# Video Camera.



## ValvesRule (May 20, 2009)

Nearly finished building this.

This is a video camera which I have been building for a couple of weeks. I've taken it out a few times to video Tornado coming through Biggleswade.

The "magazine" contains the 4 channel Digital Video Recorder, which in turn contains the 250 G.B. S.A.T.A. hard disc drive. The whole machine is powered by a large rechargable 12 Volt battery rated at 7.2 A./H., but it's old and only about 4 - 5 A./H. now. I charge it on a 25 Watt solar generator which I have also built. The viewfinder shown is passive and only gives a realistic picture at distances greater than a yard, but I am preparing to build an active viewfinder using a 4" L.C.D. which will show the actual picture and allow playback on location.

The general design is based loosley on two cameras; the Bell & Howell Standard Cinecamera 2709, and to a lesser extent a friend's Sony CCD-V8AF-E video camera.

I call mine the "Simon Ekiert Standard VideoCamera 2505", where 250 is the H.D.D. size in GBs, and 5 is the number of signals it handles (4 video and 1 audio).

In actual fact, I cannot finish it, because Maplin have stopped selling the little C.M.O.S. cameras I am using.


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## foztex (Nov 6, 2005)

Cool, How come 4 video channels?

Love video cams me and have quite a collection, I was involved in the design of the first ever HDD based ENG camera, must do some pics.

funnily enough I was thinking about DIY CCD based cameras yesterday, I've an old Canon A1 and would love to make a digital back for it. Anyone seen or heard of a such a project? Ive a couple of old digicams about and was thinking of canibalising one, should be reasonably easy despite the focal length issues.

Andy


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## ValvesRule (May 20, 2009)

foztex said:


> Cool, How come 4 video channels?


The D.V.R. is designed for C.C.T.V. use, so 4 security cameras. It was the only "portable - sized" video recorder I could find. It does not record sound.

Channel I is colour with variable focus.

Channel II is black and white "pinhole" (in fact it has a very tiny lens).

Channel III would be colour with native lens removed so that I can fit my own lenses/pinholes, but Maplin have stopped selling the camera modules.

Channel IV is external Video In.

The camera modules produce Composite Video.

You can turn each channel on and off. I usually use it with only channel 1 on, because with more than one channel selected the frame rate drops considerably and it replays fast (like watching a 1900s film on a modern projector), making making Talkies extreemly difficult.


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Jeeezoh! Looks like top class "rat's nest" construction! Kind of beyond my capabilities though, I was always more interested in the RF side of things and did a fair few QRP RX/TX things at one time had three HW9 transceivers seriously modded etc etc. :yes:

Main station rig was a RACAL - as a valve man you'll remember those ? and Hallicrafters combo. All good stuff. For holidays I used a Yaesu all mode 2m rig with a three band transverter for 10m, 20m and 40m - handy sized.

73's de Mel


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## gaz64 (May 5, 2009)

mel said:


> Jeeezoh! Looks like top class "rat's nest" construction! Kind of beyond my capabilities though, I was always more interested in the RF side of things and did a fair few QRP RX/TX things at one time had three HW9 transceivers seriously modded etc etc. :yes:
> 
> Main station rig was a RACAL - as a valve man you'll remember those ? and Hallicrafters combo. All good stuff. For holidays I used a Yaesu all mode 2m rig with a three band transverter for 10m, 20m and 40m - handy sized.
> 
> 73's de Mel


I just used clansman 353 and 321 Mel oh and if I had to walk the 320


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## ValvesRule (May 20, 2009)

mel said:


> Looks like top class "rat's nest" construction!












Main Equipment Compartment.

P.C.B. is microphone amplifier. Rotary switch selects the Video Channel Source for the Monitor Recorder/Source switch. Toggle switch behind (just visible in photograph) is mic. amp. and Voltmeter power.










Power Equipment Compartment and Battery Compartment.

Ammeter monitors total battery current. Switches for Camera and Recorder Power. Three-legged device is 10 Volt 1 Amp. regulator for cameras. Cameras rated at 8 - 12 V.

Lens 1 can be seen fitted with Lens Hood. The gap is to allow focus adjustment without removing the hood.










The Front.

Right : Lens 1. Colour Lens.

Top : Lens 2. Black & White "Pinhole".

Left : Lens 3. Position for Colour C.C.D.

Bottom: Later addition (lamp?)

Passive Centre-of-Field Viewfinder at right-middle of photograph.

L.E.D. (left-above of turret) indicates Camera Power. This is a later addition, as I once recorded over an hour of video silence, not realising the Cameras were switched off (I was taking night-shots of trains at a level crossing).

Phono sockets above L.E.D. are for the Microphone and the Active L.C.D. Viewfinder, now under construction.

Half off-off-topic,








> Main station rig was a RACAL - as a valve man you'll remember those ?


Sorry, no. I'm not old enough to remember valves being common. I am more into collecting valves and other C.R.T.s than using valve equipment, though I have built some low-Voltage valve equipment including a M.W. wireless based on a simple crystal set, but with an active Triode detector (to go with my 20 K.V. arc transmitter).

I use Racal 1/4" reel-to-reel tape, though!


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