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I see jumpers using both side and top mount camera helmets. I sure there are pro's and con's to both. Would like to hear some opinions about this. Maybe even some suggestion on a good helmet. I like the side mount type helmets but was wondering about riser strikes on the camera. I am talking strictly for BASE. I have a PC-105.

Thanks

I use a TRV-22 that I used to have side mounted on an Invertigo-X. That helmet is in NPS evidence now, so I had to buy a new helmet. I wanted to reduce the chances of a riser strike so I got an Optik Illusion and top mounted the camera. I like being able to very easily flip the camera around and video backwards. (Goldmember)

I did notice that with the camera (weight) being higher on your head, there is a longer lever arm and harder openings will transfer more energy to your neck. (I think, I'm not too up to speed on the actual physics involved but intuitively, this is what I think.) On a couple harder openings, my neck seemed to take more of a beating than with the side mount.

I've started doing some neck stretches before jumping the helmet past two seconds slider down. Also, if I'm too relaxed in freefall there seems to be more head movement on opening.

So, top mount is fine if you do some neck stretches and anticipate the opening shock and be ready for it.

in a recent discussion with a skydiver with over 15,000 jumps, he says his neck and spine are now curved thanks to so many openings with his side mount camera. while I doubt ANYBODY will accumulate that many BASE jumps, the openings are much more energetic.

years ago, I talked with a dedicated cameraman who claimed the US air force had conducted studies. he advised against bracing your chin against your chest. it tends to act as a fulcrum, increasing the risk to your neck. he suggested putting your head back, and filming your opening. just don't try and "lock" your neck muscles. the dynamics of opening thus position your body beneath your head, back to where it belongs. (of course, BASE body positions differ from standard belly flight...)

I did at least 100 video jumps, with a big, heavy, top mounted Hi8 camera. used a crisp opening Sabre too boot. more than once, I was quite thankful for his advice.

I have no intention of jumping a camera for BASE. it's just another detail, an added complication. such "mediation" distracts from the actual jump. just my personal opinion.

I once saw a side mounted camera cleaned off a helmet by riser strike on opening. As far as I know the camera is still, in pieces, lying at the bottom of a very large cliff (it's a full day to hike the talus to the bottom).

Hi DO!

I bought the Bonehead RatHat before my trip to Norway last year. It is a very sleek full face helmet that is great for any type of jump. The thing I liked least is that the camera mounts on the left side. Anne advised against side mount cameras for BASE because there is the chance of a riser strike or even entanglement during deployment. I did about 20 camera jumps at Kjerag with no riser strikes or entanglements, and maybe 10 skydives as well.

I'm very happy with the helmet but here are the detriments I've noticed with the side mount camera:

1) the left side of my neck is in worse shape now than before.
2) I have lots of annoying video of my left 3-ring and riser while in flight.
3) no options for rear-facing camera angles.
4) Taking the camera box off for no-camera jumps is a pain in the arse. When I jumped at Bridge Day last year I didn't jump the camera in case I went in the water, so I stuffed my pink Apex beanie in the box to prevent it from becoming a wind-catcher.

After reading the other posts in this thread I'm more glad I got the side mount. My neck really took the hit when first jumping the camera (who would have thought 1 lb. could make so much difference???) but thinking about the top mount and the added fulcrum effect makes me cringe. Us old farts have to take extra care with our bodies!

Even though I haven't (knock on wood) experienced an entanglement I did see video from the WFFC of one of our mates that had his lines get entangled with his side mount camera. He chose to unlock his camera helmet as that was the least expensive option...and miraculously the camera helmet stayed attached to his lines and the camera sighted perfectly on his face as he came in for his landing. It could have been disatrous but he ended up losing nothing and getting some of the best skydiving footage I've ever seen! Lucky guy!

I have friends that have bought the Bonehead Optik, which seems awesome, and my friends that jump the Cookie Composite say it's the most comfortable camera helmet they've ever tried.

I have a PC9.

Looking forward to your newest vid!

