# Turn your Contour Roam into a Contour Roam 2.



## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

Picked up one of the Contour Roams on Amazon (the watersports kit version) and I've liked it so far, but I wanted better, so I modded the stock firmware to record 720p @ 60fps (versus the stock recording of 720p @ 30fps).

Messing around, and comparing the differences between the Roam 1 and Roam 2, I came across someone who figured out that the stock firmware for the Roam 2 works on the Roam 1!

Here's a link to it, but I'm also going to copy-pasta it in case Amazon removes it. Contour Roam 2 FW on Roam 1

I haven't yet done it, but I am doing so right when I get home. The problem with modding the stock Roam 1 firmware is that you have to use a really old firmware, without all the mic improvements and such.

It seems the Roam 1 and 2 are either the same camera, or extremely close. I think the Roam 2 uses a better lens, but that might be all that's different.

I'll be doing this tonight, so if anyone is nervous about trying it, I'll report back my results.

Here's the post, in case Amazon removes it:



> Hey friends,
> 
> I found a way to install the Roam2 Firmware to the Roam1. Now you have all Roam2 features on the old Roam1
> 
> ...


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## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

Hey, it works.

Super simple, the only thing different than manually upgrading the normal firmware, was renaming the ContourRoam2.bin to ContourRoam.bin.

No reason not to do this 

:EDIT:

Noticed it no longer records in the ridiculous Quicktime format, and now records in mp4.










Also has new Lighting options


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## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

Have you made any videos with the new settings? 

When you replayed them and/or edited them, are they really in 60fps?

Sounds too good to be true and when something is....

(But I've downloaded the bin file just in case!)


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## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

Yes and yes.

Everything seems to be working.

Verified 60fps in Sony Vegas and you can tell from looking at it, it gives a much cleaner and crisper look.

I'm a member of the club that maintains the local trails, so I'm making "tour" videos for anyone interested in seeing our trails, and here's one I made with the Contour ROAM2 firmware. It was heavily overcast, so I set it to "overcast" in the settings.






Sent from my XT912 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


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## Dictatorsaurus (Sep 11, 2009)

Is there a direct link to download the Roam2 firmware Bin file?


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## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

Dictatorsaurus said:


> Is there a direct link to download the Roam2 firmware Bin file?


CONTOUR | Firmware - ContourROAM2 (v2.16)


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## Dictatorsaurus (Sep 11, 2009)

Didn't work for me.

I'm coming from ContourRoam Firmware V1.11. When I installed the ContourRoam2 firmware, when I move the record slider, the camera keeps beeping and does not record. Can you guys please share the original ContourRoam FW_RTC.txt file?


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## Oakeshott (Nov 1, 2012)

According to this article, the mod only works for version 1.01.

How to Mod a Contour Roam to 60Fps - wikiHow


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## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

Dictatorsaurus said:


> Didn't work for me.
> 
> I'm coming from ContourRoam Firmware V1.11. When I installed the ContourRoam2 firmware, when I move the record slider, the camera keeps beeping and does not record. Can you guys please share the original ContourRoam FW_RTC.txt file?


I certainly can, but it'll be tomorrow, I'm not home tonight.

If you press the reset button, that'll get you back up and running.

If you want to try again, downgrade to the ROAM1 1.01 firmware, and then try again. Maybe they locked it with the newer firmware. I was on 1.01 with the 60fps mode when I went to the ROAM2 firmware.



Oakeshott said:


> According to this article, the mod only works for version 1.01.
> 
> How to Mod a Contour Roam to 60Fps - wikiHow


I'm not talking about the mod, I'm talking about loading the firmware for the ROAM2 on the ROAM1.

I promise you both it works, and all the additional features seem to work fine as well. It seems the only difference between the ROAM1 and 2 is the 2 has a slide lock for the record slide and has a better mic.

Sent from my XT912 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


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## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

Well I'll be... that was easy. I upgraded directly from the v1.11 ROAM software and now have all the options for the ROAM2 (which is what Storyteller recognizes the cam as now). I guess that means I have to do some test vids to optimize the settings. Anyone know what they were for the ROAM? Mine worked pretty darn well in most light conditions before this, so I'll start with the defaults and go from there.



Oakeshott said:


> According to this article, the mod only works for version 1.01.
> 
> How to Mod a Contour Roam to 60Fps - wikiHow


Nope, not true at all. As I said, I went from v1.11 to ROAM2 v2.16 directly. Piece of cake.

But be careful now on long rides. 60fps uses 1gb for every 7 minutes of video vs 1gb every 15 mins with 30 fps.

And what the hell is with the stretched out page width??


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## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

skiahh said:


> Well I'll be... that was easy. I upgraded directly from the v1.11 ROAM software and now have all the options for the ROAM2 (which is what Storyteller recognizes the cam as now). I guess that means I have to do some test vids to optimize the settings. Anyone know what they were for the ROAM? Mine worked pretty darn well in most light conditions before this, so I'll start with the defaults and go from there.
> 
> Nope, not true at all. As I said, I went from v1.11 to ROAM2 v2.16 directly. Piece of cake.
> 
> ...


Glad it worked!

Stretched out page width?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD


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## KonaCC (Jun 7, 2013)

This has stuffed my camera up bad. I've come from the v1.11 update and all my camera does now if I press the record or status button is have the SD card LED flash red and do nothing.

I urgently need the camera for Monday and have tried everything to get it working again to no avail, anybody any ideas? Could somebody please upload the original FW_RTC.txt file? I'm hoping this will allow it to accept the previous firmware again.


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## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

KonaCC said:


> This has stuffed my camera up bad. I've come from the v1.11 update and all my camera does now if I press the record or status button is have the SD card LED flash red and do nothing.
> 
> I urgently need the camera for Monday and have tried everything to get it working again to no avail, anybody any ideas? Could somebody please upload the original FW_RTC.txt file? I'm hoping this will allow it to accept the previous firmware again.


Format the SD card.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD


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## KonaCC (Jun 7, 2013)

Funny enough I did that just after I posted! Success. Thought I'd already tried it before, but hadn't waited for the yellow SD card light to appear.

Now works and the settings look great, thanks.

NB: To anyone else having the same problem, you must format the card using the camera (small pinhole button under the SD card slot), it won't work it you format it on your computer. Hold it down for around 10 seconds until the yellow SD led appears.


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## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

KonaCC said:


> Funny enough I did that just after I posted! Success. Thought I'd already tried it before, but hadn't waited for the yellow SD card light to appear.
> 
> Now works and the settings look great, thanks.
> 
> NB: To anyone else having the same problem, you must format the card using the camera (small pinhole button under the SD card slot), it won't work it you format it on your computer. Hold it down for around 10 seconds until the yellow SD led appears.


Awesome!

Glad you got it figured out 

Sent from my XT912 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


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## bankshot (Jun 8, 2013)

Hi all,

I came across this thread the other day and just registered so I could share my experiences so far.

I have two Contour ROAMs which I just purchased this week (good price on Amazon), so I decided to test out this firmware upgrade. I loaded the ROAM2 firmware on one of them and ran a few quick comparison tests.

Holding both cameras in the same hand, I just walked around my back yard for a few minutes and then into the house. For the ROAM1 firmware, I left it on ContourHD (720p/30). For the ROAM2, I did the following in my 3 tests:


ActionHD (720p/60), Center Metering
ActionHD (720p/60), Average Metering
ContourHD (720p/30), Center Metering

Sound levels were set the same in both (mic sensitivity 34).

My observations so far:

ActionHD is indeed 60fps
The ROAM2 firmware does significantly worse indoors. After walking inside the house, everything was much darker compared to the ROAM1. This was true across all 3 tests (I was hoping that changing those settings might alleviate the problem, but no).
Background noise is filtered out much more on the ROAM2 firmware. I didn't get enough sound in my tests to really say whether both picked up "desired" sounds equally well.
ActionHD (60fps) on the ROAM2 was about 11.9 mbit/s, or about 11.5 minutes per gigabyte - better than the advertised 7 min/gb.
ContourHD (30fps) on the ROAM1 was 10.8 mbit/sec, or about 12.6 min/gb.
ContourHD (30fps) on the ROAM2 firmware was about 9.9 mbit/sec (13.8 min/gb).
The ROAM2 firmware consistently started recording about 1/2 to 1 second faster than ROAM1.

I haven't had a chance to test and compare 1080p modes, but I would expect similar results to what I saw in the two ContourHD modes.

