LOOK AFTER YOU LEAP - BLOUKRANS BUNGEE VIDEO SYSTEM GETS AN UPGRADE

If dodging mini-bus taxis doesn’t get your pulse up, then plunging down the world's highest commercial bungee, at Bloukrans in the Eastern Cape, might do the trick. At 216m – the length of two rugby fields – it’s pretty daunting. But, at least it’s all over in only 20 seconds. Fortunately, Face Adrenalin films the fearless lemmings who hurl themselves off the bridge, so they can relive the moment as often as they like.

In the old days a blurry image and a muted howl was good enough to prove – “I did it!” Not so these days. Clients, or should that be mad daredevils, have become rather picky about video quality – they want to relive the moment in its full HD glory. So this year Face Adrenalin asked Ian Thornhill, of Videquip, to upgrade their video recording system to HD quality. Videquip, who started trading in 1974, is an established supplier of broadcast and audio visual product, and an on-going supplier to Face Adrenalin. “We have been supplying the bridge with various systems for the last 12 years. We have an intimate knowledge of the bridge workings which was a huge advantage in designing the system”, said Ian.

The installation was done in two phases. In the first phase, which began on 27 May, a single mode fibre network was installed to five points. The video equipment upgrade was started on 27 June, with Ian coming up with the innovative solution of opting for security cameras - TBT’s (Three Brain Technology) HD-SDI unitised dome surveillance cameras.

Installing equipment on a 216m bridge presents unique challenges, especially since Ian and his team had to do so whilst the bridge was operating as normal. “We had to walk all the equipment out along a 1.2m wide catwalk half-a-kilometre down the bridge, in the freezing winter wind”, said Ian. Because the bridge is far from any major town it was imperative that all equipment and tools, as well as any contingencies, were planned for. “In spite of the extremes of distance and weather we loved the challenge of designing and seeing this project through to a complete working state,” enthused Ian.

So, if you’re up for it, go and jump off Bloukrans Bridge – and walk away with a permanent HD record of your moment of glory courtesy of Face Adrenalin and Videquip.

• Panasonic Broadcast cameras

• TBT HD-SDI surveillance cameras

• Kramer cables, connectors and twisted pair product

• Blackmagic Design switchers and converters

• Lenovo PCs

• ComNet fibre equipment

• Natal Video engineered brackets