DYI Towcam.
Having seen some wonderfull and impressive footage and life streaming of these underwater kit camera's I like one myself.
So, I am making/assembling one myself.
If I am succesfull then the a way to replicate it is documented here
First of all you need a IP68 rated tube camera with a decent debt of field.
Then you need to make the power- and signal cable longer in a waterproof way.
next you need a towing cable that can withstand a chewing from the gamefish and friends and manufacture the wings to make it tow straight.
Next you need a TV monitor on board to broadcast.
I have found a suitable camera at Altronics @ $270 rec. retail. but got it for $219
S9139 SK-2120 (92") Colour Submersible CCD Sony Sensor Bullet Camera with Infra Red mode. waterproof to 30 mtrs
I am getting a LED Monitor/TV/DVD today (less than $200)and also at the shop above was a swivel TV bracket system on special ($5)!! so the monitor can be swiveled into the door opening of the cabin and the pictures can be seen while we are going along on deck!
When not in use the TV/DVD can be pushed out of the way and used in the cabin.
I have tested the camera yesterday on an already installed and in use underwater ready bought Kit.
And the pictures from this camera unit are excelent.
It is not full Hi Def but very very good even in IR mode!
Also the debt of field is brilliant.
So so far it seems to be going in the right direction.
Let me know here if this is of any interest otherwise the Modds can delete this topic if it contravines any rules or annoys someone.
Paul_86
Posts: 1449
Date Joined: 27/03/09
Sounds like a good little
Sounds like a good little project mate. The only annoying part of ur post is that we have to wait for good weather so u can get it out for a run and show us the videos u take! Ive considered doing similar before so im keen to see how it goes!
snappermiles
Posts: 2100
Date Joined: 05/11/10
sounds good
you should post some pictures of your setup??
i set up a camera on the hard top for this years mackies trip but the weather was that crap we didnt even trawl!!
ALL FISHERMEN ARE LIARS EXCEPT YOU AND ME! AND IM NOT SO SURE ABOUT YOU!
Paul N
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 09/11/06
made a few myself
Used a reversing camera from ebay and made my own housing and it works great. I have also made a drop cam and had it down to 60mtrs without exploding. Was surprised how good it works at that depth without lighting. Can see if the fish are there before we wet a line lol .I use a 7inch portable dvd player screen as monitor and have a 12 volt video recorder hooked up to it as well . I also have overhead camera on the hard top and can switch between this and towcam when trolling.
Have found it tricky to get the towcam to stay stable when towing and also needs to be able to alter depth as it rises and falls with diff speeds . A work in progress but the drop cam works great , its on 150mtrs of cable but only had it to 60mtrs so far.
ebay camera $30 , home made plastic housing $10 , 150 mtrs 4core cable (video x 2 power x 2 ) $50 , second hand monitor i had .
I must add that it took me a few goes to get to this stage . The camera housing was the hard part. Making it able to withstand deep water pressure was hard but trial and error paid off.
milsey
Posts: 1462
Date Joined: 22/08/07
I would aslo be very
I would aslo be very interested in a few pics, to get a underwater camera for under a hundred would be awesome.
Paul N
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 09/11/06
will try
will try to take a couple of pics. not sure how to add them to this thread but will figure it out.
Paul N
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 09/11/06
milsey
I didnt figure out how to add pics to this topic so I have started a new one and added pics there called tow cam / drop cam pics. If anyone knows how to move them to here please do . Thanks
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
Bought a LED screen TV USB
Bought a LED screen TV USB recording monitor.
Typical me, went for it and upon coming home have been told
I have been ripped.
My partner is a gadget enthusiast, knows all the inns and outs of every usefull electronic gizmo, bless her!
I am still happy with the deal.hehe.
I have welded a bracket in the middle of my rocket launcher to do just that, a recording camera to record the mayhem on the afterdeck when a fish is caught!
Great minds think alike!
Will plonk the monitor on the actual dash in the steering cabin as it has 3 year replacement warranty in the purchase price!
or moddying the swivel bracket and powdercoat the end result.
Now the cable extention is the next thing plus a bolt where I will weld a thick washer on for the SS cable to be attached to.
Then making the wings to let it fly under water!
This camera has an anti condensation inner housing, which means to me it is a vacuum housing but, could be wrong.
