Brief:
In t' process o' researchin' digital video cameras intendin' t' try mounting one in t' payload section o' a rocket, 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, ya bilge rat, athletes' limbs, or what have you. Aye aye! Blimey! T' ATC-1000 looked like it had potential for use in a camera rocket so I picked up one from an eBay vendor. Aye aye! 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. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Once you get t' package open, me bucko, 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, ya bilge rat, up t' 1GB capacity

T' camera itself feels pretty solid, matey, me hearties, ya bilge rat, if for no other reason that it weighs in at about 138 grams with alkaline batteries installed, or about 122 grams if you use Energizer Photo Lithium cells (the blue and silver ones). Blimey! Here are the important specs for t' camera, me hearties, 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, AVI with sound for videos
• Image resolutions and frame rates: 640x480 @ 15 fps, shiver me timbers, 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, ya bilge rat, based on image resolutions and frame rates. Note that plugging in an SD card disables t' built-in memory. Avast! Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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, Snap Photo, shiver me timbers, and Start/Stop Video. T' Menu and Enter buttons allow you t' select which o' t' three image resolutions you want t' use, enable or disable t' 10 second snapshot timer, me hearties, me bucko, and delete either t' last image (still or video) or all images in memory. Begad! 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. Avast! If you don't switch through t' different resolutions very often, as is me plan, you won't have t' deal with t' menu very often.

Here are pictures o' both ends o' t' camera. In t' first photo you can see t' microphone located above t' camera lens. Ahoy! T' other two photos show the back end o' t' camera with t' twist-lock cap off. Blimey! Aye aye! You can see where t' SD card and t' battery tray slide into t' camera. Begad! Also visible on t' back end are t' USB 1.1 and A/V jacks matchin' t' cables come with t' camera. Aye aye! Avast! When the camera is plugged into a live USB port, me bucko, me bucko, it draws power from t' port instead o' t' batteries. Blimey! 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. 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. 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! T' video files can be found by clickin' on the followin' links.

For me rocketry application, 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. Avast! Arrr! Blimey! This is t' prevent t' batteries from compressin' their springs durin' acceleration and losin' contact at their positive ends, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, which would cause power dropouts in t' camera.

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

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

T' real problem is with t' Action Lab software itself. I really do not like software that insists on hijackin' t' computer's entire screen so I can't access other applications, and I definitely dislike software that insists on changin' me screen resolution t' its liking, arrr, matey, even if it does restore it when the software exits. Well, blow me down! Unfortunately, me hearties, ya bilge rat, Action Lab does both. Aye aye! 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. Blimey! Fortunately you don't need Action Lab to download your snapshots and videos, so I just choose t' pretend it's not there. Begad! If I need t' do any editin' o' t' files, me bucko, 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. Blimey! 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, arrr, me hearties, 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, arrr, 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. Stay tuned.