Hi all

Had a bit of a mess about with a cablecam yesterday. The dolly needs to be lighter and more portable, and the rope needs to be static and longer, but not bad results for a first attempt.

[video]http://vimeo.com/60406469[/video]

You sound very excited about it all.

Ha ha, yes fair dos!

I like your waterwheel 🙂

lookign at the cablecam dolly I guess the same builder did both?

BMX wheels! I watch out when you use it on a longer rope…do you not think that it will pick up too much speed? Most setups I’ve seen use small pulley wheels.

wwaswas – the waterwheel’s my old boy’s work, he’s moved on to windmill now. Oh to be retired!

D45yth – noted, it was flying by the bottom. Wheels made rig too cumbersome anyway.

Search Google images for some ideas…there’s 100’s, although I think the best ones are those that can be attached to the line after it has been setup. A length of elastic with a knot tied in and then tied to your line helps stop the cam gently too.

Would it have been smoother and faster with 29er wheels 🙂

Ha ha, I’ll give you that one.

Ive been playing around with a cable cam recently too, here are my first two attempts at dollies.
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temporary by boyofthebucket, on Flickr[/img]

The second verson has sailing pulleys which make the world of difference.

Its also pretty small, wanted to be able to fit all the kit required into my camel back, which ive managed just weighs a bit.

Here’s some of the first test footage I’ve taken.

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/299248/

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/297768/

Like the sailing pulley one bucketboy, any chance of close ups and spec for the pulleys? What mount is it you’ve got the GoPro tripod mount on?

Any problems with speed due to size of pulleys, or is just cause land was quite flat in your clip?

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DSC_0364 by boyofthebucket, on Flickr[/img]

The sailing pulleys work very well. They dont cost the earth and are pretty durable as they are ment to be used in salt water conditions. I was a little worried about cutting the side to enable it to be taken off the line without undoing it but it was fine and they are just as strong. They are Barton Marine size 2 35mm blocks, info here:

http://www.bartonmarine.com/products-size-2-blocks.asp

Speed with these is not a problem as they run in roller ball bearings so they spin so well. Like you say the run used in the clip is quite flat but when ive used it on a steeper incline it just goes and goes. So much so i’m working on a brake currently to try and control the speed.

The mount is by an American company called RAM, brilliant investment. They make loads of stuff for mounting sat navs/phones in cars or on motorbikes and do a gopro mount. Works on a ball and cup system which means almost endless adjustability for camera angle and enables you to keep the weight central to avoid the camera tilting to much.

DSC_0365 by boyofthebucket, on Flickr

A search will bring up plently of UK mail order suplliers and all the different options they have.

Great stuff, cheers. What rope did you use?

@bucketboy

Thanks for the inspiration. I’ve pretty much copied your design. Went for the next size up with the blocks to open up a few other rope options, but otherwise VERY similar, so cheers. Not used it in anger yet, but garden trials went well. Whole rig fits in bag nicely, unlike the last effort!

[video]http://vimeo.com/63520421[/video]

Hey Brycey,

Thats looking pretty darn good! Glad that you found the information useful. Your second version is looking much more like it and a whole lot more portable.

Sorry i missed your question about the rope. The Gravity set up i run on Tree surgeons throw line because its cheap, light, strong and has not much stretch.

I’ve just started using 3mm static accessory cord now though as i’ve moved on to the next stage and mine has progressed into this now..

DSC_0380 by boyofthebucket, on Flickr

A radio controlled version, No more need for a gradient and no more walking down to carry it back to the top! Still waiting a proper outdoor test but the short video of the indoor test can been seen here…

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/303112/

Few problems which i have now addressed, one being the line change as mentioned above. Hoping to take it out for first real test this week.

BB

Love the remote control – I had a similar idea and was planning on using a spare channel and steering servo on a swivel head too, for easy shot tracking.

Like it fella! Been giving power some thought, apparently cordless drill motors and batteries are a good option.

No worries, been deliberating on rope for weeks anyway. I reckon accessory cord is the way forward too, found a commercial rope access supplier selling it in 120m drums pretty cheap. Got a cheap 8mm floating rope to get me going just now though.

Keep us posted of your developments!

PS Cord also pretty cheap in Go Outdoors if you get the £5 discount card.

Using spare channel for pan is the next step. Just wanted to get the motion, action and control of making it move on the line sorted first.

