# GoPro Hero Hero2 MagicShine MJ-872 Headlamp Mounting Bracket Caving Homemade



## stollman (Feb 11, 2012)

Date: 02/11/12
GoPro Hero2 Helmet Mount with Headlamp

One activity I like to do for fun is caving in combination with shooting hands-free video. I recently tested the GoPro Hero2, Oregon Scientific ACT9K, Contour 1080 and the Contour Roam under low light conditions (typical cave environment). The Hero2 was the winner. To get good video, you need good lighting. I am using the MagicShine MJ-872 LED headlamp to use with the Hero2. The Magicshine MJ-872 puts out a massive 1600 lumens, it has a nice light pattern that is a bit more “floody”, and has no light artifacts (rings). This light is perfect for video work. 

I spent days racking my brain on how to mount the light and Hero2 on the front of my Petzl Elios helmet. GoPro has a bonanza of mounting options, but I also had to figure a way to mount the Led headlamp. One day, as I was walking through Lowes in the plumbing section, I noticed the rack of CPVC ½” plastic pipe and a light bulb went on. This stuff is pretty light weight and cheap. The wheels of ingenuity started turning and came up with the idea of making a mounting bracket from CPVC. Though my creation is not “pretty”, it is very functional and rigid. The following includes a bill of material for the mounting bracket components, along with the tools you’ll need. It took me about an hour to put it together after a little trial and error.

*Materials:*

(1) GoPro Mounting Bracket – Amazon (or use one that came with the light)
(2) ½” CPVC, 45 Degree – Lowes/Home Depot
(2) ½” CPVC, 90 Degree – Lowes/Home Depot
(2) ½” CPVC, T-Connector – Lowes/Home Depot
(2) ½” CPVC, Straight Connectors – Lowes/Home Depot
(1) ½” CPVC, Straight Piece (I think they sell these in 6’ sections) – Lowes/Home Depot
(1) Scott Adhesive Strips (Also known as 3M Dual-Lock) – Walmart
(1) 8”, Skinny Black Zip Ties – Walmart






















*
Tools:*

CPVC Cleaner & Adhesive - Walmart/Lowes/Home Depot
Hack Saw (cut the CPVC)
Saw Block (allows you to cut off the CPVC neatly)
Needle Nose Pliers (manipulate the CPVC connector pieces)
Wire Cutters (cut Zip Ties)
Permanent Marker (mark CPVC pieces for assembly and alignment)
*
Directions:
*Step 1 – Cut joining pieces from the CPVC length, and lay out all the CPVC pieces. 






Step 2 – Assembly the CPVC pieces together (do not glue) and lay the bracket against the helmet to see how you want it to fit up.

Step 3 – Mark the CPVC pieces with a permanent marker. Label the pieces in sequence so you know in what order to assemble it during the gluing process. Also mark down “alignment lines” to help you correctly glue the pieces together.






Step 4 – Clean and glue together the CPVC components. Use your markings to ensure you put it together correctly.

Step 5 – Lay the bracket against the helmet and mark where you are going to apply the Scotch Adhesive Strips to the helmet. After you have the locations marked, cut out the adhesive strips to the proper size and stick them onto the helmet (they have an adhesive back). The Scotch Adhesive Strips (3M Dual-Lock) are much stronger than Velcro, which you should not use.







Step 6 – Mount the GoPro Bracket onto the CPVC Mounting Bracket using hot-melt glue. You can use the CPVC joint line to help you align and mount the bracket straight.












Step 7 – Add the Scotch Adhesive Strips to the ends of the CPVC Mounting Bracket.







Step 8 – Mount the CPVC Mounting Bracket to the helmet using the Scotch Adhesive Strips. Once it is on straight, drill holes into the helmet for the Zip Ties to pass through. The Zip Ties help make the mounting more rigid.







Step 9 – Mount the Light and GoPro Hero2 to the bracket. You are done.






















Side Note: You can paint the CPVC Mounting Bracket if you want to make it look nice. Also, I plan on adding a counterweight to the back of the helmet to offset the weight of the Light and Hero2. The CPVC Mounting Bracket is very rigid and reasonably light weight. The top of the helmet is still above the Hero2, so if you hit the top of your head, the Hero2 should not be damaged. Though the Hero2 is not as streamline as the Contour or the Oregon Scientific, but I decided to go with the boxy looking GoPro since it performs better in low light.

Thanks for readings...

Mike (aka Video Caver)


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## spelunkik (Feb 12, 2012)

Interesting setup. Maybe not ideal for tight crawling, but it should be okay for moderately sized passages. Do you have any video to share taken with your new setup?


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## stollman (Feb 12, 2012)

I don't have any footage yet with the new rig. I just finished building it yesterday. It may be a month before I go caving.

My design is a little bulky, I admit. I can make a mounting bracket for just the GoPro using GoPro hardware, but I still have to figure out a way to mount my Headlamp on the front, which is a problem. MagicShine does not have a lot of mounting solutions for their light. I don't want anything hanging off the side of the helmet.

It may be a month or so before I am in a cave to test out my idea.

I've looked around for other ideas on the Internet (Google & YouTube) on how people mounted the Hero2 and a Headlamp, but have not been able to find anything.

Open to alternate suggestions.

