Behind the scenes shots from NASCAR 2000 in Miami, November 10-12, 2000

Shots over the shoulder of the person watching the in-car camera video for quality.   With partly cloudy weather, things like the camera iris setting had to be changed constantly.  The green scopes above are waveform for video amplitude and a vector scope for color accuracy.   Each car has 3 cameras, roof forward, bumper facing rear, and an inside camera that can be rotated 360 degrees and up and down.   All of this is controlled from inside this truck using telemetry on 450 MHz.   The video goes up from the car to a repeater mounted on a  helicopter at 3000' then back down to the truck.   All of that on 2 or 2.5 GHz.   8 cars can be chosen by the director at any second.  ATV hams take note... does any of this trigger any ideas?

Two of the trucks in the TV compound.  Left:  902 MHz telemetry from the cars for speed, RPM and brake pressure.    Right:  Two way repeaters for video production.

Satellite uplinks in the TV compound.  From here to NBC in NY.   The Grandstands in the background.

Power distribution.   All the trucks are on generator, just in case.   Look at how neatly the power cables are laid.   Power also comes from the building on the right.   That's the only permanent building in the TV compound.

Here are all the camera, video and audio cables going underground to points all over the complex.   How would you like to clean up this mess Sunday night?   By next Wednesday it has to be set up in the next city.

Outside of the video trucks.  The sides expand to give more room inside.  Cables come in and out under the gray covered tent.

Camera stands up on the roof of the grandstand building.

So I'm not the only one with a Sony Mavica Camera.  These are the in-car telemetry and GPS experts.

7 GHz Microwave receivers to get the video from the roving cameras in the Pit Area.  A monitor under the hood lets the aimer make sure he's got a good signal.   

This receiver follows the helicopter that's getting the over head video.   This operates on 2.5 GHz, FM.   These shots used to be done with blimps since they move very little, but now, thanks to new lens technology, they can do shots from fixed wing planes and helicopters. 

From the highest roof looking down on the air conditioners, cameras, start/finish line, pits, garage, team truck parking and the lake.  

The public area and parking.  How would you like to find your car here?

The microwave tracking the helicopter circling the track

A typical camera location.   Think about how quickly he has to swing around the camera when the leader passes underneath.