Toys! (Can you ever have enough?)

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Toys are great, and when you are planning a trip like this, it gives you a reason to buy more! My latest toy will provide the readers of this blog with, I hope, a better experience than they would have had otherwise. On past trips, I have worn a camera around my neck on a lanyard, and in quite an unsafe manner, grabbed it and sort of aimed to get my shots. Some came out good, some I missed what I was wanting completely, and others were discarded. Regardless of the resulting picture, just about everyone had some thought of a wreck or other misfortune run through my mind. My GPS, radio, CB, and other toys all provide enough distractions, that I think my new toy can be considered a safety enhancement. Who can say no when it comes to safety? ;-) My newest toy is the Drift Innovation HD170® Video/Camera. It shoots HD video, single shot pictures, or sequence photos in varying intervals from 3 to 30 seconds. Also works well out night with settings for low light. There is a microphone, but I don't anticipate using that much, as the majority of the time it would just be wind noise, with the occasional expletive thrown in when a moose or bear runs in front of me. It also has a wireless switch that allows me to start/stop the video, or take single shots with the push of my thumb on the handlebars. I have three mounting options (can be unlimited) that I will alternate, based on the local scenery, my mood, and to provide varying aspects when it all done. I have let a few friends review some test runs in all the locations, and the early trend is that the helmet cam is the favorite. (the test videos are viewable at http://www.youtube.com/user/dresserj1690/videos) These test runs are in Southern Illinois, in February, so they are not about the scenery, or lack thereof. The three mounting locations I have chosen are the helmet mount, on the handlebars (facing forward or aft), on the right saddlebag guard rail (facing forward or aft). Reviewing the test footage, I have learned some items I need to keep in mind when I mount to get the best aim, for the best view all around, namely, neither you or I need or want to see so much of my leg on the saddlebag mount. It has also been suggested to get a mount on the left side, so I’ll look at that in the near future. The attached pictures show the camera in each of the current locations. Oh, by the way, just in case you’re not counting, it’s 107 days till departure!!!

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