• From: Plymouth, MA
  • Registered: 2013-06-07
  • Posts: 787

Topic: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

Does anyone have any ideas how to hook up a camera inside our hooptie and wire it so that we can watch it live in the garage at the track on a laptop or a tv screen while the car is racing?  Cheers! Mike

MarioKart Driving School: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #28) 
Loudon, NH 2014 - Millville, NJ, Lightening 2019 (RIP)
New and improved: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #11) Pittsburgh, PA 2021 - ??
and finally won something, Class C Win: Loudon, NH 2022

2 Reply by EyeMWing (edited by EyeMWing 2015-02-26 08:53 PM)

  • From: Baltimore, MD
  • Registered: 2010-05-20
  • Posts: 1,745

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

The only really reasonable (i.e. 'not going to cost a brazillion dollars in specialized gear') solution involves a smartphone, a service like ustream, and a LOT of data.

Problem is that cell coverage at most tracks is god awful once you get a paddock full of people trying to use one rural cell tower, combined with the phone crapping out in the car due to the combination of heat, being constantly charged (meaning more heat), doing video compression (yet more heat), and the radio ramping up the power because of the crap cell reception (even more heat!)

And that's before you try to actually watch the stream. Where you'll need a laptop pulling over the same overtaxed cell network, or off the track wifi (which is more often than not an exercise in frustrated failure)

Driver, Pit Monkey, Rod Buster and Engine Fire Starter
Team FinalGear
  • From: Orlando, FL
  • Registered: 2010-01-07
  • Posts: 251

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

One team at Kershaw was trying to do this using a weather balloon to hoist-up an antenna wire in order to get full coverage of the track, but sadly, the track put the kibosh on it. They said no flying anything above the track during a race-period! Cool idea though...

'ported, relieved, with bored-out arm rests, and oversize seat covers.
  • From: Central NC
  • Registered: 2009-05-05
  • Posts: 1,681

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

Possible - yes
Practical - no
Cheap - no

The easiest way is to create a network of repeaters around the track and make it private.

  • Registered: 2010-04-06
  • Posts: 36

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

Team Car-B-Que has a lemony-cheap system we have rigged together that we were going to try at ECR this weekend..  Unfortunately Dallas is closed.  If it works we'll spill the details but looks like we won't get a shot until MSR in November.

  • From: Plymouth, MA
  • Registered: 2013-06-07
  • Posts: 787

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

Awe--c'mon!, lets hear it!  I heard there are some apps for cell phones....or maybe some kind of security camera set up?  Baby monitor?

MarioKart Driving School: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #28) 
Loudon, NH 2014 - Millville, NJ, Lightening 2019 (RIP)
New and improved: 1987 Honda Prelude Si (Opus #11) Pittsburgh, PA 2021 - ??
and finally won something, Class C Win: Loudon, NH 2022
  • Registered: 2010-04-06
  • Posts: 36

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

MZAVARIN wrote:

Awe--c'mon!, lets hear it!  I heard there are some apps for cell phones....or maybe some kind of security camera set up?  Baby monitor?

We've got something we've rigged up using Raspberry Pi and some juiced up WiFi.

  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

MZAVARIN wrote:

Awe--c'mon!, lets hear it!  I heard there are some apps for cell phones....or maybe some kind of security camera set up?  Baby monitor?

Well, first you hack into an NSA "weather" satellite.  Then you borrow a predator drone....

  • Registered: 2010-04-05
  • Posts: 218

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

Wait, there's another Team Carbeque?

http://www.thecarbeque.com

cbq_tailspin's Website

  • From: Norridgewock, Maine
  • Registered: 2016-03-17
  • Posts: 97

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

It may require a radio license, but 5.8GHz FPV systems can reach 2000m... 433, 900MHz can go a few miles. You can buy entire kits that are plug and play.

  • From: Shippensburg, PA
  • Registered: 2010-11-18
  • Posts: 1,963

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

www.racecast.me

"She's a brick house" 57th out of 121 and 5th in Class C, There Goes the Neighborhood 2013
"PA Posse" 21st out of 96 and 2nd in Class C, Capitol Offense 2013.
"PA Posse" 29th out of 133 and Class C WINNER, Halloween Hooptiefest 2013
"PA Posse" 33rd out of 151 and 2nd in Class C, The Real Hoopties 2013
  • Registered: 2016-05-10
  • Posts: 3

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

I'm setting up an android phone running the Ustream app for live streaming from the car. You'll have to use cell data to transmit the video, i'm running tests on quality settings to calculate the amount of data that will be used. I'll be able to turn the camera on and off remotely.  The other option is point to point wireless but the 4 foot parabolic dish selections are lacking aerodynamic design. I can provide some instruction if anyone is interested. I'll follow up with those test results.

~PSH

  • Mr.Yuck
  • Mr.Yuck
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: Brookeville, Md.
  • Registered: 2013-12-09
  • Posts: 1,012

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

I'm guessing if you were to use a lower definition (meaning don't use 1080) it'd save on data and speed up the process?

"get up and get your grandma outta here"

14 Reply by TheEngineer (edited by TheEngineer 2016-05-11 07:54 AM)

  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2010-01-20
  • Posts: 3,299

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

I used ustream for years. It works well, as long as the track has good cell service. I believe I left the settings on default and used a couple gigs of data over the weekend. quality was ok, nothing close to HD. There is about a 30 second delay in the stream, but it works. Sound is way better than I expected.

Here's a recording that I dumped from ustream to youtube last year.  (sorry for the shakiness, that's due to my cell phone mount)
https://youtu.be/mtIX27M-27Q?t=20m39s


Most people are using race cast now because you can create an event page and have a whole bunch of different people's streams all in one place.

20+ Time Loser FutilityMotorsport
Abandoned E36 Build
2008 Saab 9-5Aero Wagon
Retired - 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby 2011-2015 "Lifetime Award for Lack of Achievement" IOE, 3X I got screwed, Organizer's Choice
  • From: Kalamazoo MI
  • Registered: 2013-06-10
  • Posts: 117

Re: ?Watch Live Lemons at the track

racecast worked awesome for us at Gingerman in april, and now that you can use the $250 cerevo liveshell (instead of the $700 vidiu streamer) its actually not that expensive.

Mike @ Charnal House Inc.
Like us on Facebook!
Or send us a message at CharnalHouse@gmail.com