Notes on Kite Aerial Photography: Equipment
From time to time I am approached by an academic colleague with the idea that kite aerial photography (KAP) would be of assistance in their work. I am quite interested in these applied dimensions of KAP and would like to help where I can. Often the colleague is developing a proposal and would like to know "what equipment should I specify for applying KAP in project X?" The answer, of course, depends on a myriad of factors including specifics of the application (e.g., descriptive, quantitative, critical, ancillary), site conditions (expected wind, site obstructions), budget, and so on.
As a rough guide I have assembled this general list of equipment based on my experience in the last few years. My process in this exercise is subjective -- no warranty is expressed or implied. The roster is keyed to three levels of KAP kit development:
The costs listed are approximate and do not include shipping, tax, or overhead. For those items that require fabrication I have estimated the cost of materials but not labor. Purchasing everything on the list would require around $4,000. Vendors listed under source are the ones I tend to use. Most of these items are available from a variety of sources. Pick the one you like best or better yet support your local merchants. Contact information for the sources listed is found at the end of the table. See my KAP WWW site catalog page (http://www.arch.ced.berkeley.edu/kap/background/kapcat.html) for further information.B Basic kit These devices should be in any equipment set
I Intermediate Recommended enhancements to the basic kit
A Advanced Accoutrements that are fun but not necessary
THE LIST
Item | B |
I |
A |
Cost |
Source | Notes |
KITE, Sutton Flowform 16 | $100 |
Highline Kites, Into the Wind | The 16 ft2 Flowform is a basic workhorse kite if you expect steady winds above 15 mph. It packs in a very small space. | |||
KITE, Sutton Flowform 30 | $200 |
Highline Kites, Into the Wind | The 30 ft2 version of the Flowform is my "go to" kite. It adapts to a fairly large range of winds and provides sufficient lift for a SLR rig. | |||
KITE, Sutton Flowform 60 | $320 |
Highline Kites, Into the Wind | The 60 ft2 Flowform serves when winds are too low for the Sutton 30 or the payload is particularly heavy. This is a large kite and deserves respect in higher winds. | |||
KITE, Carlisle 7.5 foot Rokaku | $240 |
Highline Kites, Into the Wind | Kevin Shannon’s Rokaku is well made and the light carbon frame flies in a minimum of wind. At times, however, it is unstable. Practice is recommended. | |||
TAIL, nylon "fuzzy" tail, 30 feet long | $10 |
Requires construction | I’ve auditioned many tails and this geometry works great. Nylon fabric is available through kite store, labor not included in cost | |||
KITELINE, 100# dacron, 1,000 feet | $21 |
Into the Wind, Highline Kites | 100# line is lighter than the others, use when the wind is low | |||
KITELINE, 200# dacron, 1,000 feet | $35 |
Into the Wind, Highline Kites | This is my most used line, feels good in the hand. | |||
KITELINE, 250# dacron, 1,000 feet | $45 |
Into the Wind, Highline Kites | This heavier line will provide a safety factor if you think the wind might build in while the kite is aloft. | |||
SPOOL, Halo, 9 inch | $10 each |
Into the Wind, Highline Kites | These are compact, inexpensive and easy to use. Purchase one per line weight and perhaps extras in case of breakage | |||
LEATHER GLOVE | $20 each |
Sailing supply store | Wear glove on dominant hand to protect skin while handling kiteline, fingerless gloves are ok, glove use is mandatory, carry a spare | |||
DOG STAKE, 12 inch, steel | $3 each |
Pet supply store | Dog stakes (look like a large corkscrew) provide a means for anchoring the kiteline to the ground | |||
CARABINER, basic | $6 each |
REI | Carabiners are used with the climbers strap to secure the kiteline to handy anchorage points (use a clove hitch) | |||
CLIMBER"S RUNNER, 3 foot loop | $7 each |
REI | These strong loops of nylon
webbing provide easy attachment to fixed objects (e.g., lamp post, bench) |
|||
FIGURE 8 BELAY DEVICE | $18 |
REI | The Figure 8 is used to handle line when it is under too much tension to handle comfortably by hand. | |||
WALK DOWN PULLEY | $13 |
