First weekend using my new ReplayXD 1080. A few learning curve problems led to no video at all on Saturday (user error maybe), but it ran fine on Sunday.
Upside: Quality of the video is great at the 720p / 60 fps setting I used. None of that rolling shutter effect, no vibration, etc. I used the Replay aluminum roll-bar clamp, and billet camera mount. I can't imagine this billet clamp coming loose, or breaking. Small size.
Downsides: Sound, 30 minute recording time, no convenient way to check that the camera is shooting level. I need to get a small HDMI display to use at the track for this.
Questions:
1. The 30 minute recording max is really annoying. It stopped a couple of laps from the finish of Sunday's race because it hit the 30 minute limit. Figure 20 minutes of track time, but by the time I turn it on in the paddock, go grid, etc., that's at least another 15 minutes. Is there a way around this, or to have it automatically just start another file, after the first one has hit the 30 minute limit?
2. The sound was horrible. Can't even tell when I missed a shift, it was so bad. Is everyone else having the same issue with the sound on these?
The video quality was so good that it does trump the two issues above, but I'd like to work thru them.
Check on the replay website there is a firmware update that changes the 30 min clip I believe. I will check on it also to confirm.
Did you use the windbreaker decals that came with the camera? If not then that is a must! If you did try other types of tape and see what works best you will be surprised how much different types of tape can change the sound. You could always add the new remote start/stop switch which will give you constant power so you never have to deal with battery power and it also gives you a plug to add a external mic which you can move around and put anywhere out of the wind, this button also has a light to let you know it's on and recording.
Thanks for the quick response. I didn't use any type of tape, but didn't see this listed in the instructions anywhere. I'll go back thru the stuff that came in the box to see if I can find the windbreaker decals. I'm assuming they have instructions on them to show where they need to be applied.
The firmware update on the web-site doesn't specifically list the 30 min clip issue, but I'll try it anyway to see if it changes it. In another spot it says you can record 15 hours worth of continuous video with the remote power cable and a 32 GB card, so there must be a solution to the issue available.
The start / stop button is on my list of future upgrades, as then I wouldn't have to wonder if my wife turned it on or not in the paddock.
The firmware update doesn't really solve the issue, it just delays it. They now limit it to a 3GB file and it restarts to a new file. When I called their support line they said it wan't in the release notes as it was not a 'user visible feature change.' Which makes as much sense as their logic for 2gb and now 3gb files that they're 'too unwieldy.' The FAT32 file system has a 4GB file system limit which would a valid reason for the limit, but the 2gb and now the 3gb seems rather arbitrary. They must use really crappy computers and slow SC cards in their company to see that as a problem. Or I've just been at the Googleplex long enough now to see that as a trivial size...
Anyways, I really like my ReplayXD in spite of the odd implementation decisions. I will say that Mark at ApexAutosport has been great to deal with regarding questions/support but replay themselves not so much.
__________________
------------------
'Stay Hungry'
JK 1964-1996 #25
There are little 1/8x3/8" clear stickers in the package. These go over the microphone holes. They really help. You may have mistaken them for a set of stickers or something.
Couldn't locate the stickers in what I saved from the box. I'm sure just regular tape will probably work.
However, in looking over the camera last night while it was still mounted, it's not obvious to me where to put the tape / decals, or where the mic hole is. Can anyone shed some light on this?
Its on the bottom, about 1/3 of the way rearward from the lens (opposite the forward button).
There is also a page in the manual that shows it (I too looked for it and did not find it until I referred to the manual telling me exactly where to look).
HTH.
Tim
__________________
------------------
'Stay Hungry'
JK 1964-1996 #25
Still having issues with my now two weekend old Replay XD1080. I did download and install the new firmware, as well, as put some tape over the mic hole on the bottom (which improved sound quality greatly).
This weekend, I managed to get one session only (the first one), slightly less than 30 minutes, before I shut it off. Video and sound quality were great.
After that it was a constant battle of trying to get it charged, trying to get it to turn-on without having to manually reset it, etc. I never did get any more footage. On Sunday it would run when plugged in to my inverter/trailer battery, but would shut-off immediately if unplugged. Maybe the unit isn't like being charged off the inverter, but I can't imagine any reason why that would a difference. The green charging light is also out, implying it is fully charged.
