Kato Camera Equipped Train

[rpierce000]

Kato has announced that they will be selling a camera equipped train for 31,500yen. It appears that the camera transmits wirelessly to a box that goes straight to a standard TV video port (RCA).

 

They claim this is RTR out of the box and a "roundhouse" product. With the Tomix product transmitting via the track and 39,800yen, this will be SERIOUS competition.

 

I will be interested to see the quality of the image. They say they are already running it in the Kato stores. Has anyone seen it?

 

Bob

[Guest Closed Account 1]

This one was re-released earlier the year.

 

Its picture quality isn't the best.

 

This site sells the same camera system. He's confirmed it.

 

http://www.dcctrain.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=1793

[cteno4]

this is the RF system labs camera. its actually pretty good as rf cameras go that will work in n scale. ive seen just about every rf camera out there that will work in n scale and its one of the best. the auto charging battery is also pretty unique.

 

it does look like kato is using the rf labs equipment as the receiver is an rf labs and looks pretty much like the one i have, but the camera is inside!

 

when rf system labs was selling the camera themselves it was only about $110, so the $245 to 290 price tag on the other site is pretty steep!

 

its hard to get a camera that will fit w/in the chassis easily on n scale.

 

rf transmission will always have some degradation and dropouts. the tomix using high frequency transmission over the tracks does give a clearer signal usually from all the video ive seen come from it.

 

jeff

[Guest ___]

The receiver looks like the one we use in the club.

[cteno4]

yes its looks to be the same as the one ken and i both have. probably why rf systems stopped selling it if kato wanted to sell it.

 

im betting its the same train system rf labs was making awhile back. they normally make more high end remote camera systems i think someone in the company was a train person and got them to do the train camera as it was pretty out of the higher end lab systems they usually do.

 

jeff

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Bob:

 

For your inventory this would be a good seller. 

 

Maybe get one to have at the shows to advertise yourself.  On the tv screen you could have BTtrains.com as a decal.

 

However, a 5.8GHZ spy cam will be the best solution as it is the clearest, smallest, and not affected by the other frequencies.

 

Bummer they didn't use another shell for the cars.

[cteno4]

web

 

have you seen any 5.8ghz cameras that would fit w/in n scale cars?

 

jeff

[mwsteele]

Would be cool to have a small Go Pro camera that could fit into an N scale car. I'm sure in the next few years there will be 720p-1080p small cameras that can fit.

[john_ibw]

Can someone point me to the Tomix model with the onboard camera please?  And are there youtubes of recordings from these available?

[keitaro]

hmm i wonder what these connect too hate sites that have lack of info http://www.covertcameras.com.au/minicameras_files/cc-3112chp4.htm

[bill937ca]

Can someone point me to the Tomix model with the onboard camera please?  And are there youtubes of recordings from these available?

 

Diesel Car Type Kiha 187 with TCS Video Camera Equipped Train System

 

+This product is designed for Japanese electricity.We don't take responsibility whether it works correctly in your country or not.

 

1. Please use the track of TOMIX company.

2. There is a possibility that I do not work normally when you use the turnout except TOMIX company.

3. The picture output standard is NTSC. It does not support a standard except it. (For an article for Japan)

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10040331

 

 

 

You Tuber bakumobi has 17 videos, mainly taken with an in train camera.  Here's a couple of examples.

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/bakumobi/videos

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Very nice quality.

[cteno4]

the tomix is the cadillac as it uses the rails to send the video signal so very little dropout as it goes around.

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10040331

 

taint cheap and you need to use a tomix controller, track (maybe not) and points to make it function.

 

its used a lot for the setups where they have you drive the train with one of those large tomix full featured controllers and the screen w/o looking at the layout to drive the train. theres even a couple of companies with mobile layouts with this setup that you can rent for your birthday party!

 

i think the last video from bill is an recording cam. there are a number of 720 cameras now that record avi to a sd card and can fit on a flatcar. they are still just a tad bulky to go inside cars, but give pretty decent picture quality from pinhole lenses. these can be had pretty cheap and there are a couple of threads on the forum about them. ive got a couple and fiddled a little with them and they work pretty well. not quite the quality of something like a go-pro or the equivalent, but they are pretty small and cheap. im sure at some point the wifi/encoding stuff will all be put on one chip and martjin will get his wish of a HD wifi train cam!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[john_ibw]

Thank you Jeff and Bill for posting the videos and your comments.

