Action camera with remote on/off?

[Koz]

I'm thinking about adding a few GoPro type action cameras to my kayak, but I'd like to find one that can be turned on and off with a remote or with my phone. I often pedal long distances (30-45 minutes) to get to different fishing locations and I don't want to waste the camera batter doing that. I also don't want to have to try and climb or step over my pedal unit to turn the bow camera off and on.

 

Any ideas?

[Jmilburn76]

The newer go pros have voice control,I think they started that with the Hero 6. I have an old Hero 3+ black that can be controlled by the gopro quick app or a gopro branded remote.

[Koz]

29 minutes ago, Jmilburn76 said:

The newer go pros have voice control,I think they started that with the Hero 6. I have an old Hero 3+ black that can be controlled by the gopro quick app or a gopro branded remote.

Can you turn the camera on and off with the remote or just tell it to take a picture or stop or start video? All of the action camera remotes I have seen do not power on/off the unit. I want to be able to power on and off with the remote or via my phone.

[MN Fisher]

Just get an external battery - the one I have for the 'body cam' isn't sold anymore, but this is the equivalent....about 12 hours of power for my Dragon Touch Vision 4

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-10000mAh-External-Powerpack-Compatible/dp/B07VGHLRTQ/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=10000mah+cell+phone+external+battery+pack&qid=1651973565&sprefix=10000mah+external+%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-6

[slonezp]

https://www.amazon.com/Clapper-Sound-Activated-Switch-White/dp/B000O7L364/ref=asc_df_B000O7L364/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=242029814580&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11275406033384208788&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021508&hvtargid=pla-413220560089&psc=1

[Jmilburn76]

@Koz  Im pretty sure the camera has to be on. Ive only used it while it was already on anyways.  Im using an external battery pack and a 3br waterproof case on the gopro.

[A-Jay]

I purchased the GoPro remote in the link below along with pair of Hero9 Blacks Nov 2020.

https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts-accessories/the-remote/ARMTE-003.html

This remote is designed to do just about everything you'd need a remote to do, including control multiple cameras.

Unfortunately the unit I received was EXTREMELY Buggy.  

Once paired with the remote, Both my cameras would lock up - just totally freeze which required me to remove the camera battery to fix.

Even after completing multiple Gopro 'software updates'.

PIA.

Not sure if GoPro has updated the remote but I don't have mine any longer.

I float tested it - it sinks.

My deal works fine without the remote. 

The GoPro APP will allow you to control your camera as well as see what your camera is seeing.

No remote needed.

btw - been using this external battery for this season, so far so good.

https://yolotek.com/collections/portable-power-mounts/products/juicebox-black-gopro-battery-mount-7800mah-lithum-ion

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

 

 

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

The GoPro APP will allow you to control your camera as well as see what your camera is seeing.

No remote needed.

Even the 'cheap' cameras have this.

My Vision 3's can link to the GoAction app - I clip one camera to the topper lid on the truck and use it with my tablet as a backup camera at the ramp.

My Vision 4 links to the LiveDV app

[padlin]

As one who's never used a gopro, or any other video camera, what do you do with all the video's?

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, padlin said:

As one who's never used a gopro, or any other video camera, what do you do with all the video's?

Oh boy, is that a loaded question.

 

Files from the camera card are saved to my 'D' drive.

 

Individual files are loaded into VideoPad, merged and exported as a single vid for the entire trip, adjusting data rate to conserve space. The camera records at 3gb/18 minutes, my output is around 3gb/1hour

Once confirmed that the merging worked properly, the individual files are deleted

 

Now comes the 'hard part'. I run through the entire file and save off the clips I want to post, adjusting the audio level in that clip if needed.

 

Once the clips I want are saved off - the full file is saved off to a Data Blu-Ray...just in case I want another clip at some future time...and the file is deleted. It's at this point that I also format the camera card.

