KITS & BITS

Kite Aerial Photography for everyone
with BROOXES KAP KITS

BEFORE YOU ORDER

PLEASE NOTE:
ALL ITEMS ON THIS PAGE WILL BE SHIPPED TO NORTH AMERICA ONLY!

If you are ordering from Canada or Mexico:

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TO READ OUR TERMS & POLICIES.

For service outside North America,
click here:

BROOXES SIMPLEX KIT

Camera and gentLED-Auto not included.

«Thanks for providing a fantastic suite of simple and inexpensive products that enables me to do this so rapidly!» — M.H., Emeryville, CA

JUST THE BARE BONES!
They don't get any simpler than this!

Brooxes Simplex is just a lightweight manually-aimed camera frame and Picavet suspension system, intended to carry a compact point-&-shoot camera. Use it with a camera that has its own built-in intervalometer, or with a CHDK-converted Canon, or with an infrared-triggerable camera with a James Gentles external interval timer such as the gentLED-Auto shown here.

BROOXES SIMPLEX KIT
includes two Brooxes Utility Frames,
Picavet Cross and line, KAP-Klips™, and hardware.
(Shutter trigger not included)

U$37.00

BROOXES ELECTRIC
AUTOKAP KIT (BEAK)

NOW IN 3 VERSIONS!

Standard BEAK with Canon S70
(camera not included)

This is the complete kit for the standard BEAK —
only 28 parts!

«Thank you for fast, speedy, professional and courteous service. ... I'm truly impressed with your quick turn around, and quality product.» — H.Q., Springfield Gardens, NY

The BEAK Beginner's Bundle — just add batteries, camera & wind!

«It's nice to see such clear documentation; I'm very pleased with your products and your service.» — J.O., Fruita, Colorado

«I don't know how often you're told this, but you have a keen sense for customer service and support.» — J.H., Mountain View, California

Brooxes Electric AutoKAP Kit, in any of its variations, provides the easiest way to get a camera in the air quickly. It's easy to build, and easy to fly with moderate-sized kites. AutoKAP means it doesn't need radio — it takes pictures automatically while you relax and fly the kite.

The key to these kits is the gent360 trigger, nicknamed “peanut”, in one of its forms. With any BEAK, you set the camera's vertical tilt angle before you launch. Then about every ten seconds, the peanut rotates the camera horizontally about 30 degrees, takes a picture, and then does it again and again, until the memory card is full or the battery empty. [If you'd like to adjust the time interval between pictures, add the gent360-ADJUST.]

The secret to KAP success with an automatic rig is to shoot lots of pictures. Memory cards are getting cheaper every day. With a 1GB or larger card, it's possible to shoot hundreds of images in a few minutes, from which you can pick a bunch of good ones at every outing.

With any of the BEAKs, you provide a camera, three AAA batteries (alkaline or rechargeable), and a kite. Each kit contains these components:

• all frame parts

• 360° continuous servo

• gent360 rotator-trigger

• AAA battery box with switch

• BCPC Picavet suspension

•Brooxes KAP-Klips™

plus all necessary hardware and an illustrated instruction manual. Assembly of any of the BEAKs should take 1 - 3 hours.

Click to download Tool List

The standard BEAK is the simplest, lightest, and least expensive. It is designed to use a small point-&-shoot digital camera which must weigh less than 14 ounces (400g) and can be triggered by infrared remote control or CHDK. If your camera is not remote-controllable, you will need the Servo-BEAK below.
The camera is hung in portrait format as shown. Weight 5 oz (141 g) without camera.

Many cameras may be triggered by infrared remote control, but not all are suited to the BEAK because of their size and weight. The following cameras meet all criteria and are recommended. Except for the later Pentaxes, most are no longer in production but may be found on eBay and some dealers:

• Pentax W90 (still current as of August 2010)
• Pentax Optio S4 to S10 series (shown here)
• Pentax A-10 to A-40
• Canon S60 or S70 (shown at left above)
• Samsung NV-7, 10, and 11
• Olympus Stylus 800

To adapt any BEAK to a CHDK-MODIFIED Canon,
see below!

Brooxes Electric
AutoKAP Kit

just U$82.00

Please select your camera from this menu:

The HoBEAK will accommodate any of the infrared-triggerable cameras listed above right.

[Pass cursor over picture to see how we anchored the camera
so it won't revolve around the tripod screw, located at the other end.]

«I just received my order today, much earlier than I expected. I just wanted to write back and compliment you on wonderful prompt customers service, and I got [a] refund for overcharged shipping.
What a great service/shop you've got!»
— C.H, Castro Valley, California

If you prefer to take automatic pictures in landscape (horizontal) format with one of the infrared-triggerable cameras listed above, build the HoBEAK [left]. All it takes is one more Utility Frame and a couple of screws and wing nuts. This configuration is a better one if you want to shoot straight down with cameras like the Canon S70, which has a tripod screw hole way off center.

