Mobius 'hardwired' to a motorcycle.

[MrFluff]

Figured I'd share my little project with you guys. Like many, I've been looking at motorcycle dash cams. Since nothing on the market really exists, I'd figured I'd try making my own. I used a Mobius with a lens extension and electrical tape.

I installed a cigar lighter socket and USB plug on the bike, passed the wiring around the fairing and used the bike's windshield to protect the camera and lens from the rain and elements. The idea was to keep it concealed. A dummy camera can be set up to 'cool off' people.

Here's some pics:

Front & back

Here's a clip of it running:

I didn't know uploading videos on youtube are such a b*tch. I initially had a jello effect issue when I first mounted the lens. I mounted a plastic grommet under the lens and it has helped a lot. May still be some left at times but it's barely noticeable. I can't tell if it's a jello effect or the ****ty road.

My other issue is refraction. Since the windshield is at an angle, it seems to refract and the light gets recorded as a sort of firework. During the day, the sun can be a bit of an issue but tolerable. At night, every street light is like a firework. Anyone know if a filter of some sort may help with this?

Anyway, this is the set up on the bike. I thought it may give ideas to others looking to have a dash cam on their motorcycles.

 

[melvyndb]

Nice setup you got there.

I too would like to set it up, but i have my reservations on putting the body of mobius out in the open lest someone steals it. Yet, the extension wire from lens to body is only 8", and is not long enough for me to hide the body in compartments.

Any idea if we can use the extension from 808 instead? Seems like they are from the same developer...

 

[jokiin]

Any idea if we can use the extension from 808 instead? Seems like they are from the same developer...

won't work, different hardware

 

[melvyndb]

won't work, different hardware

Hi Jokiin,

Appreciate you taking time to answer my doubts. To push my luck further, can i ask for your advise on how to implement it as this is my first time trying on such set up, and information is quite limited online.

I have purchased the following:

• Mobius action cam (wide angle)
  
• extension wire (8 inches)
• USB Cable (standard cable that comes with handphone, about 25 inches)
  
• super capacitor

All these were bought from banggood, and my initial plan was to use the bike's battery to power on/off the camera, and to hide the mobius body within the bike rather than displaying it in the open. The lens will sit somewhere in the front (thinking of putting it behind the windshield), and water proof the wires that are exposed.

My bike is a scooter (SYM GTS 200) and if what you said is true, then there is no way i can have the mobius body hidden as the extension of 8 inches is not long enough.

Example of my bike (that's not me thou ):
http://www.hun-graphix.com/ext_pics/symforum/vts_200.jpg

Any thoughts from anybody else are welcome as well.

 

[DESFORM]

I though about it behind the windshield of my bike, but then again, I thought, what's the use of having a good lens on the cam (mine is a MOBIUS cam) if it's to put it behind a sh***ty plastic windshield with no optical values at all...thus ruining our HD videos....

So I finally came to the conclusion, that the lens of the camera must not have anything in front of it that reduce it's optical quality...and thus I interested myself to this guy's idea on youtube

http://dashcamtalk.com/forum/thread...ration-system-for-a-motobike.5611/#post-66027

and I adapted it to fit on the outside part of my windshield....stuck (with 3M double sided stickers) a foam part with a strip of velcro that will stay on the bike always, then I made a removable triangle, (same as the one seen in the guy's video) with the other part of the velcro (and the security lifelines, we never know?) to attach it to the foam part always on the bike......

The foam is a very good idea, because it naturaly reduces the jello effect, the guy posted another video, of his device on his bike here

I perfected his device so, mine looks exactly like his, but is easely removable for long stop away from the bike, and easely repositionable because of my velcro added....with two separate parts in the device...

Look at the guy's riding videos with it's device and the MOBIUS camera....

Not easy to have a high quality HD cam on a motobike, and not easy to temper the vibrations of the bike to stop them getting at the cam....but this device sort of does it all in one...the video quality remains because nothing else before the lense, and the jello effect is corrected by the foam....

You may say, ""it is not very aesthetic""....sure, but still much better than having your cam (go pro) on a helmet where you certainly look like a tele tubbies...(ridiculous).....SO his way and device DOES the JOB at the moment untill a better way comes along....

 

[MrFluff]

I though about it behind the windshield of my bike, but then again, I thought, what's the use of having a good lens on the cam (mine is a MOBIUS cam) if it's to put it behind a sh***ty plastic windshield with no optical values at all...thus ruining our HD videos....

So I finally came to the conclusion, that the lens of the camera must not have anything in front of it that reduce it's optical quality...and thus I interested myself to this guy's idea on youtube

http://dashcamtalk.com/forum/thread...ration-system-for-a-motobike.5611/#post-66027

and I adapted it to fit on the outside part of my windshield....stuck (with 3M double sided stickers) a foam part with a strip of velcro that will stay on the bike always, then I made a removable triangle, (same as the one seen in the guy's video) with the other part of the velcro (and the security lifelines, we never know?) to attach it to the foam part always on the bike......