[A-Jay]

On 5/8/2022 at 10:23 AM, padlin said:

As one who's never used a gopro, or any other video camera, what do you do with all the video's?

Sort of like fish pictures: save, share, whatever.  

Raw Camera video usually needs to edited in one way or another, but it's not a requirement. 

There's some software needed if you want to do that.

To share them here or on social media (youtube) you'll need it. 

But it's not hard to learn, especially if I can manage it.

Also, every fishing related pic I've shared here the past several years,

has been 'captured' from video.

Like a screen print kind of.

You can keep it simple or make it as complicated as you want.

Most start out with the basics and go from there.

I did - and still I keep it relatively basic. 

IMO, you'll get out of it pretty much what you put into it,

but the payback can be well worth it.

 

Good Luck

A-Jay

[Koz]

22 minutes ago, padlin said:

As one who's never used a gopro, or any other video camera, what do you do with all the video's?

I post a fishing report on my hotel website and I would like to add some photos and video.

 

Every now and I also want to take a photo of a catch for myself. But I keep my phone in a water resistant phone pouch and I keep that in a dry bag out on my kayak. It’s too much of a pain to pull it out and take pictures while trying to handle a fish and return it quickly to the water.

 

So my plan is to mount one camera to a side rail near the bow and either another one on the stern or I will wear it on my head.

 

I just want to find a way to have to avoid climbing over my pedal unit and crawling to the bow to turn that camera off and on. Also, I don’t want to have to crawl up their to swap out storage cards or later have to fast forward through lots of video during editing.

[MN Fisher]

10 minutes ago, Koz said:

Also, I don’t want to have to crawl up their to swap out storage cards

You can always test the camera with a larger card. My three Dragon Touch cameras state 32gb...but I run 128gb cards in them no problem.

[schplurg]

Be warned, I and many others have problems with GoPros and external batteries. I have a GoPro 6 and a 7 and have the following issues with both.

 

- Date and time will reset without warning making it very difficult to sort through several days videos. If you pop a regular battery in, then use an external the problem will arise. I think that's when it happens.

 

- Mine freeze randomly in anything above 1080p, and even then I have problems. I've tried all suggested fixes. I have come home to 20 minutes of frozen video, though I can hear the audio. NOT GOOD. You gotta yank the battery to fix it, which means removing the camera from its mount. With internal batteries I rarely have problems.

 

- By the way these problems arise a lot more in hot weather. Indoors and outdoors.

 

- I believe the waterproofing makes the cameras get too hot and this causes most of the issues. I wish they'd release one that is not waterproof like in the old days. The outside can get up to 140 degrees on both of mine near the lens. 

 

I actually complained in one of my videos about the GoPro dying, and the GoPro froze up while I was doing it! The audio was okay, just a frozen picture so I added it to my Youtube vid.

 

I may get a cheap no-name camera that isn't waterproof as my secondary camera. GoPro says that the camera getting hot and failing is a known feature. The camera shuts down before it is ruined, the heat is from the waterproofing.

 

Benefits of using an external battery are that you can run the camera all day so you don't miss anything. Theoretically. And you don't have to change batteries, or lose footage of your PB if your battery dies right then.

 

Making videos is a thing of it's own, like fishing. It can take time, patience and a lot of fiddling around to make a decent video. But it's fun! I have all my best catches on video. In fact I have almost all of the others too.

 

Watched your latest video MN. Dang fine work my friend! Very VERY nice!

[Koz]

I ended up buying two AKASO V50X action cameras. For now I am going to mount one of them near the bow and probably use a head mount for the second one. I also might try mounting the second camera up higher behind me.

 

I could not find a camera with the remote power on and off capabilities. You'd think that with apps and bluetooth that someone would make this a standard feature.

 

It does have a wristband with buttons to snap a photo and stop and start video. The one wristband controls both cameras simultaneously, so that will make it easier to synchronize video timings and any split screens that I might do.

