DIYCam

So, it's current year and you intend to go to a protest.

Police will be present, and so you want to be able to record their activities for the protection of yourself and others.

However, having a hand occupied with your phone at all times leaves you quite vulnerable to attacks. You want to be able to defend yourself if needed. What's a protestor on a budget to do?

DIY body cams, that's what.

Materials you'll need:

-A cheap USB webcam (the cheaper the better, damage is probable out in the field)

-An Android smartphone (I tested this on a Galaxy S9+, but as long as it's made within the last few years there's no reason it wouldn't work.)
(Sorry Iphone users, I don't know how to do this for you.)

-A file browser app for your phone.

-An adapter cable between USB type A female (the kind of port on your laptops and computers) and whatever connector is on the charging port for your phone (usually Micro-USB or USB-C)

-Some way to attach the camera to your body. (When in doubt, duct tape)


Instructions:

1. Ensure your phone is set to never go to sleep automatically. This is going to wreak havoc on your battery life, but if your phone goes to sleep the recording will stop.
   If your phone has on-screen buttons for home/back/recent apps, see if you can make them hide themselves without swiping up from the bottom in order to prevent them accidentally being pressed.

2. Download the app at this link or some equivalent https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=infinitegra.app.usbcamera
   It doesn't ask for permissions it doesn't need, and there's no ads.

3. Connect your camera to your phone. It's normal for it to not react.

4. Open the app. It might ask you for something weird like "Allow *app name* access to null?"
   Your phone doesn't know what to call the camera you've plugged into it. Allow access.

5. Confirm that you get an image from the attached camera.

6. Attach the camera using whatever means are available or preferable to you to your body, facing forward. The closer it can get to your actual line of sight, the better.
   Mounting it on a helmet is a strong idea. Adjust as needed to get the desired picture.

7. Before entering a dangerous situation you'll want to open the app you chose and hit the 'record video' button. Pay attention to where it says it will save the file, it may not be immediately visible on your gallery.
   For the app linked, it saves it by default to /DCIM/usbcamera/ and the filename is usbcamera(TIME WHEN RECORDING STARTED).mp4 Put your phone somewhere safe *without putting it to sleep.*


Notes:

Webcams have a pretty distinct shape, but if you want to you can cover the activity light or if you're feeling confident dismantle it and disable it yourself.

If your app does not save the video in such a way that it's visible from your gallery, make *sure* you know where it saves so you can access it later.

It's actually better if it doesn't save to your gallery, because it means a cursory look at your pictures won't reveal that you've taken video.

If you have an extra phone without a SIM card, use that and make sure all wireless connectivity is turned off. If your phone is on, it's tracking you.

You'll have to plan your cable routing carefully, because having it hanging out is a recipe for disaster. Hide it under your clothes.