REI | This split pulley allows you to easily walk the kiteline down. | |||
HANGUPS | $10 |
Requires construction | Make at least one spare pair,
labor not included in estimated cost |
|||
PICAVET SUSPENSION | $10 to $100 |
Requires construction | Make a spare, labor not included in estimated cost | |||
O-RINGS and STICKS | $12 |
Auto parts store | Rubber ‘donuts’ (muffler hangers) can be placed on the kiteline above and below the camera to dampen vibration. | |||
CAMERA CRADLE for P&S Camera | $50 to $80 |
Small Parts Requires construction |
labor not included in estimated cost | |||
CAMERA CRADLE for SLR Camera | $50 to $100 |
Small Parts Requires construction | labor not included in estimated cost | |||
YASHICA T4 SUPER | $150 |
B&H Camera | The T4 is a compact point &
shoot camera with a sharp lens and a fairly fast shutter (up to 1/700 sec). The Olympus
Epic is an alternate. |
|||
CANON REBEL G | $240 |
B&H Camera | The Rebel is light, tough, capable, and relatively inexpensive. Its autofocus and exposure metering systems work well in the air. I consider it ideal for KAP use. | |||
CANON 24-mm, f 2.8 EOS Lens |
$400 w/ hood |
B&H Camera | This sharp wide angle lens is my standard for KAP. Using a wide lens allows lower flight and makes aiming less critical. | |||
CANON 50-mm, f 1.8EOS Lens |
$90 |
B&H Camera | A less expensive and lighter
alternate. Useful when you have more camera height than desirable. |
|||
RADIO SET manual, 6 channel | $180 |
Tower Hobby, Sheldons | Radios are sold as a set with matched transmitter, receiver, batteries, charger, servos, and accessories. You get a lot for the money. | |||
RADIO SET Programmable, 6 channel | $250 |
Tower Hobby, Sheldons | Programmable radios make the camera cradle easy to tune and operate – recommended. Any of the major brands (e.g., Futaba, Airtronics, HiTec) is fine. | |||
Extra TRANSMITTER & RECIEVER BATTERIES | $45 |
Tower Hobby, Sheldons | Spare batteries prevent frustration, keep them charged | |||
BATTERY FIELD CHARGER | $50 |
Tower Hobby, Sheldons | Tower’s Quick Field Charger works from a 12 VDC source (auto battery) and can charge the receiver and transmitter batteries in 15 minutes. Very handy. | |||
ANEMOMETER | $90 |
Forestry Suppliers | My favorite is the Kestrel, small
and easy to use |
|||
LASER RANGEFINDER | $360 |
Forestry Suppliers | This amazing instrument can provide accurate ranging from you to the photographic target and from you to the camera rig. With a little trig you can position the camera accurately. | |||
CLINOMETER | $80 |
Forestry Suppliers | Provides the angles necessary for positioning calculations. I use the lovely Suunto instrument. | |||
FRC RADIOS | $200 |
REI | The new Family Radio Channel two-way radios (what walkie talkies should have always been) provide a convenient means to relay spotting information from observers downwind. I use the Motorola TalkAbout. | |||
PHOTOGRAPHER’S VEST | $60 |
I’ve found this vest indispensable in organizing the various small parts that need to be at hand while rigging for KAP. | ||||
CARGO BAG | REI | Having auditioned several forms of storage and transit luggage I’ve settled on a compartmented duffle. |
VENDOR INFORMATION
B&H
Photo-Video
119 West 17th Street
New York, NY 10011........................1-800-947-8006
Forestry
Suppliers, Inc.
205 W. Rankin Street
P. O. Box 8397
Jackson, MS 39284-8397 .....................1-800-647-5368
Highline
Kites
Tom McAlister maintains a store at Cesar Chavez Park in the Berkeley Marina.
Call 510-235-5483 on weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM U.S. Pacific Time
Into
The Wind
1408 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302 ........................1-800-541-0314 or 1-303-449-5356
Recreational
Equipment Inc. (REI)
1338 San Pablo Ave. (near Gilman)
Berkeley, CA 94702-1094 .....................(510) 527-4140
Sheldon's
Hobbies
2135 Oakland Road
San Jose, CA 95131 ........................1-800-822-1688
Small Parts
Inc.
13980 N. W. 58th Court
P. O. Box 4650
Miami Lakes, FL 33014-0650..........1-800-220-4242
Tower
Hobbies
P. O. Box 9078
Champaign, IL 61826-9078.............1-800-637-4989
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All rights reserved. Revised: Tuesday, March 11, 2003
URL:http://arch.ced.berkeley.edu/kap/equip/supplies2.html