weather stations

[Forrest lambert]

I have a davis weather wizzard III and i had the anemometer on a pole on the bed cap of my truck. works good but i made a a plate that holds my rain gauge, radiation shield, and anemomter. works like a charm! the only thing that sucks is running the cords into the truck cab! everything else is quick to do! i just need to figure out how im gonna make a stand for my camcorder on the dash, anyone have a good idea on how to do that? its the same idea as cdcollura lab, i love the idea of it. i just dont have much equipment as he does. thanks for the idea chris!

 

[John Erwin]

i just need to figure out how im gonna make a stand for my camcorder on the dash, anyone have a good idea on how to do that?

There's several ways to go about this Forrest, however a lot can depend on your vehicle and what you are willing to do to it.

- a common method used is a "police type" video camera mount; these lay flat on the dash and attach via suction cups to the windshield and velcro to the dash. Pre-made items are often only suitable for certain models though (crown-vics etc) however the design is easy to replicate for other vehicles too. Check e-bay for people who manufacture and sell these, or for surplus items.

- another method is to use something like a "Ram mount" that will bolt to your dash; see their website at http://www.ram-mount.com/ for their product line. Some folks have also homebrewed similar mounts too using parts from surplus tripods, or more expensive tripod "heads" such as those from Bogen.

- I've seen a few camera mounts that involve using a "pipe" of sorts that comes up from the floor of the vehicle; a tripod head is mounted at the top of this. Good for some, not so for others. Might also be combined with a laptop mount of some kind.

-The last type I can think of is a "vacuum" type camera mount that mounts directly to the windshield alone; there's units out there used for the film industry etc. but they're expensive and bulky. I've seen a couple home-brewed/adapted units on here that seemed to work okay. If you go this route you will need to make sure the vacuum cup (not a wimpy suction cup) can actually hold the weight of your camera.

Some other misc types would be hanging it from the ceiling of the cab, or somehow from the mirror mount. Some people have simply jammed a tripod in the passenger side and strapped it down. Whatever method you use, try to consider what will happen to the camera/mount in the event of a crash; you don't want it turning into a lethal projectile.

Cheers

 

[Forrest lambert]

thanks alot, that will help out alot!

 

[Forrest lambert]

when i get pics of the lab, which i hope to take some today, ill get them up by the end of the week!

 

[Forrest lambert]

I got pics of the lab, who ever wants to see them send me your email. the lab isnt fancy it works for its purpose!