Finally, in order to simply and safely stop/start the VCR recording, a dogcamsport LANC connector is used. a simple push button on the dashboard stops and starts the recording. An integrated LED even warns when the tape level is low.
The standard bulletcam microphones are not up to the job of delivering serious sound. Instead, a SessionMaster percussion microphone, specifically tailored for bass work is being used. Eventually twin microphones will be used - one on the exhaust side of the rollcage and one on the induction side of the engine compartment. These microphones are fed to a preamplifier in the boot which acts as a focal point for the microphone and camera data. It also supplies power to everything. The camcorder sits in a padded box alongside it in the boot.
Bulletcam Setup
I've taken some test footage. It's rubbish for 3 reasons -
i) The camera mount moved slightly before I set off, so the shot throughout the drive is less than ideal
ii) The external microphone is no good at providing sound. It's now been mounted next to the airbox in the engine bay and picks up the induction bark - much better!
iii) For some reason, stupid OfficeLive is refusing to allow me to upload the original .WMV file, despite it being within their size limits. I've downconverted it to be smaller, but the result is worse quality.
Anyway, you can watch the first run
here
Here's the first mic test after moving to the engine bay.
here