Mast camera

[pikeyrm]

I am looking at placing a camera at the top of my mast and connecting it to the tv onboard, this would be used as a reference only when I am below for short stints doing chart work, a lot of my sailing is single handed. This would obviously not be used when in and around the solent but was thinking more along the lines of cross channel.
Was looking at something like
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/swann-700-tvl-wired-outdoor-camera-with-35m-night-vision-n49kq

 

[Lon nan Gruagach]

The reviews indicate a problem with night vision, he illuminating LEDs swamp the image, and the video signal 752 line PAL ?? need HDTV to see it??

 

[prv]

My first thought is how are you going to look all round the boat? I think that camera is fixed in one direction, but even if you got one you could steer with a joystick, that seems a pretty awkward way of looking around. I guess maybe use two 180° wide-angle cameras, one looking forward and one aft? If I was doing this, I think I'd fit a pair of dedicated screens (fortunately fairly cheap via eBay) rather than plumbing them into the telly.

You'll want fairly high resolution too, it's surprisingly hard to spot things on a screen compared to direct line of sight.

Pete

 

[skyflyer]

Having fitted CCTV to my house, in an angry rush, following a spate of vandalism from passing buffoons, its worth pointing out that the wide angle of vision on these cameras makes it tricky to see anything more than a few yards away. My cameras are not HD, but 720 and it shows - for example I cannot read a car numberplate that is more than about 10 metres from the camera.
Night visions (actually illuminated by infrared LED) is abysmal as the lights pick up any passing drip, fly, piece of dust as a bright white dot that obliterates everything else you are trying to see. Like being in a snowstorm, only its simply a light drizzle.

As has been said you can get a PTZ (pan, tilt and zoom) version but they are all designed to be mounted underneath an eave or on the side of a building and if you mount it on the top of the mast you'll be able to pan up to see Polaris but probably not down to see your bows!

I would have thought a cheap go-pro copy, 1080p HD in a waterproof case would be a better bet.

 

[elton]

Not much point in IR illumination as you won't see anything further then your pushpit and pulpit. Anything you may have seen beyond those will be drowned out by reflected IR.

Without IR, you might see nav lights of other boats. Unless you want to use it only in daylight, you'd be better off with a monochrome CCD camera (which generally have superior low-light capability over CMOS types), preferably with a remote controlled zoom lens, and maybe with pan control. Then it might be some use.

 

[prv]

preferably with a remote controlled zoom lens, and maybe with pan control.

If you're going to concentrate on the device to the point of driving it around with a joystick, you might as well just stick your head out the hatch for a look round, it'll be quicker.

I think the whole premise is a bit silly, but to the extent that it's any use at all, the OP needs to be able to glance at it while he wrestles with his tidal stream atlas or whatever, to check that no Big Red Ship is creeping up on him. To me, that means the whole horizon visible at a glance. And that means wide-angle cameras and either a small dedicated screen for each, or a single screen that either rotates between cameras automatically (you can get them) or a manual switch.

Pete