Dash cams, what to get and where to get it (Q&A only)

BohsCeltic

dashcamdanny wrote: »

You need to be carful on what type of USB charger you pick.

Dash cams need more amps than phones.

My one has a 1.5 amp 5v supply. Most usb chargers are around 1 amp.

There is no interference on most FM channels, I listen to FM104 and that's where all the interference comes, sometimes its fine though which is a bit strange

Turtle-TM

I got the 0805 today, wasn't exoecting it to arrive until mid January but came in 7 days from China! First impressions are very good. Very compact nice design, good window mount. Fairly easy set up menu. Need a longer usb cable and adapter to run it to where I want, but it's set up for the moment. I'll post a day and night comparison tomorrow when I'm home. On the Laguna it actually gets power and turns on to record once the door is unlocked then continues for 1 min after locking until the auto off feature kicks in.

One thing I didn't see in the manual, is there any special viewing software needed to view the video files with the embedded gps info? Or can any movie player view them?

Hal1

If you access the cam in windows explorer there is a directory in there that has an application to view files on the cam or card.

I can't remember which folder exactly but looks like this.

Turtle-TM

Do you need to plug the camera into laptop directly to access it? Was hoping I could just take the memory card out, don't like putting extra strain on the mount by sliding it off all the time.

Hal1

Ah you can do it that way alright. I just use vlc player, but the software on the cam plots the gps info.

Turtle-TM

I'll have a play around when I'm home tomorrow and make sure the mounting point is where it needs to be etc.

Can anyone recommend a usb charger to charge it with, need a longer usb cable that the one that is attached to the charger.

vectra

I take my 0803 off regularly and the mount is a s solid as day one.
Really good sticky on those.

I ran the cable down the A pillar on the drivers side of my car and fitted a spare cig. lighter socket powered via ignition.

BohsCeltic

I think i have the interference sorted, if i start my car first then connect the power cable it seems to help.
Another problem i noticed is missing video.
Driving yesterday and something happened so i just checked there on my laptop and it's not there, it happened just as the video looped onto the next segment but there's a good 6 or 7 seconds missing

Alanstrainor

I have an SJ4000 at home, which isn't being used. It has Dashcam capability (on with power, and looped recording). So I'm going to try and set it up as a cheap dashcam. I've ordered a 5M usb cable for it, but how do you guys route your cabling to your cams? I want it to be as neat as possible. So looking at maybe skirting the cable along the A pillar and up to behind the rear view.

listermint

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I have an SJ4000 at home, which isn't being used. It has Dashcam capability (on with power, and looped recording). So I'm going to try and set it up as a cheap dashcam. I've ordered a 5M usb cable for it, but how do you guys route your cabling to your cams? I want it to be as neat as possible. So looking at maybe skirting the cable along the A pillar and up to behind the rear view.

Always behind the A Pillar and up behind rearview. Its the only neatest possible solution. Would be good to get a fused relay also so it triggers at ignition.

vectra

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I have an SJ4000 at home, which isn't being used. It has Dashcam capability (on with power, and looped recording). So I'm going to try and set it up as a cheap dashcam. I've ordered a 5M usb cable for it, but how do you guys route your cabling to your cams? I want it to be as neat as possible. So looking at maybe skirting the cable along the A pillar and up to behind the rear view.

Up behind the A pillar panel and across tucked under roof cloth.

Alanstrainor

listermint wrote: »

Always behind the A Pillar and up behind rearview. Its the only neatest possible solution. Would be good to get a fused relay also so it triggers at ignition.

I was looking at fused relays etc, but not sure I'm confident enough to do all that myself. There is an unused USB port in my headunit, half contemplating plugging it in there, and routing the cable behind the trim in the dash (im pretty certain there is ample room...) over to the passenger A pillar and then up to the mirror. Also have to make sure that the USB port of the headunit doesn't provide power when the headunit is off....

Am i mad? And is fitting a fused relay quite simple?

vectra

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I was looking at fused relays etc, but not sure I'm confident enough to do all that myself. There is an unused USB port in my headunit, half contemplating plugging it in there, and routing the cable behind the trim in the dash (im pretty certain there is ample room...) over to the passenger A pillar and then up to the mirror. Also have to make sure that the USB port of the headunit doesn't provide power when the headunit is off....

Am i mad? And is fitting a fused relay quite simple?

Am I correct in saying there is a fuse panel behind your glove compartment?

