Camera Domes

[Bart_Comstock]

The easiest way to control the camera is to get one that has a A/V R port or LanC port. No need to control the camera through a hole in your roof when you can do it by remote. Many of the Sony Handycams and Canon camcorders come with these ports. The remotes themselves are pretty cheap too.

I'm currently piecing together the parts for a dome camera but if it turns out that this is cheaper or the same price to buy than the cost of building it my self I may just pic one of these up and use the parts I've already bought on a different project.

 

[Donovan Gruner]

The easiest way to control the camera is to get one that has a A/V R port or LanC port. No need to control the camera through a hole in your roof when you can do it by remote.

My main point behind cutting the hole is mainly to be able to change the camera's direction, so no robotic system would be needed. My car IS my every day driver, but I've pretty much sealed it's fate. I don't mind cutting a hole as long as it doesn't leak, which if sealed right, there's no reason it should. Besides, I always wanted a sunroof!

 

[Bart_Comstock]

Well if you feel that is necessary then go on ahead. Robotic systems aren't too pricey and are pretty easy to assemble ones self. Don't cut too large of a hole for if you do you may cause unwanted flexing of the car's upper body when under a lot of g's. Remember, cars are now made with unibody frames and cutting too many holes in the car can result in weakening the frame. I would consult a local body shop before cutting to make sure where you are cutting wont be anywhere critical.

 

[Donovan Gruner]

I've been chopping and hacking away at cars since I was a kid, so I think I'll be fine. The roof of my car is all sheet metal for the most part, so there won't be any structural harm done. Domes are also very strong, and having the dome there would definitely make the roof stronger than if there was just a wide open hole, which is just silly.

Maybe I'll just cut the whole damn roof off and we'll start wearing full hockey gear.

I wouldn't cut the hole if it were easier to do it otherwise, but at the moment I just don't see that.

 

[JeffGonzales]

My main point behind cutting the hole is mainly to be able to change the camera's direction, so no robotic system would be needed. My car IS my every day driver, but I've pretty much sealed it's fate. I don't mind cutting a hole as long as it doesn't leak, which if sealed right, there's no reason it should. Besides, I always wanted a sunroof!

You can always buy a pan tilt unit that mounts on a tri pod for under 100 and mount it to a board instead. A unit that is controled buy a wireless remote control (radio frequency, so you dont even have to aim it right at the unit) . That way you dont have to cut in the roof, plus it would be cheeper.Thats what I did and unit works great mounted on my roof rack and spent less then 150 for everything, not including the actual camcorder.

 

[Donovan Gruner]

Motorized Tripod Head

Just found this. Didn't even know you could get something like that so cheap. I'd probably still end up drilling a small hole in the roof so I'd be able to run a few wires out, and also not have antenna wires, etc. running through windows anymore. A 3/4 inch hole is a lot better than cutting a 10 inch hole in the roof. I like the idea of being directly connected to the head so it would theoretically always work. Not saying the remote control wouldn't work all the time, but I would be more comfortable with a solid line controlling it. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[JeffGonzales]

Motorized Tripod Head

Just found this. Didn't even know you could get something like that so cheap. I'd probably still end up drilling a small hole in the roof so I'd be able to run a few wires out, and also not have antenna wires, etc. running through windows anymore. A 3/4 inch hole is a lot better than cutting a 10 inch hole in the roof. I like the idea of being directly connected to the head so it would theoretically always work. Not saying the remote control wouldn't work all the time, but I would be more comfortable with a solid line controlling it. Thanks for the heads up!

Yep true, only thing is the one you have in the link is 180 degrees, make sure to get the 360 degrees. same thing though other then that

 

[Donovan Gruner]

Ah yes, that would be a useful feature. That was just the first one I came across... definitely need to do a little research before buying anything. Where did you get yours?

Also just thought of the fact that the cable may be a problem with rotating 360 degrees.

 

[JeffGonzales]

Ah yes, that would be a useful feature. That was just the first one I came across... definitely need to do a little research before buying anything. Where did you get yours?

Also just thought of the fact that the cable may be a problem with rotating 360 degrees.

I sent you a message about what all I did

 

[Danny Neal]

For those of you who want to see this in action, I refer you to a few of Skip Talbot's videos. Skip designed his dome almost three years ago and it was an instant hit. I never thought a dome cam would work in the world of storm chasing, but Skip has proven it as an amazing success.

 

[Darren Addy]

Probably just going to cut a hole in the roof and manually control from inside.

If you are using an old beater to chase, this may be a viable (if more than a little-bit impractical/troublesome option that has possibly undesireable side effects). However, if you care about your vehicle's resale value at all, you will probably be costing yourself significantly more in the long run than you would be to purchase a wirelessly controlled unit that requires no such vehicle modifications.