Otherwise: components, operation, and camera requirements are identical to the standard BEAK above. Infrared remote control capability or CHDK is required! Weight 7 oz (200 g) less camera.

Horizontal
Brooxes Electric
AutoKAP Kit

U$92.00

Please select your camera from this menu:

HoBEAK Beginner's Bundle
includes HoBEAK, Flow Form 8 Kite,
80 lb line & hoop winder, Fuzzy Tail
U$155.00

CHDK is a removable, safe firmware enhancement that operates on many point-&-shoot Canon cameras, providing additional functionality such as RAW, time-lapse, high-speed shutter, etc. Actions can be scripted, such as Remote Shutter, which allows triggering through the USB port — and use of the
gent360-CHDK.

Adapt your BEAK or HoBEAK for a
CHDK-MODIFIED CANON
Swap the standard gent360-LED
for gent360-CHDK for just
U$15.00 additional!

First purchase one of the kits above;
then click this button:

The most flexible automatic is the
SERVO-BEAK
which will accommodate any point-&-shoot camera
of less than 5.5"wide x 4" high x 3.5" deep and 14 oz weight.
Pan servo is hidden behind the battery box in this picture.

«A new piece of KAP gear can change the whole thing. . . . It feels like I've upgraded to an automatic weapon!» — E.V., Ventura, California

Like the other BEAKs, this kit includes all necessary frame parts, both servos, battery box with switch, and hardware. All you provide is 3 AAA batteries, a camera, and a kite. Weight 9 oz (250 g) less camera.

Unlike the rigs above, the Servo-BEAK can be easily upgraded to radio or AuRiCo control with the addition of a tilt servo.

Recommended cameras include all the Canon Digital Elphs, all of the Casio line, the waterproof Pentaxes ... or just about any small (less than 14 oz.) point-&-shoot digital camera on the market.

Servo-BEAK
Beginner's Bundle
includes Servo-BEAK, Flow Form 8 Kite,
80 lb line & hoop winder, Fuzzy Tail

U$180.00

MAKE YOUR RIG EVEN MORE COMPACT!

For the most compact rig, substitute
Brooxes Folding Picavet Cross
for the standard Picavet provided with your kit. May be used with purchase of any kit on this page.

Folding Picavet Upgrade
U$5.00

WANT A BIGGER KITE WITH YOUR BEGINNER'S BUNDLE?

BEGINNER'S BUNDLE KITE UPGRADES
For better all-round performance, substitute one of the following kites for the Flow Form 8.

First: purchase the Beginner's Bundle of your choice above, then click one of the buttons below:

(You must purchase a Bundle, not just the kit.)

Levitation Delta Upgrade

If winds are light in your area, this 9-foot delta kite will give better performance than the FF8. Includes 8" Halo Hoop Winder and 500 ft of 200 lb black braided Dacron® line; tail is unnecessary.

Delta Upgrade U$22.00

OR

Flow Form 16 Upgrade

The larger Flow Form (not shown) improves power and low-wind performance over the FF8 while maintaining the portability of a stickless kite. Includes 8" Halo Hoop Winder, 15-ft Fuzzy Tail, and 500 ft of 200 lb black braided Dacron® line.

FF16 Upgrade U$85.00

AND

If you'd prefer a more compact bundle for travel, replace the Halo Hoop in either of these upgrades with the Phantom Star Bobbin Winder.

First: select your bundle AND upgrade, then click this button:

Bobbin Winder Swap U$6.00

For radio control, build

BUILT AND USED BY MORE THAN 800 KAPPERS SINCE 1999

[Click on the picture for a larger image that you may rotate with your mouse. It's a large file and loads slowly with dial-up connections, so please be patient.]

«This was a snap to build.» — B.W., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

«While building it, I kept thinking about how many years of trial and error and innovation went into it. I feel lucky that you've gone to all the trouble to make it available to people like me who don't have a shop or the skills needed to easily build a rig and get it into the air.»
— M.L., Berkeley, California

«What a great kit and excellent instructions. I had no problem assembling it and it went together quite quickly.... It made getting into KAP easy.» — T.T., Calgary, Alberta

«Well thought out, adaptable, it's exactly what I needed.»
— M.J., Barneveld, Wisconsin

«Five Star Rating *****... Prompt, courteous, helpful, and a pleasure to do business with.» — R.M., Auburn Hills, Michigan

Most autofocus, autowind, point-&-shoot cameras, whether digital or 35mm, can be accommodated by the BBKK. Cameras are limited to maximum dimensions of 5.5" wide by 4" high by 5.5" deep (14 x 10 x 14 cm), and must have a tripod screw hole on the bottom and a shutter button on top, and a recommended maximum weight of 14 oz. (While a small DSLR will fit, it's too heavy to hang from the servo and would require a gear package. Any DSLR would be better-suited to the Deluxe Kit shown below.)

