[QUOTE=roseymare;8192914]
I have not used a soloshot----in fact I have to google it!
BUT I carry my video camera and tripods around in a diaper bag. The length is long enough to hold the tripods at a diagonal. It is padded and their are plenty of pockets. Mine was from Pottery Barn but I found it at Goodwill! Lots of the new designs do not even look like diaper bags.[/QUOTE]
That is GENIUS! Thanks for the tip!
Iāll just add, make sure to follow the directions regarding which version of a USB drive to use. DO NOT use an old USB 1.0 stick as it will not work and you will have to send your equipment to them to get it reset. Ask me how I know this.
Fortunately, the customer service is great and I was back up and running quickly.
Thanks for the bag suggestions. Realized I had an unused Timbuktu laptop bag - which looks like it will work perfect! Added a few dishtowel around the camera and base, tucked them in the laptop section, instructions & cords in the other section, and tripod tied up under the flat.
Taking the SoloShot in its ānewā bag with us to horse camp / eventing schooling this weekend - weāll see how it goes!!!
Soā¦how many times did it take before you didnāt need the instructions?! :lol:
It took me about 3 sessions of using it until I didnāt need the instructions. I also made myself a cheat sheet of the steps that I just keep in the camera bag.
I do have one new tip to share; I previously reported problems pairing the tag and the base which I was attributing to cloud cover. I believe that the problem was that I was pushing the + button on the base slightly before pushing the + button on the tag. If I ensure that I push the + button on the tag first and then quickly hit the one on the base, it pairs right up.
Mine wouldnāt pair today!! So frustrating! Was cloudy, and I did think about what you said atlatl, push the tag + first. The tag flashed itās lights green, but the base did NOTHING! ARghhhhh.
So, I think Iāll just redo the firmware and hope for the best.
[QUOTE=flight;8203377]
Mine wouldnāt pair today!! So frustrating! Was cloudy, and I did think about what you said atlatl, push the tag + first. The tag flashed itās lights green, but the base did NOTHING! ARghhhhh.
So, I think Iāll just redo the firmware and hope for the best.[/QUOTE]
Interesting, I had the opposite problem with the base flashing its lights but not the tag. How cloudy was it?
You might want to call their customer service number. They are super helpful.
[QUOTE=atlatl;8193558]
Iāll just add, make sure to follow the directions regarding which version of a USB drive to use. DO NOT use an old USB 1.0 stick as it will not work and you will have to send your equipment to them to get it reset. Ask me how I know this.
Fortunately, the customer service is great and I was back up and running quickly.[/QUOTE]
Ahhh, what happened so you realised youād stuffed your soloshot?
Iāve just tried doing the firmware upgrade, Iām pretty sure I have the right stick, but Iām getting all 6 ledās flashing an alarming red at the end of itās businessā¦ is this a bad sign???
[QUOTE=flight;8209526]
Ahhh, what happened so you realised youād stuffed your soloshot?
Iāve just tried doing the firmware upgrade, Iām pretty sure I have the right stick, but Iām getting all 6 ledās flashing an alarming red at the end of itās businessā¦ is this a bad sign???[/QUOTE]
I donāt remember exactly, but I think it just would not update the tag. The update appeared to work for the base unit. Seriously, give them a call or fire them an email. They are super helpful. They asked that I put a video of my attempted upgrade on YouTube so they could see what I was doing and the owner actually replied to it.
Just wanted to reiterate how great Soloshoft customer service is! I sent a note & got a nice, personal responses by the very next day. 
I had asked about whether theyāre considering adding a āForumsā section to the Soloshot websiteā¦ THEY ARE! So, while we have a nice chat going on here, I think thatās going to be an awesome way to share experiences, get more tips & tricks, and get help. Hopefully, theyāll have those ready sometime later this year.
Been having fun experimenting with my Soloshot recently & had gotten some good footageā¦now, just need to figure out a good way to edit & post to share.
A couple things to add that Iāve learned recently:
make sure you NEVER get within 20ā of the base. I made that mistake when schooling XC, passing by pretty close, and the poor camera controller ālost itā and just started searching the sky for me. Did that one other time when I set it up pretty close to the arena fence. Lesson learned: always put the base >20ā away from the nearest place Iāll ride by. (I believe it has something to do with the GPS signals getting ācrossedā.)
