Brief:
In t' process o' researchin' digital video cameras intendin' t' try mounting one in t' payload section o' a rocket, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I ran across t' ATC-1000 Action Camera manufactured by Oregon Scientific. This is a digital video recorder built into a cylindrical casin' intended for sports applications such as mountin' on helmets, handlebars, shiver me timbers, athletes' limbs, ya bilge rat, or what have you. Well, blow me down! T' ATC-1000 looked like it had potential for use in a camera rocket so I picked up one from an eBay vendor. Ahoy! Ahoy! I found out later I could've saved a few bucks and gotten it sooner if I had ordered it through Best Buy's web site (it is listed under "Kids' Electronics").

Construction:
T' camera comes in one o' those welded-shut plastic bubble packages that are a pain t' open. Once you get t' package open, arrr, ya bilge rat, you find t' camera and a lot of additional parts:

• various straps and clips for mountin' t' camera
• audio/video cable
• USB cable
• software CD-ROM
• user's manual
• clear logo sticker

• four AAA batteries
• optional SD memory card, up t' 1GB capacity

T' camera itself feels pretty solid, if for no other reason that it weighs in at about 138 grams with alkaline batteries installed, shiver me timbers, or about 122 grams if you use Energizer Photo Lithium cells (the blue and silver ones). Avast! Ahoy! Here are the important specs for t' camera, some o' which I had t' measure for myself:

• Loaded mass: 138 grams (alkaline batteries) or 122 grams (lithium batteries)
• Dimensions: 35 mm diameter x 140 mm length (end cap is closer t' 37 mm diameter)
• Built-in memory: 32 Mb
• Optional SD card capacity: 1GB max
• Image formats: JPG for still photos, me bucko, AVI with sound for videos
• Image resolutions and frame rates: 640x480 @ 15 fps, 320x240 @ 20 fps, 160x120 @ 25 fps
• Field o' view: 36 deg H x 27 deg V (4:3 aspect ratio)
• Depth o' field: 1.5 meters t' infinity, fixed focus

T' followin' table gives me best estimates on total video recordin' times for t' camera, me bucko, based on image resolutions and frame rates. Ya scallywag! Note that plugging in an SD card disables t' built-in memory. Aye aye! I've listed a 128 Mb card because that's t' size I have loaded into me camera.

Below are pictures o' t' camera by itself and next t' a 12-inch ruler and a standard 18mm C6 rocket motor for comparison.

T' camera has an LCD display and four buttons: On/Off/Enter, Menu, ya bilge rat, Snap Photo, matey, and Start/Stop Video. T' Menu and Enter buttons allow you t' select which o' t' three image resolutions you want t' use, ya bilge rat, enable or disable t' 10 second snapshot timer, matey, and delete either t' last image (still or video) or all images in memory. Arrr! Avast! Navigatin' through t' menu options takes a little practice, and one time I did manage t' get t' camera so confused that I had t' pop the batteries out for a few seconds t' force it t' reset itself. If you don't switch through t' different resolutions very often, as is me plan, matey, you won't have t' deal with t' menu very often.

Here are pictures o' both ends o' t' camera. Arrr! In t' first photo you can see t' microphone located above t' camera lens. Arrr! T' other two photos show the back end o' t' camera with t' twist-lock cap off. You can see where t' SD card and t' battery tray slide into t' camera. Avast! Also visible on t' back end are t' USB 1.1 and A/V jacks matchin' t' cables come with t' camera. Begad! When the camera is plugged into a live USB port, ya bilge rat, matey, it draws power from t' port instead o' t' batteries. T' camera's internal or add-in memory (but not both at once) are then accessible by your computer as a removable drive assumin' you have already loaded t' included software. Well, blow me down! Arrr! (More on this below.) T' A/V cable lets you connect t' camera directly t' a TV or VCR so you can play back your recorded images. Avast! In this mode, t' Menu and Enter buttons control on screen VCR-like buttons.

Since I only plan t' use t' camera t' record video files, I've recorded short AVI video files o' movin' vehicles t' compare t' image resolutions and frame rates. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' video files can be found by clickin' on the followin' links.

For me rocketry application, me hearties, I plan t' make small balsa wedge shaped shims to wedge into t' battery tray alongside t' contact springs at t' negative ends o' t' batteries. This is t' prevent t' batteries from compressin' their springs durin' acceleration and losin' contact at their positive ends, which would cause power dropouts in t' camera.

Overall, I'd take off half a ratin' point for t' awkward design o' the controls. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! So me score for t' camera itself and accessories: 4.5 out of 5.

T' CD-ROM includes t' drivers for t' camera, shiver me timbers, which are installed when you load t' supplied Action Lab video editin' software. On me system, ya bilge rat, the computer couldn't access t' camera memory until this install be done.

T' real problem is with t' Action Lab software itself. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I really do not like software that insists on hijackin' t' computer's entire screen so I can't access other applications, arrr, and I definitely dislike software that insists on changin' me screen resolution t' its liking, even if it does restore it when the software exits. Unfortunately, me bucko, Action Lab does both. T' feature set seems fairly complete, but just t' sheer rudeness o' t' software in takin' over my desktop completely soured me t' its use. Well, blow me down! Fortunately you don't need Action Lab to download your snapshots and videos, so I just choose t' pretend it's not there. Avast! If I need t' do any editin' o' t' files, I've got Paint Shop Pro for the photos and Windows Movie Maker for t' videos.

At least t' camera driver seems t' work alright for downloading. Aye aye! My score for t' supplied camera software: 2 out o' 5.

Summary:
Since t' camera package's major shortcomin' o' t' software can be worked around easily enough, me hearties, shiver me timbers, for its potential use as an onboard rocket camera I'd give t' ATC-1000 an overall ratin' o' 4.5 out o' 5.

For me next trick, me hearties, I will take a Public Missiles 9 inch long by 2.5 inch diameter payload bay and convert it into a camera bay for t' ATC-1000 with plans t' launch it atop me PML Explorer high power rocket. Aye aye! Stay tuned.