Go Pro Labs?

Anyone ever mess with the GoPro labs firmware? It seems to provide the feature that i want the most with my GoPro 10, the ability to start / stop video based upon turning the usb charger on off.  I already have a camera toggle switch feeding a 12bdc to usb on the dash back from my ReolayXD days. 

That  might help take care of some of my issue with the camera baking by the time I belt in and then set in grid. It's probably 15-20 minutes between pressing record and leaving the grid.

I see you can also set it to start stop based upon speed (say above 30 mph) but I usually run with gps off figuring that adds to the heat issue. 
 

That assumes that the GoPro actually works right... I gave up on them after three generations kept screwing me over - I'm a slow learner.

kb58 said:

That assumes that the GoPro actually works right... I gave up on them after three generations kept screwing me over - I'm a slow learner.

This.

Also, pretty much all the gopro knockoffs have an option in their menu to turn on this feature, usually called "Car Mode".  I don't know why GoPro is so bad about providing this functionality.

Not sure what Labs is but I do use my pro 5 and Divinci and it works well.

I played around with the GoPro labs with my GoPro Hero 11 mini.  60% of the time, it works every time!  I tried playing with this through a few HPDE events, but was never satisfied with the results.  I ended up picking up a Gamin Catalyst in the off season and retired the GoPro.

Here's the setup that I was using:  https://gopro.github.io/labs/control/set/?cmd=mVr4p60fL0oSM50,50e0hS0aAg0v0q0dVoV8B1D0R1C1S1W0L0!M64BT=16000!MTUSB=1!MWAKE=2!MBOOT=%22!Lboot%22!SAVEboot=%3Cu0!X!C16+!S+!1N+%3Eu0!R13!E+!1O

The next thing I'd play around with is increasing the time between checking the power state of the device.  Allegedly, the Garmin Catalyst is sensitive to power - and not sure if the GoPro falls into the same category and I really just needed a better 12V power adapter.

Yes, I know that I need to eventually bite the bullet and just get a true video / data system. My old school TraqMate provides all the data I could ever want, but it's hardly as easy as just pulling the card out of the system, and getting overlaid data / video. The shiny new fully rebuilt Hewland MK9 that just got mounted to the back of the car (that cost about 1/2 of what I paid for the car) has negated that for this year. 

For those that wondered what GoPro Labs is, it's an alternative firmware direct from GoPro that supposedly unlocks other features. It's not really like hacking your GoPro, as you pull the firmware from GoPro. Not sure why they just wouldn't include the features in the base option.

slockin is doing better than me if he/she is getting 60% of his track video. My percentages are less than that. Mostly if I turn it on in the paddock, it bakes on grid, and then overheats after a few laps. Picture quality of the grid is fantastic :-)

kb58 said:

That assumes that the GoPro actually works right... I gave up on them after three generations kept screwing me over - I'm a slow learner.

My experience with Gopro makes me never want another one. If I did get video (maybe half the time), it would pixillate, ruining the video.

Gave up and bought a Garmin Virb Ultra 30. Works every time, has never overheated/shut off. Unfortunately, they're no longer in production. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to replace it.

wake74 said:

slockin is doing better than me if he/she is getting 60% of his track video. My percentages are less than that. Mostly if I turn it on in the paddock, it bakes on grid, and then overheats after a few laps. Picture quality of the grid is fantastic :-)

My GoPro was mounted externally on the front tow hook. So, I had plenty of air flow and never experienced overheating issues.  The funny thing is that I had about 90% success rate with my GoPro Hero 7 Black, where I had to manually start/stop recording and swap batteries at lunch time.

Screw Go Pro. 

Roadkeeper is the droid. 

Two HD cameras (forward, rear/side), auto start, accel and GPS data overlays.  All in a single windshield mounted unit...for around $300 (look for the SCCA discount)

Works every time.

Andy Hollis said:

Screw Go Pro. 

Roadkeeper is the droid. 

Two HD cameras (forward, rear/side), auto start, accel and GPS data overlays.  All in a single windshield mounted unit...for around $300 (look for the SCCA discount)

Works every time.

That looks like a significantly better value than gopro.  Glad to hear I'm not the only idiot struggling for consistent recordings from my gopro.  Might be time to switch.  Does it have an internal battery at all?  Some of my uses do not have external power available.

Lof8 - Andy said:

Andy Hollis said:

Screw Go Pro. 

Roadkeeper is the droid. 

That looks like a significantly better value than gopro.  Glad to hear I'm not the only idiot struggling for consistent recordings from my gopro.  Might be time to switch.  Does it have an internal battery at all?  Some of my uses do not have external power available.

Optional external battery good for 7 hours. 

I use it wired, because recording goes on/off with power.  That can also be setup for movement, but I'm lazy and this is the way it worked outta the box.  Plus...works every time...Doesn't require me to remember to charge it.

I'll never forget GoPro's CEO ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange as his stock went public. What made it memorable was that he was holding a small GoPro, recording the event - holding it in his teeth. That said a lot about the company.