I set my Zoom Setting to the closest āOrangeā (see pg 12 of the base & tag user guide). Works great for everything riding-related Iāve been videoing. I have kept with āSurf & Turf Mode (Green)ā for the Tilt Setting.
The tag can warm-up ANYWHEREā¦doesnāt need to be in the area where youāll record. This is a huge time-savings for me. I turn the tag on & place it with a view of the sky while Iām tacking up. Then, itās all ready to pair & I just carry it out to the arena with everything else. Way easier/better than waiting to turn it on once Iām at the arena & still having to wait the 8min. This way, my setup really is only ~2min - set up camera/base/tripod, pair tag. Bam. Done.
Iāve got everything stuffed in a Timbuktu laptop bag (think I mentioned that in a different post) and thatās working great. I like that I can just toss the strap over my head & ride to the arena with the bag on me (āhands-freeā), when Iām going to our big arena out back that is aways away.
Had a great time playing with it when I went to a XC weekend away. I realized (but only after watching the footage) that the best spot to place the base would have been on a far edge so that I rode all out in āfrontā. I had it kind of in the middle (thinking that would keep it closer), but it wasnāt a great view & caused the issue above (rode by too close). Regardless, itās awesome having the footage & it did great following me as we played around. Wish it was something you could pick up, move, and start again quickly - I didnāt try that. Just set it up at whatever complex I expected weād spend the most time at for the lesson.
Think thatās all the updates for now. Anyone else having new insights?
AND POST VIDEOS! I will as soon as I have them uploadedā¦
The only real trouble Iām having is getting the centering right, with that left-right play in the base.
I have emailed customer service about my uploading and pairing issues, and theyāve been great. They want me to send back my camera controller so they can check it out, but I donāt really want to because Iām in Australia and it will take weeks before I get it back!
But, it seems to be working. Iāve been following some training stuff with my horse so have been using it pretty much for every ride lately.
LOL! I keep seeing āsoloshotā and thinking you are using the self-destructing single-use needles that we use in public health! Yes, Iāve been in Haiti 18 years and Rip Van Winkle-itis is setting inā¦
Has anyone locked their SoloShot to a stationary object, so that they can leave it in a public area unattended? Curious how thatās goneā¦
Contacted SoloShot customer service and (as per usual) they quickly replied and told me what was needed (Kensington lock to connect the Base to your camera; āwrenchā tool included to lock the Base to your tripod; bike lock to [somehow?] lock your tripod to the fence/stationary object). It all makes sense, but Iām wondering how it works in āreal lifeāā¦ Surfers seem to be doing it, but I havenāt found any pictures/instructions from anyone.
Going to a horse show this weekend on my own, so would love to set up my SoloShot in the bleachers by the show arena and be able to leave it unattended (locked) while I tack up, ride (and thus get video of my rounds!), and untack.
In āotherā news, I canāt say how much I love my SoloShot!!! My young gelding and I are improving - and much of it is because I can go home after my lessons and watch again and again (Iām a very visual learner). Still plenty of room for improvement on our part, but hereās a recent course - with fantastic panning, framing/zoom, and my camera even captured some of the sound across our huge outdoor arena:
https://youtu.be/mBR1NHyYG0c
(too bad YouTube totally botches the upload quality - gets blurry once uploaded vs the quality of the original from my cameraā¦cāest la vie)
I was tempted to set mine up at a dressage comp, but mineās still hit and miss with pairing with the tag, so I couldnāt be bothered.
The only thing I havenāt tried is having the tag underneath clothing. Has anyone tried this yet??
The other thing about having it set up a distance from the arena is how many people are going to plonk themselves in front of it?? So blocking the camera??
How would you go about setting it up like that? Would you do all the pairing etc, and leave the tag somewhere so the base keeps ālooking at itā. Go get your horse, retrieve the tag and off you go??
[QUOTE=flight;8270297]
The only thing I havenāt tried is having the tag underneath clothing. Has anyone tried this yet??
The other thing about having it set up a distance from the arena is how many people are going to plonk themselves in front of it?? So blocking the camera??
