Where do you mount your camera?

[Asiah119]

As the title says. Where do you mount your camera to take video of track and autox. For the HPDE I did last year I mounted my phone (for vid) to the right of my rear view mirror. I think it turned out pretty well, but am interested to hear if any of you more experienced persons have found great places to grab video from. I'm currently considering finding a mount point off of my sunroof glass or off of my back glass so I can get a better view of what I'm doing in the car.

[az3579]

Our Chapter requires that cameras be hard mounted AND tethered. The definition of hard mounted for them is with nuts and bolts; 3M taped mount doesn't count as hard mounted.
They want the cameras also on some kind of tether so that if the mount fails, it doesn't go flying around the car. This is way overkill, IMO, as most other chapters I know of don't have such strict requirements. Suction cups are allowed elsewhere but not in my chapter. MEH!

This doesn't leave me with many options, unfortunately, so I'm relegated to using a headrest post mount.


This is the Point of View offered by a headrest post mount:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a0qWW7iUFs

[Asiah119]

That does sound pretty overkill. Granted, I'm slightly nervous about having my phone suction cupped to my windshield as I'm whipping around the track with my windows down. I suppose that my best bet, w\o getting a gopro and a headrest mount, would be to get a headrest mount and a cell phone mount that are moderately compatible and Frankenstein them together. My main argument against a gopro is because I've been using the track recorder in the Torque app so I can overlay speed and other numbers that I wont do anything with like intake temp, water temp and so on.

[az3579]

The thing you want to take into consideration is: why are you taking videos?
Without establishing this, you'll be left wondering what the best place for the camera is.

If you just want to take videos just to show people, then it doesn't matter where you put it, wherever it looks best.

If you want to learn from what you're doing, however, then the headrest post mount (or a roll cage mount, if you have a cage) is the best because then you can see numerous things that you're doing, such as where you're looking when cornering (should be looking ahead!), the speed (if the quality of the camera is high enough), and your inputs on the steering wheel. This is what I'm using video for; I want to ensure that my inputs are smooth and that my head is turned the right way in a corner. I can also check my line, see what I'm doing when I'm doing off-line passing/cornering, and compare my speed from corners to previous laps to see if I'm taking a corner better.

[Asiah119]

Refining my inputs is really my goal. I know that I have a tendency to watch the apex come at me and then look up. I can put revs and speed on the overlay, but perhaps seeing myself in the frame will help; seeing what I'm doing instead of being ready for a shift. Hopefully, being familiar with the track, and it not being 35 degrees will help with confidence in the tighter corners. Oak Tree (VIR) pretty consistently had me in 2nd speeds but I just stayed in 3rd. Idk if the solution is another shift, or carrying more speed through the corner, but that's a confidence and comfort issue. There's a magic spell that will make me know where my cars limits are and drive right up to them right?

[az3579]

Oak Tree (VIR) pretty consistently had me in 2nd speeds but I just stayed in 3rd. Idk if the solution is another shift, or carrying more speed through the corner, but that's a confidence and comfort issue.

For shifting, that is a "do what works best" type of thing. You don't really want to go shifting unnecessarily as that in itself wastes time, especially if it's right before a corner. The perfect example of this is at Lime Rock (my home track), there is a back straight that my car tops out in 3rd. Well, nearly tops out. I have engine software that has a 7000 rpm rev limiter, and it damn near bounces off of it by the time I have to brake for the corner. I don't waste time with it because the corner after that is a steep uphill, one that it feels like a dog on in 4th gear, so I leave it in third. Granted, if I ever gain speed out of the previous corner, I might actually be hitting the limiter before the corner, at which point I'll have to make a choice. I haven't gotten there yet, nor do I know if it'll ever happen, but the situation always dictates what gear you should be in. In my case, it would be a waste of time to shift, and right now isn't necessary. I don't know your circumstances so I can't really comment on your case.



There's a magic spell that will make me know where my cars limits are and drive right up to them right?

lol
Unfortunately not. Knowing your car's limits isn't the challenge. The challenge lies in being able to maintain the car at those limits to work in your favor.
It took me 8 years to get to where I am now, and I KNOW that I still have lots of places where I could do better to carry more speed more efficiently. It took 7 years just to get to the Intermediate run group, to put that into perspective.
It's a continual learning process.

