Lateral dashcam with G1W/G1WH

[Dashmellow]

As I've mentioned previously in this thread, I had been experimenting with running three cameras in my vehicle. At this point, I now regularly run four cameras - front, rear and both sides with the lateral cameras facing out through the dark tinted rear side windows of my extended cab pick-up truck. On the whole, I am very pleased with the coverage I get because the four cameras provide excellent coverage with a good deal of overlap from all four cameras. Since I am doing this with re-purposed older dash cams, each camera in my particular set-up has a different FOV but the overall angles of coverage actually add up to and capture well over 360 degrees around the vehicle. To keep the explanation simple think of it this way. If, hypothetically, all four cameras had lenses that capture 140 degree coverage, (many capture much more than that these days) the combined FOV coverage would total 560 degrees.

In actual practice this isn't so simple since it depends on the particular vehicle. In my case, because I drive a pick-up truck, the rear camera captures the entire rear bed of the truck and everything to either side of the vehicle. Then the side cameras heavily overlap the coverage from the rear cam along with overlap from the front camera. On the other hand, if I drove, say, a hatchback car, the rear camera would be at the hindmost part of the vehicle and would be less likely to capture footage that overlaps with the side camera's coverage. (but not impossible)

I agree that having the cameras inside the vehicle keeps them secure but in my case only the front camera has the benefit of a windshield wiper. Rain drops and road dirt can be a problem but an occasional squeegee does the trick and even some crap on the glass isn't a deal breaker. Still, I do think a properly designed roof mounted dome of some kind would be the most effective solution but it would need to be designed to blend in aesthetically with the car so that it doesn't look too weird. Based on my longtime experience with weatherproof exterior mounted CCTV cameras I don't believe that not having windshield wipers or defrosters on the cams would be an issue. Hermetically sealed camera housings don't necessarily need defrosters like you do inside a vehicle cab and water drops on the glass are only a very temporary and self resolving problem. This would be especially so in a moving vehicle with air flowing over a domed glass.

In any case, I now feel sort of "naked" if I don't have all four cameras up and running. The side cameras capture all kinds of unexpected and interesting things.

 

[Gibson99]

i've seen plenty of onboard footage from race cars. water, oil, dirt, etc get on the lens. many of them have a shield of some sort in front of the camera which will occasionally rotate to bring clean plexiglass in front of the lens again. open-wheel racers also have tear-offs on their helmet visors since they don't have wipers. this is impractical for a consumer car dvr.

even on fixed installations on homes/businesses/traffic-cams/etc, where the camera may be somewhat shielded by the building itself, or by visors on the cameras, water and ice can completely obscure the video. in a cold climate, ice would be a serious issue since no matter how well sealed the camera is or how much rain-x/etc you try to apply, there's nothing to stop ice building up on the front of the camera, and unless you add a serious heater, it won't go away, either. so i think (note, this is my opinion) interior-mounted units will always be superior (or at least much simpler) to anything externally mounted on a vehicle.

granted, the way i have my rear cam mounted in my Toyota Camry means that if the back window has dew or frost on it, the camera is basically blind because the camera is mounted higher than the defroster lines will clear. but in normal rain (which runs off) and clear conditions, it's OK. it's either that or mount it lower and make it look REAL weird from the outside (and distracting from the inside). thankfully, frost/ice almost never happens (and when it does i usually scrape it all off) and dew doesn't happen often enough to be an issue.

 

[Dashmellow]

Since I live in northern New England I experience ice and snow on my CCTV cameras all the time. These cameras run 24/7 and they produce a certain amount of internal heat. It never takes very long for any ice and snow to melt away no matter what the conditions. The different cameras I have are all in somewhat different installation situations with some more protected from the elements than others. The visors on cameras of this type are for the purpose of shielding the lens from direct sun which will degrade the image and can damage the sensor. Visors really do little to shield the lens from rain or snow, especially if there is some wind. Of course, all these cameras have lenses that are behind a glass shield. All in all, after many years of using these cameras I am often amazed at just how clean and clear the glass remains regardless of the conditions which can include bugs, dirt, dust and even occasional bird poop. Spider webs are more of an issue than water droplets or snow and frost.