How would you go about setting it up like that? Would you do all the pairing etc, and leave the tag somewhere so the base keeps ālooking at itā. Go get your horse, retrieve the tag and off you go??[/QUOTE]
I am going to try ācoloringā my tag with a black sharpie, turn it so the tag itself is on the inside of my arm (so the white isnāt as obvious on the outside of my arm over the jacket), or maybe try to attached/clip it somehow to my show number. We shall seeā¦ Itās a schooling show, so hopefully it wonāt be so obvious itās distracting. I did see a post online from Soloshot saying that the tag can function under a ālightā layer of fabric - so might play with that too.
Iām hoping I can find a spot that is high enough to get a good view of the arena but also not right where someone would sit in front of it. Considering making a small sign saying āhey! Iām helping video Mom while Dad is home taking care of the kiddoā¦please let me do my job and give me space to get a clear viewā or something like that for anyone that gets nosy. 
I donāt know what the setup is like until I get there, but possibly bleachers so I could put it at the top against a back fence, or near a tree in a spot folks wouldnāt likely be sitting.
At home, I turn on the tag to warm up when Iām tacking up so it can get its GPS signal, then carry it with me when I go off to the arena to setup the base, etc. I will probably do the same at the show, then set up & lock the base, then keep the tag with me or stash it somewhere near the warm-up arena where I can grab it once Iām tacked up. Iāve gone for a cool-out trail ride with the tag on me and been 1/2 a mile away from the base after a ride, and the base/camera tracked me the whole way & recorded just fine when I was back in view. So far, the battery has lasted plenty of time - as long as I have it fully charged first!
Will report back after the weekendā¦still need to play with the locks I got to be sure itās a setup that I feel will be safe enough. We shall see!
I talked to a TD last weekend about using a soloshot to video rides at a competition. In short, the concern TDs have is ensuring that nobody is being ācoachedā during their ride. The TD I spoke with suggested NOT trying to wear it on the outside of your jacket as the judge was likely to stop you. Weāve done OK with the tag inside of a breech pocket at home, but not under a coat.
My thought was to put the tag in my coat pocket, but Iām concerned about it flipping around. I did see that SoloShot now has a waistband thingee to hold the tag around your waist instead of your arm. That might work.
Given that I routinely leave my purse/wallet/credit cards in the tack room at shows, I guess I wouldnāt worry too much about leaving my soloshot by the arena. I would just put a sign on asking people not to move it or to stand in front of it. I actually had someone at my barn stop in front of it while it was recording me at home to look at how it worked 
Do any of you have any trouble getting the zoom setting switched? Based on the user manual, LED 3 should be orange when on the tightest setting, but Iām pretty sure itās still on the medium setting based on the area in the camera view.
[QUOTE=Belair;8287587]
Do any of you have any trouble getting the zoom setting switched? Based on the user manual, LED 3 should be orange when on the tightest setting, but Iām pretty sure itās still on the medium setting based on the area in the camera view.[/QUOTE]
Youāll probably have to do a test of both the medium and the tightest setting to see if there is a difference. I donāt remember the actual width of each setting, but itās on the website somewhere.
I was curious, the frame width varies in surf and turf mode from 80 to 50 to 30 feet. So, on the tightest setting the width of the frame should be 30 feet which isnāt really that tight, but itās still better than begging DH to come video me.
[QUOTE=atlatl;8271100]
I talked to a TD last weekend about using a soloshot to video rides at a competition. In short, the concern TDs have is ensuring that nobody is being ācoachedā during their ride. The TD I spoke with suggested NOT trying to wear it on the outside of your jacket as the judge was likely to stop you. Weāve done OK with the tag inside of a breech pocket at home, but not under a coat.
My thought was to put the tag in my coat pocket, but Iām concerned about it flipping around. I did see that SoloShot now has a waistband thingee to hold the tag around your waist instead of your arm. That might work.[/QUOTE]
Wondering if you could add some kind of thin fabric pocket to your saddle pad to put the tag in. I havenāt tried mine under clothing yet (because I havenāt had to schooling at home), but that might take out some of the interference/flopping from a jacket. Heck, if you have a sheepskin pad on, you might even be able to tuck it up in the sheepskin somehow so a judge doesnāt notice.
Or, if youāre fashionably inclined, maybe make some kind of necklace/stocktie arrangement with the tag. Thatās fashion, right?
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