Originally Posted by Tom Frank

The GoPro cable is most likely not making contact with all pins when inserted part way vs. all the way, but as Isoprop suggested, it's best not to use that cable unless you know how the pins are terminated.

Also, when charging via the PC with standard USB cable, the charge is controlled by a dedicated charging IC on the camera circuit board. When charging via the special car charger/cable, the internal charging IC is BYPASSED and connected in parallel with the battery wires on the camera circuit board. So, the termination of the charge cycle and extinguishment of the red LED might be controlled by different circuits in the camera. This would normally be done via a low current threshold into the battery terminals. If two different charging circuits are charging the battery to different levels of charge, this could explain in part why the red LED acts differently, but only if the standard USB connection never fully charges the battery enough to trigger the charge termination (to turn off the red LED).

Weak lipos may not charge to full normal voltage, or will not hold that voltage as soon as the charge voltage is removed. Maybe this is what is going on with the standard USB cable charge? Other more plausible explanations gladly accepted.

Your testing of the recording times will give more good info.

Very good information.

I came back now and charged it in the car for a bit over an hour. When I came back to the car the LED was OFF. I powered on the camera and took a small video. It worked! So it seems it has a problem with charing when doing so from the computer.

I will start recording now until it turns its self off, to see how long it will last before dying.

Originally Posted by inventing_man

WOW ! 441 pages devoted to this little cam ! So it HAS to be worth using !
In reading ALOT in these threads I am still uncertain of the actual record time the cam will allow . Is it push the button and it will record until the battery dies ? or is there a programed MAX time limit ?
With a 8 gig card will I fill the card with vid before the battery dumps?
Or just the oppisite . Battery dumps before the card is full ?
Has anyone made a exturnal battery pack ,like with using 2 of the correct rated cells in parell to double the MAH on time ? This would require a battery plugin adaptor on the cam it self , and then use a quality Hobby type lipo charger to charge the pack.... maybe quicker that way ?
I am thinking of an application where long duration filming is required in a light weight package . Thanks for responding and I will continue to read through the posts !

OK ! I found this page and it opens many doors for my application
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...postcount=2093

Welcome to the thread. Take the advice in the thread title and FIRST read thoroughly the first three posts, especially post #3. Your questions are already asked and answered there for the most part. The post you just mentioned is linked in the FAQs, with many others, for quickly finding key info. E.g., the firmware link give details on the different recording times and style you can install on the camera. There's no user toggles, though, other than installing a different firmware.

I have had problems charging some cameras from my computer from some USB ports. I once thought about 3 of my cameras had died when, in fact, they weren't charging fully through the USB port I was using.

My very first camera charged just fine from that port, so I was SURE that the port wasn't the problem. But it was.

Good luck with yours.

Thank You Just one other question The BMW style #11 Jumbo with big buttons will most likely fill the application I need . Is there a vendor who sells the entire package car charger , emergancy charger , cables , and all With the BMW style cam ?

There is no fix for this is there..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPnKvD5iocc

Originally Posted by mclarkson

I have had problems charging some cameras from my computer from some USB ports. I once thought about 3 of my cameras had died when, in fact, they weren't charging fully through the USB port I was using.

My very first camera charged just fine from that port, so I was SURE that the port wasn't the problem. But it was.

Good luck with yours.

Thanks, but I tested it on different USB ports on my own PC and different USB ports on my work PC.


I got 38 minutes of recording after a FULL charge, from the car charger. So that seems below average (especially for a BRAND NEW battery).

I wrote an e-mail to the seller, so let's see what he suggests.

Originally Posted by Bear_Pants

There is no fix for this is there..

WOW ! But I would keep it for a special FX cam when you need one .

Originally Posted by Bear_Pants

There is no fix for this is there..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPnKvD5iocc

I once had a little Aiptec camera that got dunked, and it took about two weeks to dry out and start working again. So don't give up on it yet.

Originally Posted by beamen

Thanks, but I tested it on different USB ports on my own PC and different USB ports on my work PC.


I got 38 minutes of recording after a FULL charge, from the car charger. So that seems below average (especially for a BRAND NEW battery).

I wrote an e-mail to the seller, so let's see what he suggests.

If that is for a Jumbo, yes, way below normal. But for the small #11 that is in the normal range (40 min. + or - ).

Originally Posted by inventing_man

Thank You Just one other question The BMW style #11 Jumbo with big buttons will most likely fill the application I need . Is there a vendor who sells the entire package car charger , emergancy charger , cables , and all With the BMW style cam ?

Yes, but you'll have to go to their web sites and find one for yourself. The ads change regularly, plus you can just add what you want to the basic camera in the order email with most of them. See post #2.

My favorite method for getting water out of electronics that have been immersed in water is to submerge the in alcohol and fill, shake, and jiggle them to make sure the alcohol has penetrated inside everything and that any water was either replaced by alcohol or very well diluted by it.

Then I let the devices hang in a warm spot over out boiler/water heater for a few days. The alcohol will evaporate away cleanly, leaving no water, and has not caused any damage yet except for loosening some labels. It has saved several receivers, servos, ESCs, and motors for me so far.

The motors and servos get re-lubricated.

I've been using an ethanol based denatured alcohol that is intended for use as a fuel in moat stoves or other portable cooking stoves.

Jack

Heres a nother question I've been looking for an answer to, but not seen yet .
Does it matter which way the cam is turned as to the way the vid is orentated ? I'm guessing here but with the Buttons up then the vid will be rightside up? . If you turn the function buttons down you will be shooting upside down ? . And like wise if its on its side the vid will be at 90 degrees ?
If the above it true then , Is there any editor that will right side up a vid shot upside down?

If the above it true then , Is there any editor that will right side up a vid shot upside down?

Yes to all. Windows live movie maker lets you rotate it around 90 degrees twice... but the frame kinda gets messed when you only go 90 degrees, so I don't know what you do about that.

Originally Posted by inventing_man

Heres a nother question I've been looking for an answer to, but not seen yet .
Does it matter which way the cam is turned as to the way the vid is orentated ? I'm guessing here but with the Buttons up then the vid will be rightside up? . If you turn the function buttons down you will be shooting upside down ? . And like wise if its on its side the vid will be at 90 degrees ?
If the above it true then , Is there any editor that will right side up a vid shot upside down?

You are correct. Just about any editor will rotate a video... see FAQs for several free ones that work well with the camera's native videos.

Originally Posted by wheelspinner20

Yes to all. Windows live movie maker lets you rotate it around 90 degrees twice... but the frame kinda gets messed when you only go 90 degrees, so I don't know what you do about that.

The default output frame orientation from WLMM does not rotate the entire 1280x720 frame 90 deg., but rather keeps that long dimension horizontal. Then, it rotates the image 90 deg. and reduces it in size so it fits the 720 pixel vertical height of the original frame. This leaves black bars on each side, but the image is perfectly rendered. I guess that's what you mean by your comment?

It is possible to create a custom output frame orientation in WLMM, but some players do not handle that well, plus the normal 1280 pixel width of the native video maybe too tall for many monitor screens when rotated vertical, so they may need to be reduced in size anyway.

There are some free editors like Virtual Dub and Avidemux that will rotate the entire full frame 90 deg.