If it weren't for the indoor / low light performance issue with the ROAM2 firmware, I would definitely go with it for everything. As it is, though, I'm torn. I haven't had a chance to take these cameras out on any rides yet (that's next) so I don't know if the low light performance will even be an issue outdoors (shadows etc) or if there will be plenty of light as long as I'm recording in the day time.

I could also try adjusting other lighting settings on ROAM2 (particularly bumping up exposure), but I assume that would wash out any bright light recordings. I will try to report back with any other findings.

Thanks to whoever it was that originally discovered this trick. :thumbsup:


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## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

bankshot said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I came across this thread the other day and just registered so I could share my experiences so far.
> 
> ...


Awesome input!

Did you notice the lighting settings under the ROAM2 firmware? There's an indoor setting. Did you give that a try?

Sent from my XT912 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

Worked like a champ- upgraded my ROAM with 1.11 firmware on it (that I bought from Amazon a couple years ago for ~$75!).

I'm going to try some actionHD today on the trails and see what happens.

Thanks for posting all the excellent info!!!


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

Dictatorsaurus said:


> Didn't work for me.
> 
> I'm coming from ContourRoam Firmware V1.11. When I installed the ContourRoam2 firmware, when I move the record slider, the camera keeps beeping and does not record. Can you guys please share the original ContourRoam FW_RTC.txt file?


You need to reformat the SD card. Then it works fine. Had to do this with both of my Roams.


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

One thing I've found running 720p/60 fps "Action HD" mode: let the camera run a few seconds longer (than you typically would with the Roam v1 firmware) before turning it off. A couple of awesome videos ended up a bit too brief :/


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

edubfromktown said:


> One thing I've found running 720p/60 fps "Action HD" mode: let the camera run a few seconds longer (than you typically would with the Roam v1 firmware) before turning it off. A couple of awesome videos ended up a bit too brief :/


I have not noticed that, but I tend to let the cameras run a bit long in the first place.

My Roam2 does seem to take longer to start recording than my Roam1s (with the R2 firmware).


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## AMDPhenomX4 (Jul 8, 2013)

It works astonishingly well. So far I can tell that the following ROAM 2 features work on the ROAM:


Contrast
Sharpness
LED On/Off - ALL LEDs
Laser On/Off
White Balance
720P 60 FPS - Photoshop shows different images each frame

Exposure values seem like they work but it is very very subtle.

Auto exposure metering selections may appear to work as well. Amazing what a camera can do with proper firmware.


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## Ben_Im (Mar 3, 2012)

THANK YOU so much for posting this. 

Works flawlessly!


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Thanks for posting this, was getting ready to order a Roam2, but I'll go the cheaper Roam1 after seeing this.

Are they all the same camera, just different kits? On Amazon there are different descriptions and prices. Ironically this one is cheaper and from what I can tell comes with the waterproof case.
Amazon.com: ContourROAM Waterproof HD 1080P Hands-free HD Camcorder Watersport Kit: Camera & Photo


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

TwoTone said:


> Thanks for posting this, was getting ready to order a Roam2, but I'll go the cheaper Roam1 after seeing this.
> 
> Are they all the same camera, just different kits? On Amazon there are different descriptions and prices. Ironically this one is cheaper and from what I can tell comes with the waterproof case.
> Amazon.com: ContourROAM Waterproof HD 1080P Hands-free HD Camcorder Watersport Kit: Camera & Photo


There are detail changes between the 1 and 2. Most noticeable being a lock for the on-off slider on the 2. Useful if you just toss the camera in your pack between uses. The 1 is easy to accidentally turn on.

No need for the waterproof kit unless you use it in the water.

Also looks like the water sports kit includes only the surfboard mount


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

shiggy said:


> There are detail changes between the 1 and 2. Most noticeable being a lock for the on-off slider on the 2. Useful if you just toss the camera in your pack between uses. The 1 is easy to accidentally turn on.
> 
> No need for the waterproof kit unless you use it in the water.
> 
> Also looks like the water sports kit includes only the surfboard mount


Thanks Shiggy, when I was asking about a difference I meant the original Roam, since Amazon has different descriptions for the different prices I just wanted to make sure all the Roam1 cameras are the same, it's just the accessory packs that are different.

I thought the case might be nice to keep crap from scratching the lense. How have yours held up?


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## AMDPhenomX4 (Jul 8, 2013)

TwoTone said:


> Thanks Shiggy, when I was asking about a difference I meant the original Roam, since Amazon has different descriptions for the different prices I just wanted to make sure all the Roam1 cameras are the same, it's just the accessory packs that are different.
> 
> I thought the case might be nice to keep crap from scratching the lense. How have yours held up?


The price of the waterproof ROAM kit has gone up 20 dollars since I bought mine a couple months ago. Apparently it's quite popular still. I could have gotten one with a bunch of mounts for that price.

Relevant stuff below

That thing on the front of the ROAM is actually a lens protector so it's okay for it to be scratched.

A new lens protector is 5 dollars from Contour's website while that waterproof enclosure is 40. I'd go for the regular version with useful mounts unless you're specifically going snorkeling or diving.

Slightly related, a lens cover is also 5 dollars.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

TwoTone said:


> Thanks Shiggy, when I was asking about a difference I meant the original Roam, since Amazon has different descriptions for the different prices I just wanted to make sure all the Roam1 cameras are the same, it's just the accessory packs that are different.
> 
> I thought the case might be nice to keep crap from scratching the lense. How have yours held up?


The differences are the accessories.

The stock lens cover does not get scratched, and it is replaceable. I carry a microfiber cloth to wipe the lens on the trail: dust, rain, mud--no problem. There is a rubber lens cap for transport protection.

The profile and rotating flat mounts are good for a helmet, but is use the Flex mount and Rollbar mount much more.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

shiggy said:


> The differences are the accessories.
> 
> The stock lens cover does not get scratched, and it is replaceable. I carry a microfiber cloth to wipe the lens on the trail: dust, rain, mud--no problem. There is a rubber lens cap for transport protection.
> 
> The profile and rotating flat mounts are good for a helmet, but is use the Flex mount and Rollbar mount much more.


Thanks all I ordered the last one at $139 with the normal mounts, went ahead and bought the Bike mount kit for $59 since the flex mount alone was $27

Should have put more thought into before I hit the button. Since I ended up ordering the bike mount kit anyway, I should have bought the cheaper one with the waterproof case, that way I'd have it, spent a little less and still had all the bike mounts.


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## esteroali (Jul 13, 2013)

Can someone explain how I can do this on a MAC or is it the same directions


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

esteroali said:


> Can someone explain how I can do this on a MAC or is it the same directions


No difference. I use a Mac.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Thanks to everyone in this thread. Got my camera and mount kit today. The update to Roam2 firmware went flawlessly. So it saved me a bit of cash. Can't wait to try it out on my next ride.

Question for you all. Which mode do you use 1080p @ 30fps or the 720p @ 60 fps? Wondering if the higher quality makes up for the slower frame rate as long as you don't want to do slow mo effects.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

TwoTone said:


> Thanks to everyone in this thread. Got my camera and mount kit today. The update to Roam2 firmware went flawlessly. So it saved me a bit of cash. Can't wait to try it out on my next ride.
> 
> Question for you all. Which mode do you use 1080p @ 30fps or the 720p @ 60 fps? Wondering if the higher quality makes up for the slower frame rate as long as you don't want to do slow mo effects.


Be sure to reformat the card.

I have noticed better quality image at 60fps vs 30fps @ 720. Have not tried 1080


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## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

shiggy said:


> Be sure to reformat the card.
> 
> I have noticed better quality image at 60fps vs 30fps @ 720. Have not tried 1080


And it seems the sound is better, too. I haven't messed with the mic sensitivity, so the "factory" setting is more sensitive than the ROAM 1's.


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## Cadent3 (Jul 19, 2013)

New member and I found this how to after purchasing the Roam. I got the ROAM within the past two weeks. I did all of the steps and after I hit the "Status" button my camera completely and totally died. It doesn't turn on at all, it doesn't show up on my computer when plugged in, I can't format the SD Card to return to the original settings. Any suggestions? Do you think Contour caught on to this and this is the solution?


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## Cadent3 (Jul 19, 2013)

As a quick follow-up, the only thing that seems to get any response out of the camera is hitting the reset button which makes the battery light flash red? Any ideas? I'm not really trying to shell out another $100 for another camera.


