Box kite bought. Now need camera

colhel

colhel

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I bought a Box Kite with the idea of taking a camera up and having a go at taking some aerial video footage of the boat. Initially I'm not after A1 picture quality, juat want something to show results and play with set up etc. Does anyone have any recomendations for a cheap, I guess waterproof would be a bonus, that I could have a play with?

Thanks

Col
 
Personally I would buy a WL Toys quadcopter from Banggood-about £30 all in with good quality radio controled camera-dead easy to fly .Or just buy a key ring or button hole camera from them-you can get a key ring camera for about £3 delivered.
They record to micro sd card and are reputed to be of quite good quality.
 
How much power does a cheap quadcopter have, to keep station against the wind? Assuming the idea is to capture dramatic shots of the boat roaring along on a beam reach, there's going to be at least a high 3 blowing, and that seems like a lot for a small foam toy.

Pete
 
A friend has done this a number of times and found that the important part was to get the kit flying in clean air first then let the camera go up... So the camera is in effect attached part way down the string.
One of his first attempts (including the setup) is shown here.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOzc17hTOcI

The camera used was a very basic picture taking camera set to video mode. It was not waterproof.

I like the way Chumann1 flew the camera ahead of the boat whilst sailing downwind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmlUnX9fbdo

I think it would be hard to even attempt to get this type of film with a quadcopter...

We now have a Drift HD waterproof camera (with 170 degree lens) on board but I've not had time to try it out on the kite just yet.
 
Lidl have a go-pro like camera which is waterproof... for under £100...

From what I've read the video quality is pretty good...
 
I went to Lidl today and saw them on the board outside. The cashier said they were due in next week. They will be £89.00, waterproof and 5mpixel. Did possibly look a bit bulky my kite but the weight wasn't shown.
I'd rather get the kite cracked before moving on to quadcopters, only got a little boat and trying to keep things as simple as possible.
 
Martin_J said:
A friend has done this a number of times and found that the important part was to get the kit flying in clean air first then let the camera go up... So the camera is in effect attached part way down the string.
One of his first attempts (including the setup) is shown here.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOzc17hTOcI

The camera used was a very basic picture taking camera set to video mode. It was not waterproof.

I like the way Chumann1 flew the camera ahead of the boat whilst sailing downwind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmlUnX9fbdo

I think it would be hard to even attempt to get this type of film with a quadcopter...

We now have a Drift HD waterproof camera (with 170 degree lens) on board but I've not had time to try it out on the kite just yet.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Very imformative :) :encouragement:
 
This video sample below was taken by the Drift HD that I would like to fly from the kite... Strangely, I was not worried about the camera but more about the 'borrowed' delta kite that is currently on board.


You will see on the Sadlersailing link previously posted, the detail of the tube that is inserted on the string from which the camera is hung. The only time the videos missed having the boat center screen was when the apparent wind dropped below about 14 knots by which time the kite was rather low in the sky... Best used in >14 knots apparent wind.
 
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The jerkiness was as I was letting the kite string slip out through my hands..

I should have left it up for longer but we had no idea how the film would turn out.

Will aim the camera a little higher next time.
 
When I posted on YouTube a popup appeared saying the view was 'shakey' and did I want YouTube to correct it :confused:

I could try better next time.. Some of the yaw problem was that the line spent part of the time wrapped around the tall HF antenna you can see on the pushpit..

Perhaps a bigger vane shaped camera mount beneath the string will help.. I'll put the sewing machine to work again...
 
Thanks Niander... I have also flown cameras from model helicopters...

..but for now I was interested in whether the OP had managed to get any kite video.

Kites are simple.. Seems like you can just fly them and they'll follow.. If you need to look after the boat, the kite will be happy just tied off and remain so until you're ready to get back to it.

Flying anything like a drone could (unless you have one set to follow) distract you more from the responsibility of managing the boat.
 
Lakesailer..

I had seen sled kites as well although this attempt was with a borrowed 'delta' that appeared to have floating supports (i.e. not joined at the centre or even the nose of the kite)...

Both types sell themselves as being good for lifting... I'm tending towards one of those Sleds for this coming weekend though.. It seems to have a good wide wind range..
 
Has anyone any suggestions where I could by something like the soft sled kite in Lakesailor's link somewhere in the Portsmouth area?

It would be nice to find a good kite shop and have a browse before the weekend...

If not then I might be getting the sewing machine out..
 
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