I knew about the effects of sun, heat, and vibration, and that still didn't stop any GoPro I ever owned from starting/stopping on their own, starting a new recording when they wanted, or acting totally bricked when they felt like, then got all better all by themselves. My brother had the same problems with his own GoPros. We both switched to the Sony ActionCam and never had any more issues. Sorry for hijacked this thread, but for the love of God, if you aren't already fully committed to the GoPro system, "Pull Up! Pull Up!" If I was buying a new system today, the one mentioned by Andy sounds perfect.

Andy Hollis said:

Screw Go Pro. 

Roadkeeper is the droid. 

Two HD cameras (forward, rear/side), auto start, accel and GPS data overlays.  All in a single windshield mounted unit...for around $300 (look for the SCCA discount)

Works every time.

Interesting option, looks like they are currently $400 for a windshield mount model, and $550 for a roll bar mountable one (without chasing discounts). I've got an open wheel car, so water resistance is important. It looks like they are developing a case for it but not available yet.

Maaannnnn...

Don't even get me started on the sorry state of action cameras in general and particularly when it comes to recording car sports. I so badly want a hardwired, button-based (so its usable with gloves) remote for literally any decent action cam, but nothing off-the-shelf exists that I've been able to find that doesn't require cracking into the camera. 

Anyway, at the moment maybe the GoPro bluetooth remote is your best bet? At least it has a physical button.

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

kb58 said:

That assumes that the GoPro actually works right... I gave up on them after three generations kept screwing me over - I'm a slow learner.

My experience with Gopro makes me never want another one. If I did get video (maybe half the time), it would pixillate, ruining the video.

Gave up and bought a Garmin Virb Ultra 30. Works every time, has never overheated/shut off. Unfortunately, they're no longer in production. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to replace it.

Wait until you have to try and find a battery for it...

JG Pasterjak said:

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

kb58 said:

That assumes that the GoPro actually works right... I gave up on them after three generations kept screwing me over - I'm a slow learner.

My experience with Gopro makes me never want another one. If I did get video (maybe half the time), it would pixillate, ruining the video.

Gave up and bought a Garmin Virb Ultra 30. Works every time, has never overheated/shut off. Unfortunately, they're no longer in production. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to replace it.

Wait until you have to try and find a battery for it...

I plug mine into the 12v power outlet. Battery life isn't an issue. And thanks again for recommending this camera to me.

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

JG Pasterjak said:

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

kb58 said:

That assumes that the GoPro actually works right... I gave up on them after three generations kept screwing me over - I'm a slow learner.

My experience with Gopro makes me never want another one. If I did get video (maybe half the time), it would pixillate, ruining the video.

Gave up and bought a Garmin Virb Ultra 30. Works every time, has never overheated/shut off. Unfortunately, they're no longer in production. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to replace it.

Wait until you have to try and find a battery for it...

I plug mine into the 12v power outlet. Battery life isn't an issue. And thanks again for recommending this camera to me.

Yeah I still have a couple and dearly love them which makes it even sadder they turned out to be such unsupported orphans. I'm looking forward to riding mine into the ground, though :)

JG Pasterjak said:

Maaannnnn...

Don't even get me started on the sorry state of action cameras in general and particularly when it comes to recording car sports. I so badly want a hardwired, button-based (so its usable with gloves) remote for literally any decent action cam, but nothing off-the-shelf exists that I've been able to find that doesn't require cracking into the camera. 

Anyway, at the moment maybe the GoPro bluetooth remote is your best bet? At least it has a physical button.

random SJ Cam

USB Cable with switch

This combo will do what you want (99% sure, I havent owned that exact SJ CAM).

But yes, having this integrated properly would be a big win.

Speaking of Garmin, I know the two main guys responsible for the Catalyst...One-Lappers, among other things.

During the R&D phase when the VIRB was their only product, I was asked what I thought was missing in the market space.  I said, AIM Solo II with integrated video...for around $400.  No extra wires, turn-key operation.  To me, that's the sweet spot.

Instead, they added all this coaching stuff (which apparently is a thing with Garmin for other sports) and charged double that.

And little-known Roadkeeper hits the nail on the head from a product standpoint, but nobody knows.

And here's the latest SCCA discount info...you don't have to actually end up going to the Runoffs to take advantage, nor register for the contingency.  Just enter the code.

https://www.race-keeper.com/uncategorized/race-keeper-road-keeper-2024-scca-national-championship-runoffs-contingency-and-special-purchase-programs/

They also have periodic sales (typically Black Friday) with similar pricing.

That's a pretty cool unit. I wish it were 4k cameras though. That's one of my biggest complaints about the catalyst, the 1080p video isn't really suitable for sharing on youtube, etc. Just for data analysis its more than fine.

I noticed the Road-Keeper is also 1080p, is it processing higher resolution that makes GoPros overheat?

more than I'd like to spend, but Race-Keeper's HDX2 dual camera setup would be the ticket for a Best Motoring style video.