Video - GoPro kite line mount, buggy test

Really low winds this morning and it was a struggle to even get the 10m Ozone Manta to get the buggy moving (none of the video is slow motion - it was just slow!).

The kite line mount worked really well, then used rotate and crop in iMovie to correct the way in which the camera is mounted. This did affect the quality of some of the clips, so I also played around with the size of the crops. Next time I use the line mount I will try the GoPro on r4 (tallest HD video, 4:3) to try and maintain the quality when i rotate and crop.

Overall though, I was very pleased with the results.

GoPro kite line mount - buggy test from Mark Crook on Vimeo.

Optimism...

op·ti·mism  (pt-mzm)

n.

1. A tendency to expect the best possible outcome or dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation: "There is a touch of optimism in every worry about one's own moral cleanliness"(Victoria Ocampo).
2. Philosophy

a. The doctrine, asserted by Leibniz, that this world is the best of all possible worlds.

b. The belief that the universe is improving and that good will ultimately triumph over evil.

c. Or in my case a belief that the forecast will be right and the wind will blow!

Another stationary buggy photo!

New GPSr - part 2

The bike mount for the Garmin eTrex arrived at BCF yesterday (the day after it was ordered) and we picked it up this morning...

On the buggy ready for a try tomorrow (keeping fingers crossed for some wind), as only low winds are forecast I should be on the Ozone Manta and will also be able to try out the GoPro line mount...

10000!

Wow! 10000 hits...

Shiny!

A day off and no wind. So have spent the last hour and a half washing and detailing my car...

There seemed to be an awful lot of the salt lake in it!

It was either clean it or buy a new one ;-)

Yesterday I also took a load of turf to the tip, I managed to get the wheelbarrow in the boot!

I'm not sure how long it will last as I am hoping the bit of wind that is forecast for Sunday hangs around and maybe even brings its friends!

Reviews...

I have added a quick link to all my reviews over there on the right.

Or click on my link below if your feeling really lazy...

Baldivis kite buggying reviews

Hopefully I will be able to add some more in the next few weeks, the Ozone Manta 2 and the HQ Toxic 3m - just need the wind to cooperate!

New GPSr...

For my leaving present I had a BCF gift card, as soon as I saw it I new what I was going to buy, so I now have a replacement for my eTrex H - which would sometimes be a bit unreliable.

An eTrex 10...

the main thing is that this is much easier to attach to the iMac to down load my speeds and tracks. BCF are going to order me a mount so that I can attach it to the buggy.

Love to buggy...

I just loved this post, so had to stick it on here...

"Back in '96 I was riding on Belongil beach on the north side of Byron Bay with the boys. At the time I lived opposite. It had been heavy north easter for few days, and the bluebottles had all washed up in sections on the beach. Masses of them, but all in lumps every 50 yards or so.

We buggied late afternoon in the low tide. Hot day in shorts and a T-shirt. Covered in sand and wet, my boardies flapping up around my ears, goolies hanging out flapping in the breeze. Wasn't paying to much attention ahead, and POW hit a patch of bluebottles, my trusty peter lynn mk 1 barrows shredded bluebottles into a bluebottle paste, and sprayed all up my nuts.

....i love to buggy  but beware the bluebottles."

From igeighty posted on Extreme Kites.

Kite Buggying Australia on Vimeo

I have joined the Vimeo group Kite Buggying Australia and added a couple of my videos. There are some classy videos to watch when the weather isn't co-operating.

The link is over there on the right...

Lemon Meringue Pie...!

I can find my way around the kitchen but have never baked a lemon meringue pie - my wife usually does it and it is a recipe from her side of the family!

I was very pleased with the result that's why I have posted it on my kite buggy blog!

1. Making the pastry -half fat to flour (6oz flour and 3oz Marj)

2. Rolling it out...

3. Lining the dish, then blind bake for approx 15 minutes...

4. Separated 3 egg whites...

5. Egg yolks and a small tin of condensed milk...

6. The juice of 2-3 lemons (depending on how lemony you like it)...

7. Condensed milk, yolks and lemon combined...

8. The baked pastry case...

9. Making the meringue, beat 3 egg whites and added 4oz of castor sugar (soft peaks!)...

10. Putting it together, first the lemony mixture...

11. Then the meringue...

12. Finally bake for 10-15 minutes and can be eaten hot or cold!

New look...

I hope you like my blogs new look, I decided as I approach my 10000 that it needed a fresher brighter look.

It also now contains a link on the right to my videos on vimeo, as well a few other links...

Video - The Shortest Day

Shortest Day - kite buggying from Mark Crook on Vimeo.

A perfect winters day in Perth with blue skies and some wind, luckily I had the day off and was able to have a couple of hours on the salt lake. Not bad for the shortest day of the year...

Shortest day...

Today is the shortest day of the year with the winter solstice officially at 13:04hrs, 21st June 2013, in Perth. So from here onwards the days will be getting longer and I am looking forwards to the spring and summer winds.

I cant really complain as we still get more sunshine and dry days here in Perth than a lot of places...

winter sunshine

Video - Delta Secret Run

Not much going on for me in the kite buggy, I'm just keeping an eye on the Sunday forecast - winds still look epic and I'm just hoping that the showers hold off until the afternoon...

In the meantime here is another buggy video -

Epic Sunday...?

At the moment the wind forecast is looking good for Sunday morning...

Isolated showers also forecast, it's still early and things often change - but at the moment I am hopeful.

I'm still here...

The weekend was very quiet, no wind = no kite buggying. Which meant I got a few jobs done around the house and garden.

We really seem to have hit the winter wind patterns of bright, clear days (which would be perfect for buggying) but no wind. When the wind does pick-up along comes the rain and storms. Really frustrating...

A video to keep the dream alive!

Inch Beach-June-13-2013 from Mike Dinsmore on Vimeo.

Video - Kite Skating

Now I have got a depower foil I should have a go at kite skating...

Kite Skating with Spartan from John Holgate on Vimeo.

Hmm! Im thinking maybe not! Nice video though.

GoPro kite line mount

I have been looking at getting the Camrig kite line mount, but after a restless night thought I would have a go at making my own - especially once I remembered I had a couple of line winders tucked away that I could adapt...

Trimmed them down and attached the GoPro mount that I had created from the original packaging...

Used some Velcro cable ties...

The finished product...

And the video from the test flight...

GoPro kite line mount - test flight from Mark Crook on Vimeo.

Overall I am really pleased with the outcome and it only cost $6 to make! It will be good to try it in the buggy - will try and tidy it up a bit and add a secondary security line to make it perfect.

Edit:

Since originally making this I have updated it so the camera sits at 90 degrees, this makes the video easier for editing...

GoPro Kite Lin mount part II

Aerial - Buggying with GoPro Kite Line Mount from Mark Crook on Vimeo.