I used a rope access company for my 3mm cord. 120m drum like you say brycey, Anglo access, by far the cheapest on the web and great service too. Good line makes a world of difference.

Off to the lake district this weekend so hoping to give it a proper outdoor test and get some more interesting footage than the inside of my house!

@Brycey

Found a spare hour this afternoon to take the RC dolly out for its first outdoor test….

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/306928/

Looking good and ready to capture some action I think. Want to find a run long enough to use the full 120m of line, not sure what sort of range the radio gear has though! Luckily it has a fail safe.

Good work, wish I was handy enough to make stuff like this!

Good work! Looking very good!

How did you get on getting tension in to the line? That’s my only concern going 100m.

I have a webbing style strap (yellow tree strop in the clip), like what you would use on a roof rack. Pull the main line as tight as i can by hand and attach to the lose strap. Then tighten the luggage strap as much as i can. I recon that run was about 30m today and was also concerned about getting tension across a longer span. Plan is to try a ratchet strap as the yellow one was starting to slip the more i tensioned it. Think i should be able to get some high secure tension with a ratchet strap.

Fair dos. Look forward to seeing your efforts. Hopefully get mine out with 100m on Saturday.

Well good luck and I look forward seeing the fruits of your labour brycey.

Evening.

Fairly successful test on a long rope today, about 60m of a 100m drum. No problems tensioning it which was my fear. Cablecam a bit slow, but not a huge gradient, so I’m hoping that will sort itself on the right track. No bike today as clan in tow.

[video]http://vimeo.com/64007866[/video]

@ Brycey,

Well my hopes of getting the RC dolly out in the Lakes were pretty much ruined by the Great British Weather!

Although went to Cwmcarn for an uplift begining of May and once the lift finished we had a little play with the cable cam on one of the lower sections. Made a little edit of the day which includes some of the cable cam footage we got.

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/311500/

Getting there, still need to get used to timing the movement for best caputring the action. Still its all good fun figuring it out.

Any progress with yours? Captured some action yet?

Awesome work, I thought I had persuaded myself I didn’t need a go pro….

Very good work! The cablecam looks great, especially coming back up the hill which is obviously one of the advantages over my gravity fed set-up. Also like the seat post view!

What are you using to edit? I’m on Sony Movie Studio Premium ’12, but I can’t for the life of me get the quality I produce when I render to the mp4 to be reflected on Vimeo. No such issues using iMove on my iPad but it has limited functions.

Anyway, here’s my effort from last weekend. Cablecam worked well.

[video]http://vimeo.com/65952564[/video]

Brycey,

What a cool little edit. Those woods look fun and the cable cam footage looks great. Some nice long runs so you can really get the feel for the action. Love it! Its also cool to see the cam moving through the shot when you are shooting from the side.

Im using Sony Vegas Pro 12.0 I also had some quality problems when i started but i used a gopro forum to get some setting advice and that was most helpfull.

Cheers. Happy with the results, although as I say, frustrating that the quality isn’t reflected on Vimeo! I’ll have a look at the forums as you suggest.

100m rope worked well. Cablecam was light enough not to cause any tension problems. The way I mounted the sailing blocks causes vibration that slows it down, so only tweak will be changing the mounts. The whole kit fits easily in a 30litre rucksack.

Might get a longer Ram mount as well (or extend it) to take the rope out of shot.

bucketboy, which forum for the editing advice? There are lots!

Bruce’s, that looks brilliant. I attempted Benmore last year during cowalfest but think I’m going to need to give tandemwarrior a shout and see what some of the other Cowal trails have to offer!

althepal, there is absolutely loads of good riding in the Dunoon and surrounding area. We’ve been lucky and brought up on it, however the vast majority of it needs local knowledge.

The problem is that apart from the main walkers paths (Pucks Glen, Bishop’s Glen, Glenbranter), none of it is particularly obvious. This isn’t helped by huge timber extraction activity currently that has added lots of new forest roads, linking things up, which haven’t made it on to maps yet.

As you say, you need to give tandemwarrior a shout.

Brycey,

Sorry bud, only just seen your question reguarding which forum!! I have found http://goprouser.freeforums.org/index.php to be the most helpful.

Also – Short little edit I filmed the other day with the cablecam while the weathers been so nice!!

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/316212/

Still a little bit of bob to address, thinking of maybe a counter balance weight on the bottom and a brushless motor might help.

Hope your good and enjoying the sunshine mate.

BB