 

[Gibson99]

my main concern with ice on the lens (or glass/plexi cover, whatever the case may be) on a vehicle is when you're moving. I expect the wind of moving even just a couple mph will sap away any heat the camera may generate on its own. and i've seen some pretty nasty ice build up on my windshield (where the wipers don't reach) in different weather conditions - obviously nowhere near houston, but some in/around Massachusetts, NH and VT (my mom lives in Manchster NH), North TX, and up into Colorado.

Not trying to say you are wrong about your CCTV units - I don't have any myself but have had to monitor a few systems in the past at different jobs. I'm just saying that cold weather probably won't be good for externally mounted vehicle cameras. seen plenty of icicles hanging from backup cameras myself.

having to accommodate every weather condition as best as possible may be one reason why automakers are not offering dashcams as a factory option yet.

 

[Dashmellow]

This thread was and is primarily about lateral facing dash cams. Last June some discussion arose about the possible use of roof mounted domes but this was more or less tangential to the thread topic and for the most part not taken all that seriously. Certainly nobody was advocating actually doing this, it was essentially hypothetical and even a little tongue-in-cheek regardless if it might actually be viable. I'm not sure why now, seven months later, you would feel the need to attack the idea technically quite the way you have as if any of us actually expect (or really want) to see a 360 degree rooftop dash cam dome any time soon.

 

[Cricket]

Hi !

I've installed a G1W for lateral vision.

G1W/G1WH is perfect because of reduced angle 120° compared to 170° of the 0803 and A118.
It allows to show more details outside of the car, expescially licence plates through windscreen.

Succion mount has been replaced by 3M adhesive mount ordered @estore009

Here's videos and pictures, easiest way for me to explain you all of this

It the full name G1W/G1WH ? Also, what about night vision? are those pics clear? This one camera- can you please tell me about what the cost was> Not getting personal- I'm on a limited budget. My windows in the Honda Accord has the standard slightly tinted windows. I don't care if it's on the inside or out. I usually don't drive in bad weather because I live on a dirt/gravel road in the country, Just built new home * have horses & hay fields LOL. Would your stated range see a car & face when they are 40 ft behind me? The license plate would be on the back of the car behind me, so I could never get that number anyway. I don't care how large the cam is for the rear view - it could be 12 in wide, discreet is not important on the rear..Just need a good rear cam and a good side cam. thank You!

 

[Dashmellow]

The G1W are G1WH are both extremely similar cameras but they are two different models. You might think of them as the same camera available in two different bodies. Both are modestly priced and can be found at "around" $50.00 each (plus or minus). They offer good performance and value for the money but there are many clones and copies so it is important to buy from one of the recommended vendors found here at DCT. All in all, these models are about the cheapest dash cams on the market worth purchasing. There is a third version of this camera called the G1W-C which uses a component called a super-capacitor instead of an internal battery. This can be useful in hot weather when a battery might undergo stress from the heat but you don't need to concern yourself with capacitors for the time being unless you want to.

Here are some examples/prices from FoxOffer, one of the trusted vendors known to DCT. They are in Hong Kong and although they ship for free it can take about three weeks to receive items from them in the USA.

G1WH - http://www.foxoffer.com/g1wh-car-dvr-full-hd-camera-140-degree-wide-angle-p-663.html ($49.90)

G1W - ($49.90)

G1W-C - ($55.99)

You would certainly see a car on camera 40 feet behind you but you may or may not see an identifiable face. It depends on various factors such as the weather, time of day, the direction the sun is shining from and conditions, how fast both cars are traveling, how bumpy the road is, etc. The slightly tinted windows shouldn't be a major problem. Chances are you would not capture the face but there's a reasonably good chance you can identify the individual by his vehicle. I can confirm this from personal experience, living in a rural area and having been in a situation that I have a hunch may be similar to yours.

The best way to get a feel for what you would see on camera is to look at different examples of dash cam footage on YouTube. You will find many examples here at DCT. Some of us can also post links here that may help you.

