Helmet cams

I'm gonna try to make a Fett helmet soon, and I was thinking of making the gadgets work. Such as a peneal eye sensor (sp?) made with multiple pinhole cams mounted inside the helmet (concealed, of course). Does anyone know of a source for small flat-panel displays, about the size of those used in camcorders? Any help appreciated.

HHMMM you are talking about miniature cameras? I'd say looking thrue a RADIO SHACK catalog you might find something.I'm also building a helmet myself again this time I'm gonna mount miniature hearing sensors and more. PEACE

Sounds great in theory (I'm a sucker for gadgets!), but in practice, you've got a limited amount of visibility out of the visor anyhow. Add a screen in there too and you'll be bumping into everything!

Plus, your focal length (distance in front of you something has to be before you can focus on it) might not be up to a screen that close.

Write a word on a piece of paper and hold it 1" - 2" in front of your right eye. If you can't get your eye to focus on it, chances are you wouldn't be able to focus on a screen either.

Just a thought.

(I've just tried the word on paper thing. My eye hurts and I feel dizzy! I for one won't be putting a screen in my bucket! ).

Si

Sounds interesting... You can find a mini cam even in a Web Cam, just take the guts out of the web cam. I did something like that awhile back with my mini Web cam & it worked, but I just didn't know what I was going to do with it (I like taking things apart), but I guess know what I can do with it now

I saw someone mount a tiny wireless camera to one of those miniture Bit-Char G RC Cars and recorded the video. Unfortunately I don't remember the source but I found it a few months ago when I was searching for information on those cars with Google.

Mini displays....you may have to tear apart a video cam, but as mentioned before, focus could be a problem. For show, having the display inside the RF would be cool. Space could be a problem though.

Here are a few...

I remember having one of those little mini's somewhere, I'll try looking for it later on. But as ShockWave said, space would be some what of a problem. Not unless you can make some sorta little black box on the inside of your helmet & stash all the guts in there?

The cams I can find easily online. That's not the problem. The displays are. I was thinking of putting the guts in one of the belt pouches. I can focus at 3", I had not considered the issue. Thanks for the input. I have yet to actually built the helm, however. :o

Aha. 5.6" panel

Problem: Cash. I'm kinda low.

Packrat wrote:

Problem: Cash. I'm kinda low.

Welcome to TDH and CONGRATULATIONS!! Along with your unique ideas concerning the helmet cam, this financial ailment you're suffering from will allow you to fit right in with about 99.99% of the rest of us who have devoted the rest of our natural-born lives (and possibly a couple of afterlives ) in attempting to "complete" the most challenging project of Star Wars costuming, IMO! It's certainly a challenge worth pursuing, though, as you will learn a whole new universe of meaning from the word "obsession"! Glad to have you aboard, Packrat!

I mean REAL tight as far as money's concerned. $-280 (it'll be awhile 'till I get this project started)

I think it'd be cool to have a small screen in your rangefinder, so when it was down, you could see certain things. That'd be a lot easier to focus on, and it'd look mondo cool

Packrat wrote:
I mean REAL tight as far as money's concerned. $-280 (it'll be awhile 'till I get this project started)

we're basically in the same boat as you when it comes to money. (we always see things we want but we never have the money )
Oh well,
keep us posted on what you find out with those helmet cams. sounds like a really cool idea.

I'll do that.

no offense, but aaahh... that's quite the large signature ya got there.

That screen is too big....and this is coming from the guy stuffing 5 retractable blades in a gauntlet. I agree with whomever said to put a screen in the rangefinder. If you could find a screen small enough, that would be an awesome visual enhancement. When you are considering a screen, you do not only have to consider the screen size and focal length, but also the shape of the helmet. Trying to mount a flat screen internally to a circular shape takes more space than it may seem. Also, when considering your focal length, you cannot think of it in terms of how far your visor is from your eyes. Your eyes focus beyond the visor.

