Look what FedEx left on our doorstep

[Glenn_03Cobra]

In another discussion thread... there was some chatter about GoPro's new accessory BacPaks for the HD GoPro camera. After using the GoPro to capture video and sound at car events, I quickly found that without an LCD screen on the back, taking pics with the GoPro cam can be a bit challenging at times. Although getting the angle isn't so bad, I can't tell you how many videos I've captured with my looking at the front of the camera to see if it's recording.

The Battery BacPac came just in time for the Fabulous Fords Forever Car Show this weekend. We'll see what kind of trouble I can get into should I turn-off the LED indicator that shows it's recording? Most people have no idea what I'm holding

[Brakelate]

Most people have no idea what I'm holding

Depends on where you are using it!!!

Tetge might be interested in this. I may be too... I'm really sick of the GoPro Hero Wide footage I'm capturing lately, when compared up against the new HD stuff. Two years ago, I was dazzled. Today, I feel like I am posting old 1960's home movies on YouTube. Ugh.

[Glenn_03Cobra]

You're a sick man Mr. Brakelate

[Tetge]

An extra battery pack is a good thing since my GoPro HD consistently gets just over one hour recording at 1080p out of a full charge. But, the back? I have got better at eye balling the camera to see where it is looking and the back does add thickness to the package. On a motorcycle helmet I can not see the camera anyway and the blinking red light is a reliable indicator of whether or not it is recording. After using the camera awhile, one starts to get a clue on how to aim it. However, as a hand held small camera, for a car show, for instance, the back would be great. So, even though I knew about the back for some time, I passed since it does not add anything to my application and if I had the money I'd get another camera instead.

Have you considered getting a chesty mount for your camera? It might be the way to go to free up your hands while walking around.

[Julie GT07CS]

A chesty mount? What, attach it to my bra???

[Glenn_03Cobra]

...as a hand held small camera, for a car show, for instance, the back would be great.
Have you considered getting a chesty mount for your camera? It might be the way to go to free up your hands while walking around.

It pretty easy to get a good shot without the LCD screen, but for centering, checking the lighting, etc. the screen can be real handy. When at Willow Springs, I wish I had the LCD screen, I would've then know to point the camera down further to avoid the Sun's glare.

At car events, I move the camera up over the cars and get angles much easier than with a regular camcorder. Plus, I like to do sound bites with cars leaving the parking lot. I bring the camera down low and let the exhaust tell the story... very cool shots and sounds.

[Glenn_03Cobra]

A chesty mount? What, attach it to my bra???

It depends on which way the camera is pointing

[SVTRonDogg]

I use the chesty mount snowboarding and mountain biking. Looks awkward, but works well.

[Tetge]

I have been attempting to use my GoPro HD as a surveillance camera to document the activities of a persistent tagger and the only drawback I have encountered is that when shooting 1080p the battery pack gives up at a bit over an hour's time. It might go 1:05, but no more. My vantage point is a side window through which I get a view of the taggers favorite target. Today, I broke out the tools and made a hole in the side of the formerly waterproof case big enough to accept the USB connector that recharges the camera. I have an old PC, that has USB 2.0, near the window and it has a USB extension cord on it since it has only rear USB ports so everything reached from the camera suction cupped onto the inside of the side window to the PC. With USB attached I still had three bars of battery life after 2.5 hours of recording but my 16GB SD card was just about filled up. Still, I can now record for 2.5 hours. The GoPro HD does not record well in low light so this means that I can start the camera about 5 PM and turn it off when it is too dark to get video, about 7:30. But this is a big step up. Since I will never need a waterproof case this works well. And, I now can pick up a suitably long USB power cord to plug into my cigarette lighter in the car, if I wish, and have 2.5 hours of recording available there. I suppose that I could rig some power to the camera on my motorcycle as well but since it is helmet mounted, I think that I will not bother with that since an extra battery would serve that application better. I also could get a 32GB SD card and maybe record as long as 5 hours but, once I catch the tagger I will not need such a long record time. I expect that even people who spend a day open tracking would not need more than 2.5 hours. But, since you have to buy a SD card, with the USB power mod, a 32GB card would be the way to go if the price was acceptable.

[Glenn_03Cobra]

One thing I wish the gopro would could do with act as a webcam. That could possibly solve your problem. You could also go get a cheap webcam for about the same price as a 32gb SD card, but you'd probably only use it that one time. Do you have a camcorder that has a USB or IEEE1394 (firewire) port? You could connect that to your computer and record in a PC file.

