PHOEN$X NSXPO 2012 memories

[PHOEN$X]

I would like to thank the NSXO 2012 organizers, sponsors, attendees, NSXCA officers, members, and friends for making this unforgettable event possible. I'm sorry I was unable to stay for the entire event, but I enjoyed meeting and talking with many of you, and I appreciate your friendship and camaraderie.

This was my fourth NSXPO, and my first time driving in Colorado. You have some gorgeous jaw dropping scenery and roads! I will be back.

Videos: (Special thanks to my friend Ivan (Boofster on s2ki) for lending me his GoPro HD cameras for this trip)

1. Drive from Phoenix to Boulder, Colorado
<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JQ1WI2EsfSM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

2. Ride the Rockies drive to Estes Park (Stanley Hotel)
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GUeFSP89BC4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

3. Long afternoon drive
<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2sXTEzPeOOA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

4. Drive home
<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/B3eu7T5oxAs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

5. NSXs rolling into Stanley Hotel (raw footage)
<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ix1P8UQ7h_o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Photos:

LBBP & Monte Carlo Blue

Additional/bonus content: (raw video footage from Cortez to Boulder taken with my Canon A1100is digital camera showcasing spectacular Colorado scenery)
<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FWXemNtiQG4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SarzWbpUdRs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yUo7OzZDCNE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6WekD4HWDho" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cIcA8AwY0YI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[blue_myriddn]

Very cool, thanks for sharing the footage! A few question/comments on the video:

1) Is it possible to speed up/slow down various sections?
For example - the speed on the highway scenes is great but the windy roads through the mountains get a bit chaotic when you view them at that blazing speed. I hit pause a few times and really got to appreciate the roads. You may want to set some sections at hyper speed and other sections at lower speeds for a more dramatic effect.

2) What software did you use and what were the file sizes?
I have tried to create a video similar to that using footage recorded from an iPod touch and it was pretty much an utter fail. On my computer the footage looks great, but it is also 300+ MB. Wondering if the goPro makes all the difference of if the problem exists between the keyboard and the chair.

3) How much flexibility do you have with the angle of the goPro? In the second section (dash view rather than over the shoulder) there is about 60% sky and 40% road, are you able to tilt it down to capture more of the road and less sky? I kind of felt like I was looking up the whole time

 

[PHOEN$X]

blue, this was my first time using a GoPro so I'm pretty much a noob at this, but I'll attempt to answer your questions as best as I can.

1. The video is comprised of photos taken at intermittent intervals which were then stitched together using Microsoft Live Movie Maker. The first portion of the video (in cabin) were photos taken at 10 second intervals. The second part of the video (dash location) were taken at 5 second intervals. I configured Movie Maker to display each of the first shots for .10 seconds on the screen, and the second shots for .05 seconds each. Yes I could have gone through and set different display times for different shots, but that would have been more time consuming and I wanted to get this done and posted while the event is still fresh in people's minds (plus I have lots more photos and videos to process!).

2. The GoPro photo resolution was set at 5MP (it's capable of taking up to 11MP), and the resulting video from Microsoft Live Movie Maker ended up being 800MB (in .wmv format). I had to split the video into 4 different jobs as MS Live Movie Maker is a 32bit application and chokes if it tries to use more than 2GB of memory at a time. It was a time consuming and labor intensive task but I didn't want to pay for commercial software at this time.

3. The Panavise mount that the GoPro was housed in is completely flexible. I played with it some, but without an external monitor (which you can buy separately) it's difficult to get a perfect angle. I didn't want to have too much road as I wanted to be able to capture all the mountains, and I was in a hurry to get to Boulder before dark so I set it at what I thought would be a decent angle.

Now back to processing more footage and shots.

 

[blue_myriddn]

From one noob to another, thanks for the answers! Based on your output though, I believe I may be sub-noob

 

[MrTwo]

PHOEN$X,

It was great meeting you! Thanks for keeping me company at the car wash

 

[docjohn]

I like the stiched vid..btw Kelvin did that detecter save you? and how did it perform? reason I ask is they always say to mount it higher so I wonder how it did on the dash.

 

[latzke]

I don't remember meeting you...and intended to. Which person was you? Maybe reference picture from those taken by RSO or such.

 

[nsxtasy]

I don't remember meeting you...and intended to. Which person was you? Maybe reference picture from those taken by RSO or such.

On the right in the second photo in this post. Oh wait, that's you Craig! :biggrin:

Kelvin's standing in front of his blue NSX in the last photo here.

Kelvin, it was great to see you again - sorry you couldn't stay for the whole thing, but at least you were there!

 

[latzke]

Aah, so I did meet you Kelvin...excellent...just didn't connect you with the screen name.

Thanks, Ken.

 

[PHOEN$X]

PHOEN$X,

It was great meeting you! Thanks for keeping me company at the car wash

You too buddy! I hope you had a safe trip home to Dallas.

did that detecter save you? and how did it perform? reason I ask is they always say to mount it higher so I wonder how it did on the dash.