I myself am attempting (or will attempt once I am out of the hole) to put multiple blades in the gauntlet. I'd like to see how others did it too. Anyway, I'll look for a smaller screen. One small enough to put in the rangefinder would be TINY. too small to see any detail, in my oh-so-humble opinion. I'll just keep trying to find a solution. Thanks for all of the input. BTW, I realize my sig is kinda big, but I downsized it from what it was.

I can probably fit a few screens in if they are about 2-3 in. diagonal. Can't find one smaller than 4, though. Night vision cam was another idea. It would help the suit's limited visibility.

Is 2 inches small enough (for inside the helm, I'm stubborn)? Sony 2" LCD Color Monitor I hope this works. i was hoping to get the cams from Pinhole camera (partway down)

I got a night vision idea. Boba had it, so I want it. Board-level pinhole cam

I also will go to Radio Shack and get some IR LED's (like this one)to boost the night capabilities. I'm thinking of putting the LED's in the rangefinder, as Boba had some there. Maybe they were IR LED's... Kinda pricey, though (for the low-light camera). But then there's the problem with the screen placement... I'll experiment.

P. S. I just love this smiley. It's hilarious: :puke

This mini cam is one of many that I pulled out of a big box ful of video equipment. It's the size of a quarter, the circuit board can easly be removed to fit into any small space. But like I've said in the past, now I know what I can use this bad boy for

The only problem theoretically is space in the helm. I can only fit so many screens! Probably only two. I was hoping more, but anything would be nice. Oh yeah, I have to BUILD the bucket first.

If you are in fact planing on doing something like this, I'd suggest getting a high class bucket. You wouldn't want no DP 97" with a whole bunch of gadgets in there

I'm not gonna "get" any old bucket. I'm gonna make my own outa sheet aluminum. If I have to take slight liberties in the making to fit the stuff, then so be it. I'm going for comic accuracy (Jaster/Red Jango armor), so movie-accuracy is not important.

i remember some glases for dvd's to view a wide screen, just letme search ... i think they are sony ... dont remember,
anyway i go to search

edit:
Glasstron, PLM-A55
that is the name and model, but i think is alrady obsolete, but search for that

edit again
click here to get more info http://www.google.com/search?hl=es&i...2C+PLM-A55&lr=

and heres another EDIT
this is an Olympus headset but only for playstation2 but check ... just in case
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_se...sp?product=804

But I have been into Boba for a long time now. I have been trying to find a way to put anywhere from one to three cams in my helmet but the true problem is, of course, finding the small screens. The cams are very easy to find. There are color and night vision cams out there for a cheap price. I'm not sure which I'd prefer and there are ways to use both. Any of the screens I have come in contact with have been rather expensive. I have a friend who is a computer/electronic wiz and we're both looking into it some more this weekend. I'll be sure to keep you posted on what I can come up with. I also noticed that a person mentioned there is a problem with the focal point. It's really not that bad if you have a bucket that is movie size. I can focus near my nose and even better down by my mouth. I just put the helmet on and tried to read a page I ripped out of a book. The results were fairly good. I should be posting on here a good amount now that I have finally joined. I have kinda done the Boba Fett thing on my own and really haven't talked to many other fans at all. It's almost like my big secret and it's cool to know that there are a lot of others out there. Later and take care.

Hey, thanks, Vadersfavorite. I'm honored you would grace my humble thread with your first post. It's an honor

Edit: Check my earlier posts for a 2" LCD. That SHOULD be small enough, but I am uncertain. If you already have a bucket, cut out a rigid cardboard piece the size of the screen and see if you can focus on it inside the helmet. Of course, make sure it fits, and that you can see the entire screen. Just an idea. 8)

It's a great topic for a first post. I'll be sure to cut out some cardboard the size of any screens we think would work. I'm almost certain the 2" would fit. I've been looking at LCD screens, especially the 2", but my friend and I are going to look over the pros and cons tomorrow. This could be a huge breakthrough for Boba Fett costumes. I would almost think that there has to be someone out there with this cam thing already? I have a ROTJ Fett now but I REALLY want an ESB (by far my favorite) version. I just have to feel confident with knowing I have enough ESB info to be 100% accurate with all the little details. That may give me an even bigger helmet to work with than the ROTJ one I have now. I'll be back with ya soon so take care...