The foam is a very good idea, because it naturaly reduces the jello effect, the guy posted another video, of his device on his bike here

I perfected his device so, mine looks exactly like his, but is easely removable for long stop away from the bike, and easely repositionable because of my velcro added....with two separate parts in the device...

Look at the guy's riding videos with it's device and the MOBIUS camera....

Not easy to have a high quality HD cam on a motobike, and not easy to temper the vibrations of the bike to stop them getting at the cam....but this device sort of does it all in one...the video quality remains because nothing else before the lense, and the jello effect is corrected by the foam....

You may say, ""it is not very aesthetic""....sure, but still much better than having your cam (go pro) on a helmet where you certainly look like a tele tubbies...(ridiculous).....SO his way and device DOES the JOB at the moment untill a better way comes along....

Essentially it's like an outside mount for the camera, no? Do you leave it on all the time or take it on and off? Commuting with the bike and leaving it there means some people may just snatch it away.

I thought about exposing the lens and I found a spot to drill the fairing, I'd just have to check if the height I have in mind creates issues with incoming cars' headlights. Furthermore, you always need something in front of the lens (like a straight clear cover) to protect it, don't you?

 

[melvyndb]

Hi DESFORM,

Thank you so much for your detailed and informative guide.

I had seen the first video link you posted previously, and thought it was more focused on jello effect, hence, never really consider it back then. I am too engrossed in getting a solution that allows me to mount it permanently (uses bike battery), and ideally, to use it like how a car would use it. (car owners don't remove their dashcam each time they leave it).

That is the reason why i opt for the set up by Techmoan, but I am stuck at how to further improvise it so it can work for motorcycles. (His set up is for car)

You also made a good point to NOT putting it behind the windshield, as they might degrade the quality of video. hence, I am thinking of still putting it behind windshield, but perhaps cut a hole in the windshield such that it fits the lens to be put in, but then i will have trouble securing mobius body in the open. (as the extension of the wire is not long enough)

Actually, I am curious why many set ups i see out there, are focused on dismounting and mounting the camera each time they ride, isn't that tedious? Isn't it more convenient if they can set it up once (body sealed inside bike, and lens can be extended out), then as and when they ride, just need to power on bike, and camera gets power on as well?

I guess i will have to wait till i receive my goods, then test it out myself.

Melvyn

I though about it behind the windshield of my bike, but then again, I thought, what's the use of having a good lens on the cam (mine is a MOBIUS cam) if it's to put it behind a sh***ty plastic windshield with no optical values at all...thus ruining our HD videos....

So I finally came to the conclusion, that the lens of the camera must not have anything in front of it that reduce it's optical quality...and thus I interested myself to this guy's idea on youtube

http://dashcamtalk.com/forum/thread...ration-system-for-a-motobike.5611/#post-66027

and I adapted it to fit on the outside part of my windshield....stuck (with 3M double sided stickers) a foam part with a strip of velcro that will stay on the bike always, then I made a removable triangle, (same as the one seen in the guy's video) with the other part of the velcro (and the security lifelines, we never know?) to attach it to the foam part always on the bike......

The foam is a very good idea, because it naturaly reduces the jello effect, the guy posted another video, of his device on his bike here

I perfected his device so, mine looks exactly like his, but is easely removable for long stop away from the bike, and easely repositionable because of my velcro added....with two separate parts in the device...

Look at the guy's riding videos with it's device and the MOBIUS camera....

Not easy to have a high quality HD cam on a motobike, and not easy to temper the vibrations of the bike to stop them getting at the cam....but this device sort of does it all in one...the video quality remains because nothing else before the lense, and the jello effect is corrected by the foam....

You may say, ""it is not very aesthetic""....sure, but still much better than having your cam (go pro) on a helmet where you certainly look like a tele tubbies...(ridiculous).....SO his way and device DOES the JOB at the moment untill a better way comes along....

 

[DESFORM]

Well....I permanently leave only a velcro base on the bike...and each time I go riding, I add the second part of the device (with velcro too and security lines + the cam) on the base.....

The velcro makes it easely removable, and I can have the full HD of the original lens pointing straight out with nothing before it to impair it's vision...and I do not weaken my windshield with a hole in it...

I thought of digging a hole in it, but then I realised, that the windshield protects all the instruments of the bike from the rain, and digging a hole in it would expose these to water leakage may be where they are not wanted.....So I decided against the hole......

In fact, I do not see the point in leaving the cam on the bike (in a car you can, because it is inside the car, but it's not safe...on the bike, there is no real inside, nowhere is safe on the bike, unless you carry with you a big bulky bank metal vault).. the lens will attract curious vandals, or pleasuraly breakers of things for no reasons...etc...etc...

