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Aerial Photography and Video > EyeTop video glasses
 
 
yb2normal
Senior Heliman
Location: Broomfield, CO

Successful outing with the Eyetops

I just got back from my lunch time flying session with the Eyetop glasses. I mounted my BWAV 200mw video system to my GWS SlowStick with the camera on a tilting servo.

The video receiver was zip-tied to my homemade transmitter tray and powered from an 8 cell nicad pack stuck in my pants pocket. The Eyetop control unit clipped to my belt.

The eyetops performed admirally well. With my Indiana Jones hat planted firmly on my head (full brim) , the view from the glasses was bright and sharp. The waviness in the sunglasses quickly became easy to ignore (I buy a lot of cheap sunglasses ) and my brain quickly learned to ignore the flicker in the video image.

I noticed some local interference in the glasses that was caused by my RC transmitter. The severity was such that it was annoying to look at, but I was still able to view the image through it. The interference went away when the RC transmitter was turned off... with the plane on the ground of course.

The interference is being injected into the glasses, versus the video receiver, since I experienced the same problem when I used a hardwired camera with the eyetops. I'm curious as to other folks experience and how they might have resolved it.

Final analysis: I am happy with the glasses. I was thrilled at the compositional control they gave me from the plane, while still maintaining visual contact with craft. Transitioning from video view to plane view was a non-event, since my head was still craned up in the direction of the plane. I only became confused once, when the plane was coming toward me... when viewed from the video, the controls were still right, but when looking at the plane I needed to reverse them. I did a slow left turn while my brain unlocked and successfully regained control of the plane.

Next outing I'll set up a separate receiver with the camcorder to capture some video. No more guessing at what I'm getting on tape!

Bill
09-04-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
yb2normal
Senior Heliman
Location: Broomfield, CO

transmitter tray harness

Sorry for the double post...

Laurent, where did you get that nifty harness you are using with the transmitter tray?

I'd like to copy it if you can shoot a picture of it laid out on a table or floor.

Thanks,
Bill
09-04-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
jeffs555
Senior Heliman
Location: North Carolina

Bill,
It is possible that the signal is being picked up on the cord from the glasses to the control box. I don't have an EyeTop, but the cord is probably close to 1/4 wavelength for 72mhz (about 1 meter). You might try one of those clip on ferrite beads right where the cord enters the glasses, you know those lumps you find on a lot of computer peripheral and AC adapter cords. I don't know if that would do it, but it would be easy to try.

Jeff
09-04-2003 Over year old.
 
 
yb2normal
Senior Heliman
Location: Broomfield, CO

That is a great point.

Maybe someone else familiar with the ferrite beads can jump in and say whether it would be effective at 72mhz

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to put a bead near the control box and one near the glasses...

Thanks for the idea!

Bill
09-05-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
mr.rc-cam
Heliman
Location: USA

Quote 
Maybe someone else familiar with the ferrite beads can jump in and say whether it would be effective at 72mhz
I would try getting a few wraps of the cable onto a small Type 43 toroid donut style core. Place it at the far end of the cable. That should help tame the common mode noise.

The snap together cores are not as effective as the solid core. So some experimentation may be needed to minimize the noise.
09-05-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
yb2normal
Senior Heliman
Location: Broomfield, CO

Thanks Mr. RC-CAM,

The connector at the end of the cable is amazingly large so I'll be looking at a rather large toroid, unless I can do some weaving trickery that does not involve threading the connector through the toroid. I'm not sure if this might affect the effectivity of the toroid to the point that a clamp on might be just as effective.

They are cheap, so I'll just experiment with both!

Thanks,
Bill
09-05-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
ecranage
Senior Heliman
Location: West Yorkshire UK

Did anyone manage to get a discount on the eyetops?

If so, what discount code did you use?

Cheers,
Evan
09-23-2003 Over year old.
 
 
yb2normal
Senior Heliman
Location: Broomfield, CO

Hi Evan,

What price are you seeing, and on what website?

Regards,
Bill
09-23-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
ecranage
Senior Heliman
Location: West Yorkshire UK

Bill,

I looked on the www.eyetop.net
They are $449, but there is an option to enter a discount code. I am assuming they are advertised somewhere cheaper with a code to use when ordering?!?

Evan
09-23-2003 Over year old.
 
