Key Chain Camera Car
With TMCC controlled Servo Pan Head 


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This Key Chain Spy Camera can record 720x480 30fps movies on a 4gb memory card. That's about 40 minutes worth of video. Pretty amazing quality for it's size and price of under $25.

I decided it needed to have a Pan function to be more versatile and get more interesting shots. 

It also needed a smooth, quiet and stable platform.
The car uses a heavy diecast dropcenter flat car for it's base. I replaced the original trucks with smooth running American Models tender trucks. These also have the electrical pickup required for the ERR MiniCommander TMCC receiver.  The  Mini has the engine firmware. The Pan head servo is a modified Futaba RC airplane servo that can run a continuous 360 degrees. The electronics are removed and motor stop removed. The motor is driven by the HC1 and HC-2 outputs of the MiniCommander using diodes for direction control. The servo can Pan very slowly if needed controlled by the CAB-1 throttle knob  and direction control. I used red and green tally lights to show the direction of the Pan. They are hooked up to the LC-1 and LC-2 outputs. Since there is no viewfinder function you have to aim the camera by dead reckoning guesstimation. 
The pan head has a quick release cradle made from aluminum sheet stock with a tilt adjustment built into the lock knob. The nut controls the height and the knob is the locking nut.

Just unscrew the locking knob and the camera slips out for downloading and charging.
                              

It has DC filter Capacitors for the servo motor to help keep the buzzing out of the on board microphone.
The Capacitors are in series wired minus to minus to become non polarized since the voltage to the motor changes polarity with direction of the Pan.

To help the servo run smooth at the slower speeds run the track voltage down to 12-14 volts. Also use the 100 step throttle mode.

 You can bump the Pan using the boost button on the Cab-1and use the direction button to quick stop it.

  Here is the wiring diagram. 

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