[Asiah119]

The issue I see myself having with oak tree, and I dont know how familiar you are with VIR, is that its twoish turns really, you come up from the uphill esses at (i think i averaged) 90-100, a lefthander that you scrub down to maybe 60-70 into a downhill and then up that puts you into oak tree, early apex, track all the way out to the outside gator and then back to the outside apex and trackout that puts you on the back straight. Somewhere in the middle I just lose all of my speed, and I need to not do that.

Link to me on the track, my projected speeds are maybe a little high. But the vid will show what im bad at explaining. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhyeu-ZhY04#t=658

[derbo]

I mounted on my sunroof for this one:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BevKoGMixjM&list=UU6WHXri7RK-yuG6NDkKziEQ&feature=c4-overview

The rear window suction cup:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLwyJMOzUb8&list=UU6WHXri7RK-yuG6NDkKziEQ&feature=c4-overview

The front bumper:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDwc-benMqo&list=UU6WHXri7RK-yuG6NDkKziEQ&feature=c4-overview

Top of the sunroof:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyMthzxb_B8&list=UU6WHXri7RK-yuG6NDkKziEQ&feature=c4-overview



These are all Go Pro videos.. I like the inside view the most for viewing what I am doing and analyze the driving habits. :)

[Avetiso]

Derek, I know how you can cut a few seconds of your lap times.

Clears.

[M0nk3y]

I like the rear quarter window (or rear passenger window).

Can still get a good picture of the track, hand position, and what my head is doing


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0iuYya4g54


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpgOwoaDXOM

[tkundhi]

Asiah119

You've gotten good suggestions from BP, Derek & Kyle. When I mount my camera for analysis, like Kyle, I prefer mounting it outside the car behind the driver. Either on the rear passenger or rear quarter window. This gives me a view of the front, the edge of the car, my hands and helmet. I think those items are much more important than seeing the majority data that is in your video. That said there is value in using both your phone and a GoPro together. If I have access to a second camera I mount it using the passenger headrest. I try to aim it so I can see out the front and also what I'm doing with my hands and feet. I plan to try my GoPro with Harry's Lap Timer this year.

BP's comments about driving are right on. This sport time time and practice. Lots of practice. There really are very few naturals. Regarding VIR, I watched several laps but not the whole video. It's been 10+ years since I've driven there. Also, I wasn't in the car with you. So take my comments with a grain of salt.

1. It looks like you can carry more speed through the left handler and down the hill. It doesn't seem like you are hitting the apex. You might be as much as a 1/2 car width off it. And you aren't on the throttle (or at least full throttle) until almost track out. Yes, it is a tricky blind turn. But the track isn't going to move from lap to lap. Get your line right and then have faith and confidence the track will be exactly where it was the lap before.

2. I think you are entering Oak Tree too fast. At least the second part of the turn. Again you aren't getting on the throttle till the end of the turn. That hurts you all the way down the back straight. Plus you are going uphill the whole way. Slow down on entry, hit the apex and position the car so you get on the throttle at or before the second apex. Make the straight as long as possible.

Good luck and drive safe.

t.

[derbo]

Derek, I know how you can cut a few seconds of your lap times.

Clears.

:rofl


If you are planning to do any analysis, its best to have data from something like harry's laptimer. The onboard GPS is only polling at 1Hz so its not exactly accurate for corner speeds but its relatively good for laptimes. I would suggest a BT external GPS if you do use harry's laptimer. http://www.amazon.com/Dual-Electronics-XGPS150A-Universal-Bluetooth/dp/B006M49G80/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393803428&sr=8-1&keywords=xgps150a

I had my eye on this and I've talked to several local track guys who like this setup with their phones.


I plan to have two GoPros, One of the middle of the bumper and one watching my driver inputs. Including the Harry laptimer data with the external 5GHz, I will have a great source of information to analyze and see what I am doing wrong. I will need ODB wifi setup as well for throttle and brake positions further down the line but I think this is beyond excessive for someone who is doing this for recreation.. :eeps

[Asiah119]

What are you using to get brake position? Torque gives me a display for everything the car has a sensor for, I have a throttle position (I think) but definitely not a brake position.