Video helmet

[Randy g]

I made this up yesterday in anticipation of our upcoming Florida trip. First timer with GP and we are really looking forward to it. Ordered a memory card online and should have that in a day or so. Can't wait to try it out.

Helmet is a Giro ski helmet. Total buoyancy is about 4 lbs positive the way it sits. I will start hacking the foam out today and hopefully drop that a couple of pounds then add a little lead to equalize it.

Lights are Hollis 3x LEDs and I have a Sola 1200 coming.

GP3B is tethered incase the sticky decides to give up the ship and fall off.



I was wanting a completely hands free video setup with lights. Since we scooter and the wife will be wearing it I wanted it as easy to use for her as possible, basically turn on and jump in. Sola will be mounted in place of one of the Hollis lights. It allows for her to be visable to me from a distance and allows for ample light for her, so she doesn't have to worry about a hand light.

 

[JamesK]

Nice looking helmet.

A few comments/questions if you don't mind.

1. Mounting lights on the helmet don't always give the best video due to backscatter. I used to use a setup almost identical to this. I even considered mounting my SOLA's on the helmet until I saw all the scatter I was getting.

2. 4lbs positive is a lot of buoyancy. The SOLA should bring that down quite a bit though.

3. With something as bright as a SOLA 1200 in video mode on her helmet, you will be blinded anytime you look at her.

4. Have you considered a scooter mount?

5. How much was the helmet? It looks nice and if I could get a small enough size to remove all the foam and fit my head, I might consider making a new one.

I say all this because I ran helmet mounted setups, and still do. I do not use helmet mounted lights though. The helmet mounted camera is simply a "backup" camera that is used to capture everything I look at on a dive. I use two other cameras on home built trays separate from my light sources on a home built goodman handle.

 

[Randy g]

Nice looking helmet.

A few comments/questions if you don't mind.

1. Mounting lights on the helmet don't always give the best video due to backscatter. I used to use a setup almost identical to this. I even considered mounting my SOLA's on the helmet until I saw all the scatter I was getting.

2. 4lbs positive is a lot of buoyancy. The SOLA should bring that down quite a bit though.

3. With something as bright as a SOLA 1200 in video mode on her helmet, you will be blinded anytime you look at her.

4. Have you considered a scooter mount?

5. How much was the helmet? It looks nice and if I could get a small enough size to remove all the foam and fit my head, I might consider making a new one.

I say all this because I ran helmet mounted setups, and still do. I do not use helmet mounted lights though. The helmet mounted camera is simply a "backup" camera that is used to capture everything I look at on a dive. I use two other cameras on home built trays separate from my light sources on a home built goodman handle.

Thanks I thought the helmet was pretty nice looking as well. Sports Authority had them for $79. Cheaper than the kayak helmets I looked at, so I picked it up. I thought about the backscatter but never having tried video before, I just didn't know. We will have to figure something out for her. Mount the Sola to a soft goodman handle for her maybe.

I have a Hollis H160 with built in 3 watt nose light. I put a gp mount on the top to try it out with the scooter in a couple of weeks. I will make sure to tether it, incase it decides to come off and get sucked into the prop.

 

[toozler]

Are you guys cave diving in north Florida?

 

[Marty Cerven]

Interesting I look forward to seeing how your video's turn out, I think you want to keep the camera as far ahead as possible like in your second pic to avoid bubbles off you regulator.

Lights generally should be above the camera but that's not really practical on a helmet setup and it will be interesting to see mostly how these work. If the water is very clear it shouldnt be an issue but if it gets a bit silty or murky back scatter could be a bit of an issue.

 

[JamesK]

Randy, thanks for the reply. I am going to look at these at SA.

Toozler, yes I cave dive in North Florida quite often.

 

[Randy g]

Duplicate post

 

[Randy g]

Interesting I look forward to seeing how your video's turn out, I think you want to keep the camera as far ahead as possible like in your second pic to avoid bubbles off you regulator.

Lights generally should be above the camera but that's not really practical on a helmet setup and it will be interesting to see mostly how these work. If the water is very clear it shouldnt be an issue but if it gets a bit silty or murky back scatter could be a bit of an issue.

We will be scootering most of the time so bubbles shouldn't be to much of a problem. I have an extension that will move it farther way from the lights and higher by another 2.5". I may try that if backscatter becomes a problem. Can't wait to see how it works.

I can always try this if I get alot of bs.