JVC GRD72 ski cam hardware mod? Opinions?

Any chance you can modify an ir remote instead of the camera? It wouldn't help you with the power switch but it shouldn't use too much battery juice just sitting there, turned on.

I thought about that. I though maybe I could place a dedicated IR LED in front of the detector and use a little PIC to have it blink out the on/off, record, stop, and off functions based on a switch throw. But all for naught, the IR functions are only for playing the camcorder as a VCR, not recording. ARRRRG

Unless there are some "hidden" IR functions.

Maybe I can modify a battery to allow remote switching of the power (don't have to open the camcorder) but still don't know how to "push" the record switch. I've even considered servos wired up to 555's. Really clunky!

Ted

Be careful you don't introduce static electricity into the unit with your wiring modification. I had a perfectly good Minolta camera get Zapped by the snow cat driver at Yellowstone one year. She was taking our picture, wearing a nylon ski jacket and the camera malfunctioned permanently. Funny thing is, the driver said, "Hey I have that same camera and it stopped working as well".

Maybe you could house the camera >What I want to do is use my JVC GRD72 as a DV recorder for a ski cam. I want

That's what I would have said, too.

Is it possible to activate these functions over the firewire port? Does anybody make something (besides a computer) that does that? I know you can access the aforementioned playback mode functions this way.

Talk about a project that will keep you > the IR functions are only for playing the camcorder as a VCR, not recording.

Ahhh, interesting idea. This camera also has a USB port that might allow access to these functions. How would one go about finding out the sequence of commands?

Ted