For those using the camera, a couple of questions:
1. What are you getting for battery life on a full charge?
2. How long does it take your camera to fully recharge?
3. Do you have issues getting it to run on a partial charge?
I may try purchasing the constant feed, remote start/stop device and see if that fixes the problem, as I wouldn't be running off the battery at all. However, I don't want to throw good money after bad, if there is an issue with the camera.
Still having issues with my now two weekend old Replay XD1080. I did download and install the new firmware, as well, as put some tape over the mic hole on the bottom (which improved sound quality greatly).
This weekend, I managed to get one session only (the first one), slightly less than 30 minutes, before I shut it off. Video and sound quality were great.
After that it was a constant battle of trying to get it charged, trying to get it to turn-on without having to manually reset it, etc. I never did get any more footage. On Sunday it would run when plugged in to my inverter/trailer battery, but would shut-off immediately if unplugged. Maybe the unit isn't like being charged off the inverter, but I can't imagine any reason why that would a difference. The green charging light is also out, implying it is fully charged.
For those using the camera, a couple of questions:
1. What are you getting for battery life on a full charge?
2. How long does it take your camera to fully recharge?
3. Do you have issues getting it to run on a partial charge?
I may try purchasing the constant feed, remote start/stop device and see if that fixes the problem, as I wouldn't be running off the battery at all. However, I don't want to throw good money after bad, if there is an issue with the camera.
Thanks!
Glenn
If you did the firmware correctly your camera should not shut off after 30 min I would check it again and do it over. This past weekend I forgot to shut of my camera and got 56 min of constant video with no breaks.
I don't know if the inverter is affecting the charge but I would try to charge it in a wall outlet. Do some test videos at home to get filmilar with the operations of the camera. I found the best settings for car video is 30fps which will be red light on the left and 720 which will also be red light on the right.
you should have no problem getting 2 or 4 30min sessions on a charge.
If you don't want to get the Start/Stop switch which works very well but it is pricey you could always just get the external power cable that is half the price and wire in a on/off toggle switch and update your firmware again to start recording when power is on and stop recording when power is off this is the most simple way to operate these cameras in a car. I have a Start/stop switch in my car and it works great and you can see the light on the button when its on but I think the toggle switch would be easier just flip the switch and race.
Also make sure you inserted the memory card in correctly as the camera will not operate without it in all the way.
last thing if you are using the memory card that came with the camera it's pretty small if you did not erase it in between sessions you may be out of space. If you had it set for 1080 and 60fps your file size will be much larger taking up more space.
Also, if you re-formatted the card using Disk Utility or other OS utility the camera will start once and then not start again until its reset. You can format the camera in the camera using the instructions in the manual or in their FAQ they have a link to the SD card association official formatting tools which should work as well. These format methods eliminate the start once then fail until reset scenario.
__________________
------------------
'Stay Hungry'
JK 1964-1996 #25
Glenn, Charge the camera fully at home (the green light goes off when fully charged). If the green light just blinks once or twice when you plug it in and does not stay on, you may have a broken battery. Talk to who you purchased it from if that is the case and they can probably get it repaired for you under warranty. If the green light stays on for a couple of hours when you plug it in, the battery should be okay. The camera really does like to be fully charged before use. We've been using the hard wire kit (I have several of the remote on/off kits but have yet to install one) and the new firmware which turns the camera on when it sees power to the camera. After shutting the switch its wired to off, the camera will shut down after one minute (the time is adjustable in the firmware).
We've had excellent luck with the cameras and get a ton of great video. I did buy a large (2 TB) hard drive to store all of the video. I think it was in the range of $130 +/-
1) 1.5 hours, but I don't worry about that anymore with all of mine hard wired.
2) Too long! 2-3 hours at least it seems. Again, no worries after hard wiring.
3) Yes, see above post. They like to start fully charged.
I'm an authorized dealer, but I still like to be brutally honest. The cameras are great, but the battery life and recharge times were driving me a little crazy. Now that we've done the hardwire kit, its an incredible piece of video equipment. I had some carbon fiber mounts made up for the remote start/stop, but haven't had a chance to mount one up. I did hardwire 6 or 7 cameras with the original hardwire kit and except for me hardwiring to the wrong side of the master switch once, they've been almost flawless.
I put 16GB SD cards in all of the cameras I sell, as they create large files and you would be forever downloading with the supplied 4GB card.
Great help. I'll mess with it some more tonight and see if it will charge better from a standard 120VAC receptacle. It takes such great video, and has nice aluminum bar mounts, that I would like to get it reliable and deciphered:
A couple of follow-up notes:
1. I'm using a 32 GB card, which should be enough for hours and hours of video. More than I'm going to shoot on a weekend I think.
