Waterwolf cameras??

[The Quadfather]

http://www.waterwolfhd.com/en/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Anybody out there using this camera? I recently came to see some really amazing vids. via the camera. It is pretty cool, in that you can use it in a variety of situations. You can attach it within your mainline, just above a leader, when casting lures. Use it when bottom fishing, when trolling it can be literally as close to your gear as you want, not necessary to post it up on the DR ball, and use a short length to the gear, as with the GoPro. Pricing seems reasonable as well.

[Amx]

Very interesting, something I've thought about to have for awhile. Where did you find the pricing?

[Larry3215]

The downside to this type of camera is you have no control of when recording starts and stops. So you push the button and it starts recording and doesnt stop until you retrieve it. Then you have to download the recording onto your laptop before you can look to see what you have captured. I dont like having my laptop on the boat, so that would mean I would have to record a days worht of fishing then go home to see what I got.

You then have to wade through the entire days recordings - up to 4 hours - to see if anything is worth saving. Then you have to edit that down to something you might want to save or post on-line.

Its the same with GoPro or most of the others.

I prefer the ones that have a live feed coming back to the boat that you can see live in real time. Some of them have the option to record or not while its down there. When nothing is going on or if visibility is so bad you cant see anything, you dont waste time recording nothing.

These guys dont bother to mention that visibility is often zero or so horrible you cant see anything or its just vague shadows.

One of these days Im going to get around to building another one....

[Larry3215]

Very interesting, something I've thought about to have for awhile. Where did you find the pricing?

A few months back I saw them in Sportco in Fife. I think they were around $150- or $180?

[Toni]

I Have been using it since May I think. I like it. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkFbcc ... NZoAJe-gOw
To have a real time viewing camera will cost $$$$.
What I don't like is that I have to use VLC media player to view it (.mov) and make cuts with it which puts it into .avi files. But it is free. Then I use Free studio to put those into MP4 so that Window movie maker will put it into a movie for me. All those are free. If I bought a video editing software I wouldn't have to do all that. But I make do and I enjoy watching what I couldn't see since I was above the water.
They are coming down in price because there is a version 1.1 I have 1.0. 1.1 is only available in UK it looks like.

I have learned about fish and the biting and my own ability for observation since I started with it.

I have only trolled with it.
I really like it!!!!!

[The Quadfather]

Yes, I believe it was in the under $200.00 range. I don't care so much about that you basically have just turn it on, and start using it, and cannot see what you have captured until you are done. You can just go into your editing, and start the vid where you want to, and trim whatever out. Basically just let it run full time. I feel like the quality of what I saw, and the ability to have it right near your gear, was worth that inconvenience. That may just be me though.

[Toni]

You can just go into your editing, and start the vid where you want to, and trim whatever out. Basically just let it run full time. I feel like the quality of what I saw, and the ability to have it right near your gear, was worth that inconvenience. That may just be me though.

I agree and I have it. If fact if I could I would buy another for my second rod endorsement.
Last time I was out over 4 hours it went about 4 hours 10 minutes

[Toni]

It films in 20 minute segments.

[Amx]

So it films for 20 minutes, then starts over filming over what was already there?

[Larry3215]

So it films for 20 minutes, then starts over filming over what was already there?

No, it films for 20 minutes, saves that file, then starts a new file for the next 20 minutes, repeat until the memory is full. This is the typical way less expensive built-in DVR setups work. It avoids creating a video file that is too large to load into a computer. Its a hold over from older system limitations.

[DavidA]

The quality looks impressive and I wouldn't mind not having real time viewing to be able to see what is going on, but to have something of that value on a fishing line... As it it I hate snagging a pricy lure on the bottom!

[Larry3215]

Yeah, the downside to a setup like I want is two fold. You need a way to watch whats happening while your fishing, so these setups usually come with a small 5" screen that you can barely see in daylight. In my case, I plan to watch it on my Garmin chartplotter screen. I can have it as one window on the sonar screen.

You also need a cable running down to the camera to send power down and the video signal up to the screen or chartploter.

