Audio input issues causing GoPro to Freeze

[timdine]

I've been using my GoPro Hero 2 cameras for a few years to capture in car video during stage rally events.  One of the features of the video capture is I plug the mic jack of the camera into a car intercom to capture audio between the driver and co driver.  I move the system between different vehicles since I codrive for different people, but therefore have little control over the intercom itself.  Sometimes I find that when the car is started while the GoPro is plugged into the intercom it'll cause the GoPro to lock up and I need to pull the battery to get it to work again.  The GoPro uses battery power, but the intercom is connected to the car's power system in different ways depending on the car.  I'm assuming I'm getting some sort of voltage coming up the 3.5mm plug causing the GoPro to freak out.  Is there anything I can do with the camera or put inline between the camera and the intercom that could help prevent this?  It's never fun to get to the end of a stage and realize you've missed something exciting.  

 

Sample For Attention

 

Another because theyre fun!

[LyondellBasell]

7 hours ago, timdine said:

I've been using my GoPro Hero 2 cameras for a few years to capture in car video during stage rally events.  One of the features of the video capture is I plug the mic jack of the camera into a car intercom to capture audio between the driver and co driver.  I move the system between different vehicles since I codrive for different people, but therefore have little control over the intercom itself.  Sometimes I find that when the car is started while the GoPro is plugged into the intercom it'll cause the GoPro to lock up and I need to pull the battery to get it to work again.  The GoPro uses battery power, but the intercom is connected to the car's power system in different ways depending on the car.  I'm assuming I'm getting some sort of voltage coming up the 3.5mm plug causing the GoPro to freak out.  Is there anything I can do with the camera or put inline between the camera and the intercom that could help prevent this?  It's never fun to get to the end of a stage and realize you've missed something exciting.  

 

Sample For Attention

 

Another because they're fun!

You could use something like an inline monitor/amplifier to act as in intermediary between the audio feed and your camera.

However, given that what you're filming is really "repeatable" in that you can't really get multiple takes, I would suggest you separate your audio and video recording so that if one goes down, it doesn't render the other useless. 

 

Get an external audio recorder like a Zoom or Tascam, and plug THAT into the car feed. You can monitor and set the recording level, and let your gopro do its thing by itself without the need for any external cables. Just use any one of the myriad tricks to sync your clips in post.

[timdine]

That does seem like a much more straight forward solution.  Prevent issues with the GoPro locking up by just removing the problem.  I could then still use an external mic on the GoPro to capture a channel of ambient sound.  

 

It does assume I'm not going to have the same issues with the audio recorder and the inputs, but I can position that so I can see what's happening with it since it doesn't have to be in a specific location in the car.  I could set it to run for several hours if I got a recorder with enough space, I tend to use the wireless remote to start and stop the cameras since there is a lot going on.

 

I'll take a look at those brands.  Is there anywhere on here that goes through and reviews some of these?  I'd be looking for the ability to capture a long time, input of audio, and external power / replaceable batteries over high quality or built in mics.

[LyondellBasell]

8 hours ago, timdine said:

I'll take a look at those brands.  Is there anywhere on here that goes through and reviews some of these?  I'd be looking for the ability to capture a long time, input of audio, and external power / replaceable batteries over high quality or built in mics.

I don't know that I've seen Linus do a ton of audio equipment reviews, but there are hundreds of comparisons of the various models and brands available on YouTube, the reviewers will often also list other comparable recorders from Yamaha, Sony, or Roland etc.