Useful video cameras?

[Once and Future]

Anybody done anything with a video camera aimed forward from the pilot house and a display in the cockpit for when fishing alone to watch for other boats? (Or if both of you are in the pit.) I suppose it may be hard to get a view with enough depth of field to see far enough ahead, but I thought I'd ask.

A friend couldn't see his crewman in the cockpit from his wheelhouse. So he set up a camera and display to make sure the crew hadn't gone overboard. He said it was pretty easy and cheap to do, but in that scenario you're only trying to cover a very small area with the camera.

[Drew]

You could have a display of your radar screen in the pit.

[lone eagle]

That's what I have set up and it works well for me...wouldn't want to fish alone without it

[Once and Future]

How do you wire that? With a switch that breaks into the cable between the antenna and display? Or do most radars have a separate output on the back of the display for that purpoose?

[JKD]

Good topic, and something I was about to begin exploring myself. This past summer I had my first collision on the fishing grounds in my 40+ years of trolling various vessels. I've had some close calls in the past (and since) - but fishing alone on a boat that has a blind-spot directly ahead of the cabin [when you are back working in the troll pit] netted me a broken-off pole tip and a ruined guy wire. I had my tip repaired on short notice at Sitka Sound Seafoods, and I consider myself fortunate that 2.0 days of Coho production on the grounds was all I lost. The damage could have been much, much worse for both boats.

I am intrigued by the idea of a radar repeater back in the troll pit area. My current 24-mile Furuno radar probably doesn't support this option, but for the sake of safety - it may just be time to replace it with a more contemporary radar unit that does. lone eagle - what brand and model of radar do you have set up for a display in the pit?

[Drew]

I don't have this setup on my boat, but you could try a webcam pointed at the radar. I don't know if you would get those lines like when you point a camera at a tv.

[lone eagle]

I use Raytheon/raymarine RL series- also known as 'pathfinder'. I have two displays in the pit and three in the wheelhouse and they are linked together sharing data and video so any screen can display chartplotter, radar or sounder. They are supposed to be waterproof but I do get a mist of condensation on the screen occasionally. This model is no longer manufactured but is readily available on ebay at bargain prices (with luck and patience)

[lone eagle]

[lone eagle]

This was the setup on my old boat. I now use larger screens and have radar overlaying the chart,. and HD digital sounder. Not seen are vhf and coffee machine ...once I hit the pit I plan on staying there all day..catch fish ,clean them then open a hatch and slide them into slush tote in the hold without leaving the pit; ok, I still have to leave for lunch

[Salty]

Crew doesn't bring lunch?

[Once and Future]

OK, but as always, I draw a line between what is perfect and what is do-able budget wise. So back to my simple question: Do some or most radar displays have an output on the back that will drive a remote monitor? I have left the coast for a while and can't check what I've got.

Also, company literature these days seems to talk about everything but the specific information which is important. Example: The JRC website shows about 15 different radar set-ups, and it is a tall task to click on each one and try to find its features. Also, literature tends to either dumb things down too far, or be overly technical.

The money I make fishing isn't enough to justify overhauling my entire navigational system into a show piece. But it would be a worthy goal to have a radar monitor in the pit.

The video camera looking at my radar monitor in the wheelhouse is an economical solution, but I bet there would be a problem with lines, and a very small video screen in the pit.

[Kelper]

I think most radars have a "guard zone" you can set up, that will send out an alarm when something is pinged in that zone. It'll be in your instruction manual. I've played with it before, but couldn't tell you off the top of my head how to set it up.

[lone eagle]

Salty..my deckhand was a good cook and did keep me well fed, alas he took off to California. Cooked an awesome breakfast burrito
Once and Future. I don't know of any lower price units that can hook up to repeaters. A simple older Raytheon setup from ebay would probably cost about $1000-$1300

[Once and Future]

Thanks for the input!

[Trnaround]

Not a bad idea to have radar in the pit with an alarm when you are trolling alone. Another collision avoidance alarm that is a good idea is to set your depth sounder alarm at 2 to 3 fathoms. It's sort of annoying at times but worth it when it gives you enough time to avoid that sudden stop. Trolling single handed is tough, there are so many tasks on a troller that paying attention to where you are going especially in a mob with a hot bite on is to say the least challenging. A video camera might help but it wouldn't pick up the guy that just changed direction and didn't see you for what ever reason and is suddenly in a collision course. Better to be alert stay alert and stay vigilant. Happy Holidays hope 2015 is even better than 2014 for you.