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## esteroali (Jul 13, 2013)

I just did mine tonight and works fine


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## Cadent3 (Jul 19, 2013)

Well, then I guess that's not the issue. I did everything step-by-step and formatted the card prior to the whole process. Now, the camera is completely dead(I don't know that it was fully charged before but it shouldn't have been very low either). Like I said, the only response I can get out of it is the battery light lights up red when I hit the "Reset" button but that is only while it is plugged in. I'm going to let it charge overnight and see if that does anything but I'm concerned as it died right after the update(the blinking yellow). I'm wondering if any more tech-savvy people have any idea what is wrong.


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## Cadent3 (Jul 19, 2013)

Additionally, the biggest complaint I've read about Contour is how awful their customer service is.... so, I'm not looking forward to that.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Did you reformat the card after the update?

Not reset, but reformat.


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## Cadent3 (Jul 19, 2013)

Nothing happens at all when I hit the format button either. Even with the card out, the camera is completely dead.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

okay, i ordered one from amazon... will be here today.

can't wait to try this!

joel


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## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

Cadent3 said:


> Nothing happens at all when I hit the format button either. Even with the card out, the camera is completely dead.


Try fully charging the camera before you do anything else.

Put the card (in an adapter, most likely) in your computer and copy the FW_RTC.txt to your desktop (or wherever you want it), then format it (FAT or FAT32) then put the two files back on the card (FW_RTC.txt and the firmware file) and try and restart the camera. Then reformat using the "FORMAT" button (NOT the "RESET" button!!!) and it should work fine.


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## Cadent3 (Jul 19, 2013)

I'll try that when I get back from work, but even out of the box the camera would turn on without a card in it. It literally does nothing at all after I charged it overnight.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

Cadent3 said:


> I'll try that when I get back from work, but even out of the box the camera would turn on without a card in it. It literally does nothing at all after I charged it overnight.


Did you read this?
http://help.contour.com/customer/portal/articles/717994-contourroam-won-t-charge-or-power-on

You have to press the reset button for a loooong time.


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## Cadent3 (Jul 19, 2013)

No luck yet, the card comes up in a Card Reader just fine with all of the info on it, it just seems to be the camera itself. It's possible that it is completely dead if the charging cord is bad because I haven't had it all that long so I may have used up that initial charge by now. I will try to find another cord and go from there, but this isn't looking good.


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## Cadent3 (Jul 19, 2013)

However, it definitely seemed to be charging in the past and now it does not charge at all when plugged in nothing lights up. I think it's screwed, not sure if it had anything to do with this update, but it was blinking yellow(after updating and pressing status button) and then it just died completely. I guess I'm gonna have to give their customer service a try and any replacement will take forever as I got it off of Amazon.


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## Cadent3 (Jul 19, 2013)

I can now attest that their customer service is not great. All tech support is done on a call back basis so you have to leave a message and they will get back to you "in the order that your call is received." Fantastic.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

Cadent3 said:


> I guess I'm gonna have to give their customer service a try and any replacement will take forever as I got it off of Amazon.


i would simply return it to amazon and order a new one.

when returning to amazon tell them DOA or whatever and you can print the return shipping info out and drop off at a UPS or whatever you choose.

then get back online and order a replacement for yourself.

i just picked up my contour and will charge it before trying the update.

the packaging pretty cool - lol.

i got the contour roam waterproof for $129 from amazon.

i didn't know it came with the water proof case!!!

joel


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

Cadent3 said:


> However, it definitely seemed to be charging in the past and now it does not charge at all when plugged in nothing lights up. I think it's screwed, not sure if it had anything to do with this update, but it was blinking yellow(after updating and pressing status button) and then it just died completely. I guess I'm gonna have to give their customer service a try and any replacement will take forever as I got it off of Amazon.


Replace through Amazon.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

JAvendan said:


> okay, i ordered one from amazon... will be here today.
> 
> can't wait to try this!
> 
> joel


i charged my camera using a wall outlet... took a bit of time.

i had already inserted the 32gb micro sd card into the slot, read and reread the directions about formatting the media.

after the green light lit up i grabbed the camera and connected to my mac... mac os x 10.8.4.

i had downloaded the firmware and copied it to the micro sd card and modified the file to tell the camera to update its firmware.

dismounted the camera from the mac and started it... it did its thing and after a few seconds the firmware updated!!!

i messed with it a bit.

i learned that rotating the lens thingy changes the orientation of the lens - ha ha.

also, the low light performance is not that great indoors.

i will test tomorrow outside leaving the white balance to auto.

thank you for this thread!!!!

joel


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## bowhunt2005 (Jul 20, 2013)

So what's everyone's opinion on doing the roam2 firmware upgrade vs not doing it? I'm expecting mine to show up today. I will be mounting it on my archery bow for hunting whitetail deer among many other uses depending on its performance. So low light needs to be filmable. Just wondering was it real worth the risk. Thanks guys. Great info here


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## bowhunt2005 (Jul 20, 2013)

Also does anyone know if u can plug the camera into a phone and view the videos? I looked a little on the android market and didn't find anything yet but that would be awesome. Or even if u could just upload them to the phone through USB and then view them. Thanks again


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## Cadent3 (Jul 19, 2013)

Seemed to work fine for everyone but myself. I'm going to try a couple more troubleshooting options, maybe wait for their tech support to call me back, and then most likely end up replacing through Amazon. I already used a helmet mount so hopefully that won't be an issue.


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

Cadent3 said:


> Seemed to work fine for everyone but myself. I'm going to try a couple more troubleshooting options, maybe wait for their tech support to call me back, and then most likely end up replacing through Amazon. I already used a helmet mount so hopefully that won't be an issue.


You could always order new one first then stick the new helmet mount in there.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

bowhunt2005 said:


> Also does anyone know if u can plug the camera into a phone and view the videos? I looked a little on the android market and didn't find anything yet but that would be awesome. Or even if u could just upload them to the phone through USB and then view them. Thanks again


I don't know about plugging directly into a phone.

But the low performance inside my house just walking around was not very good using my house lights.

The camera was set for Auto.

Also, I am running with low watt bulbs for energy conservation 

I just tested outside using a bike mount... Camera was still set to auto.

Looks great!!!!

I really was surprised with the quality for what I paid. I had a $50 Amazon gift card and $25 'credit' via my Amazon credit card - winnah winnah chicken dinnah 

Good luck w bow hunting and I'm sure you'll be testing before you go out.

Joel


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## bowhunt2005 (Jul 20, 2013)

So basically its worth a try? And if the results r less than expected, I can just hold the reset button and it will go back to the original firmware?


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

bowhunt2005 said:


> So basically its worth a try? And if the results r less than expected, I can just hold the reset button and it will go back to the original firmware?


I would say it is worth it.

Unfortunately, I don't know that hitting the reset button will bring you back to the original firmware... I'd rather not test 

Maybe someone has tried???

Joel


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## esteroali (Jul 13, 2013)

Mine arrived yesterday and I just installed the Roam2 firmware right off the bat. Records fine at 60 fps. Don't have anything to compare it to. Agree low light not so good but had it out on the boat today and in bright conditions looks great! Had it in the waterproof housing which it came with ( surprised!) on the Amazon deal for 129...
Beats the go pro at 300 bux!


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

esteroali said:


> Mine arrived yesterday and I just installed the Roam2 firmware right off the bat. Records fine at 60 fps. Don't have anything to compare it to. Agree low light not so good but had it out on the boat today and in bright conditions looks great! Had it in the waterproof housing which it came with ( surprised!) on the Amazon deal for 129...
> Beats the go pro at 300 bux!


The lighting setting can be changed.

Experiment. They make a difference on the trail, too.

Note that full HD-1080p 30fps mode uses a 125 degree field of view while action HD-720p 60fps uses 170 degrees


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## bowhunt2005 (Jul 20, 2013)

Can the cameras audio "beep" noise still be turned completely off with the newer firmware too? Very important while hunting.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

shiggy said:


> The lighting setting can be changed.
> 
> Experiment. They make a difference on the trail, too.
> 
> Note that full HD-1080p 30fps mode uses a 125 degree field of view while action HD-720p 60fps uses 170 degrees


good to know... i will see about changing the settings.

i think i will leave the camera at 760p 60fps.

just looks gorgeous!

i agree about the price compared to the gopro, too.

the best deal out there... FTW!!!!

joel

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

bowhunt2005 said:


> Can the cameras audio "beep" noise still be turned completely off with the newer firmware too? Very important while hunting.


Yes


----------



## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

The light settings can be changed. But it's still a camera designed for daylight videography, so it will have some limitations as you might expect.