If sao,
What i did in my car. ( Fuses on drivers side but makes no odds.)
I got a piggyback fuse and a spare cig lighter.
Found a spare fuse socket that powers with ignition.
Plugged my fuse in there and wired the spare cig lighter to it.
Plugged in the lighter plug from the dash cam and ran the lead up.
Job done.

If you can join wires you can do this.

listermint

vectra wrote: »

Am I correct in saying there is a fuse panel behind your glove compartment?

If sao,
What i did in my car. ( Fuses on drivers side but makes no odds.)
I got a piggyback fuse and a spare cig lighter.
Found a spare fuse socket that powers with ignition.
Plugged my fuse in there and wired the spare cig lighter to it.
Plugged in the lighter plug from the dash cam and ran the lead up.
Job done.

If you can join wires you can do this.

This all day. Piggy back fuse connector on eBay for a few quid.

Alanstrainor

Well I have all my mounting bits for the camera; which looks fairly small/discreet. Have ordered a 5M micro USB cable to power it.

It is possible to route from my headunit under the trim on the dash up the A pillar. I think I'll do this first as it's easier for now, and will get a relay and see if I can get that working in the future.

Cheers fellas!

joujoujou

I don't think relay is really necessary to wire dashcam up. Refer to cams manual what current it takes.

My dashcam is permanently connected to additional cig lighter socket, so it powers up when key is turned. All works fine.

Alanstrainor

joujoujou wrote: »

I don't think relay is really necessary to wire dashcam up. Refer to cams manual what current it takes.

My dashcam is permanently connected to additional cig lighter socket, so it powers up when key is turned. All works fine.

Problem with that though, is that it's a bit messy, cant stand having wires coming from the centre console...my solution is just neat enough, although i will order the relay from ebay I reckon!

joujoujou

Alanstrainor wrote: »

[...] cant stand having wires coming from the centre console...[...]

Neither can I. Additional sockets are hidden behind centre console. One's for dashcam, another for satnav.

Both devices used daily, so no need to unplug them, although it's possible without a hassle.

Alanstrainor

joujoujou wrote: »

Neither can I. Additional sockets are hidden behind centre console. One's for dashcam, another for satnav.

Both devices used daily, so no need to unplug them, although it's possible without a hassle.

Next question is...how did you wire/mount them hidden behind it? Could be an option, although i suspect the relay would be easier....provided I can find a free fuse with the right spec....

joujoujou

Used insulated terminals, so no short would happen. One of them is mounted on screws on the inside of this:

at the edge, so can be unplugged if necessary.

Another one just lies on the carpet inside that aforementioned thing (socket taped over just in case). And there's enough room to reach it.

PeteK*

joujoujou wrote: »

Used insulated terminals, so no short would happen. One of them is mounted on screws on the inside of this:

at the edge, so can be unplugged if necessary.

Another one just lies on the carpet inside that aforementioned thing (socket taped over just in case). And there's enough room to reach it.

Do you do all that yourself?
Would you do it for people, too?
(and get paid)

joujoujou

PeteK* wrote: »

Do you do all that yourself?

Yes.

PeteK* wrote: »

Would you do it for people, too?
(and get paid)

The problem is, I've not much time, nor appropriate facility to do so. A yard, full of rain and wind, is not the best place. Knowledge is a factor as well. Don't know much about other cars than mine, so wouldn't take a risk.

vectra

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Next question is...how did you wire/mount them hidden behind it? Could be an option, although i suspect the relay would be easier....provided I can find a free fuse with the right spec....

I don't understand about the relay?

I still think that a Piggy Back Fuseholder
In your fuse panel to a point which powers with Key on/off

Wired to a
Lighter socket behind the fuse panel is the right job.

Cable tie the socket somewhere behind the panel and run the cam wire down the A Pillar.
20 minute job.

Gumbo

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Well I have all my mounting bits for the camera; which looks fairly small/discreet. Have ordered a 5M micro USB cable to power it.

It is possible to route from my headunit under the trim on the dash up the A pillar. I think I'll do this first as it's easier for now, and will get a relay and see if I can get that working in the future.

Cheers fellas!

You got an E46 year?
Remember your car stays live for 16 mins after locking it. So if you have it wired to certain points it will still record after you leave.

I had mine running down to the glove box where I had a BMW torch to ciggy lighter adaptor. They pop up for sale in eBay US every now and again.

If you want someone to hard wire it, I suggest getting it done by someone that knows what they are doing. One of my previous dash cams burned out after hardwiring it myself to my old E36.

joujoujou

joujoujou wrote: »

[...] One of them is mounted [...] (blah, blah, blah)

One picture says more than thousand words.

