Havin' always wanted t' add functionality t' me rockets, I decided that addin' a camera would be a great start. Aye aye! I scoured t' internet via Rocketry Online, arrr, as well as directin' my browser t' any camera link mentioned in RMR. It seemed a lot o' rocketeers had used t' circuit on Rob Nee's AYUCR page. Arrr! Avast! It seemed simple enough, so I be off to t' races. Avast! I had a Minolta Freedom 50 camera that me wife had discarded and replaced because she be havin' problems with it. Aye aye! It needed minor attention and soon found itself on t' operatin' table. What I had failed t' realize be that this camera had a mechanical shutter button. Ahoy! DOH! I had already started the circuit and be havin' problems gettin' it t' work right. Ya scallywag! (note: Rob be very helpful via several email exchanges) In me searchin' for another way t' operate the camera, I stumbled upon a servo testin' circuit that seemed t' be what I was after. So it be back t' t' electronics store for more components. Begad! Avast! I was goin' t' use a servo t' somehow press t' shutter button on me camera......

Then a couple o' months ago, arrr, Ray Dunakin posted t' the ROL forums that he had just posted some new pictures t' his website. Blimey! After seein' some o' t' best inflight pictures I have ever seen, I fired off an email t' him t' find out how he operated his camera. Ahoy! Well, arrr, blow me down! He replied in short time with a nice description and a picture o' his "capsule". Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! In his note he mentioned that he used a servo and cam t' drive his camera. From t' picture that he sent me, t' setup seemed pretty straight forward.

Ray Dunakin's Camera "capsule"

In scroungin' around me house for t' materials t' build the pod, I decided that for me 1st attempt I would nay use t' mirror for downward boost shots, me bucko, but instead have t' camera lookin' straight out upon boost and face down upon descent. Ahoy! This was due t' t' fact that I had a little over a week till our next club launch and I wanted it t' be functional by then.

CONSTRUCTION

T' capsule is made o' foam core board, plywood, me bucko, a coupler t' size o' t' booster, me hearties, shiver me timbers, some foam, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and surplus 3.9" BT . I used 5min. Begad! Avast! epoxy for me glue joints with CA here and there. Avast! I also opted to glass t' entire pod.

T' first step is t' measure your camera dimensions and make sure that you calculate for t' side pieces. Well, me hearties, blow me down! You want to have a snug fit t' keep t' camera from shifting, ya bilge rat, yet leave a little room on the right side for t' lever you will make for t' shutter (approx 1/4-1/2"). Ya scallywag! Ahoy! What you are doin' is makin' a boxed rectangle into which your camera, shiver me timbers, servo, shiver me timbers, batteries, matey, and any circuits you choose will fit. See diagram below. It goes together supprisingly fast. Aye aye! For t' top o' the pod, me hearties, cut a piece (semicircle) o' body tube o' t' appropriate depth and glue to the back and sides at t' top o' t' camera compartment. Cut out an area o' the front piece t' allow for t' lens and light meter t' be fully exposed.

I glued a 1" piece o' BT t' t' bottom section, then used 3/4" foam t' form me transition. Avast! Begad! Blimey! T' coupler was attached usin' a piece o' allthread t' facilitate me altimeter. Avast, me proud beauty! You can skip that and glue t' coupler inside t' 1" BT if you want.

SERVO INSTALLATION

What you are tryin' t' accomplish is t' have t' servo arm rotate 360 degrees continually. Ahoy! You will have t' take the servo apart and remove t' "stops" which prevent this. NOTE: While you're in there, if you choose t' simpler method o' powerin' t' servo, remove circuit board and solder black and red wires directly t' t' motor. Run these wires out o' t' servo case when you put it back together.

With your camera in position in the pod, glue a piece o' plywood that will run from side t' side just in front of the camera. Make sure that you can easily install and remove t' camera before you glue it in (see diagram). Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! You will also need t' make a sturdy base for the servo. I traced a line around t' servo and cut out t' hole that will support the base o' t' servo. I also glued 2 vertical braces that extend t' t' top of the servo. Begad! Begad! You can screw a piece o' wood t' t' top o' t' 2 supports or use velcro t' secure t' servo in place. Avast! Begad! Cut a piece o' hardwood block or laminate 2 pieces o' plywood t' make t' block or t' cam fulcrum t' be screwed into. I used basic radio control items for t' fulcrum and lever. Ahoy! T' lever that connects t' cam t' t' fulcrum is 4-40 allthread that is used for push rods. Both t' fulcrum and connecter t' t' servo arm are plastic swivel ball links with brass inserts and threaded ends. I used a 4-40 threaded screw eye to connect t' cam setup t' t' lever. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Use a 4-40 nut on t' allthread t' retain the screw eye.

Dependin' on your setup, arrr, matey, shiver me timbers, you may have t' build up t' area where t' lever makes contact with t' shutter button.

FLIGHT PREPARATION

I secured t' front piece t' the unit with electrical tape. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Blimey! On future pods I will use some strips o' plywood or hardwood blocks around t' perimeter t' facilitate small screws. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! I used foam paddin' in t' pod and where t' front makes contact with t' camera t' make things secure.

On me first flight, matey, t' servo was driven by t' circuit that I mentioned earlier. Blimey! It used potentiometers which enabled me t' adjust t' rotation o' t' servo. Well, blow me down! It worked well, matey, but when trying to add a timer t' it t' delay t' activation till apogee, I must have fried the electronics in t' servo, matey, because it no longer would receive t' pulses from the circuit. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! So, me bucko, in another email t' Ray, arrr, I asked him how he drove his servo. He said he used 2 "AA" batteries wired directly t' t' servo motor. When I read this, I laughed almost convulsively at all o' t' hours o' head scratching, shiver me timbers, me hearties, fiddlin' and 10+ email exchanges with Doug Sams, me hearties, arrr, matey, tryin' t' get my fancy circuit t' work right. Ahoy! Well, matey, me hearties, t' second outin' used t' 2 "AA" batteries and everythin' worked fine. Arrr! It gives t' servo very close t' 1 rotation per second, which is what I was lookin' for. Arrr! YMMV. Ya scallywag! Use whatever method of servo operation your abilities allow. Begad! T' start t' servo, ya bilge rat, you can either flip a switch prior t' launch, ya bilge rat, or make a switch that is actuated at liftoff. Don't be afraid t' ask for help. I met some very nice rocket folk in my journey, arrr, who were very willin' t' help me out.

PARTS LIST

* You may have some o' this stuff lying around or use substitutes

INTO ACTION

T' followin' were taken on 8-5-00 at Mr. Aye aye! Weigand's avast farm near Baldwinsville, me hearties, NY

Camera payload boosts on an Aerotech G64!

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T' followin' were taken on 9-9-00 in Geneseo, ya bilge rat, NY. Begad! Boost provided by an Aerotech H123

T' quality is at best fair-good. Avast! Ahoy! I plan on doin' a couple o' things in t' future t' achieve better results. One is t' use a Rocketman or X-form chute for more stable descent, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and also get a better camera. I've heard great things about t' Olympus Stylus. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! When finances permit, I think I'll try one.

Thanks for checkin' it out. Ahoy! I welcome any comments, suggestions, and questions you may have. Arrr! Ahoy!

Ned Nassif

nnassif@twcny.rr.com

special thanks t' Ray Dunakin, Doug Sams, matey, John DeMar, Rich Pitzeruse and Tom Biasi!