Here is a night video I shot with mine. It's 720p/30fps and I used manual settings of Lighting: 60, Sharpness: 3, Exposure +1.

The first and last parts were in a park (Garden of the Gods) with no external streetlights, so the only illumination was from other riders and my Niterider Rage (HID helmet light). You can see it mounted below and in front of the camera in some parts of the video. The sections lighted by streetlights came out pretty darn good, however, for what this camera is.


----------



## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

skiahh said:


> The light settings can be changed. But it's still a camera designed for daylight videography, so it will have some limitations as you might expect.
> 
> Here is a night video I shot with mine. It's 720p/30fps and I used manual settings of Lighting: 60, Sharpness: 3, Exposure +1.
> 
> The first and last parts were in a park (Garden of the Gods) with no external streetlights, so the only illumination was from other riders and my Niterider Rage (HID helmet light). You can see it mounted below and in front of the camera in some parts of the video. The sections lighted by streetlights came out pretty darn good, however, for what this camera is.


Those are the same as the preset "dusk" setting. You can run the expose up to +4. Not a big difference, but a difference.

This is raw video. Night ride on an open hillside. Camera on the headtube. Default setting, 30fps. LED lights on bar and helmet.


----------



## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

That's pretty good. On my road bike I don't have a ready mount. Down on the headtube, I suspect it would have picked up a bit more. Did you have that one run up to +4 exposure?


----------



## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

skiahh said:


> That's pretty good. On my road bike I don't have a ready mount. Down on the headtube, I suspect it would have picked up a bit more. Did you have that one run up to +4 exposure?


Used the same settings as daylight. Will change them for another night ride. But that is pretty much how it looks while riding.


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## K2D2 (Sep 24, 2004)

Ordered the Roam yesterday from Amazon and it was here today! I have already done the update and it seems to be working. I have made over 100 MTB vids with the Contour HD and love the 60fps. But I"m looking forward to the Roam with the auto power on, the waterproof and hopefully more dust proof. 
Also, my experience with Contour has been great. They have replaced the HD 2x's each time in under a week, paid for shipping and replaced rather than repaired. And the cameras had been used very hard and I'm impressed with the camera and with the warranty, but can't speak to phone support beyond replacement. I can't wait to take the camera out tomorrow for the lunch ride.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

JAvendan said:


> I don't know about plugging directly into a phone.


well, i found this...

iPad mini usb camera adapter -contour roam camera - YouTube

not a phone and not android based.

but i think it will show some possibilities 

joel


----------



## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

JAvendan said:


> well, i found this...
> 
> iPad mini usb camera adapter -contour roam camera - YouTube
> 
> ...


You can use the USB adaptors to download video and view it on the iPad. Can not change camera settings or view the video directly from the camera.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

K2D2 said:


> Ordered the Roam yesterday from Amazon and it was here today! I have already done the update and it seems to be working. I have made over 100 MTB vids with the Contour HD and love the 60fps. But I"m looking forward to the Roam with the auto power on, the waterproof and hopefully more dust proof.
> Also, my experience with Contour has been great. They have replaced the HD 2x's each time in under a week, paid for shipping and replaced rather than repaired. And the cameras had been used very hard and I'm impressed with the camera and with the warranty, but can't speak to phone support beyond replacement. I can't wait to take the camera out tomorrow for the lunch ride.


The Roam is vastly better than the HD. My HD videos are fuzzy around the edges. The Roam is sharp in the whole frame. Longer battery life, too.

I do wish the Roam had the 2 mode switch of the HD.


----------



## K2D2 (Sep 24, 2004)

*First effort with my new Roam and trying out my new ramp!*

I ordered the Roam on Monday from Amazon Prime, got it on Tuesday and was able to go for a ride at lunch yesterday and edit some video last night of me hitting my new practice ramp on my E29 and my usual lunch loop. Here's the video.








K2D2 said:


> Ordered the Roam yesterday from Amazon and it was here today! I have already done the update and it seems to be working. I have made over 100 MTB vids with the Contour HD and love the 60fps. But I"m looking forward to the Roam with the auto power on, the waterproof and hopefully more dust proof.
> Also, my experience with Contour has been great. They have replaced the HD 2x's each time in under a week, paid for shipping and replaced rather than repaired. And the cameras had been used very hard and I'm impressed with the camera and with the warranty, but can't speak to phone support beyond replacement. I can't wait to take the camera out tomorrow for the lunch ride.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

K2D2 said:


> I ordered the Roam on Monday from Amazon Prime, got it on Tuesday and was able to go for a ride at lunch yesterday and edit some video last night of me hitting my new practice ramp on my E29 and my usual lunch loop. Here's the video.


that's awesome!!!

if i rode at lunch it would be on the streets 

also, i bought the contour bike mounts and that's a very cool set.

i love the extra long strap and the helmet mount is awesome.

i can't wait to play around some more!!!

joel


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## K2D2 (Sep 24, 2004)

Thanks, just re-read this and have noticed that too and I'll let it go a little longer.


edubfromktown said:


> One thing I've found running 720p/60 fps "Action HD" mode: let the camera run a few seconds longer (than you typically would with the Roam v1 firmware) before turning it off. A couple of awesome videos ended up a bit too brief :/


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

i recorded my ride with my roam with the roam2 firmware...

the ride was about 1 hour 15 minutes.

i noticed that the video was split over 2 files.

the first one being about 45 minutes or so.

is this typical?

thank you,

joel



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

JAvendan said:


> i recorded my ride with my roam with the roam2 firmware...
> 
> the ride was about 1 hour 15 minutes.
> 
> ...


Yes.

From experience, turning the camera on and off several times during the ride makes it MUCH easier to view and edit later.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

shiggy said:


> Yes.
> 
> From experience, turning the camera on and off several times during the ride makes it MUCH easier to view and edit later.


Thank you for the reply.

Yes, I think that would be easier to have smaller clips to import.

45 minutes of [email protected] takes a while to import!!!

Joel

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


----------



## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

JAvendan said:


> i recorded my ride with my roam with the roam2 firmware...
> 
> the ride was about 1 hour 15 minutes.
> 
> ...


That's interesting. I looked back through my clips and I have several that are over 45 minutes. But no files over 4GB.

Maybe it's a file size limitation?

[Update]Found the answer on the Contour site:



Contour Support said:


> Thank you for contacting Contour support. With regards to your video files splitting, thiis occurs because our camera records in FAT32, and the inherent file size limitation of FAT32 is 4GB. So that no video is lost when a new file is created, the camera creates a new file once the video reaches around 3.8GB. These videos can be joined together with 3rd party software later, but unfortunately due to the FAT32 file size limitation, videos on the camera must be split up once they reach this size. If you're looking to join clips, I might recommend using a free program called MPEG Streamclip, which can be found here: Squared 5 - MPEG Streamclip video converter for Mac and Windows. Thanks again for asking, Stephen, and please let us know if there is anything else we can do for you.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

skiahh said:


> That's interesting. I looked back through my clips and I have several that are over 45 minutes. But no files over 4GB.
> 
> Maybe it's a file size limitation?
> 
> [Update]Found the answer on the Contour site:


ah!

makes sense... now 

thank you for that.

i will actually stop recording intermittently to create smaller files.

joel

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

well folks,

during my first ride with my roam i knocked it with my knee and it popped out of the strap mount over the frame of my bike.

camera survived but the protective lens cover took a few dings as did the rotating bezel.

luckily, again, the camera was good and the dings in thee lens cover do not interfere with the video.

the bezel rotates with no problems.

BUT, it is a little ugly to look at - ha ha.

i looked online and found the replacement lens protectors and even found a company that USED to sell kits with included lens protectors, o-rings and replacement bezels of different sizes for filters.

unfortunately, no longer offer that kit - booooooo.

i emailed contour and the are sending a free bezel - WIN WIN.

so, right now, contour customer is on my pedestal.

i hope to update this after i receive my replacement bezel.

joel



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

New cam owners be careful... I did this not long after getting mine. Too busy messing with camera when I should have been paying full attention to the (very technical and steep) trail. I somehow managed to walk away without sustaining camera, bike or body damage :thumbsup:

Mountain Bike NoFrontWheelTouchy / BoomerangEndo on Vimeo


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

edubfromktown said:


> New cam owners be careful... I did this not long after getting mine. Too busy messing with camera when I should have been paying full attention to the (very technical and steep) trail. I somehow managed to walk away without sustaining camera, bike or body damage :thumbsup:
> 
> Mountain Bike NoFrontWheelTouchy / BoomerangEndo on Vimeo


Oh, no!!!