Cool. Stay in touch on this. May get interesting.

Newbie alert!! This is my first post so bear with me.

I agree with Blastech I also think it'd be cool to have a small screen in the rangefinder.

On the backend of the rangefinder (the part that you see when it is in the down position) you can see where a small screen would fit. It’s hollow so if it small the "guts" could be tucked inside, its 1 1/8 by 1 inch on my helmet.

The camera lens could be hidden in one of the (for lack of a better word) "Turn Signals" on the helmet on a “Jango” helmet or if you have your “Boba” helmet, directly on the visor in front of you mouth since some people like to have the “signals” lit. Although in front of the mouth or anywhere inside the helmet may be prone to fogging.

These days you can pick up a cheap Digital Camera for under $80 so ripping it apart won’t hurt the pocket that much, I have a 2 year old cheap Polaroid Camera/ MP3 player that fell and shattered its casing, so I will try it with this one

As for a power source, the batteries can be tucked either behind the padding of the helmet or somewhere on the body.

I am currently redoing a Jingo helmet so it’s now being fiberglass reinforced and primered so I am glad I saw this post when I did before I put it back together.

Thank you guys for having a GREAT forum of valuable information for us newbie Jango and Boba’s

Tak
"Jango in training"

The "turn signals" (nicely put) are actually called Pineal Eye Sensors, and I was thinking of putting a camera there. I don't think there is a screen out there small enough to fit in the rangefinder, though. 2" screens on the 'net that are the same as those in the cams can be found here for sixty dollars (US). Those would work just fine for me. I wanna cram as many cams in there as possible, though I don't know how many LCD panels I can fit in there. Power source in one of the belt pouches. Actually, I was planning on putting IR LED's in the rangefinder (to facilitate the night-vision cam). Oh, welcome to TDH.

Edit: Spelled "Pineal" wrong

I have won an auction on Ebay for a 2/3" pinhole cam. The total was only 24.99 after shipping/handling and insurance. It is only black and white but does have nightvision. I am going to buy the 2" Sony LCD tomorrow, it only costs $68 + s/h. I will be sure to keep you all posted on how this works out. I will try to get pics up as soon as I can. The entire process may take a little time so don't think I forgot about you all. Feel free to PM me with any questions or ideas,

Vaders Favorite.

Hey, cool. Keep us informed. Send screenshots!!!

I am new to this forum as well, I did not know there were so many mandalorians out there...I have been into building my fett costume for about 2 years now, and stumbled upon this site recently...I am amazed at the people on here and they're knowledge and thought, it's good to see...anyway the cam is something that I had thought about in the past, but threw away the idea, not thinkin I could find a small enough screen..radio shack said they couldn't find one in their catalog.... nice research you guys!

Hey, thanks. I just joined myself a month or two ago.

It has been a slow process so far. I have a SWEET pinhole cam I got for only $3.99 but I knew I was going to get ripped on the $21.00 s/h. It was still a cheap total of only $24.99 on Ebay from a seller named Maxivisual. The only problem was it took about 3 weeks to get here from Singapore but Maxivisual warned of this. He has a decent amount of complaints but I looked at them before purchasing anything from him. Most were complaints from impatient people who didn't heed his warning about time. He also has an Ebay store that you can visit by looking at one of his auctions and finding the link in that page. The cam itself has a very clear pciture and works well in what I assumed would be "bar light". It didn't work so well in complete darkness but I was mainly looking for it to work in a costume party type atmosphere (still very dim). It is a black and white cam because of the nightvision but has a crisp picture and is not as bad as I thought it would be. If you wanted a cam for true nightvision ability then you might wanna pay around $100 or so for a cam with better lux. I'm very happy with this cam though and it's no bigger than a quarter. He even sent a couple of 9v battery connectors. The cam also has a little mic on it so you can try to pic up sound from the direction it's pointed. I figure on not using this for I don't think it would work that great.