Then, if you leave the cam permanently on the bike, you'll still have to play contorsionist to get to the sd cards so that you can retreive your videos on your computor......In either cases....I decided against leaving the cam on the bike so that I can have it for other uses too, indenpedant of biking

I have no contorsions to do, to remove the second part of my device to take it all with me when I stop the bike somewhere, or when I park it for the nights, weeks, and so on....All that is left on the bike is the BASE (worthless) carying the removable part of the device....Sometimes I go lazy, I leave the whole device on the bike, removing only the mobius out of it's casing*** and the external battery pack...then I have not much to add when I go riding again....

Plus I redesigned the above device (shown in the videos above) to adapt it when I go pushbike cycling...so that I have the same camera that does both uses, motobike n pushbike....

*** ( NOTE .....JOOWUU is actually making a new aluminium backend for it's mobius waterproof casing, that will enable us to plug waterproofly our external battery pack on a motobike)

 

[melvyndb]

Yeah, thanks for your input. Really nice to have different opinions. I am actually thinking of mounting on helmet now... haha... seems like there are nobody with my idea, guess the idea of it being stolen deters ppl from putting it on bike.

Anyway, let's keep the ideas from coming, who knows...

 

[DESFORM]

You want to look like a Télétubies with your Mobius on the helmet

 

[GJHS]

Helmet mount would give the widest, most flexible view rather than a narrow fixed view. Often times, things happen just outside the cameras FOV. With a helmet mount, what your eyes see the camera sees.

Well if you do it right

 

[DESFORM]

Yes sure...on the helmet is the best POV.....but my helmet is not in one piece, it's a modulable one, so when I rise the jaw piece, it will knock off any cam there...so no good for me....and on the side, no good either....On my front windshield, that's the best for me.....and I'll soon have a wide angle, so....no problems, I'll get a large sight....

As for you, you can put it on your helmet, looking like a télétubies will improve your looks (can't be worse than the one on your picture here...heheheheeeee)

No seriously, put it where ever you fancy, no problems with me, it's your own choice here....

But sure, if the camera can follow what you see, it's always better....One day, these camera will be integrated in helmets I guess, right from the factory......this would be a great +...as long as it remains private controled by ourselves, and not forced upon us by some big brother's enslaving laws.....

 

[MrFluff]

So a quick update on my project:

I've since taken the lens out from behind the windshield as it created too much distortion and just gave horrible quality.
I've moved it onto the mirror as they are made to reduce vibration. It's currently on the arm of the mirror.

Pictures:

It looks horrible, I know.

This is temporary so I can test out mounting and quality. I'll try to hide the lens and the wire if I find it suitable and the best I can do.

As of right now, to waterproof the lens, I used a table/chair leg plastic cap. I cut a hole in the back to pass the wire (stupid flat connector) and housed it inside. I added some foam to see if it would dampen vibration as per another thread that was on here recently. Not so much but it secures it inside the cap. To protect the lens, I used a cheap watch's glass from the dollar store. However the watch was used and I didn't realized it was scratched until I reviewed my recent footage. So I need another. Someone posted a link on the forum about watch glasses that would be perfect but I'm broke and want to do it for the least amount of money possible.
Also, to create a seal between the glass and the cap, I used a black tacky sort of gum that holds it into place. It seems to be doing the trick so far.

I've left the board where it was before (hidden behind the fairing) as.. well, the lens wire is really short and it limits me to no end.

Like I said, my lens is scratched so I need to replace it. I'd post footage but don't have much time right now and the center is blurry in the videos. However, the sides are really clear. I'll have to see if the "lens" shape of the watch glass will impact video quality or distort it when I get a better one. The glass I'm using so far isn't flat.

This is all for now.

 

[Dashmellow]

You can find a nice selection of different types and sizes of flat round lenses at www.flashlightlens.com.

 

[DESFORM]

NICE WORK ...... I can be bothered with all this work, because I like my cam to be removable at all time, for other uses .

more videos here, (but z youtube compression is very much ****ty and does not really render the high quality of the MOBIUS HD which is incredibly good)

second part

You can notice that the JOOWU mobius waterproof casing gives some sorte of real nice video effects in the early summer morning sun...

 

[melvyndb]

Hi guys,

I am back with my own setup, albeit a cheapo and not perfected, but it gives me the perspective and how can i improve on it.

Detailed photos of how i did it can be found in:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ue030cjbrhgi9yt/AABHKopezzOUm55Wl34tv9Lma

End product and how it was mounted. (not sure why it does not show up as image, but you can click the image and it should show the photo in dropbox)

Now comes the next stage. How to connect the charger to bike battery and if i can place the camera in another area (e.g. in front of windshield, with similar setup using the metal constrictor or glue as MrFlurry) Still thinking.

Anyway, my current setup is sufficient for now as it captures license plates of vehicles, and it protects the camera from showers. Only thing is i got to mount/dismount each time and i want to improve by hard wiring it into my scooter.