[Once and Future]

Well the scales have been lifted from my eyes. Had another private message with details of how he set up his radar to overlay his chart in the cockpit. I can certainly see now how that is the right way to do things. BUT, once again, what I had hoped would be a minor modification is turning into a major investment of time and money. Nuts. I am still going to explore the option of having just the remote radar display with no overlay, to see if I can save installation time more than anything.

But now I am trying to imagine where under the hayrack I am going to put another monitor; and I don't have it figured yet. This will probably also lead to finally going to a bait shed instead of a hayrack. Dang.

[mattakfish]

To answer your original question, I have had an inexpensive webcam aimed forward out of the house for my first two seasons of power trolling (2013,2014). Its plugged into my laptop which is running coastal explorer charting pgm. The program allows for multiple windows so I set up a split screen for my pit monitor with the video image on one side and the chart on the other. Works great. Really helps with awareness when fishing solo....as well as when you are in the pit with crew. You can look up at a glance and usually see if there is a boat in front of you and a bit to the sides depending on your camera and boat config. Its convenient and I think it boosts the safety factor somewhat but I never rely on it alone. I can also look through the wheelhouse door to see out the front window from the pit so I'm frequently doing that and looking around each side of the hayrack. The video image is very good, but like a car mirror, objects ARE MUCH closer than they appear in the wide-angle lens. Also, a camera can freeze up and, if its super calm, you might think its still working when the image is actually still. Finally, I've found that light conditions can sometimes make it hard to see some boats...especially smaller ones.....on camera until they are pretty close. Meanwhile, I am considering some new electronics as well.....but I'll ask for advice on that in another post!

[Salty]

Great posts here guys. After having my first collision while trolling this year I am thinking of both a camera and a radar overlay.
You can see me if you have VIS into your computer as I am always broadcasting.

[lone eagle]

Too much time on my hands and thinking too much. I have a couple of spare displays on hand and it wouldn't take much to hook em up...how about taking one with me into the fishhold or the galley, still fishing or running, I get crazy paranoid down there when I'm alone.
Or in the bunk so I know how far I was blown off the grounds last night...a quick radar scan at 2am (lots of boats drifting) . This is do-able or nuts?

[nashfam]

For the last two seasons I've used a Foscam FI8905W ip outdoor waterproof security camera mounted way up on our mast. I have had mixed feelings about its usefulness. I think it is most useful when you know someone is crossing your bow or approaching and you want to keep tabs on their progress. As far as spotting boats approaching they have to get within 1/2 mile to 1/4 mile to really be able to see them. Useful but with its own limitations. I had initially hoped that the picture would be clear enough to see kelp patches and logs in the water ahead but haven't ever found this to be possible.

I have it hooked into a router that transmits a wireless signal around the boat (hard wired with ethernet to the main computer tho) that way its hypothetically possible to tap into the feed with as many different phones/tablets/other computers as you want. this camera also has infrared night vision. The main problem with it is that if you have any wires or ropes that go in front of the feed it really focuses on that making it impossible to see past. Heavy rain has a similar effect. Other than that the night vision is quite impressive. There have been times in my bunk in the middle of the night that I've pulled out my phone and checked the video to see if we've drug anchor. Can't say it eased my mind all that much compared to actually getting up but i've imagined putting 3 other cameras wrapping around the mast completing my field of view with wide angle lenses. I think this would complete the picture making night watch a bit easier. Foscam is simply the solution I came up with and I'm sure there are better but also more expensive options. The system allows up to 16 cameras or something crazy like that.

Cool to see that other people are doing this too. I'd never seen it on another troller when I did it but it makes a lot of sense for us. Just got Nobeltec Catch and I'm probably going to set up Radar overlay as this seems most accurate and useful of all for monitoring other boats from the pit and avoiding collisions.

Here's a screenshot from this summer of my uncle Don crossing our bow at anchor