I and several members of my department are looking at buying these. We are in the process of writing SOG's for the use of them. If anyone has guidelines already in place I would love to get a copy
Permalink Reply by Greg on February 22, 2008 at 11:21am
Thats partially what i am working on right now, the camera seems to work very well and the picture quality was way better than i expected it to be. Seems like it would be a useful tool for training and investigating
The camera works well in daylight, but not in low light interior, or at night unless you have bright scene lighting. The video resolution is adjustable which can allow you up to 2hrs total video time. I haven't played with mine much, to really see what it will do. I did use it a couple of weeks ago during live fire training inside a burn building. I does hold up to heat well, but again, the video quality is poor in low light. The audio mic works well for a distance of about 10-12 feet, then the audio level fades rather quickly. The included helmet mount is crap. I ended up making one which holds the camera more securely. The buttons are a little difficult to operate to make sure you turn the camera on or off. Otherwise, it appears to be fairly ruggedly constructed and I am looking forward to using it more.
The camera's are great for personal use. Its when they start ending up on websites and the news that you have to worry about. If they record audio which most of them do you have to be careful who you send it to. You never know if your helmets view of things will end up on the news. Especially when mistakes are made or godforbid a rescue is recorded. There is a certain mystery we have with the public a behind the curtans kind of operation. Just be mindful of what your recording and where it might end up. It could show your Dept. and yourself in a bad light.
Permalink Reply by Greg on February 25, 2008 at 10:53am
my first thoughts on the camera was how great of a training device this would be.... as well as an investigation tool. This enables you to show the investigators exactly what you see when you are inside. Some people go as far as to whackerize it but that does not have to be the case. In my opinion it can help you to better your skills. Doesnt mean you have to go posting it all over the internet or anything, as long as it is used in the proper ways the camera can be a very beneficial tool
Permalink Reply by Ben on February 25, 2008 at 1:01pm
ive had mine for a few months now and love it except for at night. the mount you have is diff from mine so its evident theyve been workin out some of the weak parts of it. Can anyone explain how to change the video resolution?
Permalink Reply by Greg on February 25, 2008 at 4:35pm
there are settings in there as to where you can have it store any where from 1 hour to 12 hours of video... its basically a trial and error situation.... the 1 hour video is very clear but you do sacrifice alot of video time