2. I have reformatted it several times in my laptop (W7, 64 bit), by just doing a quick format in Windows Explorer. I'll start using the camera to format it.
3. I'm slightly embarrassed to say I bought the camera from an online retailer that I could use some accumulated credit cards points for the purchase. I doubt the technical support is going to be stellar on a warranty repair situation.
Mark - Can I order the remote start / stop / power connector through your web-site? I noticed I could order it direct from ReplayXD, but would prefer to send you a little business for your assistance.
Great help. I'll mess with it some more tonight and see if it will charge better from a standard 120VAC receptacle. It takes such great video, and has nice aluminum bar mounts, that I would like to get it reliable and deciphered:
A couple of follow-up notes:
1. I'm using a 32 GB card, which should be enough for hours and hours of video. More than I'm going to shoot on a weekend I think.
2. I have reformatted it several times in my laptop (W7, 64 bit), by just doing a quick format in Windows Explorer. I'll start using the camera to format it.
3. I'm slightly embarrassed to say I bought the camera from an online retailer that I could use some accumulated credit cards points for the purchase. I doubt the technical support is going to be stellar on a warranty repair situation.
Mark - Can I order the remote start / stop / power connector through your web-site? I noticed I could order it direct from ReplayXD, but would prefer to send you a little business for your assistance.
I don't have any instock as we speak but I should be getting them soon.
Deal with Replay directly for any issues you have with the camera they should take care of it but I don't think there is anything wrong with your camera.
also make sure the card you are using is on there compadible card list on the replay site.
Ok, I have the remote power start/stop 4 wire assembly. If I understand the options correctly, just connecting the assembly to the camera allows the remote switch to control the camera and it runs on battery power. Connecting the red and black to 12v eliminates the battery and the remote switch as well as the camera buttons function. Placing switches to ground on the green and white wires allows for 2 more switches to control camera as well as the remote switch and the camera itself. Yes?
One other thing, if connected to the kill switch, it powers the camera when master is turned on, or do you have to press the power button on the remote switch? And recording does not start until record button on remote is pushed.
Thanks,
John
I contacted ReplayXD last night via the online support form. Got a reply within a couple of hours, and an RMA this morning. They said it was a battery issue, and they would immediately send me another camera as soon as they received mine. No delay's for testing, confirmation that I didn't screw it up, etc. According to the email I received, the latest cameras have a stronger battery design that will also hold a charge longer.
We'll see how the return goes, but so far, customer service has been good
Formula cars are hard on cameras. I've had several originals replaced with the new battery style and have not lost one since. I'm really happy with their service and the video.
Steve, I have run one on the roll hoop cover, as well as to rhe left of driver. Both give severe video jelly. Replay has replaced the camera, because of battery issues, and I even have the battery eliminator. It gives a great video at rest, but once the revs come up, it's all jelly. Will bring to Runoffs, maybe you have some advice.
I have the same issue Paul. Replay has given up trying to solve it. It is engine vibration related as when I shift and the revs drop the jelly disappears around 9-10K and comes back and gets worse as the revs climb to 14K. I have tried my with the Replay billet mount on the top of the roll bar and also trying some rubber between the mount and the roll bar. Neither worked. I have the remote microphone kit installed with the mic on the dash and sound is better but not great. All the wind noise is gone, but the audio is very "tinny" like you are listening to it from one of those old little 1" computer speakers built into the computer case. Might try a different microphone and see if that helps at all.
__________________
Chris Ross
09 NovaKBS F600 #36 Powered by '09 600 Suzuki GSX-R
"If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error." John Kenneth Galbraith
See my prior write up on this. I have only a little wiggle that we are still working on but pretty solid video right now. In short, you have to stabilize the hoop cover. Foam between the hoop and hoop cover works really well on the FE. See my Baltimore video.
Paul, Stop by. I'm in the upper paved paddock. First spot on the right if you come up past pit out. I'll show you some of our video. I did nothing special, just stuck the snap tray onto the roll hoop cover on all the cars. I also have one pointing backwards that I just stuck to the rear wing support. Almost perfect video. The audio is pretty good as well, but you do need to put the windscreens over the holes. You do have it set 720p and 60 f/p/s right?
General Formula Car Discussion
ReplayXD 1080 Questions after first weekend
