Bayourambler
Member
Im getting tired of riding out to my long range targets to see how bad I missed the wind call! Lol! What’s the best long range camera system for a reasonable price? Caldwell looks pretty good.
Best long range camera system for the money
- Thread starter Bayourambler
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GE-Mini-Gun
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Define long range. I have a spotting scope that I can see 6mm holes in the black at 600 yards about 75% of the time and 100% in the white.
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Bayourambler
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I am shooting up to 750 yds now and plan to shoot farther. My spotting scope isn't good enough for me to see the holes at 600. The camera system is cheaper than a high quality spotting scope. Plus I have other ideas for the camera system.
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Bayourambler
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Good idea. Multi use! I have a few ideas for a long range camera, tanerite is fun ! Lol
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Bayourambler
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I bought the Caldwell camera, I tested it out , looks pretty good!
Jim Watson
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What scope is that? A friend and I worked hard with our Kowas (His an 82mm.) to pick out .45-70s at 500 meters.
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Bayourambler
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Shot with the new camera yesterday, all I can say is I should have bought one long ago! I shot at 500yds and mirage was pretty bad. The best spoting scope ever made wouldn’t have worked in these conditions, while I could see the impacts on my iPad up to the second!! It’s awsome , you get to shoot much more with no down time to go check target.
Varminterror
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Steel is cheaper than cameras. Hit indicators are cheaper than multiple cameras. I have a couple homemade models, but really like the fiber optic Magnetospeed indicators. Shooting paper at long range gets old fast; one camera means one target, one position. Same spend would have bought a LOT of steel. On fresh paint, I can see splash on steel through a Bushnell Elite, Elite Tactical Compact, or Vortex Razor spotter past 1,000 on days without mirage, and can see impact splatter and target response past 1400 even with 6mm’s. Get out that far, you can even change from the rifle to the spotter and spot for yourself. From a bench, I use an iPad set up in front of my position, connected to a GoPro viewing through my spotter.
You can buy one ar500 full size silhouette for the cost of a DIY camera setup. Maybe two if you get a deal on shipping or have a local store selling them. A camera is $10-$15, transmitter is $15, receiver is $15, and a monitor is $30. Even if you bump the quality a little, a full camera setup is $100. Not that there aren’t benefits to shooting steel, but let’s not act like camera systems are more expensive than your spotting scope and targets. That Vortex spotter is at least $700 if not $1600. Not quite the same price range here. You could buy 4 cameras and transmitters and place them at multiple targets, switching the channel on the receiver when you move targets, and still be in for under $200, under $300 if you went for more exotic antennas.
Varminterror
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@benzy2 - your math sounds great for a newbie who wants to scratch the surface. I have a few thousand dollars in steel, and when I practice, I might have 30+ targets in 20-25 locations on the field. There are lots of options for different folks.
I’ve been down the camera route, did the home made route too, and it’s a waste of time outside of single point to single point shooting. I drive my mini truck past my target stands, my partner sits in the bed and hangs the targets, then we’re done. Placing and aiming cameras isn’t slow, but it adds a lot of time.
Most newbies do see a spotting scope as a barrier for entry, but it’s probably the most valuable piece of long range gear you can buy, so most of us end up with one, or more. Whether you’re glassing elk or spotting at a match, the spotter is a lot more versatile than a camera system. Comparing prices doesn’t make much sense, unless you’re practicing long range paper matches - one shooting position, one target position, where a camera can actually compare to a spotter.
I build my own flashers for about $60 per transmitter and flasher. I can pick up as many transmitters as I want on one flasher. I usually set up an array of 3-4 targets on each flasher, but typically on a wider span than the FOV of a camera, so I end up about $100 per array.
And as much of a brand snob as I am, the $60 Simmons blazer spotting scope will let a guy watch swingers at 800-1000. Won’t be able to spot impacts past 500, but target response is easy.
I’ve been down the camera route, did the home made route too, and it’s a waste of time outside of single point to single point shooting. I drive my mini truck past my target stands, my partner sits in the bed and hangs the targets, then we’re done. Placing and aiming cameras isn’t slow, but it adds a lot of time.
Most newbies do see a spotting scope as a barrier for entry, but it’s probably the most valuable piece of long range gear you can buy, so most of us end up with one, or more. Whether you’re glassing elk or spotting at a match, the spotter is a lot more versatile than a camera system. Comparing prices doesn’t make much sense, unless you’re practicing long range paper matches - one shooting position, one target position, where a camera can actually compare to a spotter.
I build my own flashers for about $60 per transmitter and flasher. I can pick up as many transmitters as I want on one flasher. I usually set up an array of 3-4 targets on each flasher, but typically on a wider span than the FOV of a camera, so I end up about $100 per array.
And as much of a brand snob as I am, the $60 Simmons blazer spotting scope will let a guy watch swingers at 800-1000. Won’t be able to spot impacts past 500, but target response is easy.
I built my own from RC parts for about $68. The receiver was the most expensive thing at $38 because I have an iPad and iPhone and wanted to be able to use them. You can go cheaper for android. And I think cheaper than that if you are into RC and already have a display.
