DYI Kayak Camera Mount

Well i got my Kodak Play-sport yesterday and decided i needed a mount for the Yak. I picked up some ideas from the web and went to Home Depot for supplies.

2 - 1/2" x 2' schedule 40 PVC pipe
3 - 1/2" elbows
1 - 1/2" end cap
1 - 1" x 1/4" bolt
1 - 1/4" nut
1 - 6' x 1/2" pipe insulation
1 - 4' section of para cord laying around the house.

Total cost for everything was $5

I played around with several lengths and joints until i came up with the following.

The 1/2" schedule 40 pipe fits snugly into a scotty mount. I used the flush mount i installed for my light pole in the rear. I also ran para cord the entire length inside the tube. This attached the top cap to the bottom piece and holds everything together under tension. This allows me to articulate all the joints. I added pipe insulation with the hopes it will float if it gets knocked out of the boat. I will test this tomorrow.



With the 3 elbows i can get allot of different angles and distances.




I can move the hole mount easily from the front to the back.


It folds up nice and neat and can fit in my crate.



I will put this to a full test tomorrow and hopfully have some vids of fish as well.

[ictalurus]

That's an awesome rig. The paracord was a really good idea. You could add some screw-eyes near the first elbow so you can bungee it to your crate or the tank well bungee to keep it from falling out of the Scotty holder.

Does the paracord keep it pretty rigid? I used PVC with too small of a diameter the first time I made my fish finder mount, and it flopped around with every wave I hit. Stepping up to the next width of PVC solved that problem, but the paracord might've done the trick, too. How did you attach the paracord to each end?

[DOGFISH]

Nice job. Now we'll see some real action fishing.

[MetroMan]

Nice going!

[DOGFISH]

Of course, after reading MetroMan's play by play about the Severn River white perch, combined with the photos or video taken by mmanolis, you all could be quite a fishing documentary crew. That is what makes this an enjoyable forum. Everyone is really into their kayak fishing.

[mmanolis2001]

That's an awesome rig. The paracord was a really good idea. You could add some screw-eyes near the first elbow so you can bungee it to your crate or the tank well bungee to keep it from falling out of the Scotty holder.

Does the paracord keep it pretty rigid? I used PVC with too small of a diameter the first time I made my fish finder mount, and it flopped around with every wave I hit. Stepping up to the next width of PVC solved that problem, but the paracord might've done the trick, too. How did you attach the paracord to each end?

The whole rig is very sturdy with the paracord. I drilled a hole in the top cap large enough for the cord to slip thru. I then tied a knot in the cord and pulled it tight. I ran the cord thru the rest of the pieces while assembling it. The bottom piece has another hole in the side where i fished the cord out with a loop of mono. I then pulled the cord tight and secured it with another knot. It keeps the whole rig stiff and allows for free movement of all joints.

I like the idea of screw eyes. I was nervous unscrewing the camera from the mount. I was afraid i would get a case of butter fingers and drop the camera in the drink. If i had a eye and a clip at the top i could fasten the camera to the mount to avoid this.

The mount worked well today. I have a full 4 gig card of video. No fish though

The 720p 60fps setting takes great videos. I did not test the 1080p setting yet. I'm new to the video side of fishing so it will take some time to get all the angles just right and proper use of the camera. I think i will have to splurge for a larger mem chip as well and maybe a external HDD for the house. 4 gigs filled up quick on the setting i was using. About 1:30 of video

Here is a link to a quick test of the camera. Make sure to select the 720 HD setting for a better idea of the camera's abilities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzMMFqON9C4

[ictalurus]

Sweet! Thanks for the info.

[surfdog]

very cool

[Grilled]

nice job..looks like a sweet set up!

[medicyaker]

Camera Mount

VERY COOL!!! Maybe next spring I'll have one on my yak. How expensive is that camera

[mmanolis2001]

VERY COOL!!! Maybe next spring I'll have one on my yak. How expensive is that camera

Its pretty cheap. I got it on sale for $120 from best buy. Another $30 or so for a 8 gig memory card. The video quality is excellent (up to 1080p at 30fps). I have been recording at 720p 60fps and getting around 1:30 of recording time before the battery dies. I plan on purchasing another battery for extended filming. A wider angle lens would have been nice but i can adjust the camera distance with the mount i created to get a better field of view.

It comes with a basic video editing package that work well enough for saving, editing and posting videos too the web.

I have no regrets with the camera so far. Great purchase.

[mdmakaira410]

If anyone is interested in small HD camcorders i just purchased a Sanyo VPC CG120 that also shoots in 1080. Its an amazing camera for the price and the big thing is that it shoots pistol grip style instead of like a normal digital camera. I personally find that this setup is much better for fishing applications because you can have a firm grip on the camera with one hand and the other free where as in something like the flip HD your basically limited to thumbs and index fingers. They also make it in a waterproof version which would be perfect for the yak. A very simple alternative to your beautiful camera mount would be to get a gorilla pod flexible tripod and bend it onto the milk crate or anything else really they cling to everything. The internal stabalizer on the camera is pretty good even if you arent using a tripod and it also shoots 14 megapixel stills.

i would definitly suggest getting an external HD, HD video takes up an insane amount of memory. you are going to want that free space and speed when it comes time to edit.

[mdmakaira410]

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