Clarity/brightness issues viewing and driving real time

[chiliman77]

I'm running into some problems trying to drive my ROV by looking at my display screen. I've so far tried a monitor intended for a car/RV, and then switched to an LCD from a laptop. However, when I drive it, I can't see the underwater video clearly enough to know where I am, and all I have is my OSD data. Basically, I can see that I've reached the bottom when I hit it and some seaweed is right in front of the camera.

I'm not sure what is causing this (glare, screen brightness, video quality, etc) but I last tried it on an overcast day and it was still an issue. When I view my recorded video afterwards on my computer, I can see the video sufficiently where I could have driven it ok.

I'm hoping that some other people may have some more experience with this and could maybe give a few suggestions. I've seen a lot of posts on here sending video feed to laptops directly, which I'd prefer not to have to do since I have a whole control case (and I'm using a laptop screen already, but maybe it's just not good enough??), but I'd be curious to hear any info. I will keep trying new things, but don't want to spin my wheels if possible.

For reference, the camera I'm using is a:
HD 650TVL D-WDR Color CCTV Camera Board 1/3" SONY CCD OSD Menu BNC Output
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HD-650TVL-D-WDR ... 4861de50d7

which I got from ebay, which has a .03 Lux rating.

My thoughts are to try some combination of the below things:
-different screen
-lower lux camera
-try it at night
-FPV goggles?
-video feed direct to laptop

Thanks for the help!

Also, the following thread is similar, and has a link to the first monitor I used if interested:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1492

[TigerShark]

It might be a combination of problems. The most common is too much light and not enough screen brightness. Try making a hood to shield the screen from the sun. Even on an overcast day there is too much light. The only way around it is to purchase a daylight viewable screen which costs much more.

[rossrov]

Hi chilliman. Problem is our eyes adjust to the bright daylight conditions, making the screen look darker. The daylight viewable screen TigerShark mentions would be better, but I imagine you will still have significant problems with reflections from the sky if out in the open. Wearing a large-brimmed hat could help a bit with the reflections. Also, maybe try a large dark background behind your monitor. Personally I have tried a large cardboard box as a shield. If you stay looking at the screen in the box, then your eyes adjust accordingly. That aside, FPV goggles would seem the obvious solution. Member kenl posted some findings using a welder's helmet and FPV goggles. Use the search tool to find his posts on this.

Ross