SL500+Laptop+Webcam

[davidsl500]

Ingredients,

Take One 500SL Add to it a laptop computer and attach a webcam.

Next find a Private Road and floor it.....!!

Things to bear in mind - shot yesterday which was extremely warm which saps a bit of power and the top was down to give enough light for the webcam - talk about drag factor !

Anyway see what you think - this is biggish file approx 1mb so apologies to dial up users....

http://freespace.virgin.net/david.wilson7/index.htm

 

[angus falconer]

David,

That's superb. How did you manage to mount the camera? There's very little camera shake.

If I can figure a way of mounting my digital camera (and get the sofware I need to get the output off mini-digital format and onto a PC) I'll do one of my C43 complete with sound.

Icidentally there's a great vid on www.boreme.com in the cars section where someone vmax's his GSX-R or whatever. The rate it gains speed is incredible. And he can't acually use full throttle till he's over 100 or whatever. Can't keep the wheel down until he's in 4th or 5th. Hits 180-odd in a remarkable short space of time.

 

[davidsl500]

David,

That's superb. How did you manage to mount the camera? There's very little camera shake.

I used a laptop webcam - the type that clips over your screen, it clipped over the cruise control stalk perfectly.

 

[996jimbo]

Top video.

It's a very smooth private road you have there. You don't perchance own a stretch of motorway?

 

[davidsl500]

Top video.

It's a very smooth private road you have there. You don't perchance own a stretch of motorway?

Nope, private road. I have done the odd 0-70 out of a layby on a dual carriageway which was quite fun. Park up in layby and time the cars coming past so that you can work out a landmark behind you - ie 10 second gap from a given point until the approaching car reaches the layby. Once you have worked out the starting point then you can wait for a gap ahead and launch at the appropriate time. By the time the car has got to the layby you will be 10 seconds past it and will already be backing off the throttle as you hit 70mph at 7 seconds..... You could leave it to 5 seconds really and still be way away but a big safety margin is best. Funny thing is the last time i did a smart getaway the car behind flashed his lights madly at me as if to say get out of my way, of course he looked a right pratt when he moved in to the overtaking lane and had to move back in again because I was already in the distance...

 

[angus falconer]

Have a look at Andrew Frankel (and 3 of his mates) going 208mph in a Bentley Flying Spur. With the air con on. And the seat coolers....

http://www.autocar.co.uk

 

[The Editor]

DOH !!.. That's easy !!

A Black & Decker Drill on your speedo and a few torches for the lighting effects to make it look like your moving :mrgreen:

Pretty quick David...Impressive (Must be a powerful drill )

Mark

 

[turnipsock]

Only a fool would use a camera while driving.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Only a fool would use a camera while driving.

what speed were them cows doing. and did they get out of your way before you ploughed into next weeks sunday roast? Or is it Plow?

 

[turnipsock]

They were milk cows...so I guess that is the last milk you'll drink.

The day before I was third in line at the cow parade. I have 'Rawhide' the Blues Brothers version on the MP3. I cranked it up and opened the windows...what a look I got from the cow pokes when I got the green.

 

[pascal]

Private Road = Rolling road?

I think a split cam is in order.

 

[davidsl500]

Private Road = Rolling road?

I think a split cam is in order.

Nope, it would be oh so much quicker on a rolling road - no wind drag at all and you would see the speedo "kick" as it changed gear and tried to regain traction on the rollers....

There are lots of private roads out there if you look for them ! For example, Motorway Service Stations in the UK are Private Property and the Police have no jurisdiction on them - unless invited to act by the owners, Many Industrial Estates have private roadways in them, not that I would condone breaking any "private" speed limits that may apply. Most farms are set well back off the Highway - 2 of my farming friends have driveways in excess of 1 mile (one of them has just had his re surfaced because he has converted some of his buildings into high quality business units - just over a mile of nice new, perfectly straight and level tarmac 4 metres wide, cough). The speed bumps go in next week....bugger ! and then there is always track days or "run what you brung" drag racing events.........

 

[mlc]

David,

I am always worried about suggesting that such a senior member could be mistaken, but I think you are wrong about private roads.

I seem to remember that the law changed some years ago to include private property that is open for public use as "the highway". That means that both a motorway service station and Tescos car park (for instance) are classified as public roads, so no speeding, no under age drivers, cars without tax / insurance etc. In the last couple of years a father and son were fined and both received points here in Manchester because they were practising on an empty supermarket car park just weeks before the boy was 17. Of course what dad should have done is teach the boy how to steal a car and he could have gone out on his own safe in the knowledge that he would get away with it

Like the video though

Mark.

 

[davidsl500]

David,

I am always worried about suggesting that such a senior member could be mistaken, but I think you are wrong about private roads.

I seem to remember that the law changed some years ago to include private property that is open for public use as "the highway". That means that both a motorway service station and Tescos car park (for instance) are classified as public roads, so no speeding, no under age drivers, cars without tax / insurance etc. In the last couple of years a father and son were fined and both received points here in Manchester because they were practising on an empty supermarket car park just weeks before the boy was 17. Of course what dad should have done is teach the boy how to steal a car and he could have gone out on his own safe in the knowledge that he would get away with it

Like the video though

Mark.

i have a mate in "traffic" division so i will get him to clarify the situation when i next see him. I do remember seeing something about the typical Retail Park being classed as "public" now - since there were alot of probs with kids donuting and holding meets but i did say "Industrial Estates" rather than retail estates and i was thinking more of the gated variety - passes shown etc rather than public access ones - but i take your point. I shall report back when i have had a chance to talk to my mate

 

[mlc]

I agree that secure areas not open to the public are different, but even then you have to be careful. I remember an episode of "Airport" showing the Police issuing speeding tickets on the apron to people braking the marked speed limit. I think its fair to say that airside at Heathrow airport is fairly secure and private.

Mark.

 

[blassberg]

I seem to remember that the law changed some years ago to include private property that is open for public use as "the highway". That means that both a motorway service station and Tescos car park (for instance) are classified as public roads

I was told by my daughters instructor that the law had changed. Retail car parks are public roads when the store is open. It was actually a discussion about a Safeways/Morrissons that had closed and was re-opening as an Asda. Therefore the "open" may have referred to 24x7 if there is a business operating from the site as opposed to just opening hours. Don't know which.

 

[Flying Scot]

cant get this link http://freespace.virgin.net/david.wilson7/index.htm to work

thanks

David

 

[davidsl500]

Sorry the link was only up for 14 days or so on some freebie streaming space I found

 

[turnipsock]

'Public' now means any place the public has access to.

It makes sense when you think about it. Under the old laws, a car could drive around on a forest road without insurance and crash into any number of things without being liable.

Mind you, there are plenty of cars on the highway that don't have any tax or insurance.

I saw the traffic wardens finding a car without tax today. They produced a digital camera and took a close up of the tax disk and various other pictures.