The cameras require 32Gbyte, Class 10, SD cards. 40Mbit/s writing speed appears adequate although at the time of writing 80Mbit/s cards are available at a reasonable price. Example: SanDisk Ultra cards from Amazon for less than $8 each.

Capacity

The SD cards use 3.9Gbyte for every hour of recording and so counting overheads are theoretically capable of around 8 hours of recorded data each. The camera need to be supported with battery packs.. They ensure we have plenty of capacity for normal racing since our races average around 90 minutes in duration. The marathon races however, run from 10:00 to at least 16:45. If the battery packs are switched on at say 9:30 for the Marathon, they will run to about 17:30.

There are 8 pairs of SD cards enabling the storage of 3 races when two cameras are used per race. The black cards seem more reliable. Two cameras are strongly recommended because from time to time a camera will cease recording.

The cameras need to be connected to the club room chargers via their white usb cables after each race.

Reformatting the SD cards prior to each race is important. Reformatting must be carried out via the camera menu. Reformatting the cards by another device has proven damaging to the cards.

Battery Packs

When disconected from the charger, the battery packs should turn on automatically with the cameras. There are LEDs top left on the battery packs that illuminate when switched on (or charging).

If they do not switch on with the cameras, this can be done via a button on the side top right.

The cameras should be left on before the race. The screen automatically goes black to to conserve power.

Race Day Procedure

In the Office

1. Find the small round container in the office that holds unused SD cards. Generally stored in the handicappers intray.
2. Partially slide out the camera and battery pack assembly from their mounting tubes. An orange chord is provided for this. Please do not pull on the cables. Insert an SD card (label side down) in the bottom of each camera.
3. Switch on each camera by holding the power button (top on right side) up for > 2 seconds. Sometimes one of the cameras will show a no input screen on start up. Turning off and then on again fixes the problem. Sometimes there is a bue screen advising that there is a USB connection. You can ignore this.
4. Hold down the 'OK' button for >2 seconds.
5. Scroll through the menu to ‘Format’. Select ‘Format’.
6. Confirm formatting.
7. Reviewing the videos is much easier if the time stamps are synchronised. This can be achieved by synchronising the cameras inbuilt clocks via the menu. It inolves resetting each clocks time at the same moment. and can be checked by viewing the screen. It is important not to mistake this process with that which controls the turning on and off of the inscreen timestamp. Having the time displayed on the screen is really the whole point
8. Return to the main screen by holding down the OK button.
9. Confirm that more than 8 hours of recording time is displayed at the top of the screen and that the time is sychnronised at the bottoom of the screen
10. On completion of the above, leave the cameras running.

On the beach about 30 mins before race time.

1. Press the menu button to wake up the cameras
2. Press the record button, 'Rec' on both cameras at the same time. Confirm with a blinking blue light and a blinking red symbol in the display that the camera is recording.
3. Slide the power switch down into the lock position. Again confirm that the cameras are still recording.
4. Gently slide the power packs and the camera assembly back into their mounting tubes without again depressing any buttons and then press on the mounting tube caps.
5. Advise the duty crew that it is the green camera that records the start in the Committee boat. This is because the system relies on the start sound signals and only the green camera has a microphone.

On the Beach after the race.

1. Retrieve the cameras from the duty crew.
2. Partially remove the assemblies from their mounting tubes.
3. Push the 'Rec' button to cease recording.
4. Switch off each camera by sliding the power switch up and holding for 2seconds.
5. Gently slide the assemblies into their mounting tubes

In the Office

1. Partially slide out the cameras from their mounting tubes.
2. Recover the SD cards and together with any notes, insert in a dated envelope.
3. Plug the white usb cables into the charger USB ports. Located on the right hand leg of the computer desk. Arrange for the envelope to be delivered to or picked up by the handicapper.

If the cameras fail to intitate

Allocate a duty officer to record the start time (Division 1) and of every boat's lap as she passes through the common gate. Boats are normallhy identified by their sail number.