even off, the batteries drained rather quickly. I discovered later that the POV's ability to remember the date and time is dependent of having power. When the batteries went dead, it ceased timekeeping.

Here's a glimpse at the battery compartment. It's quite weather tight and requires some careful prying to pop the cover.

Now, how to power this baby off the bike. That originally looked like a problem, but as I indicated earlier, the folks at V.I.O. came up with a power adapter designed to reduce 12 VDC from your vehicle to the 6 VDC required by the POV.

Ordered in January, it arrived in February after a bit of delay. What you see above is what comes in the box. Everything was high quality and the wait was worth it.

Instead of batteries, the adapter takes the place, filling the space and effectively replacing the cover.

With the power adapter in place, an option is now available to mount the POV.1! That's a standard 1/4 x 20 tripod adapter above power cord. Without this, frankly, I didn't have a clue how I was going to mount the recording unit on the motorcycle. There's some interesting slots on the sides, but no apparent way to use them. Looking around on V.I.O.'s website didn't produce any clues, either.

Update on Monday, May 4, 2009 at 3:54PM by Brian Young

OK, so it's been a while since I've posted. I'll pick up on the saga of mounting the POV.1 recording unit on the bike now.

I've always like RAM Mounting Systems' products. I've used them on and off the bike before. They have a great selection of mounts, adapters and special plastic pieces to hold GPS and other electronics.

I picked up one of their Camera Mounts with 1 1/4-20 threaded studs (RAM-B-202A) from Spoiled Biker. I figured it would be a simple matter of threading the mount directly into the back of the POV.1 recording unit and I'd be off the the races. Look below to see what I ran into.

The diameter of the RAM mount interfered with the power cable that exits from the POV.1. Or was it the other way around?

This is clearly a problem.

I considered hacking away at the metal disk myself to provide enough clearance, but in the interest of making things look professional, I consulted the internet looking for machine shops in the Raleigh area.

The list was long and I didn't really see anything that popped right out as the type of shop I needed - until I spotted J's Prototype Services. That looks like the ticket!

I called the phone number and was talking immediately with Joe Giallo. He works out of his basement and agreed to let me stop over the next day and show him what I needed. Joe's got a very nice shop and you can tell his focus is small, precision parts.

We agreed that he would machine the metal disk down from 2.5 inches to 1.5 inches. He came up with a way to hold the part in his lathe by using the 1 1/4-20 threaded shaft. Figuring it might take him awhile, I drove home and waited for his call. About an hour later Joe called and said he was done.

Although I paid more than I really wanted to, Joe's services turned out a professional piece as you can see below.

Obviously, the original is on the left. Joe's creation is on the right, along with a rubber fender washer I purchased to go between the POV.1 and the mount. I figured a little rubber would provide enough friction to reduce the tendency for the POV.1 to come loose on the threads.

If you're in the Raleigh, NC area and you need something designed or machined, I'd recommend Joe Giallo's work. Call him at 919-787-3647.

Here's the final product in action:

More than enough clearance between the mount and the power cord. Whew!

Update on Monday, May 4, 2009 at 4:35PM by Brian Young

With the POV.1 camera mount situation squared away it was time to find a place for it on the handlebars of the GS.

Previously, I'd used the RAM-B-231ZU part which is basically a RAM ball mount fixed to a U-bolt that can be tighten around a tube or pipe (in this case, the handlebars). You then need a Double Socket Arm for 1" balls. That's RAM's part number RAM-B-201U. You can mix and match the pieces from RAM or buy the U-bolt adapter, arm and camera mount as one catalog item:  RAM-B-149Z-C1U.

I had some spare RAM components on the bench, so I ordered what I needed from Spoiled Biker to finish the job. Test fit on the right-side, it looked like this:

Now, it's time to worry about mounting the camera.

Update on Monday, May 4, 2009 at 4:48PM by Brian Young

Mounting the Camera to the GS

As I posted on March 28th, I was originally worried about the mounting hardware that was included in the POV.1 kit. I just didn't think the camera mount would hold up. I went ahead and purchased their updated mounting kit that included many different gizmos for attaching the camera to just about anything or anybody.

A peak inside the box reveals all the goodies...

Magnets, plastic pieces, adhesive pads, Velcro... you name it, it's in there. Unfortunately, it came down to using just a couple key pieces to make things work on the bike.

Another RAM mount (this time without the camera mounting stud) and the what I would consider the universal mounting plate from V.I.O. did the trick.

The holes on the RAM mount matched the holes on the mounting plate, so I bolted them together. I trimmed the plastic that overhung the diameter of the RAM disk for a semi-professional appearance once the camera was in place.

With another RAM Double Socket Arm in place, I was ready to tackle locating a good place for the camera on the bike.