Camera Train!

[Point353]

When I run my camera-equipped train around out NTRAK layout and have a 15" computer monitor facing the public it attracts many attendees.  They try to find where the camera is, and when they find it, they are in awe of how someone was not only able to install a camera in a tiny N scale model, but also make it pretty much hidden.

If the public only knew that you're really a mad scientist: http://www.nenscale.org/NTRAK/newsletter/2019/201901-newsletter.pdf (see page 4)

[peteski]

If the public only knew that you're really a mad scientist.

Man, there is nothing sacred anymore! The word sure gets around quick on the Internet! 

[MK]

If the public only knew that you're really a mad scientist: http://www.nenscale.org/NTRAK/newsletter/2019/201901-newsletter.pdf (see page 4)

Man, why did you have to blow Peteski's cover????!!!!  There'a reason why the names were not listed in that photograph! 

[Jbub]

Do you have a build thread for that p42 with a camera in its nose?

[peteski]

Do you have a build thread for that p42 with a camera in its nose?

I do not. Well, not beyond what's in the Kato's photo album. It sort of is a build thread with photos and descriptions. When I did this install, back in early 2005, I don't think I even participated in any model RR forums.

To view the Kato album, go to http://www.katousa.com/gallery/albums.php?set_albumListPage=6 read the description there, then bring up the album for more info/photos.

I also installed these camera setups in a Kato E8 and in a narrow-hood loco (that was the one with which I took the Youtube videos I mentioned earlier.  I have photos of both installs so I suppose I could post more info (in another thread, at some point). Basically the install is easy: just gut the loco and carve out the frame to house the power supply/battery/camera-transmitter. The camera housing can be filed down a bit to tightly fit in the nose.

@eric220 installed one of these cameras in his loco. I don't recall if he posted a build thread about it.

[eric220]

Posted AND bookmarked.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/?topic=28477.0

Unfortunately, my camera car is dead. I can’t get it to power up.

[peteski]

Posted AND bookmarked.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/?topic=28477.0

Unfortunately, my camera car is dead. I can’t get it to power up.

Hmm, maybe the battery leaked?  The power supply is supposed to output 5V to the camera, but to check you would have to remove at least some of the heat-shrink tubing on the power supply.

[Bryn]

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A possible answer would to be the use of the ROCO Z21 system from German, I'm sure the technology would have moved on from this 2015 video.

[C855B]

... A possible answer would to be the use of the ROCO Z21 system from German, I'm sure the technology would have moved on from this 2015 video.

Well... probably not. Difficult to find, very expensive when you do find ($400-500), most links referencing it (search: "roco kameralok") are dead, no video specs anywhere. What I could find is it works through WiFi using their X21 control app for iOS devices. The one or two pictures I did run across of the camera "nose" removed revealed a form factor too large for N, and that was just the camera.

There were some example pictures that showed an iPad with a full-screen display (or simulation) of the video feed, but not close enough to determine quality. All the X21 examples were of a cab interior (touch controls) with a simulated view out of the window, with most of the screen occupied by the cab console. That hints to me the video underpinnings may be NTSC or PAL low-res.

A challenge with higher resolution is transmission bandwidth.  Small high-res cameras are in many phones now, but streaming a 4K image over WiFi isn't going to happen unless there is some serious compression in use - that's doable (and commonly done), but requires software and a processor, not just a camera and a radio. With compression, you would need somewhere between 30Mb/s and 50 Mb/s. It might be easier, but far less fun, to store the video to an on-board flash memory card.

4K is doable with the current tech, my objective is still 1080p. The problem is packaging, the GoPro-style activity cameras of the world have hit a form-factor wall more controlled by gloved-hand usability rather than how small it can be. However, the DJI Osmo Pocket is 4K with WiFi interface and a good starting place if you have the moxie to disassemble to remove the casings to fit (not to mention the $350 to throw away should you fail!).

FWIW, my 1080p railcam uses MPEG4, and outputs a 4-5Mb/s stream. Compression even for wireline modes is assumed. That's well within pedestrian WiFi capacity; I access it on my phone over LTE on a regular basis.

[nickelplate759]

Didn't know you could get small cameras with compression built in - that's cool, and if they are small enough then hi-res in the train is doable over wifi.