 

[jokiin]

They offer good performance and value for the money but there are many clones and copies so it is important to buy from one of the recommended vendors found here at DCT. All in all, these models are about the cheapest dash cams on the market worth purchasing.

it's getting to the point now with these cameras that they're getting hard to recommend, even from the known sellers, the problem is that the suppliers themselves have gone cost down on these products to compete and they're not like they used to be, for those on a budget I'm really finding it hard to recommend anything that costs less than a Mobius these days

 

[Dashmellow]

it's getting to the point now with these cameras that they're getting hard to recommend, even from the known sellers, the problem is that the suppliers themselves have gone cost down on these products to compete and they're not like they used to be, for those on a budget I'm really finding it hard to recommend anything that costs less than a Mobius these days

This is true and I am aware of that. I was trying to keep things simple for Cricket, who is trying to get her feet wet understanding what to buy for a first affordable dash cam. It is good that you point this out however.

 

[jokiin]

This is true and I am aware of that. I was trying to keep things simple for Cricket, who is trying to get her feet wet understanding what to buy for a first affordable dash cam. It is good that you point this out however.

G1W type is probably easy for rear screen use, not too discreet obviously, for side facing a Mobius mounted to the sun visor pointed out the window might be the go

 

[Dashmellow]

I'm concerned that a Mobius might be more than Cricket is prepared to take on just yet on her path up the dash cam learning curve but with some help and hand holding I have no doubt she'll get here. One step at a time.

 

[jokiin]

I'm concerned that a Mobius might be more than Cricket is prepared to take on just yet on her path up the dash cam learning curve but with some help and hand holding I have no doubt she'll get here. One step at a time.

yeah they're not quite as simple, if buying from a US vendor though maybe it could be arranged to pre configure one for her

 

[Cricket]

The G1W are G1WH are both extremely similar cameras but they are two different models. You might think of them as the same camera available in two different bodies. Both are modestly priced and can be found at "around" $50.00 each (plus or minus). They offer good performance and value for the money but there are many clones and copies so it is important to buy from one of the recommended vendors found here at DCT. All in all, these models are about the cheapest dash cams on the market worth purchasing. There is a third version of this camera called the G1W-C which uses a component called a super-capacitor instead of an internal battery. This can be useful in hot weather when a battery might undergo stress from the heat but you don't need to concern yourself with capacitors for the time being unless you want to.

Here are some examples/prices from FoxOffer, one of the trusted vendors known to DCT. They are in Hong Kong and although they ship for free it can take about three weeks to receive items from them in the USA.

G1WH - http://www.foxoffer.com/g1wh-car-dvr-full-hd-camera-140-degree-wide-angle-p-663.html ($49.90)

G1W - ($49.90)

G1W-C - ($55.99)

You would certainly see a car on camera 40 feet behind you but you may or may not see an identifiable face. It depends on various factors such as the weather, time of day, the direction the sun is shining from and conditions, how fast both cars are traveling, how bumpy the road is, etc. The slightly tinted windows shouldn't be a major problem. Chances are you would not capture the face but there's a reasonably good chance you can identify the individual by his vehicle. I can confirm this from personal experience, living in a rural area and having been in a situation that I have a hunch may be similar to yours.

The best way to get a feel for what you would see on camera is to look at different examples of dash cam footage on YouTube. You will find many examples here at DCT. Some of us can also post links here that may help you.

 

[Cricket]

G1W-C which uses a component called a super-capacitor- what does super-capacitor mean? Will it plug in a cig , or regular plug-in? I have both in my suv. I cannot wait 2-3 weeks. I need to order it now in the US & have it delivered now. where can I buy this now? Also, what is the actual name of this G1W-C ?? Thank You, cricket

 

[jokiin]

for a cheaper camera and quick delivery try @spytec they're in NY http://www.spytecinc.com/

Super capacitor is just in place of batteries, they're better in hot environments

 

[Cricket]

I saw them on spy tec, but they were out of stock. they were only $57.00. I would buy a better one, as long as it would go inside for the rear. I'm forgetting the side cam. that doesn't matter anymore. Surely, there is someone that sells something that comes on when I start the car and stays on when the car is running. amazon has a lot, but I don't know which or what to buy.