I did that earlier this year... When I didn't have a camera 

Glad you're okay!

Joel

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


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## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

edubfromktown said:


> New cam owners be careful... I did this not long after getting mine. Too busy messing with camera when I should have been paying full attention to the (very technical and steep) trail. I somehow managed to walk away without sustaining camera, bike or body damage :thumbsup:
> 
> Mountain Bike NoFrontWheelTouchy / BoomerangEndo on Vimeo


I don't know... from the angle, that trail looks neither steep, nor very technical. But a great crash!


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

skiahh said:


> I don't know... from the angle, that trail looks neither steep, nor very technical. But a great crash!


That was at the bottom of a rocky/twisty DH trail that has sizable gap jumps at the top and lots of ramps along the way down.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

for those of you that are subscribed to this thread and have not seen this post...

http://forums.mtbr.com/videos-pov-cameras/rip-contour-869669.html#post10591342

joel


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## gapjump (Aug 15, 2013)

Has anyone found a site that offers alternative lenses for the contour? I want to get rid of the fisheye and could use a standard lens or Night vision if they are available. I realize these mods would most likely be 3rd party but I think it could be done right to upgrade the camera.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

gapjump said:


> Has anyone found a site that offers alternative lenses for the contour? I want to get rid of the fisheye and could use a standard lens or Night vision if they are available. I realize these mods would most likely be 3rd party but I think it could be done right to upgrade the camera.


the only thing i have seen is this...

Amazon.com: Contour 3400 Lens Kit: Camera & Photo

you replace the ring and can add filters.

the price seems to have at least doubled from when i last saw it!

[edit] doesn't appear to thread correctly.

joel


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## gapjump (Aug 15, 2013)

That kit looks useful but it only contains covers and I want a new lens. I did a bit more searching and I found this place called ragecams.com and they have all sorts of camera mods. I found this lens which says it will work form contour and go pro Sony HDR as15 hdr as10 flat lens no fish eye contour plus contour roam contour p | HD Wearable Video Custom Mods By RageCams
They only have one lens listed for contour but if the threads to this lens match up to a go pro than any of the go pro lenses should match up and work on the contour.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

nice. are you going to get it???

joel


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## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

JAvendan said:


> nice. are you going to get it???
> 
> joel


Methinks he may actually be selling them.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

gapjump said:


> That kit looks useful but it only contains covers and I want a new lens. I did a bit more searching and I found this place called ragecams.com and they have all sorts of camera mods. I found this lens which says it will work form contour and go pro Sony HDR as15 hdr as10 flat lens no fish eye contour plus contour roam contour p | HD Wearable Video Custom Mods By RageCams
> They only have one lens listed for contour but if the threads to this lens match up to a go pro than any of the go pro lenses should match up and work on the contour.


Do you trust a company that sells the Roam2 for double the list price?


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## sand wedge (Sep 24, 2012)

After reading this, I ended up ordering the waterproof bundle for $107.77 from Amazon and updated the firmware without any issues. Unfortunately I didn't pay attention and found the waterproof bundle does not come with any helmet mounts, only a surf board mount...


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## gapjump (Aug 15, 2013)

skiahh said:


> Methinks he may actually be selling them.


Nah I'm not selling them and I havn't ordered anything yet. I want to try and find a cheaper place to get them from because like someone pointed out they are selling roam 2 for twice the retail price so I could most likely find a lens kit cheaper but so far no results. I'll keep you updated if I find a better price.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

sand wedge said:


> After reading this, I ended up ordering the waterproof bundle for $107.77 from Amazon and updated the firmware without any issues. Unfortunately I didn't pay attention and found the waterproof bundle does not come with any helmet mounts, only a surf board mount...


i bought my second ROAM the waterproof bundle 

before this i bought the bike mount set... or, whatever it's called.

so, i'm good-to-go!

joel


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## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

sand wedge said:


> After reading this, I ended up ordering the waterproof bundle for $107.77 from Amazon and updated the firmware without any issues. Unfortunately I didn't pay attention and found the waterproof bundle does not come with any helmet mounts, only a surf board mount...


I bought my second ROAM with the surfboard/waterproof kit, too, for $102 at Amazon. I'll use the housing and probably will find a place to use the surfboard/flat surface mount.

But think of it this way. The housing is about $20 or so and the mount about $15 (both separate retail prices), so you got the camera for about $70 - quite a bargain. Now go buy your preferred bike mount kit and get video-ing! (And you'll still be ahead of the game)


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## zarniwoop42 (Sep 13, 2009)

Flashed my new Roam with Roam2 firmware today. 
Easy easy. 

I did format the card (with the cam) before and after the update. 

Original firmware version was 1.10.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

no need to flash the ROAM to get ROAM2 performance... get the ROAM2!!!

Contour - ROAM2 Action HD Camcorder - Black - 1801K

$100.

great price 

joe


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## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

And the dumping begins?


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

JAvendan said:


> no need to flash the ROAM to get ROAM2 performance... get the ROAM2!!!
> 
> Contour - ROAM2 Action HD Camcorder - Black - 1801K
> 
> ...


In store only


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## rrmiller (Aug 29, 2013)

Cadent3 said:


> New member and I found this how to after purchasing the Roam. I got the ROAM within the past two weeks. I did all of the steps and after I hit the "Status" button my camera completely and totally died. It doesn't turn on at all, it doesn't show up on my computer when plugged in, I can't format the SD Card to return to the original settings. Any suggestions? Do you think Contour caught on to this and this is the solution?


I'm in the same boat, did you ever resolve the problem?
Does anyone have any suggestions?


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

rrmiller said:


> I'm in the same boat, did you ever resolve the problem?
> Does anyone have any suggestions?


did you two try the reset button near the format button???

i had second roam lock up on me and i was able to hit the reset button and it worked.

i was then able to update the firmware to ROAM2 and all is good.

joel


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## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

rrmiller said:


> I'm in the same boat, did you ever resolve the problem?
> Does anyone have any suggestions?


You have to hold the reset button for a very long time, like 10-12 seconds.


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## rrmiller (Aug 29, 2013)

Krunk_Kracker said:


> You have to hold the reset button for a very long time, like 10-12 seconds.


I held the reset button down for 60 seconds, timed, no result.

What is the "reset button near the format button?" I only have one reset button at the top of the camera.


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

rrmiller said:


> I held the reset button down for 60 seconds, timed, no result.
> 
> What is the "reset button near the format button?" I only have one reset button at the top of the camera.


oh!

sorry, there is ONLY one reset button.

i didn't have my camera with me so i just guessed the location 

sorry!

i copied this from the contour site...

+ RESETTING YOUR CAMERA
If your camera is locked up or it will not stop recording, 
you can reset the camera.
- Slide the Record Switch back to the Stop position.
- Press and release the Reset Button (See 'G' on page 1). 
- The camera will shut off all LEDs and power off.
- Your camera will be ready to operate again.

also, i didn't have to hold my reset button to long... just a few seconds or so.

also, make sure the battery is charged.

if you can't successfully reset the camera can you return it????

joel


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## rrmiller (Aug 29, 2013)

JAvendan said:


> if you can't successfully reset the camera can you return it????
> 
> joel


I tried all those things, with no luck. With Contour on shaky ground (out of business?) I'm not optimistic about my chances of returning it.

Ah well, live and learn I 'spose.


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## JonnyT82 (Sep 1, 2013)

So this actually worked! Thank you so much for the walk through.

I was given a contour roam for my birthday a year ago and was slightly disappointed that my friends older model could record at 60fps and my newer model couldn't.

This worked exactly as described. Had a minor panic when I updated the firmware and my camera wouldn't work. But then I formatted the SD card and it worked like a charm!

Thanks so much for sharing. You've made my day!


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## andrewhtf (Sep 30, 2013)

*Anyone can share their firmware?*

Hi guys, as of today contour's site is officially taken down, together with all the firmware files and Storyteller link.

I blame my own tardiness for not having downloaded it earlier.

For those of you who have downloaded and updated roam2 firmware onto their roam, do you still have a copy of it? If yes, would you please share it? Plus if anyone has roam1 firmware and Storyteller installer files i would appreciate it very much to share it with me too so that if roam2 firmware update went wrong i still have the stock firmware to fall back on.

Thank you in advance!


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## RobertoEnrique (Sep 30, 2013)

I need the firmware too!!


