XCam2 Tug
Install one of those XCam2 color transmitters into your tug. If you are thinking about buying one from X10.com, get the $10 audio option so you can hear the motor running and the water splashing against the hull. (Their standard receiver is video-only.) Also buy the $20 Battery Pack w/ Adaptor. Their battery pack steps up the voltage to 22 volts or so. You can't power it from the tug's battery.
| Cut a ply scrap the same width as the motor tray. Set it as shown, in front of the motor tray. Screws may not be necessary. |  |
| You may want to cut a small plastic or metal elbow as shown to raise the lens height about one inch. (The small video cable will reach that far.) This XCam2 cam has the optional sound receiver. The optional battery pack is attached. The cable is for power. The excess cable is reeled inside the battery pack. |  |
| Set the camera on the tray. A piece of tape can temporarily secure it. Instead of lengthening the arm, you could just raise the whole camera by using a thicker tray inside. I wanted to keep the weight of the battery pack low in the hull so I just raised the neck a bit. |  |
| You will recognize this pilot house from the TV Tug photos. Don't cut such a big hole for the XCam2. It needs only a normal windshield sized opening. I set this pilot house on this tug just to show the finished height of the lens. |  |
The XCam2 has a pretty good picture for a pinhole camera. It can't see in very dim light. The glare on a sunny day (including the sun bouncing off of the water.) on a lake can be too much for it. You will get red highlights in the picture. I recommend you rig a lens cover from a pair of Polaroid sun glasses for a better picture. Range is better than the 100 feet advertised distance. However, the antenna is somewhat directional and so the picture will flicker at the receiver as you maneuver the boat.