Laser Pointer

Rammjäger · Dec 26, 2015

I just purchased an action cam for video recording live digs.
This action cam I want to mount it on my baseball cap.
Because it happened to me (and also others) the camera is often focused out
of frame ,too high or too low ,and you are not seeing the display to correct it.
I have seen some guys use these laser pointers to center the camera
right-on-spot. You are seeing the laser dot all the time and know it is exactly centered in frame.
It should be a small pen laser pointer to attach it firmly to the camera base.
I wonder if a normal pointer has power enough to see the light dot in daylight
or in a sunny day. Powerful laser pointers are forbidden by law here.
Someone has tried this? Any experiences?

HarveyH48 · Dec 26, 2015

The generic red should be bright enough, since it's for a short distances. They are cheap, even free sometimes. I've got a few of the keychain types (somewhere), take those little coin batteries, don't last very long. Not sure how long any laser pointer will last, if you keep it on for long periods though, most are made to intermittent duty. They get hot, which isn't a good thing. Probably best to wire up a remote switch, or just check before you start recording. Most cameras are sensitive to the red portion of the light spectrum, but have cut filters to balance. Not sure how it will look in the video, if on all the time. Really surprised it's not found built in to more action cameras. I just picked up a trail camera (Amcrest 1201), that has a laser, remote control, and an LCD screen on the front. Not the best conceived product, but it's 1080p HD, and pick it up cheap, surplus. Had to update the firmware, probably why it was cheap, but seems to work well. Not a very wide angle lens. The night vision LEDS are truly invisible, my other ones glow red when the fire up. Clear pictures, night or day.

If you have to buy a pointer, I'd stay away from the little keychain types. Those batteries are expensive, for how long the last. If you leave it on most of the time, you'll replace them after a couple of hours. If you do electronics, might consider a flasher circuit, so it's not constantly on. Lets it cool down, save some battery power too.

Rammjäger · Dec 26, 2015

HarveyH48 said:
The generic red should be bright enough, since it's for a short distances. They are cheap, even free sometimes. I've got a few of the keychain types (somewhere), take those little coin batteries, don't last very long. Not sure how long any laser pointer will last, if you keep it on for long periods though, most are made to intermittent duty. They get hot, which isn't a good thing. Probably best to wire up a remote switch, or just check before you start recording. Most cameras are sensitive to the red portion of the light spectrum, but have cut filters to balance. Not sure how it will look in the video, if on all the time. Really surprised it's not found built in to more action cameras. I just picked up a trail camera (Amcrest 1201), that has a laser, remote control, and an LCD screen on the front. Not the best conceived product, but it's 1080p HD, and pick it up cheap, surplus. Had to update the firmware, probably why it was cheap, but seems to work well. Not a very wide angle lens. The night vision LEDS are truly invisible, my other ones glow red when the fire up. Clear pictures, night or day.

If you have to buy a pointer, I'd stay away from the little keychain types. Those batteries are expensive, for how long the last. If you leave it on most of the time, you'll replace them after a couple of hours. If you do electronics, might consider a flasher circuit, so it's not constantly on. Lets it cool down, save some battery power too.

Thanks for the tip.
I think it will not be necessary to keep the laser all the time on.
Just switch it on at the right moment and see if the correct angle or distance
is achieved. For instance, when walking or when kneeing for digging.
There are some laser points that also have white light function as an extra.

roadapple · Dec 26, 2015

Go to a pet supply store like Petco or Pet Smart, then ask for a laser cat play chaser. They should hand you a small round pen looking devise for about six bucks or so. These last for a long time before changing out batteries. Good luck !

Rammjäger · Dec 26, 2015

Thanks roadapple,
Once I receive the camera and get the laser point to attach to it,
I will post the finished work. All I have at this moment is the cap and the clip
:lol:

Rammjäger · Dec 27, 2015

I decided myself to buy this laser scope.It will be strong enough to see
the beam even under daylight conditions:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Red-Dot-L...482598?hash=item3f54226fa6:g:vNMAAOSw37tWAk1o

roadapple · Dec 27, 2015

That should do the trick and if detecting is slow.....you can shoot lunch !! :lol:

Rammjäger · Dec 28, 2015

roadapple said:
That should do the trick and if detecting is slow.....you can shoot lunch !!

If I get 2 of them I could use them to "grid" a field for a perfect detecting
pattern

HarveyH48 · Dec 28, 2015

Did you know that if you point the laser at the side of a glass rod, it projects a straight line, perpendicular to the rod? It's how those laser levels work...

Rammjäger · Dec 28, 2015

HarveyH48 said:
Did you know that if you point the laser at the side of a glass rod, it projects a straight line, perpendicular to the rod? It's how those laser levels work...

Very interesting.
I have never had a laser ,but I will surely try it and see how it performs in
open fields .I have only seen youtube videos .At dusk or winter foggy days
it should perform ok.

HarveyH48 · Dec 28, 2015

Rammjäger said:
Very interesting.
I have never had a laser ,but I will surely try it and see how it performs in
open fields .I have only seen youtube videos .At dusk or winter foggy days
it should perform ok.

Really shouldn't have trouble with even the cheapest, at a short distance, like filming your hunting, least 20 feet or so. I messed around with a laser tripwire idea. Very hard to get lined up, even at night. Probably would have been better with a lens to spread the beam, but it would have been less bright, and less distance. Always liked laser stuff, would like to get one that cuts and burns, but that's a little pricey for a toy...

Rammjäger · Dec 28, 2015

HarveyH48 said:
Really shouldn't have trouble with even the cheapest, at a short distance, like filming your hunting, least 20 feet or so. I messed around with a laser tripwire idea. Very hard to get lined up, even at night. Probably would have been better with a lens to spread the beam, but it would have been less bright, and less distance. Always liked laser stuff, would like to get one that cuts and burns, but that's a little pricey for a toy...

This guy in Poland has a very strong laser ,even visible in daylight.
The lasers approved in the EU are 5 mW max. I guess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6I7Q2KYWPg

Imagine placing a couple of them parallel at a distance aprox the coil's swing
along a field .Then after you did the complete distance,change one of them to the next path and so on .You could detect a field not leaving a single undetected spot behind.... :cool:

Laser Pointer

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