 
ELOSSAM
Veteran
Location: Es

Hi Evan, Somewhere in the eyetop web I found time ago a red link with an special offer. This links sends your e-mail to eyetop and you recieve a direct e-mail from them offering a 399 usd launch rate code to be used before a date.
I requested this offer twice in different dates and they sent me the same offer with different release dates (seems they will keep the launch offer for months).
Later they send me a new e-mail asking me about the reason I didnt bought the unit and asking me for my best $ offer to get it. No news from them since this day (2 months ago)
Elossam
09-23-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
yb2normal
Senior Heliman
Location: Broomfield, CO

I got mine on ebay for $299, but then again I was the only bidder! They had a 'buy it now' price for $319. The unit was brand-new and being sold by a company, 47th street photo, so regardless of where you buy it, I wouldn't pay more than $320.

Do a search on ebay for "eyetop video", they show up fairly often.

Regards,
Bill
09-23-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
yb2normal
Senior Heliman
Location: Broomfield, CO

Interesting results

I recently mounted a futaba pcm receiver in my Soarstar and had a chance to fly the plane today with wireless video onboard, and using my eyetops for a live preview. I was very surprised and pleased to discover that the eyetops had no interference while my futaba 9c was transmitting in pcm mode!

I have no idea why this is the case, but I was happy none the less.

Here are a couple of still shots of my test pilot, Homer Simpson



10-02-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
mr.rc-cam
Heliman
Location: USA

Quote 
I have no idea why this is the case, but I was happy none the less.
Very weird. Is that the same Tx that was causing noise while in PPM mode?

I hope the Soarstar is working out for you. I really enjoy mine!
10-02-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Angelos
Key Veteran
Location: nr Oxford, OX11, UK

Quote 
I was very surprised and pleased to discover that the eyetops had no interference while my futaba 9c was transmitting in pcm mode! I have no idea why this is the case, but I was happy none the less.


I don't see why this could be a problem? Both PPM and PCM are digital signals. PPM varies the pulse width while PCM transfers data. Both signals are carried to the receiver by FM. Both signals have to be transmitted thought the specific bandwidth available for your RF channel and the radio manufacturers found cleaver ways to do that. If this wasn't the case the adjacent channels would the first to suffer.

Are you saying that the glasses suffer from the RF signal or the videolink RX?
10-02-2003 Over year old.
 
 
mr.rc-cam
Heliman
Location: USA

Quote 
Are you saying that the glasses suffer from the RF signal or the videolink RX?
Yb2normal describes the issue earlier in this thread. The glasses were picking up interference from the R/C Tx.
10-02-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
yb2normal
Senior Heliman
Location: Broomfield, CO

The Soarstar is great. I think it has some very thoughful design differences from the Wingo that make it a slightly better bird for our applications. (With the exception of the crappy connectors and that aweful charger)

If you look closely at the tailboom in each of the shots above, you'll see another camera pointed forward. I used the RC-CAM video switch to toggle between the perspectives, and I will edit them together when I have a free moment.

Regarding the eyetops, I believe I was using the same radio. I will do a bench test, toggling my radio between pcm and ppm to see if this really is the difference.

Bill
10-03-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
skypilot_one
Heliman
Location: Connecticut

focusing from plane to display

yb2normal,

How hard is it to focus from the plane you are flying to the image on the LCD? Is the focal point adjustable? Like out to 50-75 feet or more?

It would be tough for me to focus up close and then out to the plane.

Thanks,

Brian
11-04-2003 Over year old.
 
 
yb2normal
Senior Heliman
Location: Broomfield, CO

The eyetops can be focused fairly far out so that the change isn't that big.

The hard part is not to get fixated on the video and forget to look at the plane!

Bill
11-04-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
skypilot_one
Heliman
Location: Connecticut

Thank you for the reply.

The eye tops are priced to where I could justify the cost to myself.

Do you think it would be possible to adapt the screen to another pair of sun glasses without too much trouble? The rippled lenses would send me into a fit, make blow chunks at least.

I have been looking for a heads up display and found a few but all are priced in the stratosphere. These people all think they will make a killing, or they are telling their investors that.

MicroOptical would be nice but the price would have to come down to eye top level.

Microvision is on the right track (they project the image on one see thru lens) but at $6000.00 they're aiming for a tough market with several competitors. It also looks like you straped a 2x4 to your head.

If I was going into the aerial photography business maybe I could justify this type of outlay, but not for a hobby.
11-04-2003 Over year old.
 
 
yb2normal
Senior Heliman
Location: Broomfield, CO

Hi skypilot.

You could adapt the video unit to another set of sunglasses, but I don't think it would be particularly easy.

I have in my hands a set of the 'new' glasses being offered by the manufacturer. I'm happy to say they address a couple of the shortcomings I originally talked about. First, the flicker is much reduced. It's there if you look for it, but much less so than the original glasses. Second, the sunglass portion is less wavy. Still a little bit of waviness, but I don't think they are blow-chunk worthy.

They seem to be a good value, as you point out, compared to competing products.

Bill
11-05-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
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