Dome DAB202

foggysail

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Does anybody have availability info on this new camera? I am searching for something and because this uses the A12 chip which reportedly has great night video, like to see test results ...........might even purchase one IF AVAILABLE prior to any tests.

Thanks--
 
Thanks Kamkar for your reply. I have rethought my purchase plan for the 202 and may go with something basic such as the G1WH but will spend more time searching for something. What turned me off with the 201 .......which I was not aware of....... is the fixed speed info on the screen. I just cannot see how this can be beneficial. For example, everybody exceeds posted speed limits sometimes especially those without cruise control. It would be just bad luck to have an incident occur while over a posted speed limit and have that used against me.

Also here in Massachusetts towns have a habit of posting ridiculous speed limits. Several years ago a town posted a 30 MPH FLASHING speed sign on a 40 MPH rode. I contacted the Massachusetts Highway Department and asked if they had authorized that rode to be downgraded to 30 MPH; they had not! I next challenged in writing why the town was allowed to downgrade the authorized limit and strongly protested their flashing sign that lowered the speed from 40 to 30 MPH.

Well after a couple of months of badgering the Highway Department, they copied me on a letter to the referenced town demand they immediately remove the 30 MPH flashing signs and told the town if it they were not removed within 7 days, it would take the town to court!

The signs were quickly removed! I have no clue how many innocent drivers got ticketed because of the signs.

Foggy
 
...may go with something basic such as the G1WH but will spend more time searching for something.....

If you decide to go that route seriously consider getting a capacitor version instead of the battery. Many reports, and my personal experience, tend to show them as being more stable. Likewise I found my A118-C (from SpyTek) to be a much better build quality, and more stable performance, for an insignificant price difference.

...What turned me off with the 201 .......which I was not aware of....... is the fixed speed info on the screen. I just cannot see how this can be beneficial. For example, everybody exceeds posted speed limits sometimes especially those without cruise control. It would be just bad luck to have an incident occur while over a posted speed limit and have that used against me....
If your speed is an issue it can easily be determined from the content of the video, with or without it being displayed or embedded in the video.
 
Your suggestion to consider a capacitor instead of a battery is a good suggestion. As far as speed being determined from the video, not everybody viewing a recorded video will be a math major and most likely be unable to calculate anything.
 
...As far as speed being determined from the video, not everybody viewing a recorded video will be a math major and most likely be unable to calculate anything.
True, but those that care or, more importantly, have a vested interest in the outcome can and will.
 
Sure, and they will absorb the analysis (which can be challenged) cost. Hard to get the accurate data from calculations, too many variables and most who use cameras won't find themselves in that kind of situation.

Question for you---- do you find that your A118-C runs hot? And I do thank you for your insight!!!!

Foggy
 
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Sure, and they will absorb the analysis (which can be challenged) cost. Hard to get the accurate data from calculations, too many variables and most who use cameras won't find themselves in that kind of situation....

It neither hard nor expensive to do.

(Most) Cameras record at 30 FPS. Just count the number of frames it takes to travel a known distance (lane markings on the road are easy and in full view of the camera) and you have all the information you need to determine the actual speed with no basis to be challenged. Number of frames divided by 30 = number of seconds to travel xxxx feet. Basic math then gets you to MPH.

...Question for you---- do you find that your A118-C runs hot? And I do thank you for your insight!!!!...

I've not actually gone out and attempted to measure it but I never had any indication there's a problem. They are actually mounted in my wife's car and when she's at work her assigned parking is in full sunlight facing north/south so either the front or rear cam is fully exposed. Neither one has ever failed to record or produced corrupt files even on days when the temps got up to near 100F. The G1W-H cam used previously would consistently fail under the same conditions. On 'extended' trips of an hour or more of continuous recording they operate flawlessly. Based on that I would say they are, at a minimum, operating within design limits.
 
The 202 and 201 will only show speed when the GPS is plugged in. You can get the model without the GPS (unless you want the mapping). It will, however, show 0 for speed on the screen. I do agree, there should be an option to turn it off. There is probably little quirks like that with any dashcam.
 
