Tell/Show me a Budget Camera System! Please!

[Staples Build Team]

Hey All

So I have done research but I just need a clear answer.

Can someone send me links to everything that I would need for the camera and anything else that I would need for it to work on the ROV.

Now, I am on a budget, so I cannot spend anything over $100 all together. Given that the camera is the only way you can see down under, It obviously needs to be reliable but not costly.

So just some clear, cut and dry links and whatnot to everything that I would need; that would be very very helpful.

Thanks in advance!

[ERIEWRECKDIVER]

Well Staples,

That $100.00 budget will be tough.

I am on a Very Tight Budget and I have been building one step at a time as I can afford it. I set a total budget of $300.00 and that is not going to be enough.
Thrusters with a prop are around $25.00 each. I'm using 3. 1 for vertical and 2 for fwd/reverse and horz. directional.
Relays, Control Switches and tether will probably cost about $100.00. Not including a 12v car battery on the surface to run all of this. (About $75.00 w/o a charger...another $30.00 if I'm lucky.)
My PVC frame and ballast is around $30.00.
The underwater lights I already have. And the cheapest underwater fishing camera that I have found is on ebay for about $75.00. Then you need a monitor or a laptop with video capture to see what you are doing. The camera I really want, (Commercial Quality ROV Camera) costs over $900.00, but that is out of the question.

I'm not saying it can't be done. But this is what my project is currently costing me. So shop and scrounge around. Read everyone's ideas on the forum. It will give you ideas. Don't let this bum you out. Knowledge is power. Phased building takes longer, but it gives you the ability to get what you want.

Good Luck

ErieWreckDiver

[Staples Build Team]

Thanks for the reply

I guess my very top budget would be $200. I was just talking about the camera. My teams budget for the whole ROV is much higher than that. I just need a camera system for under $200.

I have a PC, a MAC, and Im pretty sure just a monitor; all of which can be used.

I just want someone to lay out a full system with everything that I would need. Just so I know what I am looking at.


Thanks

[Alaska Rov Systems]

I have purchased on form hobby king in the past, right now it is on back order. it is a color camera. heres the link:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... NTSC_.html

it is fairly inexpensive. it is a color camera and outputs a analog video signal.

Hope this helps.

Alex Stuart

Alaska ROV Systems

[ERIEWRECKDIVER]

Well that is a deal on the camera. You would have to house it in a water proof enclosure, but Steve has provided PVC enclosures on the web page as to how to build that.

How you get the signal to your video capture is probably a BNC or CAT5 cable with Belmins (not sure I spelled that right) on both ends.

But study the camera sections of the forum. There is a lot of info out there.

[Alaska Rov Systems]

That was actually my issue, I had used the camera to attempt to build an underwater camera but it was difficult because the camera outputs a analog system and if it were a digital signal i could hook it right into my computer. anyways my camera project failed and i decided i will have to try another way. As to what cable system i was going to use, I was going to use a the video Rca cable and then plug the connections into a small portable analog tv monitor.

Alex

Alaska ROV Systems