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## justaguy_99 (Oct 1, 2013)

I'm in the same boat. I need Roam 1 and 2 firmware and the story teller app install. =( Somebody has to have it, please help us unfortunate souls! 

Steve


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## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

Send me a PM with your emails. I have both.

I also have Storyteller, but it's 42MB, so not easily emailed.


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## RobertoEnrique (Sep 30, 2013)

skiahh said:


> Send me a PM with your emails. I have both.
> 
> I also have Storyteller, but it's 42MB, so not easily emailed.


¡Thank you very much! The true is that I already found the files.


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## RobertoEnrique (Sep 30, 2013)

Somebody in amazon recommend me to go to the contour facebook page and there I get a dropbox url to the firmwares.


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## justaguy_99 (Oct 1, 2013)

RobertoEnrique said:


> Somebody in amazon recommend me to go to the contour facebook page and there I get a dropbox url to the firmwares.


Oh that's beautiful, thanks!! I found the link and was able to grab everything.  Thanks so much. And thank you skiahh for offering to email everything!

I'm leaving the drop box link here since this is one of top 5 hits on google for contour firmware:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qlr5xtb36uxj7jj/wpX5nY3kU-

Thanks all,
Steve


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## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

I'll permanently host them on my Drive as well.

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0ByRKt5NnsVQoX0xMRkV3MDJLdXc&usp=sharing


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## Pikachu_MTB (Oct 3, 2013)

I have a doubt: if I want to go back and install the ROAM1 firmware again, is that possible ?

Once I have sent an e-mail to Contour Support, asking about the version 1.01 MOD. They told me: "Thank you for contacting us. With regards to firmware 1.01, while it was true that this firmware version would allow the camera to film in 1.01, this was removed as the hardware in the original Roam is not approved for 60fps, and filming in this resolution can permanently damage the camera. This being the case, we are unable to provide this firmware for the original Roam."


Until now, nobody had any problems keep filming at 60fps with ROAM2 firmware ?


Thanks !


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## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

Pikachu_MTB said:


> I have a doubt: if I want to go back and install the ROAM1 firmware again, is that possible ?
> 
> Once I have sent an e-mail to Contour Support, asking about the version 1.01 MOD. They told me: "Thank you for contacting us. With regards to firmware 1.01, while it was true that this firmware version would allow the camera to film in 1.01, this was removed as the hardware in the original Roam is not approved for 60fps, and filming in this resolution can permanently damage the camera. This being the case, we are unable to provide this firmware for the original Roam."
> 
> ...


Of course they're going ot say that, why would they say anything different? lol

I've been using mine since the day I made this thread and it's still fine.

To go back to the original firmware, just flash the ROAM 1 firmware.


----------



## sand wedge (Sep 24, 2012)

Pikachu_MTB said:


> I have a doubt: if I want to go back and install the ROAM1 firmware again, is that possible ?
> 
> Once I have sent an e-mail to Contour Support, asking about the version 1.01 MOD. They told me: "Thank you for contacting us. With regards to firmware 1.01, while it was true that this firmware version would allow the camera to film in 1.01, this was removed as the hardware in the original Roam is not approved for 60fps, and filming in this resolution can permanently damage the camera. This being the case, we are unable to provide this firmware for the original Roam."
> 
> ...


I would expect nothing less than that statement from Contour. My interpertation is that you can brick this if you load the firmware or update it down the road if you don't know what you are doing.

This thread was the reason I purchased a Roam and it has been working flawless since updating the Roam2 firmware.

My buddy has a Roam+2 and my modified Roam video quality is every bit as good as his. In fact my Roam's battery life lasted hours longer than his when we were in Whistler because he left the Bluetooth/GPS feature on.


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## Pikachu_MTB (Oct 3, 2013)

I was thinking the same... But it's good to share information... 

By the way, thank you all for sharing the firmwares !!!!



sand wedge said:


> In fact my Roam's battery life lasted hours longer than his when we were in Whistler because he left the Bluetooth/GPS feature on.


off-topic: man, don't talk about Whistler... Everytime I see videos of BC trails... when I get back to the real world... I'm drooling... lol

I'll try to update my ROAM's firmware. I was thinking about to get the Hero 3, but may be I buy another ROAM... 

Thanks !


----------



## andrewhtf (Sep 30, 2013)

Many thanks for the links guys. Now i just need to get back home and start downloading.


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## Pikachu_MTB (Oct 3, 2013)

Just did it. Working fine !
Tomorrow I'll put it to a field test. Let's see what's gonna happen !


Thanks guys !!!!


----------



## killjoyken (Jun 12, 2009)

Much thanks to everyone in this thread! You guys rock!


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## gur75 (Oct 16, 2013)

*Date and Time off??? (2.16 firmware)*

Had 1.10 firmware, upgraded directly to 2.16 did reset and works GREAT!  Light performance is bad but CUSTOM setting may result better HOWEVER: Guys how to set DATE and TIME on the video to OFF? I couldn't figure this out! PLS HELP!!


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## gur75 (Oct 16, 2013)

oK GUYS ı AM SORRY it was my players date and time.. Shame on me  New 2.16 firmware look OK better outdoor performance for sure.. But I would be really pissed of if I had bought contour 2 a year ago around 200 usd and realized this low light performance. BTW ı recommend everyone SJ1000 action cam as well for 80 usd is is amazing. Not Contours build quality but lots of mounts LCD and camera shoots great.. Recommended!


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## andrewhtf (Sep 30, 2013)

Sj1000 or mobius as recommended by techmoan.


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## gur75 (Oct 16, 2013)

andrewhtf said:


> Sj1000 or mobius as recommended by techmoan.


SJ1000 if wants more mounts and lcd screen MOBIUS if weight is important (RCs or spying  ) Both are great!


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## gur75 (Oct 16, 2013)

Guys how to downgrade? I tried same method does NOT work? Any help?


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## andrewhtf (Sep 30, 2013)

gur75 said:


> SJ1000 if wants more mounts and lcd screen MOBIUS if weight is important (RCs or spying  ) Both are great!


Mounts are not a problem. plenty of mounting options available to be bought from ebay, hey even gopro mounts can be used, with a 1/4" 20 adapter.



gur75 said:


> Guys how to downgrade? I tried same method does NOT work? Any help?


hmmm... theoretically it should be able to, no? what error message did it gave?


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## gur75 (Oct 16, 2013)

andrewhtf said:


> Mounts are not a problem. plenty of mounting options available to be bought from ebay, hey even gopro mounts can be used, with a 1/4" 20 adapter.
> 
> hmmm... theoretically it should be able to, no? what error message did it gave?


I tried the same method.. Once you change txt files (there are 2 now) and push the status it does not work.


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## andrewhtf (Sep 30, 2013)

gur75 said:


> I tried the same method.. Once you change txt files (there are 2 now) and push the status it does not work.


As i understand, there should be only 1 txt file that needs to be edited.
Try these steps again, first by formatting the sd card, then copy roam1 firmware file into the sd card, open up the txt file and change the "N" to "Y", save, and unplug the device, and press status button.

I recall having read somewhere that some users manage to downgrade roam1 latest firmware to an older version, so theoretically roam2 firmware should be downgradeable too.

But if this still fails then i guess we have to accept the fact that this is a one way upgrade trip then.


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## gur75 (Oct 16, 2013)

andrewhtf said:


> As i understand, there should be only 1 txt file that needs to be edited.


There are 2 haven't you see them: FW_RTC.txt and FW_RTC_DEFAULTS.txt. Second one was not there at the ROAM 1 firmware. both .txts are a bit different but I enabled to Y from N all the UPDATE coloumns, before I formatted, tried so many times to be sure not to miss the update procedure (it is easy you can t make a big mistake) BUT unfortunately doesn't go BACK to original firmware. I also deleted FW_RTC_DEFAULTS.txt file (I was not possible as ıt was READ ONLY file changed it and deleted, again no sucess. Once I press STATUS - LASER button when we were upgrading it doesnt DOWNGRADE it just turns on the laser.. and FW_RTC_DEFAULTS.txt comes back if deleted (UPDATE coloumns to N from Y as well)

May be if I had the original FW_RTC.txt (with the update that changed too a bit after all) ıt could have worked don't know.. I ll appreciate if anyone has one of the original firmwares of ROAM1 and its .txt file and send a link so that I try them as well.

2nd firmware is not SHARP enough I believe and SO DARK. Played with contrast and exposure it helps a lot but make light areas so white also so not recommend playing with them so much as they dont help to LIGHTEN the shooting.

