Professional DVD Recorder for Aviaton Project?

[steevg]

Hi guys,
Just wondering if anyone can help!
I've been asked by a local helicopter company, if I can install a DVD Recorder which we can use to record flight footage.

I'm not sure if any of the main manufacturers products will work in this high vibration environment.

I'm currently looking at products such as:

JVC BD-X200E (PROFESSIONAL DV: BD-X200)
Panasonic LQ-MD800 (Panasonic LQ-MD800 - Medical Grade DVD Video Recorder)
Sony DVO1000MD (Sony DVO1000MD)

I'd be happy to hear from anyone regarding installing one of these - or indeed any other DVD Recorder in this environment, and associated problems I may come up against. I'm aware that an inverter will have to be used for the unit, as most of them run on 110v or 240 v a/c, and the helicopter is a 28vDC system.

Many thanks in advance.

[edDV]

Best to ask in newscopter aviation forums or companies like Flir that supply the cameras. They may not know but they will know someone that knows.

Short of that, look for automobile certified models like those used by police for in car recording.

[steevg]

edDV

Newscopter Aviation Forums?????

Wow, I didn't even know they existed . . . . do you have a link for one of these?
In the meantime I'll do a Google Search and see what it comes back with.

Many thanks for the idea, should get some good feedback if I can find a forum.

Regards
Steve

[redwudz]

You can use a DVR such as police and public service vehicles use. If the vibration level is very high, you might consider a solid state DVR that uses flash drives for storage. Most use the Xvid or H.264 format and aren't designed for very high quality. But the cost is low enough and they will function off a 12VDC power supply.

Supercircuits is one site that carries a few mobile DVRs: http://www.supercircuits.com/Recorders/Mobile-DVRs/

Or a micro DVR with solid state recording: http://www.supercircuits.com/Recorders/Micro-DVRs/

You may have more of a problem keeping the video camera image itself from being blurred by the vibration. A gyro stabilized camera is one possibility, but very expensive. But you might get away with just suspending the camera with foam or rubber,

Some pro sites and equipment:

http://www.aerialfilmwork.com/
http://nicmosis.as.arizona.edu:8000/ECLIPSE_WEB/ECLIPSE_03/PLATFORM/CAMERA_PLATFORM.html
http://www.aerialexposures.com/gyroplatform.htm
http://www.weblinks.spakka.net/db/332
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pwwi/is_200409/ai_n8557616

[steevg]

Redwdz,

Many thanks for your reply!
I'll check through all the links and see if there's anything there which may help!

I'll post back with my results in a few days!

Thanks again!
Steve