Peace,
KT

I have been successful in jumping a (rather heavy) TRV-900 on top of a Protec with a home-built mount. I only jump that setup slider up. I won't even consider it slider down. I use a small mesh-slider and for terminal jumps I am very careful to roll the nose tightly. It also helps that I positioned the mounting hole so that the camera is well balanced front to back. I use a separate hole for mounting the camera facing backwards so the camera is still balanced.

I've had a couple openings that were harder on my neck than expected and had me out from jumping for a day or two, but I feel it's kinda par for the course. I usually need a break when that happens anyway ....

A friend recently upgraded to a PC-1xx for skydiving and I picked up his old PC-1 for a couple hundred bucks. I have begun using it in a belly pack as a recorder for a micro-board camera that I can mount practically anywhere (see my current avatar). This is what I have begun using for shooting on slider down jumps. The quality is pretty good for the size and price. When I jump with it on my helmet, I can't even tell it is there. I might start using it for more for slider-up stuff.

Mark

I've done ~60 camera BASE jumps (mostly sub-terminal). I use home-made helmet and side mounted bracket and I cannot say I'm happy with it. Sometimes (especially in the beginning) that's not very comfortable on exits -- I'm always trying to exit from the side there I don't have to twist my neck too much... or I have to exit faced to the side. That's not a big problem when the skills are perfect... or then you have top mounted camera.
Riser strikes.... yes. My risers usually hit the record button on opening and later while piloting. So my video is a little bit "edited" very often.
Bracket vs. box... There was a couple of jumps then I fu****d up the filming because of saving my camera from the rain or moisture.
Now I'm about to upgrade my camera gear... The personal choises: Bonehead Optik fits cool, light and nice.... but it has some skydiving stuff like helmet release system I don't really need here. I've seen Cookie stuff in Kjerag... It's super light and super simple.... Top mounted... Nuton eye ring... Good shaped box... I'll go for this one.

is that a fullface? if not change it to that,we dont want you to ruin that pretty face

> I did notice that with the camera (weight) being higher on your head, there is a longer lever arm and harder openings will transfer more energy to your neck. (I think, I'm not too up to speed on the actual physics involved but intuitively, this is what I think)

Yes, it is indeed true: camera on top has got a longer lever than having camera sideway.
But, because nothing is perfect, we must note the following.
Camera on top has got a longer lever (=higher forces) but it exerts higher forces exactly along the spine axis (our spine is quite robust to bear forces along its axis).
Camera sideway has got a shorter lever (=lower forces) but it exerts lower forces on an axis that is NOT the spine axis (there are two levers, now: lever 1 is for camera not being at center of mass of your own head; lever 2 is for camera being "outside" the proper spine axis).
Yes, I know I did not give an "answer": simply put, mounting camera top or sideway depends on how single jumper can bear axial/non-axial forces on his/her neck.
Personally, I solved this problem jumping a bullet camera (overall 170 g - 6 oz mounted 45° sideway my FD), yes, it way more complicate to build up a proper aligned cradle and a little bit of fuss setting up camera in a fanny bag on your stomach, but I end up jumping with no noticeable weight on my head.
Just my 0.02€.

ive got my 10 battery pack and still aint improved about the quallity on the bullet cam i got 2 years ago.. i think its perfect for the skydive envioment but the coolur difference between air and dirt will make notice on your video,also even as you get better shots at a high moon at night(than nightvision)your video is ruined if theres a cloud comming in,besides even whith 10 AA 2300mha batteryes i still get blue spots...
my cam were tested by the manufactor and no erro were found...

Im so disapointed at my system that i wont sell it as the price ill need is not what i compare to the quallity you´ll need in the BASE envioment..

We had the discus before and i tryly agree that theres pros n cons on a bullet cam,but for urban stuff i cant use it(all daylight objects it can be used and you truly clearly can see it all in focus,but i dont like the collur dif.)

Have a cearch in photozone here,theres alot of people who like it alot and gives great tips on this setup if you want to try it out