Always clean the surface when you mount your gopro :)

[Vk3bq]

last weekend, SteamRail Victoria ran a pair of steam engines and some carriages along the Mount Waverley suburban rail line. (the train, a little later in the day)


_MG_5226-1 by asphotos, on Flickr

we took the kids, and I took my gopro camera to get some interesting footage.

i attached the gopro to the outside window of the carriage we were in, the window was a little grubby, but it seemed to suction on OK, and seemed firm, these trains don't go that fast!, the train ride was fun, masters 2 and 4 had a ball, then a man in an orange vest came past, commented on the cool little camera, then asked if it was secure, "its fine" i said, and he continued on his way (you can see him in the long video), i turned back to the camera, and it was gone.

we live local to this line, and had just gone past our local stop, in fact , the camera fell off about as close as the line runs to our house. we made a note of the spot, and then i spent a worried 10 mins finishing the journey, then 15 mins getting back to the spot with the car, then another 20 mins in the rain searching for the gopro. but i found it, still recording, face down in the ballast rocks.

they really are a tough little toy

this is the short video of the camera falling off the train



and a longer 3 min version of some of the pre vision before the fall



always clean the glass before you suction the camera onto the window

[Tim - Stratford]

Phew, good recovery. When I use mine on the outside of the fourby it is with a handle bar mount to the back of the roof rack or a bullbar mount on the bullbar. I've wanted the side shot - suctioned to the drivers door or front quarter panel but have been a bit 'nervous' for obvious reasons now! 

Might make up a cable lanyard to loop over the external rearview mirror for piece of mind.

Makes for interesting viewing though 

Tim

[Vk3bq]

I've had this thing on a car at a track at well over 100mph.. its never had a problem, it was my issue i used it on a very grubby surface, (soot covered train window, it was rough to the touch) and i played with the camera angle/ moved it after suctioning it)..

my fault, but interesting video

[cruisindub]

Lucky find, bet you were glad to recover it.
I've been wanting one of these GoPro from a while.

Hope to get one soon.

[baldheadedgit]

Mate.... Awsome....... loved it,     pity you almost lost the camera...love Steam trains. and i'm likeing these gopro's more each time.. think i may look into the idea a bit more now,,
Many thanks for sharing.   

BHG

[MDS69]

Love steam trains as well. We were playing junior league at International Peace Park alongsid ethe train line at
Seven Hills and a steam train cruised past blowing his whistle. both U/7 teams stopped mid game to watch.

[Mrs smith]

Great video, and good to see you found your camera back. I recon you can't beat the smell
of these coal fired steam machines. thanks for posting the link.

[Aaron Schubert]

There's a video on youtube of someone that lost one when kite surfing. A diver found it several months ago, and it was still completely dry, although a little scratched from being bashed around the reef all that time!

Aaron

[Disco4Guy]

...or this guy who drops one skydiving from 3000ft...
GoPro Camera Falls From 3,000ft

[1HDT]

Might make up a cable lanyard to loop over the external rearview mirror for piece of mind.

I have thought the same thing Tim. The only other consideration for me would be to make the lanyard tight so it didn't flat in the breeze and give annoying audio.

Thanks for sharing Vk3bq.

1HDT

[BigJules]

I had a spare suction mount in my Cruiser last time we went to Mt Walker, which suited Moto Moto perfectly. He screwed his waterproof P&S camera on and off we went through some decent crossings, up and down dale. The last river crossing was 150m or so long, ands his camera fell off in the first 10m. We ran back down the river and started searching and after about 10 minutes we found it! He now uses a lanyard and I think I'll do the same.