Dangerous incidents fail.

Ghost1951

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guerney

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I did a test of the spy glasses. The first 20 minutes were OK - typical 1080p quality, the same as any other 1080p camera. Numberplates could only be read if they were within about 20 meters. After a break, I recorded for another 20 minutes. It started OK, but after a few seconds it went black and starry with a message on the PCabout video type and codes. I'll have to try again today and see what happens.
When my GoPro runs out of power while recording, the video is sometimes recorded incorrectly. When I replace the battery and switch it on, the damaged video file is automatically repaired. The glasses might also have a file repair function, but if not, there are file utilities which can be bought to attempt the same. Damaged video files which won't play (failed renders from crashed video editors) that I have uploaded to Youtube have been automatically repaired for free, which can then be downloaded and used, albeit at Youtube's mega thin highly compressed data rates.
 

Saracen

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Surely these days it is simple to have a phone in a top pocket pointing forward and recording ?

OK Not on a bike but daily it works for me.

NOT me, mine is in a case even less obvious.


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58690
 

guerney

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Surely these days it is simple to have a phone in a top pocket pointing forward and recording ?

OK Not on a bike but daily it works for me.

NOT me, mine is in a case even less obvious.


.

View attachment 58690
Phone microphones are so good these days, I can covertly record conversations with my doctor while the phone is hidden inside jacket pockets - simply boost and clean up using Audacity or Sound Forge later. My OnePlus 5 phone has it's own dedicated audio recording app, which also records all phone calls automatically, no need for a third party app. A little proof goes a long way.
 
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matthewslack

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I hope you sent that clip to the police.
Not yet. Ball is in the company's court. I encounter their vans regularly, over 3 years and 17,000 miles until that incident no issues, so there is no systemic issue with the company. If they respond appropriately then that will be the end of it.
 
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Ghost1951

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In my experience, the company will at best, 'have words' with the driver.

I once reported being forced onto a verge to avoid a van on a single track road while riding a 125cc motorcycle. The company was DPD. I had no video and no number plate, but I knew the companies track their vehicles. This van came tearing around a blind bend on a road about ten feet wide and the only way I could avoid it was to mount the verge. Since the bike was light - only 120 kilos, I escaped, but the van stopped in a cloud of tyre smoke about six feet past my bike, so had I not been able to get out of his way, I would certainly have been hit and injured. They said they had identified the driver from my timed report and had had words with him..... Not enough in my opinion. If I had been in possession of a video like yours I would have sent it to the police and he would get a £100 fine and three points. Much more likely to make him take notice.

It is very easy to upload video to police forces these days.
 
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matthewslack

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In my experience, the company will at best, 'have words' with the driver.

I once reported being forced onto a verge to avoid a van on a single track road while riding a 125cc motorcycle. The company was DPD. I had no video and no number plate, but I knew the companies track their vehicles. This van came tearing around a blind bend on a road about ten feet wide and the only way I could avoid it was to mount the verge. Since the bike was light - only 120 kilos, I escaped, but the van stopped in a cloud of tyre smoke about six feet past my bike, so had I not been able to get out of his way, I would certainly have been hit and injured. They said they had identified the driver from my timed report and had had words with him..... Not enough in my opinion. If I had been in possession of a video like yours I would have sent it to the police and he would get a £100 fine and three points. Much more likely to make him take notice.

It is very easy to upload video to police forces these days.
The problem I have is that in Scotland it is not easy to upload video. We don't have Operation Snap here. It is a long, painful, drawn out process, and the number of incidents in the many miles I do make me quite selective to reduce my workload and that of the police too.

The company concerned have been left in no doubt that the next incident with one of their vans will be reported.

Here's a car from yesterday that I would report if there was an easy way.

 

Ghost1951

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The problem I have is that in Scotland it is not easy to upload video. We don't have Operation Snap here. It is a long, painful, drawn out process, and the number of incidents in the many miles I do make me quite selective to reduce my workload and that of the police too.

The company concerned have been left in no doubt that the next incident with one of their vans will be reported.

Here's a car from yesterday that I would report if there was an easy way.

To be honest, I wouldn't ride on roads like that one. It's only a matter of time before some selfish idiot does you harm.
 
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matthewslack

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To be honest, I wouldn't ride on roads like that one. It's only a matter of time before some selfish idiot does you harm.
I generally avoid them, but the road network up here does not always provide an alternative route, which makes driver behaviour all the more important.

I would usually be on the opposite side of Loch Ness, on the route 78, heading for Inverness, but this time I'm turning off at Drumnadrochit for Beauly. It's a long way round the other way!

And the reward is a good campsite last night

IMG_20240713_095957815.jpg

and nice quiet roads today!

IMG_20240713_121205937_HDR.jpg
 

Ghost1951

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I generally avoid them, but the road network up here does not always provide an alternative route, which makes driver behaviour all the more important.

I would usually be on the opposite side of Loch Ness, on the route 78, heading for Inverness, but this time I'm turning off at Drumnadrochit for Beauly. It's a long way round the other way!

