Sony DVD Handycam Doesn't Like the Motorcycle

[sfarson]

Like this Handycam. When I attach it to a mount on the motorcycle it records for a few seconds then gives me a "Rec. Disabled" message. Have tried with three different DVD's and two different motorcycles. I think there must be some kind of harmonic vibration giving the Handycam fits. These bikes do not vibrate like some do... very smooth. So I test shaking the Handycam during recording. Serious and vigorous shaking at home with my hand while recording. No problem. Records fine. Put the Handycam on a smooth bike, and it won't record. Anyone have a thought on this? Am I hosed trying to use this camcorder to video a ride? Thanks,

Steve

[ZippyP.]

Fellow m/c rider here.

Like you say, although your bike is smooth, there are still some high frequency vibrations that are giving you problems. All I can suggest is to isolate the camcorder from the bike frame. Use something to cushion it, the softer the better

[redwudz]

You might try wrapping it in a thick layer of foam rubber and bungie cording it on. Either that or find a daring passenger to do your recording.

[ZAPPER]

I ain't no expert. (That's my disclaimer!) I had a client one time that put a cheap cash register on top of a small refridgrated display case and had a simular problem.(Hey Baldrick, this thing needs spell check for idiots like me) Any how even though the cash register had rubber feet on it the vibrations caused fits with the display of the cash register. So being the resourceful carpenter that I am. (Reads able to Mickey mouse with the best of 'em) I took some fairly firm foam rubber with sicky on one side, that was used to package the cash register originaly, and put four small pieces on the bottom of a sink cut out and made a platform to aid in dampening the vibrations. Do you get the jist of what I am trying to say? I don't know exactly how you are mounting the cam to the scooter, but some kind of shock absorbing bushing should be between the cam and bike. If you can't find any store bought hardware like a pipe hanger for exaust pipes or the dampening spring set that they use to hang HVAC units but on a smaller scale, go Mickey mouse. Maybe take two small pieces of plywood and glue a piece of foam or sponge between. mount the bottom piece to the scoot and using the right size bolt, bolt the top board to the tri-pod socket on the cam. I would tether off the cam because from my experience Micky mouse is a close friend of Murphy. I am sure that some engineer will shit his pants over this but experience is a big part of proving what works and what don't. Or you could just look into buying some kind of pro gyro stablization rig for about a thousand times the cost of the cam and not look like some hillbilly handyman with a video cam duct taped to your putt. Let me know what happens and I do like those high speed ground hugging scenes!

GOOD LUCK

[ZAPPER]

Man! I hope that I didn't scare everyone away! I thought for sure that this would be a good thread. With all the clever folks here I thought for sure that there would be all kinds of replies by now. Tell me where on the bike that you want to put the cam and what kind of bike you want it on and I will ask around. There ain't no shame in duct tape if it works for you but I was thinking maybe a conduit clamp (the stand off type, I think that they are called minera clamps or something like that). clamped to the handle bar and a piece of all thread to a swivel tripod head (the swivel head would allow for easy alingment or aiming of the cam. Again getting the rubber bushing into the equation is the tricky part. Just to mention (no offence intended) make sure that whatever you use dosen't interfere with the safe operation of the bike.( 90MPH err I mean the maximun legal speed limit, leaned knee to the road turning a curve ain't the time to find out that some stupid shit that an idiot on the internet told you to try is going to kill you!)
I got an idiot co-worker that skydives. I took a look at one of his magazines and it was full of adds for helmet cams. Maybe this has already been solved, look for some adds in a bike magazine. Come on everybody help sfarson out of a jam. I would kind of like to see what can be done myself.

[sfarson]

Thanks everyone. I have a suction (rubber cups) mount stuck to the bike's gas tank. One connects the camcorder to it like a tripod. Metal resting on metal. Will try placing thin rubber bumpers between the cam and mount... maybe this will help but I'm not optimistic. Interesting how I can shake the Handycam vigorously like a tamberine and it records fine, but place it on a bike with hardly or no vibration, clear mirrors, etc. and the Sony goes on the fritz.

Steve

[ZAPPER]

Just talking out of my ass. Suction cups seem like a gutsy move. I mean I use them at work sometimes to move big glass and other stuff but I have a hard time trusting them. Hey are you sure that it is the vibration causing the problem. I mean if you held the cam close to the bike while both were running does the cam work? I am wondering if it might be a electro magnetic feild thing from the ignition. Just talking out of my ass.

[ZippyP.]

I am wondering if it might be a electro magnetic feild thing from the ignition.

Since the camcorder is a DVD recorder model (I think that's what I got from the first post) it would make it very susceptible to vibration. The spinning disk and laser would be very touchy, unlike a tape drive DV camera. Pretty sure that it's not any EM interference. Isolation from vibration is the key.

[SoundFX]

I'll bet it's more the fault of the bike's electrical/ignition system than vibration. Try starting a recording away from the bike, and then move towards the running motor and see if it stops...

My two cents.

[ZAPPER]

Yea ZippyP I read it at least three times and ignored the DVD part, you are probally right. I wonder if a small frame or cage could be built and the cam suspended by springs or rubber surgical tubing filed with water or oil to dampen the vibrations. Kind of like an old mic. The problem I am thinking with these high freq. vibes is that they don't have to be all that strong because they will come around to being in sync with the cams springs before the cam can cancel out an earlier vibe. So the insulation might have to real good or even reactive to the bikes vibes. Time to get the duct tape out and tape that cam to a helmet. I kind of want to see something work!
Just curious. Will the cam work if held by hand on the bike. Either yours or a passenger?

[sfarson]

Fuller confession. I do have a helmet cam, but I lose wide angle and UV filtering. I also have a miniDV camcorder and it works fine with the mounts. It's only the Sony DVD Handycam that won't work mounted to the bike (works fine in a bag with the helmet cam feeding it). I was trying to have it all ways ... everything working with every connection and mount. Alas, the Sony won't work mounted to the bike and the only thing I can think is there is some kind of freqency vibration the DVD recording mechanism doesn't like... and all the bikes I've tested it on do this to the Sony. No problem with MiniDV, and the Sony works great elsewhere, including when I shake it like a small tree. Oh well.

[Alan69]

Realize a 'smooth' ride comes from increasing the frame stiffness, just like in a car. Thus moving the vibration frequencies higher where you don't feel it as much, not eliminating them.

From Repairfaq.org, use their analogy of a plane 12 miles up reading the 3 or 4 inch wide stripe with dots on the highway. DVD is even smaller/closer. Easy to track and compensate for the slow motions of your hand/arm, but anything approaching or above the servo loop frequency for the optics is simply not fixable. And from flying RC helis and knowing what process it takes to remove variation (thus vibration) from a rotor head, I can guarantee most of the rotary parts of your bike haven't been balanced to that degree.

Not only do you need isolation, you need mass to help absorb the higher frequencies. A steel plate to hook your cam to for weight, then a high quality foam rubber for isolation, not the cheap plastic foams. Look up "Sorbethane" (spelling might be a bit off), they make a material that is space age quality in absorbing vibration. A bit expensive but for the little you need you may be able to get a sample or something.

Alan