 

Work has been ridiculously busy and I haven't had a day off in weeks and haven't been out on my kayak in about a month. Today is supposed to be a day off, but I have to go to the hotel for a while. I might at least mount one camera and maybe try and fish for a while early this evening. But it's supposed to be 94 out today.

[schplurg]

Your camera will last quite awhile when it isn't recording (standby mode). I use big SD cards and let it record. I turn it off when I think about it here and there.

 

In order to turn a camera on and off remotely it would have to be using power or else it couldn't recognize a signal from a remote. Like a TV plugged into a wall. I can't offhand think of any battery operated device that can be turned on remotely, it's already on.

 

I like the head mount like you said Koz. Especially in a kayak where you aren't moving around so much. Chest cams are more "stable" but the view is often blocked by your arms, and if you catch a fish off to one side (usually the case) you may miss the action (or if you see a cool bird fly by, etc). With a head mount if I see it, the camera sees it. And my head doesn't move around so much in the yak as opposed to shore.

 

Cams are fun and some are very cheap so it's easy to get into. I think I enjoy making videos almost as much as I enjoy fishing.

[soflabasser]

It's easier to turn the camera on when needed, and turn the camera off when it is not needed. For example, you can turn the camera on when you are in a location you know you might catch fish and have the camera turned off when you are not casting. 

[Koz]

14 minutes ago, soflabasser said:

It's easier to turn the camera on when needed, and turn the camera off when it is not needed. For example, you can turn the camera on when you are in a location you know you might catch fish and have the camera turned off when you are not casting. 

 

The problem is the camera mounted near the bow and having to climb over the pedal drive to get to it. My C-Tug is also strapped down to the bow, so there's not a lot of room to maneuver - especially when you're an old guy and not as nimble anymore.

[soflabasser]

7 minutes ago, Koz said:

 

The problem is the camera mounted near the bow and having to climb over the pedal drive to get to it. My C-Tug is also strapped down to the bow, so there's not a lot of room to maneuver - especially when you're an old guy and not as nimble anymore.

It is easier to have your GoPro on a chest mount and use the method I described above. It is best to keep things simple so you can focus more on fishing. Do what you feel works best for you and makes you happy since that is what is most important.

[schplurg]

1 hour ago, Koz said:

 

The problem is the camera mounted near the bow and having to climb over the pedal drive to get to it. My C-Tug is also strapped down to the bow, so there's not a lot of room to maneuver - especially when you're an old guy and not as nimble anymore.

 

You could try voice commands with the bow camera, or maybe the app A-Jay mentioned could help. Or just let it run if you have a big enough SD card. I use 256 GB in one and it will last all day at 1080.

 

I like to keep it simple too. On my kayak I have one on my head, the other on my flagpole. That one is always on in case my main camera misses something, dies whatever. I don't use the app or voice commands.

 

I sometimes turn off that flagpole camera, but problem is I can forget to turn it back on. Anyways, with 2 cameras you are less likely to miss something important. If a cam gets too hot and it's waterproof you can take a minute of underwater footage and probably cool it off.

[Crow Horse]

I'm late to the party realizing this thread is a year old. I'm finishing up rigging my yak with 2 GoPro Hero 8's, one on the bow and one on the stern. The stern mount is a "boom" I fabbed from a monopod and augmented with Ram mounts. The bow camera is on a track and also uses Ram mount components. Both use separate external power (2 Nocqua 10ah batteries). Cabling and other components from 3 BR Power Sports. I don't use the internal batteries and have not experienced any overheating. I have a remote mounted on my yaks dash. I tried using voice commands, but having to yell the commands when it's windy wasn't cutting it. The GoPro remote works great, much better than 3rd party remotes.

 

Editing the video files is done using Davinci Resolve 18 (free version). This version is a Hollywood level video editor and there is a steep learning curve.

 

The cost to record quality videos is pretty substantial but it does provide you with the ability to record those magical moments that are priceless.