Im willing to put up with those issues so I can see whats down there live. Id rather know if there are fish down there right now, while Im fishing, than look at it later hoping there were fish down there

I guess part of my resistance to the waterwolf is Ive used that type of camera for years in my RC flying hobby and Im tired of editing hours and hours of video

[Amx]

Oh, ok, sounds like a good way to do it. Thanks.


edit: only took three times/trys for the web site to post this reply. lol

[Larry3215]

The quality looks impressive and I wouldn't mind not having real time viewing to be able to see what is going on, but to have something of that value on a fishing line... As it it I hate snagging a pricy lure on the bottom!

LOL! I saw a video a few weeks ago of a guy who was pike fishing and lost his camera to the pike! The camera kept recording for the full 4 hours while that pike swam all around. The amazing part is the guy actually caught the same pike later in the day and got his camera back!

I would not have been that lucky

[The Quadfather]

Yeah, the downside to a setup like I want is two fold. You need a way to watch whats happening while your fishing, so these setups usually come with a small 5" screen that you can barely see in daylight. In my case, I plan to watch it on my Garmin chartplotter screen. I can have it as one window on the sonar screen.

You also need a cable running down to the camera to send power down and the video signal up to the screen or chartploter.

Im willing to put up with those issues so I can see whats down there live. Id rather know if there are fish down there right now, while Im fishing, than look at it later hoping there were fish down there

I guess part of my resistance to the waterwolf is Ive used that type of camera for years in my RC flying hobby and Im tired of editing hours and hours of video

Not sure I understood what you are doing, Larry.
Are you saying that on some other brand of camera, you run a hard wire to your sonar, and can watch real time?
If I understood that, which camera is this?

Sounds a little awkward to think of 50-60' +. of cables between business end of mainline, and the sonar screen?
Is this really when trolling, or what scenarios?

[DavidA]

Larry: THAT guy should have bought a lottery ticket that day! What are the odds!?

[Amx]

Yeah, the downside to a setup like I want is two fold. You need a way to watch whats happening while your fishing, so these setups usually come with a small 5" screen that you can barely see in daylight. In my case, I plan to watch it on my Garmin chartplotter screen. I can have it as one window on the sonar screen.

You also need a cable running down to the camera to send power down and the video signal up to the screen or chartploter.

Im willing to put up with those issues so I can see whats down there live. Id rather know if there are fish down there right now, while Im fishing, than look at it later hoping there were fish down there

I guess part of my resistance to the waterwolf is Ive used that type of camera for years in my RC flying hobby and Im tired of editing hours and hours of video

Not sure I understood what you are doing, Larry.
Are you saying that on some other brand of camera, you run a hard wire to your sonar, and can watch real time?
If I understood that, which camera is this?

Sounds a little awkward to think of 50-60' +. of cables between business end of mainline, and the sonar screen?
Is this really when trolling, or what scenarios?

Most of the newer HDS Lowrance depth finders have a power cable available that has an additional connection that you can plug in your underwater camera. You have to get a cable to plug in the back of the camera's monitor, and to that power cable. I have that cable, but need to get a new underwater camera so I can do that again.

[Mike Carey]

We're talking two different applications here, real time viewing vrs. post filming editing, something I do a whole lot of...

I'm looking for a better resolution than 720p, they do seem to have the shape image of the camera solved and I'm sure the next version will be 1080.

[Toni]

Sorry Mike still 720, put it in green cameo. UW 1.1 http://www.waterwolfhd.com/en/

[Larry3215]

Yeah, the downside to a setup like I want is two fold.

Not sure I understood what you are doing, Larry.
Are you saying that on some other brand of camera, you run a hard wire to your sonar, and can watch real time?
If I understood that, which camera is this?

Sounds a little awkward to think of 50-60' +. of cables between business end of mainline, and the sonar screen?
Is this really when trolling, or what scenarios?

Yes, a cable runs down to the camera which connects to a power source on the boat - a small battery or a 12 volt source like the cigarette lighter or a power tap near the plotter. That cable splits off to go to the viewing screen or in my case to the chart plotters video input port.

This setup wouldnt work very well for attaching to your line right above the lure but it would work great for using with a downrigger. You would attach it to the downrigger ball or line and not to your fishing line. Its also fine for just dropping it over board while drifting or when anchored, etc. That last is how I plan to use it most. When I see a school of fish on the sonar I want to be able to drop down and see what they are.