BBKK may be used without radio control with most point-&-shoot cameras with the gent360-SERVO or AuRiCo controller, or with infrared-triggerable cameras using the gentLED-Auto .

The kit will accommodate radio-control equipment with two to four channels, to operate pan, tilt, and shutter [see left]. The kit is designed to use Futaba S3003/3004 or Tower Hobbies TS-53 servos, but other standard-size servos should work too.

Weight of the BBKK less camera and batteries is 7 - 9 oz (200 - 250 g). Most finished radio rigs will weigh two pounds or less, suitable for use with such kites as the Sutton Flow Form 16, the Fled, a medium-sized Rokkaku, or a 9-foot Delta or Delta-Conyne. Larger, more powerful kites are not needed, nor recommended. See our KITESTUFF page.

The BBKK package includes 70 pieces and a 20-page manual [left]. The kit may be purchased on this site only with U.S. nuts & bolts (also known as ANSI, SAE, or Imperial).

The BBKK now includes the Parallax Continuous Rotation Servo, which will make soldering unnecessary. Also included are all aluminum frame parts, Brooxes Compact Picavet Cross, all fasteners & hardware, a set of KAP-Klips™, and complete, detailed, illustrated instructions. A typical illustration from the manual is shown at left.

In addition, you will need a two- to four-channel radio control system with two or three standard servos, OR one of the controllers mentioned above — and a suitable camera, kite, line, and winder, of course. If you choose radio control,  we recommend the Futaba 4-YF radio from Tower Hobbies, or the Spektrum DX5 .

To construct the kit, you'll need basic hand tools and an electric drill or small drill press. Click here to download a tool list.

For a Deluxe KAP Kit
or Deluxe KAP Bundle,
scroll down.

For KAP Parts, Kit Accessories & Gentles' Goodies, CLICK HERE

Add the major accessories from our Parts Page
and SAVE with our

DELUXE KAP PACKAGES!

BROOXES DELUXE KAP KIT

for AuRiCo or Radio Control

INCLUDES

• Brooxes Basic KAP Kit with Picavet
• Parallax Continuous Rotation Servo
• Ball-Bearing Blocks for the Picavet
• Brooxes Bolt-on Leg Brackets with Carbon Legs
• Brooxes Better Gear Guide with Standard Gears
• Brooxes Hangups™ to hang it all from

NOTE: This kit does not include a servo to tilt the camera. For heavy and/or deep cameras, such as an SLR with a long lens, a hi-torque metal-geared standard servo should be used. Otherwise, a standard servo should be adequate.

Triggering the shutter may be done by a standard servo, miniservo, or suitable gentLED device. None is included in the kit; see the Parts page.

The kit will also need a battery pack and power switch, usually provided in most radio packages or available on the Parts page.

Weight less camera & batteries is 10-12 oz (280-340g).

Click to download Tool List

BROOXES DELUXE KAP KIT

U$153.00

  We recommend the Futaba 4-YF radio from Tower Hobbies
or the Spektrum DX5 with Brooxes Deluxe KAP Kit.

READY TO ASSEMBLE

CAMERA & ELECTRONICS NOT INCLUDED.

«Beautiful kit.... Great design, great instructions. THANK YOU!»
J. S., Culver City, California

Pan Gearing Upgrade
U$15.00

Substitute the Deluxe 1:4 Reduction Gear Package for the 1:2 Standard Gears in the Deluxe Kit above, or when ordering the Complete Outfit below.

Picture includes additional components not included in the kit.
Camera and electronics not included.

For large SLRs, you'll need
BROOXES MAXI KAP KIT

We recommend using nothing larger than a small SLR for KAP (e.g., Canon Rebel), but if you must lift a big, heavy camera, you'll need this kit.

BMKK is a variation on the Deluxe Kit, which substitutes Brooxes Maxi Frame parts, PLUS the Pan Gear Upgrade, PLUS long legs.

NOTE! You'll need some means of triggering the shutter electrically, such as the gentLED-Shutter or gentLED-Focus, because the Maxi frame won't accommodate the normal shutter-servo mounting hardware. Also, a high-torque metal-geared tilt servo is recommended.

BROOXES MAXI KAP KIT

U$198.00

BROOXES
DELUXE KAP BUNDLE

INCLUDES

• Brooxes Deluxe KAP Kit [see above]

• FlowForm 16 Kite

• 15-foot Fuzzy Tail

• 500 ft of 200# Braided Dacron Line

• 8" Halo Hoop Winder

A $301.00 VALUE FOR JUST

U$295.00

Questions, comments, requests, suggestions? EMAIL ME

or drop me a note at POST OFFICE BOX 34, PACIFIC GROVE, CA 93950-0034.

Prices and specifications of anything on this page are subject to change without notice.