GoPro control/remote
 

For those that are using a GoPro camera mounted out of reach, how are you controlling it? I lost a strong hookup at the weekend due to screwing around trying to get the camera working.

I know there are options: the GoPro remote, the iPhone app, even the Apple Watch but there seem to be pros and cons to each, especially if you're trying to preserve precious camera battery life.

For example, all 3 need wifi to be switched on on the camera. Unavoidable.

The iPhone app can switch on/wake up the camera, so that preserves some battery on the camera, but now when you hook a fish you have to wake up the phone and, because it's in a waterproof baggie/holder, have to enter the iPhone password instead of fingerprint. Then operate the app to wake up the camera and eventually start recording.

The Apple Watch can operate the GoPro but it seems that you have to keep the camera switched on, so that's draining even more battery than wifi alone, but the watch doesn't need to be unlocked/need a password.

I just bought the "Bacpac" extended battery and I'm thinking it might be easier to just leave the GoPro on and filming. I can get 3 hours at a time this way without any fish loss. With a 2nd battery I can cover a typical LJ trip.

Any operational tips from anyone?


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Following. I just picked up a bacpac as well, and a 128gb micro sd card.

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I use the remote. I thought it would be fine using the app on the phone but phone and saltwater don't mix. So I keep my phone in a dry bag seal and that makes it to much trouble to get to and operate.

The remote is so much easier.

I use the remote and yes the WiFi has to be on. If it's been on for 4 hours the battery life will have been shortened, so if you try and video 40 minutes or more, the battery will run out. It happened to me and I missed the video of a large Thresher up against the side of my Revo with the tail up next to me and out of the water by several feet. That would have been such an awesome shot!

I have used my phone to active or sometimes if I know Im in an area thats fishy, I'll turn it on to try and capture the hookup. The majority of the time I just reach back and manually turn on the camera.

Here are some of the videos that I've made in the past.

With the newer model you can start and stop recording with voice commands. I find it to be very convenient and then I don't need to keep on wifi and Bluetooth so the battery lasts longer.

When I had a camera rig in AZ, I used the wifi remote (pinned to my vest) to control the camera, and the phone app only for view finding and initial positioning. Albeit, I didn't use the camera nearly as much as I should have, but for the time I did, this setup seemed to work ok.

Thanks for the info everyone. I'm going to dig out the remote and retry it. I was favoring geekier tech solutions like iPhones and watches but I think going back to basics is the answer. And a bigger battery [emoji3]


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In the real world I totally agree, but while out on the water...meh...

Don't use the remote, its not water proof what so ever. I babied that thing on my first trip. I kept it completely dry but it was a sunny day and somehow evaporation must've led to water condensing on the inside of the remote screen and destroying it. Never had it anywhere close to water... Warranty was voided for this scenario.

Get your fish under control then inch your way to your gopro and turn it on.