This means that I have to extend the cables at the cable ends and make this joint waterproof and "airodynamicly " shaped.
Thinking about using resin to make it waterproof and propperly shaped.
Any pictures of your project will be appreciated.
fishy fingers
Posts: 1719
Date Joined: 28/04/07
use heat shrink
the heat shrink with glue will seal the joins no worries you can buy it from most electrical wholesalers
I've been developing this type of setupp for about 3 years now with a security dome camera above my windscree
and a dvd recorder under the dash with monitor on the dash with a av switch to switch between the underwater cam
and the deck cam
fishy fingers
Posts: 1719
Date Joined: 28/04/07
use heat shrink
the heat shrink with built in glue will seal the joins no worries you can buy it from most electrical wholesalers
I've been developing this type of setup for about 3 years now with a security dome camera above my windscreen and a mic under my rocket launcher
and a dvd recorder under the dash with monitor on the dash with a av switch to switch between the underwater cam
and the deck cam
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
Yes the internal glued
Yes the internal glued heatshrink is the first form of defence but then if it needs an aerodynamic shape the resin would be one of my options.
This TV has a recording function on USB cards.
A microphone on deck, Good idea!
I am putting a source switch in to differenciate between the deck cam (yet to purchase) and the trolling cam.
Great to see sugestions and participation on this.
It is amazing what can be achieved with a bit of info sharing!
The TV and camera work in my dummy set up here at home.
How far back does a camera need to be dragged to get rid of the prop wash or can you drag the camera from a side of the boat?
Now to find some 4 core shielded cable of about 25/30 mtrs long.
Then I can warm up the soldering iron
and some 25 mtrs of SS rigging cable, some crimps and eyelets!
I will wire in a waterproof connection point at the back of the boat.
Might as well get another deck camera while I am at it, hehe!
fishy fingers
Posts: 1719
Date Joined: 28/04/07
Jaycar
I use the combo cable all the time at work rg 59 coax and red/black for power all in one sheath you cam buy it by the metre at jaycar but it is quite bulky unfortunatley you need it for the volts drop if you want to drop to 60 metres.
as for streamlining the joint if you can solder then all you have to do is solder the wires at staggered intervals so as to reduce the thickness.
your biggest problem will be the wings to get it to tow straight you also need a lot ofr wheight to compensate for the drag
of stainless cable. your better off running the cable straight to the recorder
if you have connection points in the cockpit you run the risk of water ingress in your connections if that happens game over
Paul N
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 09/11/06
no need for stainless cable
There is not as much drag on the towcam as you would think. If you make sure the first half metre of cable has a strong cover over it ( like stailness hose used for plumbing ) it stops the toothy critters biting it off. Then just run the cable direct to the back of the boat and a plug and cable to the tv / recorder.
fishy fingers
Posts: 1719
Date Joined: 28/04/07
I agree
the stainless cable is a bit of overkill. I can supply the combo cable for $1.00 per metre
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
(No subject)
Here you go Pauln's setup.
Thank you for the pics.
Paul N
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 09/11/06
Thanks Glastonomic
Will figure out how to add pics to a existing thread oneday.
I also have another dropcam that is half the size of this one. The image quality of this camera is better but due to the larger housing it tends to move from side to side so I added the fin to stop it.
The first housings i made were out of steel but i found that pvc couplings were easier to make , just as strong and cheap. The hardest part is making the clear part of the housing watertight.
fishy fingers
Posts: 1719
Date Joined: 28/04/07
is the black cable coax and power
or just a twisted pair as in outdoor phone cable.
Paul N
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 09/11/06
the black cable is same as
the black cable is same as outdoor phone cable . 4 wires that have a waterproof gel like covering and then the black plasic 4mm dia. I use 2 wires for power and 2 for video
fishy fingers
Posts: 1719
Date Joined: 28/04/07
I thought so
problem with twisted pair you will lose video quality over even a short length better to use rg59 coax as the cameras are deigned to use although as I stated the combo cable is quite thick and stiff hence the need for a lot of wheight, the other option is to use the cable as above and put video baluns on each end to convert the video to a data signal and back you would have to house the balun in the housing though and you still have the problem with volts drop over the twisted pair
Paul N
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 09/11/06
thanks for that
I do have a problem with voltage drop with 150mtrs of cable , I have to keep the engine running to get enough power to the camera . Not a big issue but the other dropcam i have just used normal indoor phone cable and i dont have a problem with voltage drop but the cable housing is too stretchy and will get damaged too easy.
