GoPro mount?

[Batjac]

I’ve got an old GoPro Hero1 and a Hero3+.  I figured I’d mount the Hero1 on the wing pointing at the cockpit, and the 3+ behind me inside.  I’ve been reading old threads on here trying to figure out how to mount the 3+ on the aft bulkhead.  Then I looked over at the 3+ sitting on the desk, I realized the answer was staring me in the face.  I still have the original packaging that the camera came with when I bought it, what, 11 year ago?  The camera is inside a jewel case.  The camera is mounted a plate that was stuck to the flaps of the boxtop.  A nice, big plate that would mount nicely to the bulkhead.  Probably with some 3M Command Strips.

 

 

For the Hero1, I thought I’d try a suction cup as others have done.  I’ve never used the suction cup that came with the 3+, but the suction cup is 11 years old.  Maybe it’ll be okay, maybe not.  So I figured I’d just go ahead and buy a new one.  My question is, is the GoPro brand suction cup the best?  Or is there an after market suction cup mount that is better?

 

Is my thinking off kilter somehow?

 

Mark

[FlyingMonkey]

I've done a lot of different mounts.  I think the wing pointing at the cockpit isn't great.  The image doesn't change much and it gets boring to watch.  Under the wing pointed forward however is awesome, if you can get the angle just right to exclude the prop and other aircraft bits.  It's a read bird's eye view.  The GoPro suction mount is excellent it won't come off at normal CT speeds (It's rated to 150mph) -- I have used it a lot. 

Also on the bulkhead facing forward between the seats is my absolute favorite.  You can see everything the pilot sees, including the instruments, as well as both people in the airplane.  Here's another fun view with the suction mount, from the belly (just make sure the surface is clean and free of oil):
 

 

[Batjac]

Andy, the cockpit facing camera is for my wife, so she can wave to the camera and be seen.  My wife works for one of the big financial houses, and her co-workers all drive fancy cars, have big houses, and go on fancy vacations.  We're just normal people.  So she enjoys telling her co-workers we own an airplane and are building a hangar on the airport. 

She's also Korean, so her family is very status conscious.  Or, she's half Korean, so she's not as good as the rest of her family.  She married badly, her first husband, not me.  But I'm not rich, so they're underwhelmed that she married me, too.  Being able to point to a YouTube video showing her flying out to some cool place for breakfast or lunch will make them jealous of poor little "mixed" girl.

[Eddie Cesnalis]

I had an early gopro that didn't have stabiliztion and without a gimbel hard mounted to the bulkhead and underside of the wing.  I would only do this again with effective stabilization.

[FlyingMonkey]

14 hours ago, Batjac said:

Andy, the cockpit facing camera is for my wife, so she can wave to the camera and be seen.  My wife works for one of the big financial houses, and her co-workers all drive fancy cars, have big houses, and go on fancy vacations.  We're just normal people.  So she enjoys telling her co-workers we own an airplane and are building a hangar on the airport. 

She's also Korean, so her family is very status conscious.  Or, she's half Korean, so she's not as good as the rest of her family.  She married badly, her first husband, not me.  But I'm not rich, so they're underwhelmed that she married me, too.  Being able to point to a YouTube video showing her flying out to some cool place for breakfast or lunch will make them jealous of poor little "mixed" girl.

That makes sense.  I didn't mean it's a "bad angle" per se, just that if you're trying to give viewers a sense of what's happening on a flight it's not the best.  I get self conscious with a camera pointed at me all the time, so that plays into it too.  It sounds like the perfect positioning for your wife and her family & friends though!

[shiny.ice]

Here's some of my favorite angles. I use the camera pointed at me especially when showing radio work or conversations with a passenger. Still not thrilled with the "tiedown" location, I want to put it back on the fin but I'll either have to make a rounded bracket/mount or drill into the fin. The 360 on the wing (picture: flying over mud flats to small runway) can be nice for reframing, and I actually really like a camera at the end of the wing (picture: blanked out tail number, flying over a low bridge) pointing towards the plane- it's a great b-roll type angle. I also have a mount where the whiskey compass goes, I don't have a sample from that angle handy.

 

 

[EricB]

The best thing about this thread is that it convinced me not to bother.  You guys have such good footage, I don't have a need to do my own just to show my face on Youtube.  I had thought about doing this as I did a couple of Erie Canal cruise videos but now I'll leave it to others and fly the airplane.

 

 

[FlyingMonkey]

On 8/2/2024 at 4:11 PM, EricB said:

The best thing about this thread is that it convinced me not to bother.  You guys have such good footage, I don't have a need to do my own just to show my face on Youtube.  I had thought about doing this as I did a couple of Erie Canal cruise videos but now I'll leave it to others and fly the airplane.

 

 

It's always good to see new areas we might not get to fly in!  I'd personally like to see your videos.  I also wish there were more videos of Europe, Asia, and Australia posted here.