skydiveoc

As a DZO, I think it silly to send up single tandems in the 182 unless you only have one TM and you are forced to. In our 182 operation we are basically breaking even by sending up a single so we avoid it at all costs. Single bookings must book with another single or an odd number from another group. To schedule singles on purpose so as to spec outside videos seems like a poor business practice. I say send em up in pairs and either shoot handy or sell landing shots for $25 per disc plus an 8 x 10. Landing shots offer the same profit margin as the outside video to the DZ and easier to sell! We now have our ground shots only as as an add on option to handy cam to encourage more people to buy handycam. I dont know how you would accurately book tandem class schedules by offering outside video with a cessna operation. Lets say you have 20 tandems booked. It should take you 5.5 hours to do the work with fuel breaks for 10 loads. Now lets say they all want outside video. That makes for a 11-12 hour day for 20 tandems.

Thanks so much for the support! The jack gets a lot of use...we hand cam these cx 12's so the glove applies pressure to the jack. Also, we spec each one so...alot of unplugging and pluggin back in. To use the debrief plug we would need 2 cameral set ups. Might have to go that way.

Our hypeyes have started giving us trouble as well. They are putting too much pressure or vibration on the port on our cx 12's resulting in the camera missing frames, shutting off and not recording. The camera will shut off randomly when turned on using the controller. We figured out what was causing the video stoppage when we gently wiggled the jack. The port on the camera has loosened as well. The skin on the button as also peeled off after about 1/2 year of usage. We now only use the thing as an indicator light and turn the camera on and press record using the camera on off and record button, not the hypeye. The hypeye now is a $100 indicator light. If you are a commercial video person, I would think twice about using a hypeye or cam eye for that matter. The have historically caused me trouble.

I secured it with a two bungees. Also had an older shell securing the door with a hinge pin, similar to a aircraft door. Just manage any potential snag points here.

Do you have to secure it in the box? I have maybe 1000 jumps placing a PC 330 in a box which was secured to the helmet with epoxy. I lined the box with some light foam to make the fit tight. Never had any shake. j

I shoot in HD SP. Seems to be a good balance of quality for frame grabs stills and fairly quick uploading. 16:9 manual focus beach mode.

Thanks for the help guys. I guess I just figured editing a video and saving it was like cutting and pasting a picture to a word doc and saving it. That the media is transferred and saved to a new project. I guess I need to understand the whole process better.

how does one save either a vegas file or the dvd architect file so the footage is saved with the file? In other words, if I create a video in Vegas, save it, then delete the raw footage later, the footage is now missing with the file when I attempt to re-open the vegas file. How do I save the file so as the footage becomes part of the file and not pulled from a raw footage file?

I have no issues using the cx 12 with hand cam. Neither have 3 other peers. Freefly might be different.

Whoa...I gotta learn that one. I've been re-rendering in what I thought was a youtube friendly format and didnt know I could use the same as when burning to dvd.

Any DZ's using this service? Can anyone justify a paid video streaming service when youtube is so prevelant?

Quite a few a using it...i have heard image quality is not as up to par as cx12 but still good.

What settings are preferred when "making movie" in Vegas Pro 8 Plat? I am shooting in HD, and am confused about settings and formats and bitrate choices. I am looking for minimal quality loss quickest possible redering time. Let me know if I left any information out.

Just wondering why your hand is on the drogue so soon?

Im editing with Vegas Pro 8 and capturing with Sony's PMB picture viewer. Both offer ways to encode to MPEG 2 or WMV files for export to youtube. Youtube downloads still seem to take about 20 minutes with a LAN conection. Total Im basically uploading exit to opening and its taking 20 minutes per. Anyone have tips on faster uploads?

So, when executing emergency procedures, you should be thinking only about saving your life, and forget about getting the video. Any time spent thinking about the video, is concentration that is misplaced. I think you've been baited

I guess for the next 50 tandems or so without video, I am going to imagine myself having a baglock and "handles checking" my RSL and 3 rings on the way down. Repetition and mind awareness drills to a new reaction.

What most people are unaware of is that those hand warmers need oxygen to function and usually take anywhere from 15-20 mins to even warm up once activated on the ground. When taken to altitude, they generally just stop working. Everyone who was using them initially during the recent 4 month long high altitude testing we've been doing stopped using them because they just didn't do anything once at altitude. What seems to help is a barrier or cover that has insulating properties. My iphone was in my cargo pocket under my insulated jump suit during the -56f 25k foot HAHO and it was on and functional when I was back on the ground. Had I pulled it out of my pocket while under canopy I am certain it would have shut down like most of the other electronics did. In some cases it is shielding the device from the effects of the cold and in some devices the battery is what causes the device to shut down as they typically don't handle cold very well. We have some devices that actualy heat the batteries in cold environments so they and the device can function properly. An insulated box or camera condom may help with your problem but I would also make sure to cover the battery if you continue to have this issue. Excellent info...thanks.

Have had my cx 12 shut off on climbout as well. Maybe use one of those hand warmer pouches in the camera enclosure? Or will that just add to the condensation factor?

Icarus has become super expensive. For the value I would consider Precision. Even though I have 2 Icaruses! 365 and 330!

Better to learn a solid ground game. Chokes and armlocks warrant less liability than striking. Better pull guard and lock in an omoplata. Or better yet, lapel chokes using camera flyer wings. First to tap loses the vid. At least, that what we do. MMADZ

I am new to vegas (end of summer 09) and used the PMB browser to view files then import to vegas. Couldn't use windows files easily so just got used to this route. DSE could probably guide an easier route but this just worked for me. Download to PMB, analize files, then import to vegas. Still like it better than old board. Makes me feel smarter and that's hard to do!

If you add the variety like the previous poster they you most likely wont lose your enthusiasm for the sport. But make it a 100% commitment and you more than likely will. But, it is not just tandem training that has this burnout effect. Play, train or teach any discipline 40 hours a week and there will be a burnout factor. Martial arts teachers, SCUBA trainers, you name it and do it full time then there is a burn out factor in it. I find it helpful, with over 10,000 jumps, most commercial, that it still beats working 9-5. We work for 6 months and take home about 45K without tips in that time, doing hand cam. Work at a year round mill like Guam, Vegas, or Hawaii then you can make 80K a year but you have to accept who you are: a factory sky diver. I still like it...if you don't...do something else! I make few recreational skydives and when I do it is usually hop n pops for swooping.

I believe CompAir has a certified single turbine utility aircraft produced now approved for skydiving. Similar to a Caravan or Kodiak. Price tag around 1.6 though so...we have to wait 10 years unless you're a volume center to make that kind of payment. It looks super sweet though.

Maybe you were right in guessing the unit is small enought to store in a velcro pocket on a jumpsuit forearm. Any rumors on price? Gotta get one anyway! Film a second under canopy angle on the foot!