Helmet cameras...

anthem said:

I have both - along with a few others. I find I grab the contour every time I go to the track though. It's audio is quite good if you don't have direct wind blowing on it (mine is mounted behind the windshield) and its the easiest to use as you just flip the top switch and it starts recording.

Shape wise its small and mount wise - once you get to a std tripod mount, you can use Ram balls to ram mounts or panavise mounts. GoPro's record decently well as well, and they have a plethora of mounts. I find their mounts don't work well for motorcycles because anything longer than one pivot on their mounts vibrates way too much. So you're stuck converting it to tripod mount and then going from there. It's a good camera - just not my first choice as its a bit more complex to get recording than sliding a switch with gloves.

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do you also have an ion air pro? IMO this thing looks the best of them all, but so far I havent found anyone using it? Any experience with this thing?

Jaouad said:

do you also have an ion air pro? IMO this thing looks the best of them all, but so far I havent found anyone using it? Any experience with this thing?

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I know nothing of the ION. Looks like a standard bullet camera from quite a few manufacturers out there. No idea of quality or anything else. I use GPS on my video's which the Ion doesn't have anyhow.

Nope it doesn't. For which purposes do you use the GPS?

Jaouad said:

Nope it doesn't. For which purposes do you use the GPS?

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Look at the contour software - it uses the GPS to lay out a track of where you've been etc. . . Also if you use dashware - it can lay out the camera video over GPS data over the track. If you have starlane, it'll also overlay where you were on the throttle and at what points over the track. Hoping I can interface the DDA+ the same way, but since I don't have yet, can't test that.

To the OP: asking this question is a bit like asking BMW or Ducati / Catholic or Protestant or Canon or Nikon.

Best bet, find a store where you can play around with any of those suggested here and make your own mind up. This thread could run and run.

anthem said:

Look at the contour software - it uses the GPS to lay out a track of where you've been etc. . . Also if you use dashware - it can lay out the camera video over GPS data over the track. If you have starlane, it'll also overlay where you were on the throttle and at what points over the track. Hoping I can interface the DDA+ the same way, but since I don't have yet, can't test that.

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to be honest I don't understand what you mean. Is there a video online of you that shows how you used the GPS?

Jaouad said:

to be honest I don't understand what you mean. Is there a video online of you that shows how you used the GPS?

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All my video's are private, but to give you an idea - here is what I'm talking about

2011_08_08_Les_Ecuyers_16h45_gauges_best_lap_2min11s.avi - YouTube

This is using a video from a camera with GPS encoded on there. Dashware takes that GPS coordinates tied to the video and can overlay (various different overlays) onto the video (track location, etc). The starlane laptimer also has GPS coordinates tied to its data - mainly throttle/rpm (and some people do brake as well) - but that can also be tied into the dashware for the video. This particular video only shows throttle as a bar graph, but starlane records the actual throttle (throttle sense wire in the 1199) at that particular GPS point.

But as you can see - going around the track, through the corners, the straights, etc you can see where you're throttle is cracked open, its full, its partial, etc. Video and listening is good - but knowing what you're doing when and where is better.

Awesome, looks like an XBOX game! I understand how Dashware works with the video/data from the Contour, but I don't see where Starlane is interfaced to the 1199. Have you done that?

Links for the 3:

Contour | Products | Contour Plus 2

DashWare.net

- Quick shifter, automatic chrono, gear indicator, digital dashboard, quick shift kit, data acquisition system, gps laptimer,gps lap timer, quickshifter, motorbike, kart and car.

Trauma said:

Awesome, looks like an XBOX game! I understand how Dashware works with the video/data from the Contour, but I don't see where Starlane is interfaced to the 1199. Have you done that?

Links for the 3:

Contour | Products | Contour Plus 2

DashWare.net

- Quick shifter, automatic chrono, gear indicator, digital dashboard, quick shift kit, data acquisition system, gps laptimer,gps lap timer, quickshifter, motorbike, kart and car.

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I have the Starlane Athon which has data acquisition. I only tie the throttle in. You just peel back the rubber to expose the throttle wire on the 1199 and tie wrap the throttle sense cable to the throttle wire (no cutting/splicing at all). It then picks up the throttle in the starlane Athon unit. The starlane athon unit records gps coordinates, RPM (and/or temp if you have that stored) and whatever else you want to input. It's a poor mans data acquisition unit (though not cheap) that also doubles as a very very good laptimer. However, you can interface that into dashware to tie throttle with video.

