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In a message dated 2/5/2010 10:37:10 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
ojaivalleybeefarm@dslextreme.com writes:
Do you have experiance with building a periscope? or do you have any suggestions for a small one for a psub? I have a plan in the works for a video periscope too.
I need to be able to see all around the sub but mostly behind where I have
no windows.
My approach is to use an off-the-shelf video camera mounted inside a
pressure proof housing mounted to the top of the hatch lid. There are some
really nice cameras out there now for really cheap.
The pressure proof housing is simply a short section of pipe and an acrylic
ring with a lid.
The short pipe section will be welded onto the hatch lid, and the acrylic
ring will be sandwiched between the pipe and a steel disk for a lid.
The inside of the pipe will have a rotating plate where the camera is
mounted, with the video cable passing through a hollow tube attached to the
rotating plate.
This tube will rotate with the video cable inside, and the cable will pass
through a ball valve as it enters the sub interior. If for some reason I smash
into something and the acrylic ring breaks, the cable can be ripped loose and
the ball valve closed.
I don't have all the details worked out but here's an old sketch of the
basic design.
I'll need to have some type of handle that can pass through the hatch
into the housing to rotate the base plate.
There are some ready made pan-and-tilt bases you can buy that might work
but with all the motors and wires, plus the high cost, I like the simple manual
method.
The video image will be sent to a small monitor near the front windows to
act as "eyes in the back of my head" while driving forward. A connection to
"record" will be needed too.
The down side to this is "maintenance."
To access the camera, I'll need to pull the lid and acrylic ring. Not a
huge job but not something I'd want to do very often.
Frank D.
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