The types of errors I referred to pertain to how accurately a camera can measure feet/frame because that distance has to be measured perpendicular to the vehicle's travel. To further complicated it, the difference between travelling at 40 MPH and 50 MPH is only 14.7'/second. I haven't tried to separate video frames in the general purpose video cameras I own, it might not even be possible

You're right on though, just disconnect the GPS and there will be no speed recorded. I am still going to spend some more time looking.
 
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The types of errors I referred to pertain to how accurately a camera can measure feet/frame because that distance has to be measured perpendicular to the vehicle's travel. To further complicated it, the difference between travelling at 40 MPH and 50 MPH is only 14.7'/second. I haven't tried to separate video frames in the general purpose video cameras I own, it might not even be possible....
The point I was trying to make is it's not necessary to measure distance from the video but rather using known distances in the video and just counting frames.

As an example take these 2 frames I just grabbed using RegistratorViewer:

Frame 1.jpg Frame2.jpg

Advancing the video 1 frame at a time (this is something that just about any video player should be able to do) it took ~21 frames to get from the beginning of the first lane stripe to the beginning of the second using the edge of the hood as a reference point. In this case the length of the line and the spacing between them are known values per DOT standards:

On rural highways, broken lines should consist of 3 m (10 ft) line segments and 9 m (30 ft) gaps,

(Source: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/millennium/06.14.01/3ndi.pdf)

Since there are only 2 variables necessary to determine the speed: 1) distance traveled (40 feet) and 2) time (21/30 second) we now have the following.

21/30 = .7 second
1 hour = 3600 seconds

Dividing 3600 by .7 shows I would have traveled 5142.85 40 foot segments in 1 hour, or 205,714.28 feet per hour.
Divide 205,714.28 by 5280 results in 38.96 MPH.

The calculated GPS based speed displayed in R.V. showed 39 MPH.
 
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Yes better get used to it, if you are naughty or good, you will be watched.
And if dashcams dont do it, the cookie facebook left on your phone will track your every move, and if it see you like speeding it will make sure you get to see a lot of commercials for turbos and other autoparts next time you log on to google.

Best thing is to just stay within the limits, and i have to admit thats not easy, myself i can some times drift up to 95 km/h on a 80 highway.
But looking at my drives i have to say i have become pretty good as staying the the MAX speed of 80 and then drift + - 5 km/h

And for doing 85 in a 80 zone here you will not be blamed if some one do somthing stupid in front of you, you might not even get a speeding ticket.
Sure if you do 110 on the 80 km/h highway things might be different at least as to getting a speeding ticket, but even then if some one do somthing of you that make you crash into him, i am not sure your excess speed will mean its all your fault.

Anyway dont you Americans have the 5 amendment or what ever it is, not incriminating yourself but this is maybe only for saying stuff and not in other ways send yourself in jail.
 
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Anyway dont you Americans have the 5 amendment or what ever it is, not incriminating yourself but this is maybe only for saying stuff and not in other ways send yourself in jail.
Yes, the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution contains provisions against self-incrimination or testifying to your own detriment, specifically "nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself,".

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fifth_amendment

But that does not mean that videos from your dash cam cannot be used against you. If you present the video to bolster your case then it becomes evidence and can also be used against you. Likewise the video could be obtained via legal process and used against you as it is physical evidence and not your 'testimony'.
 
Yes, I agree with both above posts. The situations one may find here though are not as risky as described. For example, most roads, not multi lane highways here in the states, lanes are divided with a pair of solid lines if at all. Areas where there are spaced lines indicate passing zones. Because road traffic is much heavier today than when I was young, passing zones are hard to find today.

The other issue is the accident risk on our superhighways is much lower than roads where access is unlimited. Although they indeed are patrolled, I doubt a rational person would volunteer his/her cameras to give proof of wrong doings related to speed violations.
 
The types of errors I referred to pertain to how accurately a camera can measure feet/frame because that distance has to be measured perpendicular to the vehicle's travel. To further complicated it, the difference between travelling at 40 MPH and 50 MPH is only 14.7'/second. I haven't tried to separate video frames in the general purpose video cameras I own, it might not even be possible

You're right on though, just disconnect the GPS and there will be no speed recorded. I am still going to spend some more time looking.
Yes, disconnecting GPS also makes it more clean install as it's external module so one extra wire to manage.
 
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