INT: $10 in car camera mount

[chessboxer]

First and foremost, this is incredibly similar to cokinut's diy http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=698 , with the only real difference being the aluminum pole i used was smaller, and i dont use the actual camera mount from a store like he did. That being said, this is the 10 dollar version, which has its advantages and disadvantages, which i will list upon the completion of this diy. Also, this diy has pics, so hooray for that, and props to cokinut for doing the original, and he deserves credit for most of this.

In car camera mount:
Supplies needed:
3/4"x 36" aluminum square tube
2: 2 1/2"x 1/4" hex bolts
2:1/4" wingnuts
1: 1 1/2" 1/'4" cap screw hex bolt
6: washers
1: 1/4" nut
1: 3/16 allen key
1: drill
1: 1/4" drill bit

Here's a pic of the square tube, with upc even

Directions
Step 1: purchase supplies
Step 2: cut a 10" and a 19" piece of aluminum square tube

Step 3: drill a hole all the way through each piece of tube, one on each side of the headrest poles(should be near the end of each end of the 10" piece) This will secure the mount to the headrest.
step 4: on the 19" piece, drill a hole from the top to the bottom(opposite sides of the tubing from the last drilled holes) on the opposite end of where the last holes were drilled. This will be for the screw that goes to your camera and holds the camera in place.
step 5: Place the 10" piece on the front side of the headrest poles and push your bolts through the drilled holes
Step 6: Place the 19" piece to the back of the headrest poles and push the bolts through the drilled holes( it is important that you lined up the holes properly) and secure everything in place via the wingnuts on the end of the hex bolts.

Step 7: Place 6 washers on the last remaining bolt, push it through the hole so that the top is on the underside of the tube and then place a nut on the bolt as well. Screw the nut down to where it almost touches the pole, but doesnt quite, or at least to where you can still twist the bolt around. It will look like this

Step 8: Assuming you have a camera that has a 1/4" thread, proceed to screw the bolt into the bottom of you camera, and using the allen key, tighten it down so that it doesn't move from side to side while driving.
Step 9: Adjust your passenger seat to get the best view possible with the camera.
Step 10: Record videos and post them!
Without the camera on, it looks like this

Here's a pic from the camera in bad lighting.


Pros:
Cheap!
It holds your camera so you can record your driving without you killing people due to trying to go fast and record at the same time
Easy and quick to make(10-20) minutes tops

Cons:
If your car vibrates a lot like mine does(thanks exhaust that ends under the seat!) the camera itself will vibrate a lot as well.
It isn't as adjustable as a mount with an adjustable actual camera mount on it.

There you have it ladies and germs. I'll post some videos of it in action when i get my tune and such. If you have any questions let me know, as the most expensive part of the whole project is the 9 dollar aluminum square tube.
Questions, comments, smart remarks?

[Smokinspeeds]

Very interesting, don't like the vibration thing and the fact that you'd have to adjust the WHOLE seat to get the focus where you want it. Very good still, I'd just modify it a bit more to make it adjustable. still

[palinix]

Nice write up for an inexpensive and functional recording tool.

Can't wait to see some video taken using it.

[chessboxer]

the shakiness is more of by product of my car, as the mount itself is very secure.

[chessboxer]

very short video i made with this. its not so shaky when moving as it is at idle for me, where my car shakes more due to the idle.
its 40-70 mph at about 3/4 throttle, and i didnt get all the way on it due to no tune.

[TekSi]

That's actually a really cool idea, nice job on the mount and the vid for that matter. I understand what your saying with the video(s) being shaky. I think I'd have the same problem. That'd be a cool thing to use for meets to shoot some rolling vides.

[jd6829]

10 bucks isnt too bad. nice write up

[lummieCB7]

I made one of these mounts about 6 years ago but i put on a camera Ball mount so that i could adjust the camera. Ball mount was $30 at a local camera shop. i originally got the plans from hybrid2.honda-perf.org ages ago.







edit: here's the original plans
http://hybrid2.honda-perf.org/contri...t/buildit.html

[turbomaxx]

that is damn awesome! i cant wait to make one!




maybe i should get a camera first.

[jdmhondaman]

Originally Posted by turbomaxx

that is damn awesome! i cant wait to make one!




maybe i should get a camera first.

same here man nice write up

[Haccord21]

Good write up. The shaking problem isnt really all that bad if you compare it to a friend holding the camera. Maybe when i get a camera i can get this done.

[Leung]

does your camera have that image stability feature? it's suppose to correct the shaky hand problem.

This is a cool idea.

[chessboxer]

i just use my digi cam to record, and the shakiness, as i have since found out is really only at idle, since my idle is what makes the car shake. when im going it doesnt move very much, and even with a more expensive actual camera mount, i cant see the shakiness going away. im going to try it in the passat and see if i am right in my thinking here.

[steelbluesleepR]

you could put rubber strip/grommets in between the metal rods and the moung to reduce the shaking.

[Lantis]

can you get some more pics of the finished product, I only see one bar and don't see what you did with the 10 inch bar.