Peter,
an array of smartphone lenses from old phones and connect them through fibre optics into the aircraft
This option would require penetration of the pressure vessel. :-)
E
an array of smartphone lenses from old phones and connect them through fibre optics into the aircraft
How would one send an image through a fibre? AFAIK there is no way to do this purely optically, other than by having a bundle of fibres, one for each pixel.
One could transmit a collimated beam through a medium (that’s how film/slide projectors work) but if that meedium is curved, the image won’t be preserved.
any need to interfere with the pressure vessel
You would not need to; the nav light power is available at the wingtip. The data connection to the camera would remain the same; just the power issue would be solved. Then you stick a huuuuge SD card in the camera and just leave it running the entire flight and forget about it.
Curiously l had considered the Nav light option as a power source, but decided that would be too intrusive.
In terms of risk management having the external battery inaccessible during flight; l concluded that since l routinely carry equally hazardous material/ spares in the forward baggage compartment on most flights, adding the battery to that risk profile, especially considering it is not being actively charged was acceptable to me. :)
The accessibility of the camera via WIFI is very practical and negates any need to interfere with the pressure vessel, which again would be IMHO a step too far to achieve what l am after.
E
Personally I would come at this from a different angle. I would probably put together an array of smartphone lenses from old phones and connect them through fibre optics into the aircraft and plug them into an Ipad or similar through a black magic studio digitizer.
That way the batteries could be kept within the aircraft and very little power would be needed anyway.
I believe BBC Bristol or Oxford Scientific used a similar, but non 360° set up to film inside a termite mound. Although I think a French production company also used a similar system for night filming on a series called The Village, but I think that was a coproduction with a UK company so I have no details on this. Both produced some exceptional footage.
What would be the legal process for powering an external camera from the nav light supply?
It is a great idea, because you can turn it off from the cockpit if you see flames shooting out of the camera 
It also enables the camera to have a heated faceplate (not viable on a 360 of course). I played with it here but never finished it.
The gotcha would be that you must remember to turn on the nav lights, because if you forget and the battery in the camera goes flat (which will happen in minutes in subzero temps) you will not be able to restart it.
I hooked up a large capacity external battery to it (strapped inside the wing)
The footage is nice but I am not sure that is a good idea to have a huge battery in the wing where you can not reach it. Just brainstorming but maybe it would be safer to power the camera from some power source in the wing like nav lights. Maybe someone could even design a nav light with a camera much like the nav light with ADSB?
I am persevering with the GoPro Fusion.
I hooked up a large capacity external battery to it (strapped inside the wing), and it survived a flight at FL270 for just over one hour at OAT of -17oC.
Write up and footage here
I have a longer flight planned to Phuket next week which will be just under 3 hours.
Thanks Peter,
That’s good info.
I am currently modifying a separate battery pack to power a USB connection and see how that works out.
E
The problem with practically all consumer IT gear shutting down in freezing temps is caused by the battery monitoring software, which decides the battery has much less capacity at low temps, and proceeds to shut down the product. My last-1 phone, Samsung S7, would drop from 100% to 10% in minutes, with the phone in a waist bag, when on a ski slope in say -20C. Plugging in an external power pack (which evidently didn’t have that “protection”) made it work again…
External power may thus solve the problem, and wrapping some insulation around the camera (say 5mm of polystyrene) enabling its internally generated heat to keep it a bit warmer, may also help.
Most electronics works fine down to -25C or colder, so long as the humidity is low so you don’t get internal condensation.
So…tried the Gopro Fusion camera at FL270. OAT was -13oC.
The battery lasted about 5 minuets after getting established in the cruise, due to the temperature no doubt.
Battery and camera came back to life after a normal re charge at room temperature once back on the ground. No lasting damage appears to have been done which is pretty impressive given I am not using any protective casing or temperature shielding.
I am now exploring alternative power sources. :-)
I have posted some trip reports with additional footage obtained from the camera over in the trips section.
E
