Homemade camera panner

[fishinpreacher]

Could anyone give me some ideas/plans/suggestions for an inexpensive homemade camera panner? 
Thanks in advance!

[frozengator]

Look at vexilars you could make something simular out of wood.

[deadcold]

I made a manual one out of the lid from a 5 gallon bucket. First drill a hole in the middle of the bucket lid that is slightly smaller in diameter then the camera cable. Then slice the lid from an edge to the hole. Slide the line into the slice and lock it in to the desired depth . now you can slowly turn the camera and it will hold it solid. DC

[flyangler00]

you know, you kinda got me thinkin! a homemade manual panner!? i can easily think of a design using the marcum rubber stop, wood or pvc tripod, and some way of manually turning it, keeping it in pos.!! i'll get busy this afternoon! just think, no need for batteries!! and just as effective!!

[iluvcrappie]

you can buy a tri pod for a camera from aqua-vu......they work alright but its just something else to have to dink around with on the ice....Im not a huge camera guy I mean dont get me wrong they are nice to play around with but what a pain all the time when you want to move you have to wrap up 80 miles of cords and then unwind them again....I use my Humminbird and you couldnt ever get me to buy another camera.....

[iluvcrappie]

I was just looking through the Mills Fleet Farm website and found this for you guys looking to make a camera panner......

http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/product_detail/fishing/ice-fishing/fish-finders-underwater-cameras/aqua-vu-ice-pod-tripod

[mojofish]

I made my panner from a 1/2" piece of plywood a drawer knob and two small rope cleats. First I took a 10" round pizza cardboard as a template for cutting my plywood. The I cut a 10 degree "V" notch from outer edge to to center. I mounted the drawer pull and the rope cleats just behind the notch the V made in the center of the board. I sprayed the board with a flat paint (any color OK). I put chalk in my camera's carry bag.

My camera cord has markings on it for depth. I lower camera to desired position the put cord through "V" and lock using rope cleats. I find my jig or line and use a piece of chalk on my panner board to mark camera direction.  I can wipe clean as often as necessary.

As soon as I have the camera direction on my board I can turn it around knowing what direction and always return to find my jig.

My panner board also keeps hole from freezing over quickly.

Flashers are better for atching fish but cameras answer many questions. Also kids love them. I once put one on a tip up and we saw the whole strike go down,

[flyangler00]

you can buy a tri pod for a camera from aqua-vu......they work alright but its just something else to have to dink around with on the ice....Im not a huge camera guy I mean dont get me wrong they are nice to play around with but what a pain all the time when you want to move you have to wrap up 80 miles of cords and then unwind them again....I use my Humminbird and you couldnt ever get me to buy another camera.....

i use the camera for mainly the kids.. the cam does have a place in the shallow water scene.. i also have a bird and use it 95% of the time.. plus yes i (we I THINK) know that marcum and aqua have panners but hey, if i can save like $50 making something not needing more batts. so be it!

[iluvcrappie]

i use the camera for mainly the kids.. the cam does have a place in the shallow water scene.. i also have a bird and use it 95% of the time.. plus yes i (we I THINK) know that marcum and aqua have panners but hey, if i can save like $50 making something not needing more batts. so be it!

they have them on the fleet farm website for 12 bucks........I did buy one when I had my camera but it just sits around now......I did like having it so I wasnt always fumbling with the cords.....come to think of it a buddy of mine actually made on using 2 paint stir stick and a clothes pin..........drilled a hole in the paint sticks bolted the clothes pin to the sticks and vwalla there you have it......

[flyangler00]

they have them on the fleet farm website for 12 bucks........I did buy one when I had my camera but it just sits around now......I did like having it so I wasnt always fumbling with the cords.....come to think of it a buddy of mine actually made on using 2 paint stir stick and a clothes pin..........drilled a hole in the paint sticks bolted the clothes pin to the sticks and vwalla there you have it......

really? i was just on there and didnt see anything like that! can you post a link?

[LoneWolf]

I made this last year from an old plastic cutting board that was lying around. I bought two plastic cleats and SS screws. I think the total was around $7.00.

[flyangler00]

mmm.. nice!!

[iluvcrappie]

really? i was just on there and didnt see anything like that! can you post a link?

  I have the link posted already.....look above mojofish's post

[flyangler00]

oops!! my bad!! my eyes way faster than brain apparently!! thanx for the mail anyhow!! 

[iluvcrappie]

oops!! my bad!! my eyes way faster than brain apparently!! thanx for the mail anyhow!! 

not a problem......

[fishinpreacher]

Thanks for all the great ideas guys! I agree I'm much more inclined to use my flasher than the camera, but I'm hoping to take my 4yr old out ice finshing for the first time soon and I know he will get a huge kick out of watching a gill or crappie take his bait.

I think for now I'm going to try a 12" pice of 1"X4" with a hole drilled in the center and a narrow channel cut to th hole to run the camera cable throuh then hold it in place with a heavy duty clothes clip. Prob not the best, or most efficient design, but i think itll work for one afternoon until i can make something better.

But by all means keep the suggestions coming, and I'd love to see pics of anything you guys have made. (Thanks lonewolf, I think I'll prob end up with something similar to your design)

[mojofish]

Chumming is probably totally illegal where you live (but I live on a private lake that we stock), but for your camera viewing pleasure:

Take one tin of cat food and open it and fill a shot glass with the cat food (I prefer salmon or tuna)

Place a 1/2 ounce lead weaight tied to kite string into the cat food in the shot glass

Place in freezer overnight

Drill two holes 3 feet apart

Lower the cat food chum down one hole and the camera down the other with the camera facing the chum 1 foot from the bottom of the lake

As the cat food thaws (very slowly) the scent will go down stream and eventually a catfich will pick-up on it.

Enjoy the show.

[JJZFlash]

I made this out of a bucket lid.      JJZFlash

[Fat Boy]

I made this last year from an old plastic cutting board that was lying around. I bought two plastic cleats and SS screws. I think the total was around $7.00.



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Doug, that's awesome!  I'm going to make a similar one to yours.  I need something that I can put over the hole like that, but also I want to have the option to connect it to my camera "stand" to use both as cable storage and to manage the depth of the camera when using the look down mode.  I'm envisioning some slots that I can just hook it to the side, or detach it and use it like you do.  Hmmmm, my next DIY adventure!  Thanks for the concept!

[smitty0312]

I made this last year, not very expensive at all. 1" pvc, Simple spring clamps, foam ball for stopper, "L" brackets, breaks down to fit in your bucket, sits up so you don't have to bend over to turn camera.