Thanks,
Mike

P.S., I do have caving footage posted on YouTube listed under my user name: mwstoll


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## robostudent5000 (Feb 12, 2012)

couldn't you have mounted the headlamp in the middle with a regular Magic Shine mount, and used a stock Go Pro helmet mount and mounted the camera a little bit above the headlamp or vice versa? you can buy them both for like $20. is there not enough space for that arrangement?


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## stollman (Feb 14, 2012)

Yes, you could stack them as long as you do not need overhead clearance. My application is caving, and you hit the top of your helmet frequently on rocks. Because of this, both the headlamp and the Hero have to be below the top level of the helmet which explains my side-by-side mounting.


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## stollman (Feb 15, 2012)

Well, the rig I made with CPVC pipe works, but it looks ugly and clumsy. I decided to give it another go in trying to figure out how to mount the GoPro Hero2 and my MagicShine MJ-872 LED Headlamp. I knew I could use existing GoPro mounting hardware for the helmet camera, but I was still struggling to figure out how to mount the headlamp next to it. I walked through Lowes and Home Depot looking for ideas and I ended up buying a 0.98 cent plastic putty knife in Home Depot’s paint department. I also purchased another MagicShine Headstrap for my project off Amazon. This is what I did…

Step 1: Modify Magicshine Headstrap
Cut the straps off the Magicshine Headstrap and then use a dremel to trim down the plastic mount. I wanted a smaller profile, so I could position it close to the helmet camera.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0071MBDHY/?tag=cpf0b6-20


Step 2:Modify Plastic Putty Knife
The putty knife is pretty rigid, which is what I needed to support the weight of the headlamp. I used a dremel to cut down the size of the putty knife. Then I used a heat gun to warm the putty knife so I could bend it and put a slight twist it in. Since the front of the helmet does not have a flat mounting surface, the twist in the putty knife counters the curve of the helmet. After I had the right shape, I stuck the putty knife under cold water to cool it off.

Step 3: Attach the MagicShine Mount to the putty knife
I trimmed both the putty knife and the MagicShine mount to give them a smaller profile. I placed the Mount on top of the putty knife and drilled (4) holes. Through these holes, I ran skinny zip ties to secure the Mount to the putty knife.

Step 4: Positioning
I positioned the Helmet Camera and the Light on the front of the helmet, and then marked on the helmet where the mounts were to be placed using a permanent marker.

Step 5: Mount Light
I stuck on 3M Dual Lock onto the mounting surface of the putty knife and onto the place I marked on the helmet. I then attached the putty knife mount to the helmet using the 3M dual lock. To make sure the light would not rip off if hit, I drilled small holes on either side of the putty knife mount and used skinny zip ties to fortify the mount.

Step 6: Mount the Helmet Camera
I attached a curved GoPro adhesive mount onto the helmet where I marked it. Then I snapped the helmet camera into it.

Comments:
I think design has a cleaner look. I’ll still have to add some counterweights to the back of the helmet to offset the weight of the light and helmet camera. The helmet camera and light are almost on the same level as the top of the helmet, so I’ll have to be conscientious on where overhanging rocks are when I use this rig. I would also say this design is lighter that the CPVC design.

Pictures:


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## robostudent5000 (Feb 15, 2012)

how about just strapping the Magic Shine straight on the camera? is the Go Pro Mount not strong enough for that?


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## stollman (Feb 16, 2012)

Question: How about just strapping the Magic Shine straight on the camera? is the Go Pro Mount not strong enough for that? 

Reply: That's food for thought. The light would have to be mounted on the side of the Hero2, since I can't have anything sticking above the top of my helmet for my caving application. The Hero2 case has a taper on all four sides, which causes an alignment issue of shorts for the light(won't point straight forward). You would also need to find a strong rubberband or gasket to go around the camera if you want to use the existing mounting for the light. The light has an aluminum housing, gets really hot after a prolonged runtime, and has some weight to it. The GoPro Mount should be able to hold the weight of both the camera and light. I might reinforce the adhesive GoPro Mount that attaches to the helmet.

It's a good idea....I'll have to think about how to make it work.

Thanks​


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## OpenTrackRacer (Feb 27, 2012)

Wow! That's one heck of a rig! I've been using the TrustFire UF-H3D ZebraLight knockoff with my GoPro when mine exploring. I've found that the pure flood beam works excellent when close to walls (not so good for distance of course) and doesn't blow out the image. They mount up together on my helmet with no extra work.

I'd like to see how your videos look!


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## stollman (Feb 28, 2012)

A couple of weeks ago, I tried out the rig in a narrow passage at 1600 lumens. It was much too bright....some of the footage was over exposed. I just purchased the LCD screen for the GoPro to help be adjust my lighting levels before shooting. My headlamp has (4) power settings, the lowest being around 400 lumens. I'm thinking of 400 lumens in smaller passages, and 1600 lumens in larger underground rooms.

Many headlamps have more of a spot light, which generates overexposures when using a helmet camera. You lightsource definately has to be diffused. My Magicshine MJ-872 uses (4) LEDs and has a built in diffuser lens, which smooths out the light pattern pretty good. I think it is the power levels that I need to be careful of. Though what you see with your eyes may not look over exposed, the GoPro will pick it up. I used a CCD helmet camera system for years, and had the same problem with hot spots. I think dealing with hot spots from light sources it is a problem with all helmet cameras.

OpenTrackRace, 
How many lumens does your TrustFire UF-H3D ZebraLight put off?


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## Lonnie (Feb 28, 2012)

Very Nice looks almost like factory!:thumbsup:


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