I guess original 1.01 firmware hack should be better if ones ONLY criteria is 720 60fps. ROAM 2 firmware makes the camera perform WORSE I believe and so far its a pity NOT to be able to DOWNGRADE from 2.16 to any 1.xx FİRMWARE.

Anyone who reads it should consider this fact UNLESS someone else manages to do it.

Thanks


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## andrewhtf (Sep 30, 2013)

gur75 said:


> May be if I had the original FW_RTC.txt (with the update that changed too a bit after all) ıt could have worked don't know.. I ll appreciate if anyone has one of the original firmwares of ROAM1 and its .txt file and send a link so that I try them as well.


I have yet to update mine to roam2 firmware as i lent the camera to a friend for his month long tour. Should be back in 2to3 weeks, so if u havent get any by then, i'll send you my copy of roam1's txt.


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## gur75 (Oct 16, 2013)

andrewhtf said:


> I have yet to update mine to roam2 firmware as i lent the camera to a friend for his month long tour. Should be back in 2to3 weeks, so if u havent get any by then, i'll send you my copy of roam1's txt.


I would REALLY appreciate it adrewhtf. If possible TXT and original first firmware as well as I suspect my ROAM1 firmware can be problematic as well.

Will be checking the forum later again, thanks a lot for your consideration..


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## skiahh (Dec 26, 2003)

PM sent with contents of the original 1.11 txt file.


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## gur75 (Oct 16, 2013)

skiahh said:


> PM sent with contents of the original 1.11 txt file.


tHANK a lot Skiahh! BUT I just found an easier method and IT WORKS! (I was browsing every forum about ROAM  ) So FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO DOWNGRADE FROM 2.16 TO ANY 1.XX firmware: When using 2.16 put any 1.xx firmware to your sdcards ROOT directory and JUST RENAME ContourROAM.bin (any ROAM1 fw that you downloaded from internet ) to ContourROAM2.bin (as we have done the opposite while upgrading from ROAM1 to ROAM2) and it works VOILA! I felt really stupid for not thinking this.. BTW no need to play Y or N settings of the second DEFAULT txt file just change FW_RTC.txt file's UPDATE coloumns to Y from N and as I said rename your 1.xx firmware to ContourROAM2.bin and put it in to SDROMS root.

Now will try 720 60fps hack with 1.01 JAPAN firmware as I read this is also possible, I hope it will work as 2.16 but MUCH LIGHTER AND Sharper as opposed to 2.16 firmware.

It is a pitty that CONTOUR is out of business. They could have really made this camera better and better and compete with gopro. Now SONY tries to do it with almost like same form factor of contour but Contour is really better with mounts and everything.

I woyld really love to have a ROAM3 with less than 100 gr BUT SAME form factor, ability to connect via IOS and ANDROID to change settings 1080P 60fps (4k is for maybe 5 years LATER) BUT the same camera..

What you guys think happened to CONTOUR? Just bankrupt or GOPRO gave them the MONEY 

Anyway Thank you guys andrewhtf and skiahh for your replies and help..


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## andrewhtf (Sep 30, 2013)

gur75 said:


> Anyway Thank you guys andrewhtf and skiahh for your replies and help..


hey glad that you found the solution and thanks coz this is new knowledge to me, haha.

i was about to ask for your email and telling you that it might not work because the txt file seems to have a line of "device ID" number which could tie the txt file to a specific individual contour unit. come to think about it, well a format could overwirite it anyway.

keep us posted on your fiddling around with the settings.


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## roamer141 (Nov 1, 2013)

does anyone still has the ContourRoam.bin 1.01? please?..


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## andrewhtf (Sep 30, 2013)

roamer141 said:


> does anyone still has the ContourRoam.bin 1.01? please?..


Here ya go. 1.01 fw is the one with 3.53mb in size.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1cuis3mu06y9vz8/HJoM_254Zk

Doing the 60fps mod on the old firmware eh? The only thing hate with the old firmware is video recorded with quicktime.



> I'll see what I can do about attaching it to the wiki. I finally got a response after quite a few days.
> 
> EDIT: Added firmware to wiki and I'm including the email response word for word from Contour (includes directions to update firmware) -
> Thanks for the email. Here is the firmware for the ContourROAM.
> ...


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## Mjorgy68 (Nov 29, 2013)

[Be sure to check where you get firmware... I mistakenly installed the PAL only update, i noticed it while looking through the config file. The NTSC version includes both...

And if you need to revert to 1.11 just rename the ContourRoam.bin to ContourRoam2.bin.


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## thomllama (Oct 3, 2007)

*Semi Official Contour software/firmware downloads...*

From what I've seen on Facebook page, Contour is trying to come back and they have set up a drop box where you can download software/manuals and the firmware updates...
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z2xc88w7a3hm3l1/V_fg3zDQdw

service isn't fully up yet but they will answer questions and do their best to help if you post on Facebook


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## Pacific (Aug 18, 2013)

I successfully updated mine! Thanks for everyone's help. Can't wait to try it this weekend.


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## Pikachu_MTB (Oct 3, 2013)

I updated mine a few months ago. Before, when I plug the battery charger, the led used to keep flashing red while charging... Now it's just turns red (without flashing).

Is that normal ? The new firmware just keep the led red ? Or I'm having some issues ?



Tnx


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## JAvendan (Jan 27, 2013)

Pikachu_MTB said:


> I updated mine a few months ago. Before, when I plug the battery charger, the led used to keep flashing red while charging... Now it's just turns red (without flashing).
> 
> Is that normal ? The new firmware just keep the led red ? Or I'm having some issues ?
> 
> Tnx


i think you are okay...

i'm charging two ROAMs with ROAM2 firmware and the battery LEDs are both solid red 

or... we both have issues - lol.

joel

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

JAvendan said:


> i think you are okay...
> 
> i'm charging two ROAMs with ROAM2 firmware and the battery LEDs are both solid red
> 
> ...


Same here. I do not remember the Roam1 flashing while charging.


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## Pikachu_MTB (Oct 3, 2013)

Mine used to flash while charging... Or I had some issue before ! lol

Thanks !


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## Ludeman (Feb 28, 2014)

Hey I was wondering if someone could help me out with this upgrade? I'm not very computer savvy so I may need extra explaining, haha. My laptop was having issues so I had to have it cleaned and in the process I lost the storyteller software if that matters. 

Thanks
Brandon


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## Scoupe (May 17, 2014)

My Roam believes that it is a Roam2 and is running v2.16 and the 60fps is enabled.

However, StoryTeller does not recognize the device. So, at the moment, I am unable to use it to adjust setting or other features.

I went direct from the latest Roam version to 2.16 without downgrading to v1.01. 

Again, StoryTeller sees no camera attached.


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## thomllama (Oct 3, 2007)

Scoupe said:


> My Roam believes that it is a Roam2 and is running v2.16 and the 60fps is enabled.
> 
> However, StoryTeller does not recognize the device. So, at the moment, I am unable to use it to adjust setting or other features.
> 
> ...


did you use the camera to reformat the card after? if not, try it. I have a roam2 that had that issue and reformatting the card with the camera fixed it.


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## Scoupe (May 17, 2014)

thomllama said:


> did you use the camera to reformat the card after? if not, try it. I have a roam2 that had that issue and reformatting the card with the camera fixed it.


Thanks for the reply. Yes, the format button on the camera is used exclusively. 32gb


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## thomllama (Oct 3, 2007)

Scoupe said:


> Thanks for the reply. Yes, the format button on the camera is used exclusively. 32gb


But did you reformat the card AFTER you applied the firmware update?


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## Scoupe (May 17, 2014)

I think that I did. No matter, I did it just now to be sure. My computer sees it as "CNTR_ROAM2(F. StoryTeller doesn't launch. Pref set to automatically start app when camera attached. it won't do that. Launched manually StoryT doens't see camera.

