DIY Linecam

Community General Discussions
1

I intend to build a DIY linecam.

Here’s what a real linecam looks like:
http://images.gizmag.com/hero/linecam.jpg

I believe I could build a crude one using the following:

  1. A go pro type camera. I have a JVC GC-XA1BU
  2. thirty feet of airplane wire and a pair of turnbuckles
  3. some plywood and bolts
  4. A couple of rollerblade wheels
  5. a very very slow motor

The last piece is the trickiest. I’m not sure what type of motor would go slow enough, in fact I need to figure out how “slow” is slow.

The best example of a DIY one was this ^^

From this article : maiamedia.co.uk/2012/03/how-to-gopro-diy-cable-cam/

2

Here’s the math on how fast I need the camera to go:

I’d like the camera to cover sixty feet in one hour. That works out to one foot per minute. Rollerblade wheels have a diameter of 2.83", but I’ll call it 2.5" because I’d need to cut a groove into them for the airplane wire. That works out to a circumference of 8".

That means that I’d need a motor with an RPM of 1.5 per minute to achieve my target speed, at least without gearing.

I’m starting to think I should put a propeller on the DIY linecam. Because a motor with an RPM of 1.5 will be hard to find. And building a gearbox sounds like more trouble than it’s worth. (Just thinking out loud here, I am no expert.)

3

If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask. Curious to see the end results.