Up on the 15 mile loop by my house is this particularly nasty, twisty, rough section. With the Action Sports Cam, you can ride along.

Race Tech: Capture Your Racing Memories Finally, an easy to use, adaptable, in-car camera setup! by: Patrick Chicas

$495 with FREE Shipping!

Click Here to see Rick Sieman's article on using the the Action Sports Cam as a "helmet-cam" at the Adelanto Grand Prix.

Click Here to see the Photo Gallery covering this product.

Click Here for a compressed, 90 second video
The screen format is 320x240 at 30 frames per second. This is a 12.8 Megabytes in size.

Click Here for a highly compressed, 90 second video
The screen format is 320x240 at 30 frames per second. This is a 3.8 Megabytes in size.

Finding the right "in car" camera solutions was a real headache before Rick dropped the Action Sports Cam on my desk. He had just recorded his race at the Adelanto Grand Prix with the unit and couldn't say enough good things about the simplicity and quality of the product.

The initial setup included a tiny, lightweight camera, a small interface box and a battery pack. It works with any camcorder or mini-deck that has an "Analog Input" in the "VCR Mode". You'll find this feature on just about any camcorder priced above $400.

The kit comes complete in a nice, hard shell case.

I have worked with a few in-car solutions in the past as a co-driver in SCORE and Best In The Desert Races. Every setup, I have seen so far has a few, huge drawbacks.

1. There is no way to start and stop the camera during a long race without removing it from its protective case. Consider that most desert races are longer than the average tape time of the preferred, digital camcorders.
   
2. There always seems to be a limit in wire distance between the camera and the camcorder.
   
3. The cameras are bulky and tend to vibrate and shake loose when the going gets rough.

The Action Sports Cam folks have solved problem #1 with a super compact and simple remote device that will start and stop the camera at anytime. This device is connected via the LANC port and is an option to the main kit at $99.95, With this feature, I can start and stop the camera to capture only the most exciting parts of a race all on a single tape. In the past, we had to change tapes every 60 minutes, generally a pit stop. We often skipped doing this because we were in the heat of battle and the tape change was always cumbersome at best. The remote even has a bright LED to tell me when the camera is recording or in standby. Know, I always know when the unit is recording.

I placed my camcorder and the interface box and battery in a bag fastened just in front of the left-side, rear seat in the prerunner. The LANC Remote is in easy reach of the passenger.

Problem #2 is no longer an issue. The Action Sports Cam uses standard, "RJ-11" phone wire between the camera and the Interface box. A quick trip to the nearest Radios Shack store will supply you with various lengths and couplers. A test with a 25 foot extension worked perfectly. We will use this feature to shoot video footage, much closer to the action while we and our expensive camcorder remain out of harms way, 25 feet back. Make sure you get the "straight through" and not the "rolled" cable.

Problem #3 is non-existent with the Action Sports Cam. The camera is tiny and super light. Rick wore the cam on the visor of his helmet and never knew it was there. The case is weatherproof and has an internal microphone.

Tech Notes:

• If you don't have a MINI-DV Camcorder, get one! The MINI-DV format blows everything else away in picture quality and in image stability while recording in a moving vehicle. The format is widely adopted by makers of editing software and you can even make simple, edited videos with the software that comes with Apple MAC, OS8 and 9 and Windows XP operating systems that can then be copied to DVD, Video CD or shared on the Internet.
• Always, do your best to keep dust away and out of your camera. I tape-off as many of the external opening on the camera as possible then I put the entire unit in a loosely sealed plastic bag. With Action Sports Cam's LANC, remote, I won't have to take the cam out of the bag until after the race.

The camcorder is Taped and Bagged to protect against dust.

• The LANC standard is supported by all of Sony and some Canon, Mini-DV camcorders. Make sure you have this feature before you order the LANC remote option or, make sure that any camera you are considering for purchase has this functionality.

The wired remote, requires "LANC" compatibility on the camcorder.

• The internal microphone is sensitive to wind noise. The hot ticket is to simply tape over the tiny, pin-hole opening with electrical tape. The audio will be fine. The interface box allows for the use of any microphone or even a feed from the Intercom in your race or play vehicle.

What's Next?

The techies at Action Sports Cam tell me that they have a "multi-cam" setup on the bench right now. This product includes 2 or more cameras and a lightweight switch box. The same, simple to use and adapt features of the original setup extend to this new product. With 3 cams on the race car, we can set one up to look forward, one to look at the driver and co-driver and the third to look backwards. Our goal is to have this in Trophy Truck #7 at this years, Baja 500.

WHERE TO GET IT

Action Sports Cams
3362 Ruth Elaine Drive
Dept. IM
Rossmoor, CA
90720

Website: www.actionsportscams.com

Cost: $495 (does not include camcorder)
The LANC Remote is a $99.95 option.
Shipping: UPS Ground - FREE
RUSH 3-day shipping: - $20
Special orders: contact us (562) 493-6439
Accepts all major credit cards