MY FW_RTC - Notepad shows the following:
FW version: 1800 V2.16
FW name:ContourROAM2

UPDATE:N
UPDATE_FW:N

1RES
1BR:H
1MIC:17
1LED:1
1LSR:1
1SILENT:0
1EV:0
1SHRP:3
1AE:C
1CTST:62
1AWB:0

GLOBAL
CAMERA NAME:ContourROAM2
DT:2014/05/17 05:32:24
FPS:30

CAMERA INFO
CUID:1144010106011

The FW_RTC_DEFAULTS - Notepad says:

FW version: ContourROAM2 V2.16

UPDATE:N

1RES
1BR:H
1MIC:17
1LED:1
1LSR:1
1SILENT:0
1EV:0
1SHRP:3
1AE:C
1CTST:62
1AWB:0

GLOBAL
CAMERA NAME:ContourROAM2
FPS:30

CAMERA INFO
CUID:1144010106011

USER DATA
DATA:ContourROAM2 Camera

DATA STRUCTURE
UPDATE
Y:YES
N:NO

Format Settings
Resolution(RES)
(A)1920x1080 30fps (NTSC)/25fps (PAL)
(B)1280x960 30fps (NTSC)/25fps (PAL)
(C)1280x720 30fps (NTSC)/25fps (PAL)
(D)1280x720 60fps (NTSC)/50fps (PAL)
(P/#)Still picture 5Mp captured at intervals of 1 picture every 1, 3, 5, 10, 30, 60 seconds (where the time is measured from start of picture to start of picture)
Bitrate(BR)
(H)High
(L)Low
Microphone Sensitivity(MIC)
0 ~ 42dB
Lighting(LED)
(0):disabled
(1):enabled
Laser(LSR)
(0):disabled
(1):enabled
Silent Mode(SILENT)
(0)Enable Beeps
(1)Disable beeps
Exposure(EV)
-4 ~ 4
Sharpness(SHRP)
1 ~ 5
Auto Exposure(AE)
(C)Center
(A)Average
(S)Spot
Contrast(CTST)
1 ~ 255
AutoWhiteBalance(AWB)
(0)AUTO (1)2800K_Incandescent (2)4000K_Flourescent (3)5000K_DaylightD50
(4)6500K_DaylightD65 (5)7500k_Cloudy (6)9000k_Shade (7)10000k_XenonHID

Global Settings
Frame Rate(FPS)
(25)25/50fps
(30)30/60fps
Camera name(CAMERA NAME)[up to 20 characters]
Name entered by user e.g. Jason's Contour
Date and Time(DT)
YYYY/MM/DD hh:mm:ss
YYYY : 2012 - 2040
MM : 01 - 12
DD : 01 - 31
User Data(DATA)[up to 100 characters]
'User' value in the universal settings section 
where the line contents are simply preserved by the camera.


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## Krunk_Kracker (Dec 31, 2012)

Scoupe said:


> I think that I did. No matter, I did it just now to be sure. My computer sees it as "CNTR_ROAM2(F. StoryTeller doesn't launch. Pref set to automatically start app when camera attached. it won't do that. Launched manually StoryT doens't see camera.
> 
> MY FW_RTC - Notepad shows the following:
> FW version: 1800 V2.16
> ...


You held in the format button for around 10 seconds until the memory light turns yellow?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## Scoupe (May 17, 2014)

Yes, guaranteed. I am absolutely positive about that as it is brought up repeatedly in this thread. ~10 second +/- and the card icon flashes yellow for a while. Then turns off.

But maybe this isn't a big deal. I never use StoryTeller anyway. I think the setting are perfect for what i do with the cam and the videos are good.

My second Contour, the ContourHD is seen by the ST software, just the tweaked Roam isn't seen anymore.


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## Ole Nasty (Jul 11, 2014)

Did this mod a couple of months ago and it worked great but how do I turn the audio beeps off? The option to do it in the "tools" section is not there anymore.


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## KristianHooton (Jul 28, 2014)

*Help 2014*



gur75 said:


> tHANK a lot Skiahh! BUT I just found an easier method and IT WORKS! (I was browsing every forum about ROAM  ) So FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO DOWNGRADE FROM 2.16 TO ANY 1.XX firmware: When using 2.16 put any 1.xx firmware to your sdcards ROOT directory and JUST RENAME ContourROAM.bin (any ROAM1 fw that you downloaded from internet ) to ContourROAM2.bin (as we have done the opposite while upgrading from ROAM1 to ROAM2) and it works VOILA! I felt really stupid for not thinking this.. BTW no need to play Y or N settings of the second DEFAULT txt file just change FW_RTC.txt file's UPDATE coloumns to Y from N and as I said rename your 1.xx firmware to ContourROAM2.bin and put it in to SDROMS root.


Hi there. I'm really having a hard time downgrading back to Roam 1 Settings. Think I'm following the info above but it isn't working.
Would anybody be able to show me a video of how to do this please?

Is there another information about downgrading from the mod Roam1

Cheers

Kit


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## MJ's MTB (Aug 2, 2014)

Im having the same problem. Tried different roam firmware and renaming files but everytime I press the status button , nothing happens, just the laser 
Help PLEASE.


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## FSR.Dude (Feb 26, 2011)

(See my below post about the YouTube video's instructions that worked for me)


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## Christian135 (Jan 2, 2015)

Hi,
I've tried to update the firmware at my Contour Roam. But it doesn't work.
I made all things step by step and the yellow LED are blinking until the battery is empty. (2 hours and longer)

At the moment I'm on firmware 1.10. First I tried to update to 1.11 via Storyteller. 
Then I tried to downgrade from 1.10 to 1.01 manually. But ever I get the same error. The LED are blinking yellow but the firmware update doesn't ends. The onliest way to abort the update (after 1 hour or so) is to push the reset button. 
After doing that the camera works fine, but with firmware 1.10. 

The battery is fully charged. I tested the update with different SD cards without success.
Formating works well but the result is the same.

I hope someone can help me. At google I haven't found a solution for my problem.

Greets from Germany
Christian


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## FSR.Dude (Feb 26, 2011)

Christian135 said:


> Hi,
> I've tried to update the firmware at my Contour Roam. But it doesn't work.
> I made all things step by step and the yellow LED are blinking until the battery is empty. (2 hours and longer)
> 
> ...


Christian, did you try this method of updating your firmware to the ROAM2? This is what I used to successfully update my original ROAM to a ROAM2:


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## Christian135 (Jan 2, 2015)

Yes, I did it like shown in the video. (tested with firmware 1.01 and 2.16)
But in the video the firmware update needs only few seconds (yellow LED blinking), at my cam the yellow blinking never ends..... That is the problem.

Christian


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## FSR.Dude (Feb 26, 2011)

Christian135 said:


> Yes, I did it like shown in the video. (tested with firmware 1.01 and 2.16)
> But in the video the firmware update needs only few seconds (yellow LED blinking), at my cam the yellow blinking never ends..... That is the problem.
> 
> Christian


Christian, it's been some months since I upgraded my firmware to the ROAM2 firmware, so my memory is now a bit fuzzy. BUT, I distinctly remember having a similar problem with my first several attempts -- my red light continuously blinked until I reset the camera.

Again, my memory is a bit fuzzy about this now, but I think that when this problem occurred, I skipped a vital step somewhere in the middle, perhaps a proper restart of the camera before the final steps.

On my third attempt, I believe that I was able to get everything working properly. However, since the update, I have found that when I turn on/off my camera, it does not always beep. I looked into my firmware settings at Story Teller, and all audio *should* be working; but, for this feature, it isn't consistently.

Another consequence of this firmware update, as others have indicated, is that the camera does not shoot low-light conditions as well. When I tried different adjustments for this at Story Teller, lighter settings produce vastly lighter and un-usable video. So, we kind of stuck with the default lighting setting.

Sorry I couldn't be more help, Christian. I finally got my ROAM to work as a ROAM2, but only after several attempts.


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## Andrew Nikelin (May 28, 2015)

*Turn your Contour Roam 2 into a Contour Roam 3*

You can Turn your Contour Roam 2 into a Contour Roam 3. 
For this you need to flash Contour Roam 3 Firmware (link 2) on Roam 2.


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## BRMTR (Jun 1, 2015)

Ok.. i hope you can help me out.. i got a used Contour Roam and it was working fine.. did the firmware to Roam 2 and tested at 720 60fps and it was great. Took the card out of the Roam and hooked to my computer using SD adapter. Removed the videos and put the card back in the Roam. The next time I went to use it wouldn't do anything so I thought maybe the battery was dead so I hooked with USB cable to computer and it beeps once then shows Red light light its charging. Storyteller comes up on my computer and shows its a Roam 2 and shows the settings. However I have left it charging for hours and when I unhook it does nothing. I removed the microSD and hooked to a computer and formatted with FAT32 then put it back in the Roam and still nothing. I held the format button for 10-20 secs and nothing. Hit reset and nothing. I can't get the Roam to record or show any status lights other then when I have it hooked to my computer it beeps shows green then red like its charging. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## 411898 (Nov 5, 2008)

Is Contour Storyteller dead??? I cannot get it to turn on even if I dump it and reinstall it. Help???


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