Dont know what video baluns are ! Sounds like i should be using them though . The video quality i have is good but if i could make it better i would . I will google balun and have a look .
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
here is the one mentioned in
here is the one mentioned in my early posts in this topic.
Paul N
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 09/11/06
that looks the same
that looks the same as the reversing camera i used in my towcam. It said it was waterfroof but not to the depths you mentioned. I did try one without a housing and the glass face cracked quite easily at about 20mtrs. Yours is obviously a better build quality than my $30 one lol. I have joined the cable inside the housing and also added weight to the front and inside bottom ( balast ) of the housing to make it tow better and stay level.
One thing to note is not to point the camera direct into the sun as it can damage it .
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Today
Just got mine today. Goes to 50 meters. has 12 LED's at the front, comes with a 100mm LCD screen but is adaptable to a laptop or a recording device or o/head flat screen. Plastic sealed body & 2 stainless steel adjustable weights at the bottom so the tow angle can be altered.
$145.00 delivered to the door so next time out we are gunna see wot is there & why it aint playin the game.lol
cheers Rob
Cheers & Stay safe
Paul N
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 09/11/06
Good one Deckie
If its the ones you can get off ebay i'm not sure they are rated to go to 50 mtrs. they do have 50mtrs of cable but only rated to go to 20mtrs deep. I have a mate who has one and the image quality is great. You will have lots of fun.
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
can you please put up a link
can you please put up a link to give people a reference if they want to investigate and or getting one of those, please?
mrwinta
Posts: 457
Date Joined: 14/01/10
couldn't help myself....
I followed your link and couldn't help myself so I ordered on too.... will be handy gadget for confirming what you see on your sounder if you are still learning.... Thanks for posting that link...
NEVER PUSH YOUR GRANNY WHEN SHE'S SHAVING
fishy fingers
Posts: 1719
Date Joined: 28/04/07
google
submersible cctv cameras there are much better quality cameras available than ebay crap but can be expensive, mine cost
around three hundred dollars from ness security products but they dont do it anymore and my supplier dosent do them at all
but plenty do
Paul N
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 09/11/06
cctv board
I ended up getting a cctv super had camera board from ebay and making my own housing . Camera quality isn't the problem its the submersible housing thats the tricky part.
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Dino Direct
http://www.dinodirect.com/underwater-monitor-ccd-camera-system-50m-c1-003-02-et-358-currency-AUD.html
hope this helps. Yeah lookin forward to havin a little fun with it, especially in shallow water over reefs.
cheers Rob
Cheers & Stay safe
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
Got one as well and tried it
Got one as well and tried it last wednesday.
Sensational bitta kit!
PerthGlory
Posts: 157
Date Joined: 07/03/10
very tempting
glast,
did you use it anchored, drifting or trolling?
thanks for the link and comments guys. this might just tip the balance in my favour!!
Cheers
PG
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
This what attracted me to the
This what attracted me to the camera that I got.
waterproof and has sunshade clip on cap that should act as a wing as it has a perfect gap between the camera body and the sunshade.
Plus it is easy to add wings to.
It is also weighty plus the back towng point is nicely in the centre.
If it turns out unsuitable then it can be used as the top deckie cam.
It has a swifel mounting bracket included perfect fitting on the rocket launcher plate.
mrwinta
Posts: 457
Date Joined: 14/01/10
just a thought...
I follow gopro on facebook and it sends me gopro photo's of the day and there is some pretty cool shots and videos. So when you guys get your towcams up and running maybe start a thread with tow cam photo's of the day and people can add relative pics and vids to that thread..
Cheers
NEVER PUSH YOUR GRANNY WHEN SHE'S SHAVING
tailor marc
Posts: 2979
Date Joined: 27/09/06
I would love to find a way to
I would love to find a way to biuld a towcam housing around the go pro. The quality of the go pro with eye of mine housing is totally insain
My photography pictures... http://westernhorizonsmedia.wordpress.com/
backlash
Posts: 335
Date Joined: 12/10/10
http://www.bluebottlefishing.
http://www.bluebottlefishing.com/products/trollpro3-underwater-housing-for-gopro-with-tow-line.html