I am wanting to build a cable camera and just curious of the pro's and con's of different types of configurations.

You wouldn't like to flesh this out a bit, just to give us poor amateurs a bit to work with now, would you?

Simple things like how heavy a rig, how long a run, what motors you're running - you know, all that boring stuff that tells simple folks like us what you're trying to achieve here.

It's the New Year, and most folks Crystal Balls are plain out of batteries, go on, give us a break!


CS

I plan on using aircraft cable either 1/8" or 3/16" with a 500' span. For the trolley that rides across the cable i plan on propelling it from an anchor point with a cable that works like a belt drive from the two anchor points. I don't want it to weigh more than 50 pounds with camera and head on it.

woaw, 500' with a 1/8 or even 3/16 cable it is very ambitious.
i am not even sure it is possible.
either the cable is used relaxed, then it is bending in the middle, or you can get it stretched to keep it straight as much as possible.
in the last case, force exerced on the cable will be huge (for a 500' cable)
if you keep it relaxed, on such distance, any smallest wind will shake everything.

and anyway remote control motorized sled would be better, you will be able to master speed a much better way.

you can get an idea of cable behavior here
Find reactions for cable (http://courses.cit.cornell.edu/arch264/calculators/example1.3/index.html)

and if you need some data for the cable
Aircraft Cable Galvanized & Stainless Steel, Nylon & Vinyl Coated Cable, Cablelaid, & Strand | WorldWide Enterprises, Inc. (http://www.wwewirerope.com/aircraftcable/)

i would use a single strand but don't know how they propel them like garret browns flycam?

it is darn easy and cheap to make a simple DC motor (about $30) with small reduction and a cheap bi-directional PWM controller (about $25).
just add a li-ion battery (14.4V) and a cheap RC remote control.
you pinch the cable between 2 plastic wheel (slightly off axis of cable path) and that's all.

forgot to put some links
Bidirectional DC Motor Speed Controller Electronic Kit (http://www.hobbyengineering.com/H1742.html)

http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/sto...SEARCH%252BNAV

I received today the PWM controller, takes 30 min to solder components, wired one of the motor above. Perfect match.
With 2 sets you can even make a pan/tilt head.
with a cheap 3 channel remote control and 3 servos attached to the potentiometer, you can have total control, wireless.
but if the camera is small, you just need 2 powerful jumbo servos (about $40 each, less expensive than a motor/controller set) to directly drive the pan/tilt.

Are there any websites with pictures and information on different systems?