Bullet camera mounts

[JHerscher]

How are people choosing to mount bullet cameras?

I have used a roll bar mount, a bodywork mount, and I’ve even used a mini camera inside the helmet.

The roll bar mounts provide the best overall view but the cameras shook themselves to death after a season (Chasecam). The mounts were on the top of the hoop and I had one pointing forward and another back. Both had some amount of vibration damping material but possibly not enough.

The bodywork mount was ok but the video perspective limited. Never had problems with the vibration but frankly this type mount didn’t last long before I switched.

The in helmet view had great entertainment value for showing what the driver experiences, but as people have noted, it can be a bit of a chore to watch after a time. Also not very useful as a learning tool.

I have a certain amount invested in my Chase PDR100 system already and don’t care to toss it and spend the cash on a new system, so I don’t really care to discuss the merits of one system over another. I’m interested in how other drivers in high vibration cars like ours are dealing with the challenge this brings to securing the longevity of equipment.

I’ve shown you mine, how about you show me yours?

thanks
John

[Jphoenix]

I fabricated it from .25 thick aluminum, rivnuts into the steel web between the roll bars on an FM. Works fine, no problems.

[99sh]

Relatively cheap solution. Swivel mount makes aiming very convenient.

[Richard Hybels]

Hi,
where did you get the swivel mount in bottom pic?
thanks

[DanW]

Hard mounting a camera to the chassis will shake a camera apart.
I bought my SmartyCam GP from Veracity Racing Data. Ellen Ferguson recommended a Ram mount with a ball mount hose clamped to the roll bar, a short clamp extension and another ball mount attached to the bottom of the camera mount. There's enough damping to tolerate the Kent vibrator behind me, yet gives smooth video. I've been using this for 3 seasons without issue.

[Pi_guy]

In 1986 I built a camera holder for the Sony "Camcorder" one of the first portable video cameras, we ran it in the Escort Endurance series in a 944 Turbo. The camera never lasted a whole weekend, they just vibrated apart. I think we were able to return 3 or 4 before Sony caught on...

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Hi,
where did you get the swivel mount in bottom pic?
thanks

It's a GoPro mount:
https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts-...ABJQR-001.html

I used one on a Pinto car and it resolved all the problems with video.

[924RACR]

No comments directly on bullet cam mounts as I don't use those, but some general mounting location tips... (we've been taking video in racecars for over 20 years, starting with actual tape-based video cameras).

As noted, yes, direct frame mount will kill the cameras. Articulating a mount like the RAM style works well - though pretty draggy on a formula car! Works great in our 924, where it can hide behind the windshield.

Bodywork mounting tends to be inherently damped well enough to keep the camera happy, as long as the bodywork is rigid enough to provide a usable image. Have had some great fun with quick'n'dirty mounts on the nose of F5s.

The best, most natural camera angle is at driver's eye level - essentially right next to the helmet. This usually gives the advantage of seeing the driver's hands, low-buck data acquisition. Sometimes you can even pick up a rear view mirror to see more of what's going on (though more typically in a door-slammer). But as noted if you try to hang it on the helmet itself it's not a great look.

Finally - I strongly recommend all mount the one camera on the RH side main hoop area, not the left side... because we tend to turn right more often than left! Better look-ahead into most corners.

I've got mine mounted on a fairing panel on my main roll hoop, next to my head; in my case, the fairing panel is just a bolted-on carbon sheet between the hoop and front extra bars, so it gives a strong but not 100% rigid mounting point.

[Richard Hybels]

thanks but the one in the link is not the same one. This one has the two pieces that stand up to match GoPro. The one pictured has the 1/4-20 mount needed for Smarty cam unless I’m missing something

It's a GoPro mount:
https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts-...ABJQR-001.html

I used one on a Pinto car and it resolved all the problems with video.

[99sh]

The gopro swivel is the one I purchased along with a 1/4-20 adapter. There's a whole slew of them online.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CHFT6LT...ing=UTF8&psc=1

[BeerBudgetRacing]

thanks but the one in the link is not the same one. This one has the two pieces that stand up to match GoPro. The one pictured has the 1/4-20 mount needed for Smarty cam unless I’m missing something

See what 99sh said - you need both pieces. One is a GoPro piece the other is a third party.

Note that the GoPro piece is actually a metal ball and socket pieces. They do wear out but the plastic balls break.

[Richard Hybels]

This Surewo is a Gopro swivel. It has no ball but serrated contacts. There is a tiny screw that will get lost easily.
That with a Gopro tripod adaptor solved all my problems.



these are on Amazon
Tripod Adapter Mounts with Camera 1/4-20 Screw Adapter Compatible for Gopro Hero Action Cameras by WOLEYI

SUREWO 360°Rotating Swivel Helmet Surface Mount Compatible with GoPro Hero 9/8/7/(2018)/6/5 4 3+,DJI Osmo Action,AKASO/Crosstour/Campark/Insta360 ONE R and