Alright, let’s talk about this little project I tackled: getting a camera inside the helmet. Not strapped to the outside like everyone does, but actually looking out from, well, my perspective, sort of.
Getting Started – The Idea
I always see those chin mounts or top mounts, and yeah, they’re okay. But I wanted something different, something that felt more like what I was actually seeing. Maybe capture the dashboard, my hands, the road… you know, the whole cockpit view. Sounded simple enough, right? Wrong.
Finding the Right Kit
First problem: the camera. It needed to be tiny. Like, really small. Big GoPros were out. I looked around and ended up grabbing one of those little thumb-sized cameras. Light, small profile, seemed like the best bet. Didn’t want some brick bouncing around inside my lid.
Mounting – The Real Headache
Okay, got the camera. Now, where the heck do you stick it inside a helmet? My first thought was the chin bar, pointing upwards slightly. I grabbed some of those sticky mounts that came with it.
- Attempt 1: Stuck it right on the inside of the chin bar. Put the helmet on. Nope. Camera bumped right into my chin. No room at all.
- Attempt 2: Tried moving it lower, closer to the bottom edge. Better, but then my breath fogged it up instantly. Useless.
- Attempt 3: How about the side? Stuck it near the cheek pad. Felt weird. Put the helmet on, and the camera pressed hard into my face. Super uncomfortable, and the view was mostly cheek pad anyway.
This was getting annoying. The inside of a helmet is surprisingly crowded. There’s padding, vents, curves… finding a flat, out-of-the-way spot that also gave a decent view was tough. I realized I’d need something more custom.
Making it Work (Sort Of)
I ended up ditching the standard sticky mounts. They were too bulky. I got some strong, thin double-sided tape instead. Then, I spent a good hour just putting the helmet on and taking it off, holding the camera in different spots.
The best spot I found was right at the front of the chin bar, but tucked way down low, almost in the little gap where the padding meets the shell. I had to trim a tiny bit of the foam padding (carefully!) with a craft knife to make a little flat area for the tape.
Positioning was key. Too high, it hit my face. Too low, all I saw was the chin bar itself. Pointing it slightly upwards seemed to work best. It still felt a bit close to my mouth, honestly.
Testing and Problems
Finally got it stuck in place. Went for a ride.
First thing: Fogging. Even tucked down low, my breath would sometimes catch it, especially when stopped. I tried rubbing some anti-fog stuff on the lens, helped a bit.
Second: Audio. Forget about it. Being inside the helmet, all you hear is wind noise booming around, muffled engine sounds, and my own breathing. Like, really loud breathing. Not pleasant. An external mic isn’t really an option here.
Third: Battery Life. These tiny cameras don’t last long. Maybe 30-40 minutes? So, only good for short clips, not a whole ride unless you stop and swap or figure out some crazy charging wire setup, which sounds dangerous.
Fourth: The View. It’s… interesting. You definitely see the chin bar at the bottom. You see your gloves and the controls sometimes. It’s a very specific, slightly claustrophobic view. Not the wide-open road view you get from an outside mount. Also, because it’s mounted to the helmet, not my head directly, slight helmet movements really show up on camera.
So, The Verdict?
It works. Kind of. It took a lot of fiddling, some tape, and sacrificing a tiny bit of padding. The footage is unique, definitely gives that ‘in the cockpit’ feel. But it’s got drawbacks: fogging, terrible audio, short battery, and a limited view.
Is it better than an external mount? For most things, probably not. But for getting that specific inside perspective? Yeah, it was a fun experiment and sometimes I still use it for short clips just to get that different angle. It’s definitely not a ‘set it and forget it’ kind of setup, takes effort every time.
