Make your own RVM cam mount

[Salil]

Disclaimer : Riding with the Rear view mirrors taken off is not recommended

What you need :

1. A rear view mirror (one with a broken glass will do. All other parts should be fine)
2. Elastic (Easily available in the market) : 3 Cms wide and 19 inch long unstretched.
3. Velcro : As wide as the elastic. Approximately 17 inches long.
4. Foam blocks.

How to:
1. Completely remove the glass mirror from the RVM. (You can use a hammer.)

2. Cut out a square on the back of the RVM's plastic casing to see the cam's LCD screen once mounted. Position the cam on the RVM case to accurately align the LCD with the cut. I used a heated knife to cut the casing.


3. Stick the rough part of the velcro on the back of the RVM case. I used Fevi Quick, but it seemed to come off after the mirror got wet. So try Araldite.


4. Cut the soft part of the velcro into 3 strips of 4.5 inch length. Sew it into the elastic band like this:


5. Cut a 4.5 inch strip of the rough part of the velcro and sew it to one end of the elastic band on the opposite side where you had sewn the soft strip of velcro.


6. Cut out blocks of foam such that when you mount the cam it won't touch the plastic casing of the RVM even when the foam is compressed. This is important to reduce vibrations:
Also, the height of the foam blocks should compensate for the uneven inside of the RVM casing.


Your RVM cam mount is ready now.

How to mount:
1. Stick the middle portion of the velcro to the back of the RVM casing:


2. Place the foam blocks inside the RVM case. Place the camera on the foam blocks. Make sure the cam doesn't touch the plastic casing of the RVM even when the foam is compressed. If it does, you might end up with a blurry video as a result of vibrations from the RVM.

3. First wind the double ended end of the elastic band (the one that has velcro on both sides) like this:


3. Now, wind the other end of the elastic band around the front of the RVM, such that you can stick the soft velcro at the end of the elastic band on the rough velcro (on the elastic band) that should now be on the rear side of the RVM:


The set up is ready now.



Remove RVM from its mount in your bike and screw in this contraption. Mount it such that the front of the RVM is right above your console and facing the way your bike is. You can now adjust the RVM and use the cut out at the rear of the case to see where your camera is looking.

Happy shooting!
Salil

[darkside_of_d_sun]

DIY at its best! Innovative, cost efficient and effective, way to go Salil.

Cheers,
Shamik

[sachinontop]

BC ...


sexy idea!!!
@Salil: ye tumhara hi idea tha kya???

[praveenkm]

Damn neat salil. Look simple now but i know u must have spent quite some time on it.

Just add one more instruction
to buy a cam that fits into the RVM casing :P

[Salil]

Thanks all.
SOT, 100% my idea
PKM, most consumer cams (not the super zoom prosumers) will fit into this RVM casing.

[Yogesh Sarkar]

Excellent DIY Salil posted a link to this article on the home page

[akshay4384]

awsome
time to break my zma's rear view mirror

[sachinontop]

@Salil:
really an awesome DIY method to avoid those costly mounts!

but, i need something like this for a handycam! can you think for that too?

[Yogesh Sarkar]

I am sure Salil can come up with the idea, just that you need to leave your video camera with him for couple of months so he can try out different things

[nav75]

Great find Salil. Since one is not going to do the shooting all the time (while he is riding). How about carrying this setup in bag (with both working RVM's on bike) and then swapping one working RVM with this setup when one wants to shoot?