DIY HatCam

Why?

I want to make crazy videos of me jumping on the trampoline! I also want to film some of my flying progress for the FT community and a heap of fixed tripod video gets old rather quick.  I also tend to fly by myself so nobody to pan and tilt a camera for me. Solution glue a camera to forehead, or next best thing customise a cheap hat into a POV camera.

What do I need to make one!

Firstly you will need the following materials:

• Camera
• The lighter the better here, this isn't going to work with a SLR and a giant zoom lens.
• Sports video cameras would probably work well (GoPro)
• I'm using our 'tough' camera incase the hat falls off, etc.
• Cheap or Old Hat
• 1mm thick Aluminium - correct spelling ;) - plate; approx 1" wide & 3 inches long
• 1x 1/4"x1" Bolt
• 1x 1/4" Nut (Picture shows two I only used 1)
• 2x 1/4" Washers

These are the tools you will require:

• Cordless drill
• Phillips head screw driver
• 7/16" Spanner
• Hobby knife
• 6mm or 1/4" drill bit (I only have metric drills)
• A pencil

1. Place camera on hat and position it close to your head (less leverage). Once you have it where it looks nice and central go ahead and mark the spot that lines up with the screw hole on the camera.
2. Cut a small hole around the mark you made above using your hobby knife. This hole needs to be slightly larger than the drill you are going to use.
3. Pierce the above spot through the plastic board inside the brim with the sharp knife. This allows you to remove the material from the reverse side as described above.
4. Using the 6mm bit and drill a hole in the through the brim where you have removed the material.
5. Mark and drill the center of the aluminium plate with the 6mm bit, be sure to offset the hole if it is too close to the edge of the hat.
6. Bend the plate to the same profile as the hat. Note: Be careful, it will bend very easy where you have drilled the hole.
7. Install the bolt, washers and nut as follows: Bolt; washer; hat; Al plate; washer; nut. Keep it loose for now.
8.  Screw the bolt onto your camera and align it in the direction you want to film.
9. Once your happy with the camera alignment tighten the nut down with your spanner while holding your bolt in place with the screwdriver.
10. Take some test footage and check the vertical alignment. You can correct this by bending the aluminium plate.
11. Go out and take some POV/human FPV footage ;) and share it with the flitetest community. Make sure you have a really big smile on your face so people won't notice the camera on your head XD 

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