[Tetge]

I was never into cameras at all until the GoPro Hero Wide caught my attention. But, the low resolution and poor sound quality of the GoPro Hero was disappointing. So I got one of the first HD GoPro shipped since it had higher resolution and much better sound quality. Of course, I went through Hell figuring out how to process MP4 files, but finally I got a handle on that and the quality is a lot better.

I researched a few days ago for security and/or web cams but it really seems that they do not shoot as good a pic as the GoPro at 1080p and at the approx 100' distance that I am dealing with. Most of the web cams and security cams are designed to work with a more narrow field of focus and at closer ranges. So, the GoPro actually suits my needs. I just priced the recommended Kingston 32GB SD card at newegg and it was not cheap at $65.29 with free shipping. It would be cheaper for me to buy another 16GB card for $27.99 with free shipping and swap cards after 2.5 hrs since I already have a 16GB card. But, in fact, other than this one time, I really do not need more than the 1 hr that I normally shoot although I was tempted by the battery back pack, but, there again, it would be easy to have a second battery and swap it into the camera after about an hour and the price is approx $20 versus $50. My existing 16GB SD card would more than handle the doubled shooting time that an extra battery would provide. As well, the extra bulk of the battery pack hanging from my helmet would not be welcome.

So, I just cruise along with the minimum possible GoPro stuff. But, I thought that making my own skeleton case and verifying that with USB power attached the camera will shoot for hours was worth sharing as making a hole in the side of the camera body was not difficult. I used a grinding stone and my Dremel tool and the case sort of melted away.... Not perfect but it worked and I do not care about water proof at all.

[Tetge]

Another update: Yesterday I turned the camera on when the "artist" got home from high school hoping to catch him tagging on video. I had a full charge on the battery and an empty 16GB SD card which really only holds 14.9GB . I also plugged the USB cable into thecameraa. This time it recorded for 2 hrs 16 min and then beeped and displayed "FULL". So, I put another neighbor outside to scare off the tagger, and I emptied the SD card and put the camera back up. Except it refused to work. It was showing three bars on the battery just before it hit "FULL" but, when I took it down it was empty. So, I had to recharge it to get it to work. I didyard workk for about 1.5 hrs so the tagger did not hit and then I was able to turn the camera back on and it recorded until dark (about an hour) with no issues. So, the extended time on a battery with USB is there, but it may not be all day.

To address this issue, I ordered a battery from newegg and after it arrives (or if it arrives) via USPS at some distant time, I will then be able to clear the SD card and switch batteries and I should be able to cover about 4.5 hours worth, which should be adequate. Also, I can take the extra battery with me when I am out motoring and switch to it somewhere around one hour into recording and the 16GB card will be sufficient for two batteries worth of recording. I should be able to capture some more interesting stuff since the existing one hour limit caused the camera to wink out a few times just when things were getting interesting. Of course, the rule that you will never have your camera on when something happens no doubt will still be in effect.

[Glenn_03Cobra]

I'm not sure if you knew this already but, the battery bacpac has a usb port on the back side of the pac and includes the supporting case doors that have a hole to put the cable through. The gopro uses the bacpac batter first before the main battery. Plus the bacpac can charge the main battery when connected. It's only about 20 bucks more and hopefully would be useful in the future.

[Tetge]

I'm not sure if you knew this already but, the battery bacpac has a usb port on the back side of the pac and includes the supporting case doors that have a hole to put the cable through. The gopro uses the bacpac batter first before the main battery. Plus the bacpac can charge the main battery when connected. It's only about 20 bucks more and hopefully would be useful in the future.

I did not know how it worked but you also answered another question which was how you could use the display if you were using the extra battery pack. But, since it preserves the battery in the camera you simply would substitute the display for the extra battery when you wished to use the display, I suppose. And when you were not shooting video the battery pack could be put back on and it would charge the battery in the camera back up. It makes sense that there is a USB port on the battery pack as it also serves as a stand alone charger.

But, as I said, for my application on a motorcycle helmet, the less bulky and thick the camera is, the better which is why I opted for another battery. We never ride for too long without stopping to stretch so swapping batteries should be no problem. Also I do considerable business with newegg and prefer their service and attitude to that of GoPro and newegg had the batteries. I used to have a better opinion of GoPro until I got the HD cam. Then I had considerable back and forth e-mails with them about editing MP4 using XP, and the missing promised upside down feature since I shoot upside down in the car and on the helmet. I revised my favorable opinion after that. So, your mileage may vary when dealing with them but I prefer not to fatten them up any further.