Housing 'Timecodes'

[diversteve]

I never said I wanted the sensors inside the housing. I wonder if Pelagic/Suunto could adapt their wireless tank computer sensors to work with a camera to record that data.

The reason I am asking for this is for reef surveys.

I think the bigger problem is the interface to take the data, format it to NTSC and insert it into the video. There's no camera that I'm aware of that will allow you to do this. And the better editing cameras that will do insert editing usually require access to the vtr - not camera controls and do this post-dive. If you inserted a signal into the video-in jacks, you'd lose the lens feed. So you couldn't just insert it in realtime without modifying the camera's electronics. You'd need a video design engineer to design the circuit and then a technician capable of splicing the feed into the camera's electronics.

Not to mention someone smart enough to modify the electronics on the computer to give you an output that you would then have to convert to an NTSC signal to have something useful to feed into the picture. And good luck trying to do this, I'm guessing that the Suunto computers are a marvel of integrated circuit engineering to even be able to function as computers in that small a space, it's doubtful they left any external binary connections to the signal feed just on the off-chance that someone wanted to do this.

And I don't even know if you could overlay it, the best you might be able to do is insert it into one of the unused NTSC control tracks and then have to pull it out manually during post-editing. There's software that will do allow you to display the timecode embedded into this track, so something might be available that could do this.

You're talking a hysterical amount of expensive electronic engineering to do something like this though.

Maybe there's a simpler approach:

I don't use a Pelagic/Suunto computer but is there a way to lock it into a mode that would continuously display the depth/compass heading or other info that you're looking for?

If so, you could remote mount one on the outside of the housing, on a ULCS control arm or similar, and position it so that the data would be captured through the lens. With a wide-angle setting, I think it would be possible to see it. I've filmed my Uwatec wrist computer from arms length inadvertently once and the digits were visible if the light was just right. Lights would probably help here also or if you could lock the backlight on, it might be better although you'd eat up batteries.

Even this is more complex than it needs to be. Since all you're wanting to do is basic data logging a more mechanical approach might work. Instead of trying to do this with a computer/remote transmitter, get yourself a two gauge instrument console and mount an analog compass and high-contrast analog depth gauge where it can be seen by the camera instead. If you're shooting wide-angle, it should be at least readable. Highlight NSEW with different colors so you wouldn't need to see the compass readings clearly. You could even velcro a cheap divelight onto your housing to illuminate it if necessary. You could probably mount it on a ULCS control arm. They even have a swivel ball fitting that you could glue/screw to your housing for the other end, it would allow you to reposition the gauges as needed - and allow for quick removal if the arm wasn't needed.

Sometimes simpler is better...

 

[ChrisA]

Maybe there's a simpler approach:
.

I agree with the above post, especially the words quoted above.

OK, here three more ideas....(I like the last one (3) best)

(1) I assume you are using Mini DV format or maybe even HD. If you really _have to_ record the data to the tape the _only_ place on the tape were data might fit is on the audio tracks A low-speed FSK modem could encode the data to audio tones. (Do you remember the days late 70's early 80's when we used casset audio recoredes to backup PC data? Back in the days before the IBM PC.)

(2) But even simpler and almost zero cost would be to buy a computer that recorsds the dive profile and allows it to be read out to a PC. A Suunto computer can capture the information ever few seconds. What I don't know is if the compass heading is recorded bjut I know depth, temp and tank pressure are. but the new D9, I think has a compass built in. It may be recored. Either way
temp and depth would be usfull for a reef survey.

So, after you get home dump the Suunto data to a computer file. You will also download the mini DV video data to a computer file. Both files contain the time of day and date. The mini DV format time tags every frame as does the Suunto. So now what you have is a software problem. You have to define how the two files are to be merged and what the resultant merged file should look like. Software is something know about I could suggest some more details along this line

(3) One even simpler idea....
Get a full face mask with a mic inside and _speak_ into the camera and just record whatever data you want to with your voice. Itcould be either a wired or wireless link from the mask to the housing. these are pretty much off the self parts