How to mount a dash cam

[dbuelke]

I've thought that recording videos of some of our tours would create some great memorabilia and my new cell phone does a nice job of recording time-lapse videos, but I'm stymied by how to mount it on a Model T. A camera needs to be relatively tight to the glass for best clarity or you'll get side reflections or it sometimes it even wants to focus on the windshield itself. The dashcams available mount on the dash shelf or might have a suction mount on the windshield, but I can't find anything that looks like it would work to mount a flat cell phone on a vertical windshield with no dash.

Any suggestions (short of J-B Weld!)

[Allan]

Don, you might be able to get around the windscreen glass problem by mounting the device from the front top bow just outboard of the windscreen. It would be a little more vulnerable out there, but so are many mirrors, and they survive. If I were to do this on my roadster, it would be under the rear view mirror and above the spotlight, both of which protrude further out than a cell phone would.

Allan from down under.

[thom]

Dash cam or any other kind of cam... please guys, and/or gals use a "dead cat" or some kind of wind noise suppressor when making in-car videos, please. And keep the cameras and microphones behind the windshield when travelling down the road at the high speeds we zoom around at. Otherwise good videos are often ruined by irritating wind noise, making them unwatchable to me. Just my .02 worth. Watch some Steve Jelf videos to learn how.

[Steve Jelf]

I agree with Tommy. The camera should be outside the windshield only if you intend to not use the sound. Even inside, you may get some wind noise in an open car. A foam cover over the microphone may help. While a long continuous dash cam shot may be interesting in some places, in most settings it's a ride down the road to boredom. It's generally more interesting to mix in various shots (turning wheel, car driving by the stationary camera coming or going, the car's shadow moving down the road, etc.). I've seen some videos with very creative camera angles that never occurred to me.

Using a tripod and taking your time shooting and editing, you can get some interesting results. I've done most of my driving videos by myself. It's even better if you have a helper, like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2ffajnp21w

[dbuelke]

Don, you might be able to get around the windscreen glass problem by mounting the device from the front top bow just outboard of the windscreen. It would be a little more vulnerable out there, but so are many mirrors, and they survive. If I were to do this on my roadster, it would be under the rear view mirror and above the spotlight, both of which protrude further out than a cell phone would.

Allan from down under.

The question was how to mount it, not where. Most of the tours I've been on are on dusty, gravely (if we're lucky), mountain/backcountry roads with brush and branches often close by. I don't feel comfortable mounting a $900 cell phone/camera anywhere but inside in the relatively clean and safe environment of my 26 Coupe where it can't fall further than the floor. I wouldn't feel at ease with an exterior mount driving along highways at 45 mph either.

[Allan]

Don, very few closed cars are found in Australia, as there were prohibitive tariffs imposed on complete cars being imported. Hence most cars are open cars, and that means wooden hood bows. The front bow is an ideal place to mount mirrors flags etc. It is much easier to screw mountings to timber than fixing them to the bodywork. The camera could still be mounted to the hood bow header board and be canted in behind the windscreen, or mounted above the windscreen inside the car, if so desired, out of the wind, out of harms way.

Your coupe does not offer the same opportunity.

As for losing the cell phone/camera, my roof top solar installer son has his phone tethered.

Allan from down under.