FC40 camera safety harness mod others might find useful

[J.James]

I noticed on the web many People complaining that the camera mount on there FC40 is a lil bit Janky and it don't always stay closed. and I noticed it dont take much to cause the camera to pop out of the holder as well as also pop lose from the shock mounts.

SO i made to quick easy mods. First one was to thread some string threw the two rubber shock mounts on both the sides and tie each one in a loop. So that if it does come out at all you will not lose the cam holder and cam or lose any of the shock mounts.


Second mod was to also make a secure tether for the camrea that is tied to the main arms of the camera mount so there is no way the camrea can go flying away in any kind of crash or mishap from the holders front latch not staying shut. I tried to see if there was any way to tie a string securely or any place I could eve put tape on it and hold it but not interfere with it fitting in the holder right. But could not find any good secure way to do it that I liked. Then I Noticed on the very top of the cam there is a T slot and a spring clip on the back. So found my self a tiny square washer that went to a screw in electrical tab on the back of different electronic devices tho if in a pinch I could of used a round washer also. But what I did was just thread a string threw the washer and tie a knot on it so it don't pull threw the washer. and then the washer slides in the t slot track and holds in place after it pops past the spring clip that keeps it from sliding out. and to test it while I still had a few feet of string attached and threw it hard like a yo yo a few times and its as secure as can be and as long as you are past the center point it will just slide to the end of the track were it can not come out. then I tied the lose end of sting on to holes by were the metal screw knob holds the holder on to the phantom and trimmed my ends and now I have a camera that can not come out on its own and get lost and is easy to attach and detach from its tether when I want it to. now I will never have to worry about losing my camera.

 

[lostkiwi]

Re: FC40 cam mod others might find useful

I just use a bunch of small zip ties and replace the one to get the camera out when I need to.

 

[J.James]

Re: FC40 cam mod others might find useful

Zip ties were my first thing I tried using on the 2 side shock mounts that hold the camera holder to the frame. But I dint have any small enough and was having a hard time threading them threw any way were they didn't bind up or hit the door when it opens and closes. But thought the sting looks a lil bit better and harder to notice. Being the string is white and my zip ties were green. But what ever works works. A white bread tie would of probably worked very well also.

But the Detachable tether to the camera is some thing I'm really liking being there is no way it can come detached in an impact unless the string its self were to break or one of the lips on the slot on the cam were to bust some how. Yet when you want to take the camera out or put it back in Its easy and no fuse. The washer just goes in the end of the slot and I slide it past the spring clip and to the end of the track and its locked in. The pop it back in the case and close the door and Its all ready to go. and if I just want to pop the cam out to put the card in the string is long enough to pop the cam out of the case with out having to detach the tether.

 

[J.James]

Re: FC40 cam mod others might find useful

I just made a lil video of the safety harness for the fc40 cam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae0ocnLpacs

 

[PortPilot]

LOL... wish I had read this before my first test flight. I crashed my FC40 and the camera went flying and I lost one of the rubber mounts.
Mini zip-ties will be my first mod...

 

[KennyBKK]

I use this GoPro Velcro which cost me 80c. Works almost perfect except the record button at the bottom is a bit hard to access.

Kanok

http://www.dx.com/p/fastener-magic-stic ... ack-254999


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[PortPilot]

Following up on this, I found some really small zip ties and was able to properly thread them in such fashion as to not interfere with removal or install of the camera, and have them oriented so the "lock" tab is right over the outside hole. I also made sure not to tighten them so hard that they compress the rubber shock mounts.

Thanks for the great tip!

 

[WillWort4Beer]

Many Thanks J.James!

 

[LAPhantom]

Quick, cheap and easy way that I use to make sure that the camera door latch won't open during flight, with a common item found in your bathroom medicine cabinet. DENTAL FLOSS!!

It's sturdy enough, small enough to fit through the available spacing on the FC40 camera holder, flexible and long enough. I thought of first using regular string/sewing thread but didn't think the string would be strong enough and could potentially break. I thought that maybe using fishing line might solve the sturdiness problem with the string/thread but I could not find any fishing line anywhere in my house and I was too lazy to go out and buy some. Later that day while doing my thing on the porcelain throne I just so happened to glance over to the bathroom counter and noticed my girlfriends dental floss... BINGO!! It was like a sign from God.

What I did is that I took the dental floss and threaded it first through the rear top slot of the camera holder. I then made the dental floss come out through the round opening where the camera lens would be. I opened the latch and inserted my camera back into its place and closed the latch door. The dental floss is now sticking out of the back and the front of the holder and i just simply tie the two ends over the V-shaped camera mount on the top and viola.

Now, in case I do come across some strong winds or crash into something I know that if the latch door fails to stay closed the dental floss is there to make sure it does not pop open. Hopefully saving us some unnecessary expenses for replacements. I hope this helps other Phantom Pilots out. Peace Out everyone and fly safely.

 

[J.James]

Dental floss now thats some very good stuff Thin but strong that most probably have already. I guess any way to skin the cat that works will work.

 

[Wedeliver]

Until I read this thread I was not all that concerned about my camera but the op is right, there was one crash where the camera went flying and even had a hard time finding one of the rubber thingies. (you know what I mean).

So, I found a paper clip fits in that slot in the top of the camera, (I had to make it a bit shorter, but it is very snug in the slot) tied a string to that and tied that to the body. Also I use twist ties and thread them through the rubber thingie holes, being twist ties they can be reused...