Re[2]: in-car camera mount for driving schools?

[Richard Welty <rwelty@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 05 Nov 2002 16:12:26 -0500 AHSprite78@domain.elided wrote:

> Here's a short part of what I created to mount a video camera in my car.
>  http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~smithm3/mods/cam_mount/index.htm
 
> There's a link on that page with a write up that I looked at before
> creating it.  

it's an interesting mount. i do have some comments. please take them in the
spirit in which they are intended, i'm trying to provide helpful
information here. my perspective is as an SCCA tech inspector who has held
a national scrutineering license since 1995, and who chiefs tech at 4 SCCA
events at lime rock each year. i see a _lot_ of camera mounts.

the main weakness of this design is a simple one -- the 1/4-20 bolt into
the bottom of the camera is a single point of failure, and a significant
weak spot. the SCCA has required multiple attachments to the camera body
since the mid-90s. the solution in the I/O Port camera mount (a common one
involving a strap which wraps the camera body) is not a favorite of mine,
but it is better than nothing.

you need to consider how to provide a limit on the camera's movement in the
event of failure of the 1/4-20 bolt, and how that restraint will keep the
camera from banging on the driver or any passenger in the event the bolt
fails.

failure of this bolt is admittedly less of an issue at driving school than
at a race, but it still can happen, especially as the bolt ages and
fatigues with lots of driving school service. i'd consider using a very
high grade of bolt and annual replacement of same at the very least.

richard
- --
Richard Welty                                         rwelty@domain.elided
Averill Park Networking                                         518-573-7592
              Unix, Linux, IP Network Engineering, Security

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