AndyBoBandy

Does anyone have any experience of running a usb power cable from the rear view mirror down behind the dash/console in a 3 series BMW (e90) via the A frame?

is it an awkward job?

I would like to permanently wire it in, but keep the wires as hidden as possible

Turtle-TM

What amp/voltage usb charger would be needed for a dashcam? I'm ordering a usb cable to wire it down the a pillar and hopefully under the centre console into the armrest where there is a 12v lighter socket. But can't find what kind of usb charger I'd need.

joujoujou

Turtle-TM wrote: »

What amp/voltage usb charger would be needed for a dashcam? [...]

Depends on manufacturer's specs. If I was you, I'd refer to manual.

cormie

I see the Mini 0806 is coming soon and has a parking mode.

What's everyone doing for their cameras with the parking mode feature? Do you keep it on constant at the risk of draining the battery if you don't use the vehicle for a week or so or what's the workaround folk in the know are using?

h3000

cormie wrote: »

I see the Mini 0806 is coming soon and has a parking mode.

Any idea when this will be available?

Turtle-TM

joujoujou wrote: »

Depends on manufacturer's specs. If I was you, I'd refer to manual.

It has a 5v attachment for the lighter socket. So what amp would be needed to keep the battery charged and the cam running? I think standard iPhone ones are 1/1.4? So would a 2.1 amp one be best?

kerry4sam

joujoujou wrote: »

I don't think relay is really necessary to wire dashcam up. Refer to cams manual what current it takes.

My dashcam is permanently connected to additional cig lighter socket, so it powers up when key is turned. All works fine.

vectra wrote: »

Up behind the A pillar panel and across tucked under roof cloth.

That's what my mechanic done for me. I had that 4-piece unit for cigarette lighter (won't ever be used in any of my cars!) and only unit available now though.

So easy to install; and same as ^^^ camera automatically starts when engine is on. Even has this 'emergency' setting - in event of a sudden impact and engine cuts out it will record. Mad altogether!
It's neat also as wires were hidden as mentioned ^^^ so real happy with mine

Daaryl

What would be the best memory card to get for one?

Do they save in bulks like save every half an hour etc?

vectra

Daaryl wrote: »

What would be the best memory card to get for one?

Do they save in bulks like save every half an hour etc?

I use a 32gig sandisk class 10 micro card but a class 6 is recommended

They save in segments of 1 ~ 3 or 5 minutes

Brief_Lives

Ok... Firstly apologies for not reading through the thread completely...
I am looking for a dashcam that has also got motion detect sensors.

any suggestions.... and thanks....

are these any good...;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009HSQIMK/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A8Z3LZB1LH45B

http://www.amazon.com/Original-Ambarella-Recorder-Resolution-G-sensor/dp/B00F2GMWCG

AndyBoBandy

Brief_Lives wrote: »

Ok... Firstly apologies for not reading through the thread completely...
I am looking for a dashcam that has also got motion detect sensors.

any suggestions.... and thanks....

are these any good...;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009HSQIMK/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A8Z3LZB1LH45B

http://www.amazon.com/Original-Ambarella-Recorder-Resolution-G-sensor/dp/B00F2GMWCG

I got an E-Prance 0801 about 2 weeks ago and it's awesome, cost me £42.99 on Amazon,
I have a Samsung 32GB (series 6) card in it, which will give me a total of 5 hours recording time before it starts re-writing over the oldest files.

If your looking for a cheap, but very good dash cam, go for the 0801, for a few more €€'s you can get an 0803/0805, which are upgraded versions of the 0801, but for me, the 0801 does all I need it to do. It's also very discreet, hiding nicely behind the mirror. Looking t reviews, the 0803 has a slightly better picture at night, but that's not to say the 0801 is poor at night time.

Techmoan does a great review on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdPHXv8Hzj8

regarding the morion sensor, I don't use it, as I believe you would need the camera powered on at all times for this, and I don't want to run the risk of draining my car battery.

BigEejit

I was checking out some videos made by mini 0806 and they have really good night time picture .... There are going to be in stock with joovuu soon.

To hardwire them or ones like them you could use this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Hard-Wire-Kit-for-Mini-0803-0805-0806-Camera-Dashcam-micro-USB-/351074131747?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item51bda61f23
Check that power usage of your dashcam is ok with it of course.

josip

I got a Mobius because there were a lot of reviews of other budget cameras that said they worked for a month or 2 and then stopped working.
It has a visual motion detect that works quite well.
The mobius has an internal battery that lasts about an hour (for me)
Which means that I can stick it on top of a bike/ski helmet and turn it into a poor man's GoPro.