I got:
An EACHINE VTX03 Transmitter 0 to 200mW transmitter $14
An EMACHINE 1000TVL Mini Camera $11
A G-Model 5.8G 2.4G iOS/android FPV receiver $38
A 12mm replacement lens for the camera $5
I had an 18650 battery mount (~2 bucks), plenty of rechargeable batteries, iPad, iPhone.
I got 3.5 hours of transmission from the camera at 25mW with a single battery... I think it was a 3600mAh or maybe a 3200. I had the receiver plugged into my laptop, so I don't know how exactly how long it lasts... but a couple hours without a mophie anyway. At 200mW you should be able the get the signal at 1 mile but only for something like 1/2 hour on just 1 18650. A 12V with a step down would probably be good all day.
At 25mW I got 200 yards. I left the receiver at 100yds because I was at the top of a hill, and then went another 100 yds with the iPad out of line of sight to the edge of my property and still had a good picture.
The picture of the target (below) is at 8-10 ft away. Those are .22 bullet holes (rapid fire Mk2 at 35 ft)
Warning! The VTX03 doesn't have reverse voltage protection and will die if you put your battery in backwards.
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https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/targetcam-is-pretty-awesome.753241/
don't even know if this is available anymore. definitely not the cheapest. but cool and works great
don't even know if this is available anymore. definitely not the cheapest. but cool and works great
I have spent a good bit of time researching this solution since reading about it this morning and I have to say it is REALLY exciting. What I hadn't understood when I read this post is the degree to which quad-copter technology has advanced - and how people are building their own First Person View (FPV) systems.
A friend of mine and I have recently started doing 1,000 yd shooting. If there's only two of us one has to be in the pit to pull down the target and report via radio where the shot hit. It's not as much fun as being on the line together. I'm thinking if we can create what spidly has, and place it just at the top of the pit, or on top of the pit (behind a piece of target grade steel) then we can spot hits remotely and have no one in the pits.
We've also had a situation where we were trying to ping a steel target out at 1,500 yards. It didn't move, and our spotting scopes weren't good enough to determine whether we were hitting it or not. I've found there are cameras in the same class as those mentioned in the post that also have audio. So for that solution we'd be able to hear the hit were we to have the remote camera close by.
I'm really stoked to try and make this work. Thanks for the effort to build it as well as posting it!
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GE-Mini-Gun
Member
Pentax pf100ED
A follow-up report: Based on what spidly built and reported on in post #12, I constructed something similar. I used a different transmitter - one that could go to 600mW.
Using stock antennas on both the transmitter and receiver a friend and I were able to confirm this solution does work out to 1,000 yds. We weren't in a place that allowed us to test farther than that, so I don't know how far it will go.
Total cost: About $110. (We still need to get a piece of steel to put this behind - but that won't be much.) Items that will be investigated further and might increase the cost a little:
1. Cooling. We got to this distance with the transmitter on max power - and it gets HOT. I'll need to get a fan and/or fin-based cooler to mount on it.
2. Directional Antennas: We can likely cover the long distances with reduced power by getting directional antennas on both ends.
2. Camera Lens. We haven't actually taken it to a 1,000 yd range to see how the view of the target is. As spidly reported - different lenses for these cameras are not expensive.
OR
Using stock antennas on both the transmitter and receiver a friend and I were able to confirm this solution does work out to 1,000 yds. We weren't in a place that allowed us to test farther than that, so I don't know how far it will go.
Total cost: About $110. (We still need to get a piece of steel to put this behind - but that won't be much.) Items that will be investigated further and might increase the cost a little:
1. Cooling. We got to this distance with the transmitter on max power - and it gets HOT. I'll need to get a fan and/or fin-based cooler to mount on it.
2. Directional Antennas: We can likely cover the long distances with reduced power by getting directional antennas on both ends.
2. Camera Lens. We haven't actually taken it to a 1,000 yd range to see how the view of the target is. As spidly reported - different lenses for these cameras are not expensive.
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BilliamB.
Member
That is way cool. I had no idea you could construct a remote viewing system for so little money. I need to get out more often (LOL). Where do you source such gear?
All of the items spidly listed are available on Amazon. You can also find them on drone/quadcopter/radio control (e.g. RC cars, airplanes, etc.) websites.
The products listed are components hobbyists use when building First Person View (FPV) quadcopters. If I based my searches on the term 'FPV' (when both looking for products as well as looking for information on the web) it helped me find what I needed.
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The products listed are components hobbyists use when building First Person View (FPV) quadcopters. If I based my searches on the term 'FPV' (when both looking for products as well as looking for information on the web) it helped me find what I needed.
OR
BilliamB.
Member
Thanks!
Toprudder
Member
The range where I can shoot > 100 yards only has steel targets, and never goes cold, so we are not allowed to go downrange to paint the steel or setup remote cameras. I have thought about flying a drone downrange and parking it close to the target. Do you land close to the target to save the batteries?
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