And the reward is a good campsite last night

View attachment 58710

and nice quiet roads today!

View attachment 58709
Yes, i know what you mean about sometimes having few options. That's an interesting outfit you have there. How much charge do you get from that panel in weather like this?
 

guerney

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I generally avoid them, but the road network up here does not always provide an alternative route, which makes driver behaviour all the more important.
Fast too narrow roads are everywhere - led to my bolting an Oxford to my handlebar and that stuff stopped happening, continues to not happen.
 
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Nealh

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I see the dearer £26/£27 ones claim 2hrs recording vs 75mins for the cheaper ones.
 

guerney

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I see the dearer £26/£27 ones claim 2hrs recording vs 75mins for the cheaper ones.
I seriously doubt any cheap action camera is capable of recording for 2 hours - my cheapo Crosstor Action 4K managed about 45 minutes per battery. My GoPro Hero 7 Black: 1hr 20 minutes when the batteries were new, at 1080P (I don't shoot 4K). If more time is required: unlike the Crosstour, a battery doesn't have to be present for the GoPro to operate powered exclusively by a power bank. I tried shorting the pins for the battery in the Crosstour, to make it operate exclusively by power bank - this works for some mobile bluetooth printers in some permutation (blob of solder), but sadly doesn't work on the Crosstour.
 

matthewslack

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I seriously doubt any cheap action camera is capable of recording for 2 hours - my cheapo Crosstor Action 4K managed about 45 minutes per battery. My GoPro Hero 7 Black: 1hr 20 minutes when the batteries were new, at 1080P (I don't shoot 4K). If more time is required: unlike the Crosstour, a battery doesn't have to be present for the GoPro to operate powered exclusively by a power bank. I tried shorting the pins for the battery in the Crosstour, to make it operate exclusively by power bank - this works for some mobile bluetooth printers in some permutation (blob of solder), but sadly doesn't work on the Crosstour.
I'm getting just over 2 hours on the white higher spec GoPro 10 batteries at 1080p/24fps. Much less at 4K/50fps, which I have started to use on the best bits to improve my retirement archive!
 

guerney

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I'm getting just over 2 hours on the white higher spec GoPro 10 batteries at 1080p/24fps. Much less at 4K/50fps, which I have started to use on the best bits to improve my retirement archive!
Those V10s are big with a bigger price tag. :eek: I don't want to risk that much money on my helmet chinguard.

My longer rides are about three batteries long. I can charge two using the dual charger connected to a power bank in the rucksack.

You should upload your archive to Youtube, for me to bookmark and visit your horror film channel. Have you figured out how to motion track obscure number plates and signs in Resolve yet? Loads of info on Youtube re: Resolve. It's easy to move blocks of colour (motion defined, not motion tracked in my very old version) in Sony Vegas, like I have below to cover a moving street sign (after the cat). I can even obscure parts of video with a much shrunk version of the same or other video. Everything is easy in Vegas. I can deform the shape to match the changing shape of the sign, bit fiddly.


 
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matthewslack

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Yes, i know what you mean about sometimes having few options. That's an interesting outfit you have there. How much charge do you get from that panel in weather like this?
Weather like yesterday, less than I used. Weather like today, far more than I need!

I am self-sufficient in the middle 5 months of the year at 60+ miles per day average, and in the middle 2 or 3 months, average of 80 to 100 miles.

Today, no time pressure, so 50 miles through places like this.

IMG_20240713_151934737_HDR.jpg

And a full 1000Wh solar battery, having started the day at 36.8V after yesterday's 72 miles and heavy overcast. Evening and overnight I also recharge my 2 phones and several pairs of GoPro batteries!
 

matthewslack

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Those V10s are big with a bigger price tag. :eek: I don't want to risk that much money on my helmet chinguard.

My longer rides are about three batteries long. I can charge two using the dual charger connected to a power bank in the rucksack.

You should upload your archive to Youtube, for me to bookmark and visit your horror film channel. Have you figured out how to motion track obscure number plates and signs in Resolve yet? Loads of info on Youtube re: Resolve. It's easy to move blocks of colour (motion defined, not motion tracked in my very old version) in Sony Vegas, like I have below to cover a moving street sign (after the cat). I can even obscure parts of video with a much shrunk version of the same or other video. Everything is easy in Vegas.


My brain is not as agile as it was, I am frequently amazed at the ease with which you and others manage things that take me much time!

When forced to choose and given good conditions, I prioritise building rather than publishing my archive of good bad and ugly!
 

guerney

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My brain is not as agile as it was, I am frequently amazed at the ease with which you and others manage things that take me much time!
You don't need any sort of agile brain to use Sony Vegas... I can't vouch for the newer Magix versions, but you can take wild guesses at how things work in Sony Vegas and be right. Sooo much easier than any other editing program I've used, and I've used many since 1993. Magix appear to have ruined the minimal click intuitive interface which made Sony Vegas so immediately useful, but still may be worth a shot. There is an increasing number of free open source alternatives out there. VSDC does a lot for very little money, and renders faster than Adobe Premiere.