The 2" monitor is another story. I checked to see how much the total would be on it with shipping and handling. It was $119!!! Shipping and handling almost doubled the cost and I had to put the purchase on hold I am still going to get one but my girlfriends birthday is May 12th. Needless to say I had to save up for that and mothers day as well. I bought a set of Boba Fett chest lights for $105 also. I also lost my cel and had to purchase a new one. I guess that's what I get for being super drunk with a couple of my friends who like to get into trouble. I've know that everything will fit into the helmet, that's not the issue. What is the issue is will the screen give off a shine from inside the visor that will show my face? It's a risk I'm willing to take when I have the money. I should be getting one in two weeks exactly. Then I'll have to wait for the shipping. I have also looked at some headgear but man is it expensive for the good stuff. The best I can find is $400. I did find an old headgear video game Ebay that would go for around $10-$20 but I don't think it would work well. I think it was called X-Tiger or something like that. I might actually try to win a set next week if it's cheap enough as to where total failure wouldn't make me mad. Sorry about taking so long to reply on all of this. I will keep you more closley posted on the issue since I plan on making major breakthroughs in a month or so. I hope I answered most of your questions but if I didn't and you have more go ahead and pm me. Take it easy,

Vadersfavorite.

Pin-hole cams you can buy from the radio-shack catalogue easy, or through eBay. I went to fry's electronics in Orange County, but the mini flat panel monitor was really expensive!

Takwolf wrote:
...I agree with Blastech I also think it'd be cool to have a small screen in the rangefinder...

humm
some like this
<img src=http://www.lucasarts.com/products/starwarsbountyhunter/images/screens/67.jpg>
<img src=http://www.lucasarts.com/products/starwarsbountyhunter/images/screens/58.jpg>
http://www.lucasarts.com/products/starwarsbountyhunter/

Hmmm... Probably not as elaborate. it could have nightvision, but would be b/w, not green. There'd be no crosshair ir text or any of that other stuff. And the screens would be TO THE SIDE if the T-visor, not in the middle.

hey, i don't know, i would love to have a camera somewhere....i just don't know where. hey, you can also get a mini RC plane cameras. they are used on RC planes...they are strapped to the plane, and it records everything. they are about &#36;40 on ebay. they do have some very stylish cameras...if you r into appearance. go to ebay, and search RC Planes. you should be able to find them.
Michael

i think that the glasstron is a good option for the camera inside the helmet. i've seen one of those and the image is fairly good. the only bad thing is that requires to be actually plugged in an outlet. other than that is pretty sweet,because doesnt weight at all and its small enough to fit the helmet. im really excited to see the progress on this post and i think thats a very good idea for a fett gadget. keep the post coming!

Cool, thanks 4 the input. I wil certainly keep you all informed, but I kinda need to start my armor first before I can add things to it. I'm waiting on getting the garage re-done and getting some money, so it might be awhile. However, once I do get some progress, I will definitely share it.



Oh, and as for the glasses thing, if I could find a bettery-operated one, that would be fine. I will start seriously researching when I have my armor (or at least my helm).

sony makes a series of digital cameras with an LCD screen that just might be small enough to fit onto the back side of the RF. I think the U20 was the first in the series, so it would be the cheapest...with a little bit of electrical know-how you would have the camera and the LCD in one purchase.

as far as having more than one view screen...why not have a switcher with only one LCD, the switcher could be on the gauntlet somewhere.

just my 2 cents...

*smacks head* DUH! WY DIDN"T I THINK OF THAT?????? Gah, im so stupid sometimes. And as for the RF screen, it would be too small to see any detail anyway. So the single screen with the guts of a RadioShack AV Switch would do the trick perfectly.

what a fantastic idea, cant wait to see the first one finished...

me too. that would be really cool.

maybe the Rf is a camera and the green stuff yousee with words are actually transmitted to the inside of the visor?

thunderbolt885 wrote:
the green stuff yousee with words

.......?????