That being said - I wouldn't bother too much with starlane Athon on the 1199 eventhough I use it now, as the DDA will supposedly do the same. I haven't seen the DDA output yet and whether thats compatible with dashware or not as I'm still waiting for mine. But if it is - that will potentially replace the starlane on the 1199. Although the DDA from Ducati is actually a crappy lap timer compared to Starlane, though it acquires other things on the Ducati much better (full set of data outside of telemetry that you have to buy separately).

oh sorry, in answer to your question the Starlane Athon outputs a text file with all the relevant data that the dashware integrates in. It's pretty standard with most of the data acquisition units to output in a format that is similar.

I am a software developer, and making disparate systems communicate with each other, is my favorite challange. I think I will get the Contour Camera, just because of the software and its compatibility. When I get it all in, I will ping you again if that is ok, and get it all set up. I can document that and share it on this forum.

anthem said:

All my video's are private, but to give you an idea - here is what I'm talking about

2011_08_08_Les_Ecuyers_16h45_gauges_best_lap_2min11s.avi - YouTube

This is using a video from a camera with GPS encoded on there. Dashware takes that GPS coordinates tied to the video and can overlay (various different overlays) onto the video (track location, etc). The starlane laptimer also has GPS coordinates tied to its data - mainly throttle/rpm (and some people do brake as well) - but that can also be tied into the dashware for the video. This particular video only shows throttle as a bar graph, but starlane records the actual throttle (throttle sense wire in the 1199) at that particular GPS point.

But as you can see - going around the track, through the corners, the straights, etc you can see where you're throttle is cracked open, its full, its partial, etc. Video and listening is good - but knowing what you're doing when and where is better.

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Quite amazing stuff... It ´s like I am watching a motoGP race. I didn ´t know that you could go this far with a simpel action cam. This is definitely +1 for the Contour...

I will have to read your manual once again to understand how you exactly managed to get it like this. thnx for sharing

Jaouad said:

Quite amazing stuff... It ´s like I am watching a motoGP race. I didn ´t know that you could go this far with a simpel action cam. This is definitely +1 for the Contour...

I will have to read your manual once again to understand how you exactly managed to get it like this. thnx for sharing

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There's a manual on this? Where??

anthem said:

Look at the contour software - it uses the GPS to lay out a track of where you've been etc. . . Also if you use dashware - it can lay out the camera video over GPS data over the track. If you have starlane, it'll also overlay where you were on the throttle and at what points over the track. Hoping I can interface the DDA+ the same way, but since I don't have yet, can't test that.

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The guys at Champion Cameras told me that at the end of the month the new Contour+ 2 is coming out... (http://www.championcameras.com/en/contour-2.html) You convinced me with the movie to get a cam with gps so its probably going to be this new contour+ 2.

The only thing I now need to know is how to get it like the movie you shared?? Any idea where I can find a tutorial that explains me step by step how to make a movie with speed, rpm, brake, throttle data displayed on the screen. Any idea where I could find this?? Probably also nice for all the people that have such a cam....

Jaouad said:

The guys at Champion Cameras told me that at the end of the month the new Contour+ 2 is coming out... (Contour + 2 - Champion Cameras) You convinced me with the movie to get a cam with gps so its probably going to be this new contour+ 2.

The only thing I now need to know is how to get it like the movie you shared?? Any idea where I can find a tutorial that explains me step by step how to make a movie with speed, rpm, brake, throttle data displayed on the screen. Any idea where I could find this?? Probably also nice for all the people that have such a cam....

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Dashware will take the input from whatever you have. Look on their site from what it works with. Speed is not an issue because it can calculate it from GPS coordinates. However, if you want RPM/throttle, temperature, brake - then you will have to use another data acquisition device. I currently use Starlane Athos, but there are others (look on their site). The DDA+ from Ducati does the same thing and a lot easier (no wiring harness to play with) but I don't know whether it exports data into a format dashware can import (yet) as its too new.

jimmymendoza said:

I didn't want to miss any angle...

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Haha, I can imagine you lose 20mph at the top end with this setup.

anthem said:

Dashware will take the input from whatever you have. Look on their site from what it works with. Speed is not an issue because it can calculate it from GPS coordinates. However, if you want RPM/throttle, temperature, brake - then you will have to use another data acquisition device. I currently use Starlane Athos, but there are others (look on their site). The DDA+ from Ducati does the same thing and a lot easier (no wiring harness to play with) but I don't know whether it exports data into a format dashware can import (yet) as its too new.

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Did you change your dashboard? (replaced it with starlane athos??)

Trauma said:

I am a software developer, and making disparate systems communicate with each other, is my favorite challange. I think I will get the Contour Camera, just because of the software and its compatibility. When I get it all in, I will ping you again if that is ok, and get it all set up. I can document that and share it on this forum.

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That would be really great! I would love to have some kind of simple tutorial explaining how to get this result! thnx in advance....