Tape it to be safe or not?

[GJHS]

I recently asked Isoprop "My question is: in a collision if the card got dislodged would the file save?" I have dropped mine and it dislodged the SD card and it wouldn't record until I reset the card. I wondered if an accident could also dislodge the card and not save the last recording. Of course I understand the impact force would differ in an accident compared to dropping it.

He said "No. The current file will always be lost. It may be possible to reconstruct parts of the recording, but the last few second will always be lost." "To be on the safe side I would tape the card in place." He later said that RC users often tape their cards in place.

I was a bit surprised, this is something I would have never considered as a safety precaution. Is this a well known thing? How many of you tape your cards in place? What do you think?

 

[jokiin]

Can't see the card popping out in any regular usage scenario when used as a dashcam

 

[Byr0n]

I struggle to get the thing out manually sometimes, it would take a lot of force to force it out in a prang

 

[GJHS]

I struggle to get the thing out manually sometimes, it would take a lot of force to force it out in a prang

A simple 2 foot drop, nudged it out of place for me

 

[Byr0n]

A simple 2 foot drop, nudged it out of place for me

Suppose it depends on how it lands if dropped, I bet if you tried you couldn't do it again

Your lucky it didn't land on the lens

 

[GJHS]

Suppose it depends on how it lands if dropped, I bet if you tried you couldn't do it again

Your lucky it didn't land on the lens

Ya and I am not going to try

Advantage A lens: being recessed

 

[cf7]

The SD holder has a tiny spring running a Y shape track...
My old camera sd card holder has a worn track, sd card did not get to slide into proper side to lock.
I would tape imho..

 

[parklawn]

This is not a problem of course if you have a DR32 as the on/off switch locks the card in position. You cannot record unless the card is locked in.

 

[Dashmellow]

Altogether I've owned seven different cameras that use microSD cards and I've noticed that all of them vary to some degree in how securely the card locking mechanism functions and how strong the ejecting spring is. There is variation within the same brands and for example both of my Mobius cams are slightly different from one another. One definitely has a firmer spring than the other. On the one with the firmer spring, the microSD card protrudes very slightly (almost a millimeter) when it is installed while the other is essentially flush with the case. The one with the firmer spring seems like it would hold up better if jolted suddenly but really, I don't think either of them would fail during an automotive accident. In fact, I don't believe any of the cameras would fail unless the mechanism was faulty to begin with or the locking detent was worn out. I've dropped one of my Mobius cams a few times, most recently when I accidentally knocked it off my desk onto a hardwood floor and the card didn't pop out. The camera itself held up fine as well.

GJHS's post raises an interesting and provocative question that got me thinking about this issue and I've concluded it is NOT something to be concerned with under most circumstances. Speaking for myself, I'm not going to worry about this unlikely problem. If you are crashing an RC craft into the ground, well then yes, taping the card in could be a good insurance measure but even in a serious car accident my hunch is that the card will not come popping out of the camera. Just take a look at any of the countless crashes captured by dash cams on YouTube and the one thing usually still functioning after the crash is the camera.

 

[sludgeguts]

Is there not a big difference, though, between how the cam/card fares in a collision with how it fares when the cam is dropped?
Dropping the cam would surely give it a greater 'jolt' than it would get in an accident?
Also, at the moment of impact, the cam would be disfigured (ever seen a slo-mo clip of a boxer's face being punched?). I feel it is this disfiguring that could eject the card as the case bends/twists.

 

[GJHS]

I agree guys, a drop/RC crash is a hard hit with little or no cushioning as opposed to a car absorbing some of the impact. I would also think that the windshield would give first or even the mount, softening the blow. I will say that the issue Isoprop brought up and what worries me is the card dislodging enough to stop the file from being saved, not it actually coming out completely.

For me it was a "hmm never thought of that" kind of moment and I figured it was an interesting idea, one worth posting, and it may help someone. Especially since having a dash cam is about being prepared for the unexpected and if a simple piece of tape helps it save that file, it's worth it. Maybe take a second to check your card and if it's loose then tape it. I think it also made me think about switching to 1 min clips as opposed to the 5 mins I use now.

Dashmellow, I said the same as you. With all those Russian dash cam videos from different levels of cameras that survive, they must be able to take it.

 

[sludgeguts]

I agree guys, a drop/RC crash is a hard hit with little or no cushioning as opposed to a car absorbing some of the impact. I would also think that the windshield would give first or even the mount, softening the blow. I will say that the issue Isoprop brought up and what worries me is the card dislodging enough to stop the file from being saved, not it actually coming out completely.

For me it was a "hmm never thought of that" kind of moment and I figured it was an interesting idea, one worth posting, and it may help someone. Especially since having a dash cam is about being prepared for the unexpected and if a simple piece of tape helps it save that file, it's worth it. Maybe take a second to check your card and if it's loose then tape it. I think it also made me think about switching to 1 min clips as opposed to the 5 mins I use now.

Dashmellow, I said the same as you. With all those Russian dash cam videos from different levels of cameras that survive, they must be able to take it.

Isn't the problem with 1 minute clips that you are making the cam work far, far harder than it would normally?

 

[GJHS]

Isn't the problem with 1 minute clips that you are making the cam work far, far harder than it would normally?

That was my thinking as well. It seems the answer lies in who you ask. Some say yes, some say it's not a problem.

I started a thread a while back http://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/the-best-segment-length-or-does-it-matter.3972/