 

[Donovan Gruner]

If you are using an old beater to chase, this may be a viable (if more than a little-bit impractical/troublesome option that has possibly undesireable side effects). However, if you care about your vehicle's resale value at all, you will probably be costing yourself significantly more in the long run than you would be to purchase a wirelessly controlled unit that requires no such vehicle modifications.

My car's resale value is likely whatever the junkyard is willing to pay for it. It has seen a lot of chasing, lots of dents, the front end has been ripped off (and fixed in the garage for a fraction of the price of a body shop), and it's going on 150,000 miles. Just dropped a bunch into it hoping to keep it going for another few seasons, but like I said, the thing is beat to hell. Still runs fine though!

I'm doing some research on wireless units. This is all just in the idea stage still, so it's not like I'm grabbing a sawzall and running out and chopping a hole in the roof. If I do end up doing that, I'm going to do it right. I grew up working on cars (rat rods, muscle cars, off road stuff). The hardest part of a hole in the roof would probably be getting the bubble to fit the convex of the roof, so IF I end up doing anything like this, I'll probably go the "roof rack" with motorized tripod head route.

 

[Jason Foster]

The bubble domes seem to be the big thing this year. I am kinda dismayed personally. I, for years had the roof mounted idea but never build the camera enclosure. It first started as a fixed enclosure with only about 25% of movement (my design wasn't ever really a dome). It actually started after I saw Chris Collura's small dome cam on his mobile weather lap (version III prototype I think). Now that there seems to be 15 to 20 or more folks with dome cameras it might not be unique enough, so I'm putting my design ideas away and focus on more unique ideas for camera shots. The dome cams are really cool, I bet there will be some neat stuff from them, but the unique aspect is gone now. Is anyone else thinking the same?

 

[Skip Talbot]

The bubble domes seem to be the big thing this year. I am kinda dismayed personally. I, for years had the roof mounted idea but never build the camera enclosure. It first started as a fixed enclosure with only about 25% of movement (my design was ever really a dome). I think though, now that there seems to be 15 to 20 or more folks with dome cameras it might not be unique enough, so I'm putting my design ideas away and focus on more unique ideas for camera shots. The dome cams are really cool, I bet there will be some neat stuff from them, but the unique aspect is gone now. Is anyone else thinking the same?

Why does it dismay you? Why does it have to be unique? I think many have thought about putting cameras on their roofs, and many have already been doing it for years. Even Timmer got great tornado footage from a dome cam in '09 and '10, which has been shown to millions. Its not a new or unique idea at all. I built mine not to be unique or to have marketable product, but to solve some problems I regularly face while on a chase like getting an unobstructed, steady shot from any angle while moving. Anyone can build or sell camera domes. I don't take credit for the design since several were already using one when I first put mine on the roof in May of '09. I considered the marketability of my design when I found that it worked, but decided that a dome/servo combination has too many inherent flaws, and is way too expensive to be practical for many to use. If someone else wants to take on the challenge of designing and selling a marketable dome, more power to them.

I am curious to see what the patent for the MesoDome involves, however, since the design is remarkably similar to mine including the use of a quarter inch acrylic dome that varies in diameter by a half inch and is hinged in the front with two fasteners in the back, Servo City gearboxes and tilts, Phidgets servo controllers, and .Net software with auto-tracking capabilities. Of course there are major differences as well including placement of the controlling electronics (in the dome in the MesoDome vs. in the vehicle in my setup). The MesoDome is also controlled via a USB input device such as a joystick or gamepad while I'm using custom built controls. I imagine this patent would cover these specifics, so its a non issue.

I'm happy to help others in their endeavors to build camera domes, and share what I've learned. I believe the application is best suited as an alternative to a dash cam for streaming. There are several issues that a dome creates that detract from video quality, however, including rain, bugs, and the lensing effect of a curved enclosure.

My setup:
http://www.skip.cc/chase/cameradome

 

[Andrew Ryan]

The bubble domes seem to be the big thing this year. I am kinda dismayed personally. I, for years had the roof mounted idea but never build the camera enclosure. It first started as a fixed enclosure with only about 25% of movement (my design wasn't ever really a dome). It actually started after I saw Chris Collura's small dome cam on his mobile weather lap (version III prototype I think). Now that there seems to be 15 to 20 or more folks with dome cameras it might not be unique enough, so I'm putting my design ideas away and focus on more unique ideas for camera shots. The dome cams are really cool, I bet there will be some neat stuff from them, but the unique aspect is gone now. Is anyone else thinking the same?

Why does it have to completely original? There's only so many ways you can shoot a tornado.