Turtle-TM

I need a 6 metre micro USB cable to wire my dashcam properly. Having trouble finding one, even on the Chinese sites. Any one gotten any links or sellers they have used?

josip

Turtle-TM wrote: »

I need a 6 metre micro USB cable to wire my dashcam properly. Having trouble finding one, even on the Chinese sites. Any one gotten any links or sellers they have used?

This is why you're having trouble finding one.

USB 2.0 provides for a maximum cable length of 5 meters for devices running at Hi Speed (480 Mbit/s). The primary reason for this limit is the maximum allowed round-trip delay of about 1.5 μs. If USB host commands are unanswered by the USB device within the allowed time, the host considers the command lost. When adding USB device response time, delays from the maximum number of hubs added to the delays from connecting cables, the maximum acceptable delay per cable amounts to 26 ns.[79] The USB 2.0 specification requires that cable delay be less than 5.2 ns per meter (192 000 km/s, which is close to the maximum achievable transmission speed for standard copper wire).
The USB 3.0 standard does not directly specify a maximum cable length, requiring only that all cables meet an electrical specification: for copper cabling with AWG 26 wires the maximum practical length is 3 meters (9.8 ft)

AndyBoBandy

josip wrote: »

This is why you're having trouble finding one.

Surely if your using it for power supply only, the length would be irrelevant, and he could simply buy some extension adaptors and connect 2 cables together?

josip

Andybobandy wrote: »

Surely if your using it for power supply only, the length would be irrelevant, and he could simply buy some extension adaptors and connect 2 cables together?

The power conductors in a USB cable are 20 to 28 AWG typically. For a 3 meter cable that is a .2 ohms to 1.3 ohms per leg.
The max current of USB is .5 Amps. So that is .2 V to 1.3 V drop (including the drop on power and ground leads)
Longer cables will have a bigger voltage drop and the remaining voltage may not be enough to power the cam.

Irish Stones

josip wrote: »

The max current of USB is .5 Amps. So that is .2 V to 1.3 V drop (including the drop on power and ground leads)

It would be even worse when the current exceeds the rated USB current, as some devices like dash cams, smartphones, tablets, etc.
My smartphone charges at 750 mA, and it can only be charged with the supplied USB cable (and charger) which is 50 cm long and has bigger wires. When I use standard USB cables it doesn't work.

cormie

Has anyone experience of any camera glasses? I was thinking they could be handy for a few projects I'm thinking about, these seem to be a popular choice: http://shop.pivothead.com/?_ga=1.234712919.896181594.1420976113

but at $200 they are pricey enough. Would be interested in any HD or above quality ones that can record for maybe 30 or so minutes on a charge. If anyone has any recommendations, please share Oh Also, ones with removable lenses, or clear lenses.

karltimber

Hi,

Have a Blackvue mounted behind the rear view mirror. Great stuff.
But was going to get a non-gps 801 to point out the rear view.

what about a live connection out the back. Octavia so a large window to play with.
Probably mount up top of window.

The connection would best be inside the rear hatch door - instead of the boot etc
any ideas - live for the rear wiper ??

K

Irish Stones

Here is an interesting link for the new Mini 806. No hint about release date or else.

http://www.mini0806.com/

Does anybody know more?

martinr5232

Its already available have a look on amazon.

Irish Stones

martinr5232 wrote: »

Its already available have a look on amazon.

Probably I'm a bit daft, but I can't find it

martinr5232

Irish Stones wrote:

Probably I'm a bit daft, but I can't find it 

Its not available at the minute i bought one the other day.
Keep checking everyday it seems to be that they sell out fairly quick.

Check ebay aswell i seen on on that last week.

punisher5112

Hi all was looking for some help as I have found a few of the mini style 0801 and 0805.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Monkon-Ambarella-Recorder-Logger-Internal-No-Memory/dp/B00RFMFVEG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1423676236&sr=8-6&keywords=mini+0806+dvr


http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00F5WP990/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_lc?tag=techmoan-21&camp=1406&creative=6394&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B00F5WP990&adid=0NWDRF46788PRSEDS56T&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.techmoan.com%2Fblog%2F2013%2F8%2F31%2Fthe-mini-0801-tiny-1080p-gps-car-camera-with-an-lcd-screen.html


http://www.gearbest.com/car-dvr/pp_138841.html?gclid=CJTDhfG32sMCFUGx2wod03EAjw


I am a bit confused with the different manufacturer names and wondering are these just cheap knock offs.

Any help would be very much appreciated.