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Page 5 of 11
Dig
Cam, An Armchair Caver's Dream.
by Bob Smith
Several months ago, I overheard Les Williams (WCC)
discussing events to be organised for the Mendip 2002 gathering, with him
saying something like: "Wouldn't it be great if we could watch Tony
digging in the car park from the safety of the bar!" There was much laughter until I mentioned
that it could be quite easily done, since I had a camera that was small enough
to be put into an
Oldham headpiece, and viewed
on any suitable TV. His eyes lit up and
he asked me if I really meant it. After
a few beers, we decided it was a 'goer' and so Dig Cam was born.
My next few days were occupied with finding suitable cables,
connectors and a power supply for my miniature CCTV camera. Eventually, I had all the parts gathered, and
started the task of assembly. With all
the innards of the lamp removed, and the hole for the switch filled with hot
melt glue, I coaxed the cable in and soldered it to the camera. The comers of the circuit board had to be
filed slightly to get it into the headpiece, and this too was held in with hot
melt glue. The whole unit was then
sealed with more hot melt, and due to the length of the lens the toughened
glass had to be glued to the outside of the bezel.
I had built a power supply and video feed box, and added
around 50m of cable, and having no suitable caves in
Portsmouth, tested the unit in the ideal
conditions of my loft, the images being displayed on my PC through a television
receiver card. The effect was promising,
so the whole lot was brought to Mendip, causing much ridicule and piss-taking:
"So you need a TV and a mains supply, what f"**ing use is that in a
cave!?" Since it had been built for
the specific use of viewing Hunters Lodge Inn Sink, where both these were
available, I wasn't too bothered, but it did make me think about how I could
remedy this.
Mendip 2002, Sunday 16th, 09.59 hrs.
Having arranged with Les to set up Dig Cam at 10 o'clock on
Sunday morning, I was woken rudely by Bev telling me to get my hungover arse
out of bed. Bleary eyed, I dragged
myself out of bed, and grabbed a lift to meet Les at the Hunters', or so I
thought. When I arrived, Les was nowhere
to be seen, there was no TV and a small group waiting to see this
"underground web cam thingy". Dig
Cam was rapidly becoming a
farce. Luckily, Trevor turned up in time
and returned to the shed to get the Belfry computer, which was quickly
installed in the Function Room. The
camera, now placed on Bev's helmet, we were treated to images of Trevor
stripping off in the car park. A Petzl
Duo provided light and so into the depths went the pair, with Alex following
shortly.
For the next hour or so, various small groups paused on
their way to the bar to watch Alex bashing rocks, and Trevor removing
spoil. There really is a limited amount
of time that this can captivate even the hardiest of armchair enthusiasts, and
again Dig Cam was becoming the proverbial damp squib. Thank God Tony arrived when he did. The ailing interest was noted, and Tony asked
me if I thought that the camera would survive filming a bang. I thought it probably would and then
everyones interest perked up. Trevor
had finished drilling shotholes and the other two were returning to the
surface.
Tony and I got kitted up and returned below to lay the
charge. The limitations of having a 70m
umbilical cord became apparent as I struggled with a snotty mess of cables,
with no idea whether I had damaged the fragile connections I had hastily made
the day before to extend the cable to the dig face. Eventually, I got to where Tony was laying
the charge, and sat whilst Tony gave a televised broadcast of the use of
explosives. When everything was finished
Tony returned to the surface, whilst I wedged the camera in place and secured
the lamp provided by Brian Prewer. A
shout from Tony confirmed a good shot, so I exited, and was surprised by the
number of people assembled to watch it all happen. Roger Dors was given the pleasure of setting
it all off, with a countdown, then a flash, a reassuring 'whump" from
below, and then spontaneous applause and congratulations. The camera had survived, clearly showing bang
fumes drifting in the still intact lamp's light. As the crowd left, the cables were cut and
Dig Cam remained underground until the spoil could be cleared.
The advantage of using the computer for this event was the
ability to capture the pictures and save them for later use. Since the outing, interest was expressed
about possible uses for a small remote camera. I have since purchased a small portable TV that can be connected, and
the camera can also be run from a battery. The addition of sound is not too far
off, but any more suggestions for improvements will be appreciated.
Dig
Cam in action in
Hunters' Lodge Inn Sink.
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