Take your protein pills.

Chap on the radio this morning has sent a camera up into space [1] for
the shed bound cost of GBP 500.

http://www.robertharrison.org/icarus/wordpress/about/

pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30721501@N05/sets/72157618814637849/

I was impressed.


[1] Alright, maybe not space but pretty fucking high.

 

He was on the Beeb website the other day. Apparently he got called up by
NASA, who wanted to know how the hell he'd got the pix. Superb stuff.

 

He lives near here.

--


Nige,

Land Rover 90
Yamaha R1
Range Rover Vogue

 

35 klicks is about a third of the way into "space", if you were going
on the x-prize definition.

 

From what I'm given to understand, it's not mind blowingly impressive,
or in fact unique. There are loads of groups involved in 'high altitude
ballooning'. A group came to a venue in London and gave a presentation
on the simple technologies involved. That group launch from some place
near Cambridge. Several primary schools have sent teddy bears into
'space' using this method. it's 'cool' but not rocket science, the
skill comes in keeping the camera gear at a reasonable and functional
temperature, especially the batteries, which tend to stop working at -lots.

 

I remember my mate John sending (non-digital, disposable) cameras up
on all sorts[1], way back in the early '90s, without any of this
remote control gubbins - the technology wasn't there; OK we're only
talking about 100s of metres rather than thousands, but as you say -
it's not rocket science.

This was usually tethered balloons, but at least once, on a sort of
multi-stage firework affair. I completely misremember how he got the
camera to trigger, mind.

 

For simple and very reliable triggering, a clockwork escapement could be
gaffa taped to the "Shoot" button in less than 5 minutes. Costs pennies too.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Been around since the 1920s.
Clockwork camera timers were often used as makeshift delay bang-makers
in the closing stages of WW2 by retreating Nazi forces.

 

could have been - I simply don't remember.

 

Batteries (normal ones obviously) pack-up at minus-not-that-much. They
degrade significantly below minus 20.

 

Good job it didn't reach escapement velocity

Paul.

 

In the context of high altitude ballooning:
Do they keep working after the water has condensed on them, then frozen
and the pressure difference has taken an interesting toll on the
lubrication of the system? This isn't supposed to be a sarcastic
response, I'm curious if it would actually work.
Lots of people are using custom firmware loaded onto powershot cameras
that automatically take pictures and film at times set in the software.
Modern magic.

 

Been around longer than me then

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Good job it didn't reach escapement velocity

Boom tishtastic.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

I'd hazard that if the condensation hasn't stopped the camera working it
won't stop a clockwork escapement working.

I'm sure it would and if the problems you mention were known at the time, a
workaround could easily be found. (Start off with a dry mechanism in a
sealed container as an example).

Yeah, things move on, but way back when, there was still a need to trigger
things on a "click-by-click" basis and I'm sure that clockwork escapements
were used in lots of applications. Of course, I could be completely wrong
though.

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Batteries (normal ones obviously) pack-up at minus-not-that-much. They
degrade significantly below minus 20.[/QUOTE]

Put warm water in a thermos flask, but (sealed) battery in the warm water,
seal lid and away yer go. Toasty battery and you can make a brew when it
comes back down.

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

You could have the camera, controls and batteries in an insulated box
with a chemical hand warmer on the go in the box too.

 

The easier choices were to get mercury batteries and a nice fleece
camera jacket that had internal pockets for chemical hand warmers. After
that all was fine, even at minus 35.

 

See, a workaround right off the bat.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

I had a brilliant chemical warmer (too big for hands, but perfect for
coverin my back) which was stuck in the microwave for 4 or 5 minutes to get
the fucker hot. After it cooled down (about 3 hours) there was the option of
pressing a little "clicker" inside the pack. Press the clicker and the
chemical reqction took place and things got fucking hot fucking quickly, so
you could be out all day and never even think about the outside temps.

I eentually blew the thing up in the microwave when I warmed it but it
wasn't warm enough so stuck it back in for 30 seconds, but pressed 30
minutes instead. Went for a piss and came back to a dead pack and a stinking
microwave.

Cue one happy missus.

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19