It worked flawlessly! I could not be more pleased.

it was great to see you again - sorry you couldn't stay for the whole thing, but at least you were there!

Me too Ken, I'm really sorry I missed your tribute, but I look forward to seeing you again!

Aah, so I did meet you

Yes, it was a pleasure meeting you Craig. Thanks for everything!

 

[PHOEN$X]

UPDATE: I've updated the first post and added my video for the Ride the Rockies drive on Friday, 9/14. Thanks to Enkrypted for info on creating the sped up video. I also shot angles from within the cabin and at the back of the car (on top of the trunk) but don't have time to do any editing right now.

 

[PHOEN$X]

For those of you not aware, my beautiful MCB NSX was hit during NSXPO after the Friday afternoon drive, which was the reason I decided to leave early and come home so that I could get an estimate for the repair ASAP.

The circumstances of the accident (which was pretty minor) are as follows. I, along with three other NSXs, had stopped at a gas station to check another owner's car where we had smelled smoke coming from the engine bay earlier. As we were looking at that car and talking, a Ford F350 truck towing a Dune Chaser trailer entered the gas station and scraped my rear passenger bumper/fender. Thankfully the damage does not appear extensive, and the other party's insurance company (Allstate) has accepted liability. I think the most upsetting part of the process for me was when I took my NSX to Allstate's inspection appointment, and the lady who looked at my car scraped my paint with her long fake fingernails while claiming that the damage would buff out. She then dragged her tush across my leather bolster to get my mileage reading, and I winced several times as she pulled out her tape measure (with camera and uncapped pen in hand no less) for I feared she was going to damage my paint further.

Below are a few photos taken at the scene. Needless to say, I was disappointed as I was looking forward to entering my NSX in the concourse and participating in the remaining NSXPO events.

I'm taking my car to a well reputed high end body shop next week for repair, so hopefully this will just be a bad memory very soon.

 

[docjohn]

Oh man I know exactly what kind of funk that must have put you intne moment all's right with the world,the next....:frown: You gotta wonder if that bozack driver new he was close and too lazy to stop and ask you to move it...or had other ideas

 

[jorligan]

K
All will be as new and the best part is that the fender didn't get creased, just the bumper cover. Till Next Time

 

[Sleek]

Thats a bummer, something that big SHOULD have done more damage. Thankfully not the case. Pretty much cosmetic damage, better the bumper getting the blow more so then your 1/4. Just make sure they clear to your door jamb and not a spot blend. None the less a drag for that to happen.

 

[Coconut]

Oh man, sorry to hear about your accident. Good thing the damage is relatively minor. That trailer could've done some serious damage even at low speed.

It's hard to tell from the pictures but the quarter panel doesn't look to be dented. If it is dented have the body shop get a good PDR guy to fix it, that way they don't use bondo. Do you know if the bodyshop will repaint the entire bumper or just paint that corner and blend it in? Also, if I were you I'd try to get the insurance to pay for a full paint correction (polish).

2 years ago a guy hit my Lexus IS250 while I was parked. Dented both driver side doors and part of the rear quarter panel. He was 100% at fault. I already knew what body shop I was taking my car to and I knew from prior experience that most bodyshops even the high end ones won't do a good job polishing the newly painted part. They just do a quick 1-2 step correction with a large rotary buffer. After the first few washes you'll see the holograms leftover by the rotary hack job. Knowing this I argued with the inspector and I demanded an additional $600 to have my trusted detailer do a full paint correction after the bodyshop was done with it. They agreed and cut me a check. It also helped that I showed them a receipt for a $600 paint correction that I had done 2 years prior to the accident.

 

[shawn110975]

in the second video, at 7:55 we all pulled over, you see my black nsx pull up talk to you then pull up do a 3 point turn around and then take off like a bat outta hell to catch the other group that had that Supra.

very cool vid PHOEN$X thanks for sharing

 

[4cruizn]

Great videos, Kelvin! Loved watching these - it's the next best thing to actually being there in the passenger seat to enjoy these roads. I look forward to seeing the two videos that are still pending. If you get a minute, I'd like to know the details on the soundtrack for video #2. Cool tunes.

 

[PHOEN$X]

I'm still working on the other videos! Work has been crazy the past few days. Info for the soundtracks are available on the youtube pages, please let me know if there are any other questions.

 

[PHOEN$X]

FYI, I've updated my first post with additional videos and photos.

I also got my car back from Elwood Body Works yesterday, and am satisfied with the repair. Here are a couple of pics.

 

[nsxtasy]

Looks terrific!

 

[4cruizn]

Kelvin, Elwood did an incredible job. Car looks brand new. Also thanks again for sharing your great pics from NSXPO.

 

[PHOEN$X]

Thanks guys!

 

[MrTwo]

The repair looks perfect! Glad to hear everything worked out.