Agreed, looking at the images from the "Bounty Hunter" game, there are lines suggesting the outline of the visor if you look closely. I figured the RF worked as it's called "Range Finder" and also as a projector for a "heads-up" display that would be displayed onto the Fett helmet's visor lense just as they do now. Similar to the teleprompter that we use for speakers at podiums.

How does that sound?

ah, much better. However, we can't really fit a small LCD projector in such a small package, so I thought that it would be an ideal place for the IRLEDs which will be used to enhance the night vision.

Sounds cool.

yesterday i was changing channels and found the movie hackers
when the guy named "zero cool" start to hack someone, he's wearing a headset with a small visor, i remember to see one of that on some documental on the discovery channel about guys who wear yours computers, and the visor is enought small to go inside the helmet.

Was it a screen in the traditional sense, or a projection system? And was it real or just a dummy prop?

Okay I found a few things..

Out of curiosity I took apart my camcorder(Sony Handycam Vision) and opened up the viewfinder. It was very small; the whole thing was only 2.5" long and an inch wide. If you knew how to wire up the thing I can imagine it would be easy to mount it somewhere on the side of the helmet and then have a mirror mounted near the visor. Or even a small concave mirror to enlarge the image.

On the viewfinder was a sticker with the name Miyota on it. So I looked up their site and found these awesome things, but I can't find a place to buy them. Here's a link to the Product. Click on the Ferroelectric Micro LCDs

http://www.miyota.com/en/product/index.html

And here's one more link. It's 4.4" long and 1.7" x 1.3" wide, so I'm not sure how easily it would fit in a helmet. But from the description it sounds like you wouldn't need any wiring knowledge. Just buy a small security camera and a RCA cable, whip out your bucket, and heat up that hot melt caulk!

http://www.supercircuits.com/STORE/p...tem=4&mitem=12

The second would be a viable option, except that it's B&W and expensive AND small. The panels I found earlier (i think) were color, a little bigger, and about the same price (correct me if im wrong, i haven't looked at em for awhile)

Could you post another link to the Sony 2" LCD color Monitor?
The link seems to be broken.

Well, ****. I guess it is gone..... didn't someone here get one? Anyway, I ofund a 2.5" one, for a big chunk of change (&#36;175!) Screen I shall continue searching for a smaller or cheaper one.

Here's another LCD screen I found. (1.8"!)
You could maybe mount it right above the visor

http://www.lcdracks.com/panels/vlcd18p.html

Perfect, except for the cost. If one could be found on eBay, one could probably be had for less. Good find, not sure how I missed that the first time around. Pricy little sucker, though.

Here's a bunch of cameras on the same site..

http://www.mars-cam.com/cameras/cameras.htm

I also just noticed they have some pinhole cameras with built in infrared.

I think that this <http://www.mars-cam.com/cameras/board_bw_cameras/v1207.htm> one with the pinhole lens would be the best out of them all, as it's not extremely expensive and can be used with IRLEDs (i think). Though so far my favorite one is the one I found (is that link broken too? or did i ever post the link?) that is color until the light source drops below a certain level, then becomes a low-light camera (B&W). In this instance, IRLEDs can be utilized. I don't remember the cost though.

Unless your planning on using your cosutme at night in the dark, nightvision would be really pointless. Everything would turn out to be just white. The LCD would be REALLY hard to fit actually INSIDE the helmet so my best bet would be to put it in the RF. Another thing you gotta concider is POWER. The cam will take a 9v, and the lcd will take a 9v. If you have a fan, that takes another 9v. I guess you could split them all off 1 9v and have low power or something. Sounds like a better idea to me. Goodluck with this man. I have a cam like these and its pretty good. Goodluck with this project guys!

It would probably see some night use, and the camera would be a standard color camera in the day, only a low-light camera in low light. As for power, probably have a high-output rechargeable 9V battery or two. No fan.