 

I was hoping it will work on non-Tomix rail and points. I use only Kato Unitrack (except for a section with Wide Tram pieces and the TCS turntable sections leading into the round houses). So Tomix equipment is out of the question for me. Also, the price is cost prohibitive as I would like one for my HO track as well.

 

I need to look at other options. Like Jeff already mentioned, devices that can record into SD cards is probably the way to go. If I can get one small enough, I can mount it on a HO or N flat car. Just thinking out loud!

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Try dynaspy.com and look at their 5.8 GHz systems with DVD color receivers. It's a 10mm camera and you can buy several for your different gauges.

 

Micro mark and other sites sell a track power adapter.

 

This is on my wish list so have fun with it.

[cteno4]

web,

 

thanks hmm thats the same little guy i have in 2.8ghz, looks identical.

 

https://www.dynaspy.com/2010-world-s-smallest-wireless-spy-camera-5-8ghz-color?filter_name=5.8ghz

 

these are the right size to fit inside n scale cars. the larger square cameras are just a tad too large to fit into n scale cars even if you take out the pc board, its about 1-2mm too wide.

 

more discussion happened on this topic over here as well

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,2105.0.html

 

jeff

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Yes $40 sounds better but look at what you get.

 

It's wicked light so one N Gauge loco can move it up inclines and through tunnels.

 

A live feed. DVR.

 

Since it is digital then it should look good on a flat screen and no radio interference.

 

I'll get one next month I spent way too much on rail this month.

[cteno4]

basically the same weight and form factor as the 2.8 i have, but the 5.8 would really help with picture hopefully!

 

the thing these need is either a power reducer for dcc from 12 to probably 9 or less. on dc it would probably need a power limiter to cut things off by 9v. it sounds like it will start working at 5v. i have not tried mine yet to see if it will work at 5v, but from the specs i expect it will. also a battery with a charging circuit would be good to even things out well. this is basically what the RF lab systems has.

 

this 5.8 does look to be a good candidate for a train cam. the form factor and dimensions are pretty much identical to mine. when i opened the housing up you could even save a bit more room w/o the external housing as well, it goes down to about 8mm on both sides, making it easier if you wanted to have the camera over to one side more for a side driver/viewer.

 

the camera chip and lens assembly is fastened by a short and stiff flex pc connector that you probably could not extend to just turn the camera. but the whole thing could be put on a flat car and pivoted some to give you that follow the track look. not realistic as a real camera in a train, but its more human for your eye to want to follow the track than look dead ahead when on a curve and most model curves are much sharper than real ones so a little lessening of the going over the edge by a little turning would help. doing turning inside a car would be a bitch though and not enough room to turn the whole unit much inside a car.

 

placing the camera back a little bit so the camera shot is framed with the window can also really help the feeling you are flying like a bug plastered to the front of the train! not many of us ever get to do the titanic thing!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Maybe try a short locomotive with traction tires. NW2, Tram chassis and such. Shorter chassis will help keep the track within view.

 

The only realistic way to pan the cam is with a micro servo. Now you're adding weight.

[cteno4]

it helps a little. the simplest thing is cab window framing to really help the eye think real train better and not notice the swing as much.

 

small trams though dont have a lot of room in side for the camera. could use a single truck power unit to have the rest of the chassis more open, but those dont provide good propulsion usually.

 

actually ive seen several pan mechanisms that attach to the truck to swing the camera more on point with the rails. they are all simple mechanics, no servos. angles are so tight i doubt servos would give you a smooth and even control. you can vary the swing on this idea by moving your pivot point back from the truck pivot point. again not something you are going to enclose, but if you want to do realistic recordings of your layout...

 

weight is not much of an issue, these cameras are very light weight and little fiddles like this can be done in styrene so no weight issue. you dont need a lot of battery as the track power provides the power and the battery is just a short term storage to even things out and allow the train to slow now and then and not go out. the rf system lab system uses a couple of 3v nimh shorties.

 

cheers

 

jeff