[SOLVED] GPS Failing ... Capacitor dead? (WiFi on was causing issues!)

Since memory cards and power supplies are always the biggest reasons for dash camera issues, it's always wise to try an alternative, even if it sounds unlikely. It's documented within these threads 1000 times the havoc they can cause. While these issues may not be caused by either of these, history shows they need to be ruled out.

This is exactly why I am unwilling to help a company find and fix a problem with their product without compensation. Any efforts I have made or suggestions I have presented are for the potential benefit of users of the flawed product, and if a company representative or seller of the product with an obvious financial interest is too bull-headed to accept the possibility of a larger issue being present, then it is ultimately to their own detriment. There are many competitors in the market.
 
Something else to keep in mind is that these "endurance" cards usually have a low write speed, and write speed is critical with any video recorder. The mentioned Samsung endurance card is rated to only 30MB/s write speeds while their non-endurance cards reach up to 90MB/s. With a dual cam, it's not hard to reach 30MB/s.

More than a few folks here on DCT have fixed their issues with other cams by swapping their endurance card for a standard one; the same could apply here. You need to try another card to be certain- simply testing yours for function with h2testw etc doesn't tell the full story.

Phil
 
Something else to keep in mind is that these "endurance" cards usually have a low write speed, and write speed is critical with any video recorder. The mentioned Samsung endurance card is rated to only 30MB/s write speeds while their non-endurance cards reach up to 90MB/s. With a dual cam, it's not hard to reach 30MB/s.

More than a few folks here on DCT have fixed their issues with other cams by swapping their endurance card for a standard one; the same could apply here. You need to try another card to be certain- simply testing yours for function with h2testw etc doesn't tell the full story.

Phil

One of the two owners participating in this thread is using a Samsung EVO Select 256GB. Do you ave any specific comment or relevant experience for this memory card?
 
the purpose is generally just to identify as real or fake, doesn't tell you if it's a suitable card or not though

Has Viofo ever provided any specifications for suitable memory cards? Something besides its own Viofo branded card of course -- which is obviously a rebranded version of something else already coming out of a manufacturing plant somewhere.
 
Has Viofo ever provided any specifications for suitable memory cards? Something besides its own Viofo branded card of course -- which is obviously a rebranded version of something else already coming out of a manufacturing plant somewhere.
I don't know that they have, I don't think the camera is particularly fussy when it comes to cards though, the Samsung cards that people are using would be fine I'm sure, checking cards and power supply is always first thing with any camera issue as those are the two most common causes of problems

when you have a repeatable bug that can be verified by others it's just a matter of reporting the bug and the circumstances under which it can be reproduced so that they can test it, repeatable bugs are the easiest to fix, perhaps someone else that has been affected will take the time to report the problem without feeling like they need to be compensated for spending two minutes to write an email o_O
 
It's always the same old story... Blame the memory card and/or the power supply. After someone goes through the trouble of eliminating both as a potential problem, someone else will suggest that maybe the new memory card or new power supply could be a problem. I'm getting off this merry-go-round.

Good luck Prelude and Russ. Please do try their suggestions because there does exist the possibility, however unlikely. Though we three probably already know where this story really ends.
 
This is exactly why I am unwilling to help a company find and fix a problem with their product without compensation. Any efforts I have made or suggestions I have presented are for the potential benefit of users of the flawed product, and if a company representative or seller of the product with an obvious financial interest is too bull-headed to accept the possibility of a larger issue being present, then it is ultimately to their own detriment. There are many competitors in the market.
I thought I was merely suggesting troubleshooting ideas. Corrupt last files could be caused any numbers of components and memory cards and power supplies have caused their share of corrupt files. These are two easy things to test, so why not try? For one user here, turning off WiFi seemed to fix the issue and that's great, but that may not solve it for someone else.
 
As of right now, the Samsung EVO Select (and EVO Plus) seem to be one of the most reliable cards for all dashcams including the A129 Duo. Purchased from Amazon directly the price is usually good too. My info is based on reading most sections of this website as well as what I glean from elsewhere. Some folks are successful with endurance cards in their cams, but some are not even when the write speeds seem adequate.

Also keep in mind that card manufacturers can and do change production processes which can render what was an excellent card into one that should be avoided, so my specific comments apply only to what I know from the very recent past and they could easily change tomorrow.

Card problems are probably the most common failure point with dashcams, with powering problems close behind. Cards get worked hard and they have temperature limitations too which doesn't help the situation which is why I always recommend you use only the specific cards which have been reported as working well in your specific cam by the majority of members on DCT. This method of card selection almost never fails.

Phil
 
I don't know that they have, I don't think the camera is particularly fussy when it comes to cards though, the Samsung cards that people are using would be fine I'm sure, checking cards and power supply is always first thing with any camera issue as those are the two most common causes of problems

when you have a repeatable bug that can be verified by others it's just a matter of reporting the bug and the circumstances under which it can be reproduced so that they can test it, repeatable bugs are the easiest to fix, perhaps someone else that has been affected will take the time to report the problem without feeling like they need to be compensated for spending two minutes to write an email o_O

It's never just two minutes, especially so when complicated by language/translation issues should they arise. And I've unfortunately found that making a problem known publicly will always motivate a company much more than a single private inquiry/problem report.

Jokiin, you're a valued contributor here and I don't take issue with any of your suggestions. You're most often right on target. But there is an obvious delineation between what I am willing to do and what I am not.

Despite all its faults, I want to like the A129. I want it to be better and more reliable. I want not to have a second camera from another manufacturer on my windshield because of the A129's current reliability issues. I have not yet had a critical need for that dashcam video to prove my innocence or lack of liability, but I know one day in the future there is a good chance that I will need it, and I want it to be there available to me on that day.
 
I am using that but I will not provide you with info without compensation.

I'm perfectly fine with that because I'm not using that card in this camera. That is the card another user is using in his A129 -- one whom I was attempting to coordinate with in order to better define the problem at hand. I don't agree with withholding information from another user to make solving his problem more difficult, but I support your right to do whatever best suits you.
 
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If there was an issue with the memory card then I don't understand why it is just the last video that fails to record?

Other than the memory card everything I used came out of the VIOFO box.

Viofo have responded to me today and obviously think it is an issue with their unit.


Hi Russell Butler,

I will forward this problem to our engineers.

Would you mind to return the camera for repair and get a replacement?
For our company is located in China, it will take a long time period to get a replacement. Would you mind to contact the seller first?
If the seller doesn't reply to you, please get back to us and send us the order receipt of the camera as PDF, I will send you the RMA and delivery address, so you can return the camera back to us and get a replacement.
Thanks.
 
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I'm perfectly fine with that because I'm not using that card in this camera. That is the card another user is using in his A129 -- one whom I was attempting to coordinate with in order to better define the problem at hand. I don't agree with withholding information from another user to make solving his problem more difficult, but I support your right to do whatever best suits you.
Nor from the manufacturer. Any problem should be brought to their attention. That's how you also help other users.
From all your post in this thread I didn't see you having a problem nor providing a solution.
 
If there was an issue with the memory card then I don't understand why it is just the last video that fails to record?

Other than the memory card everything I used came out of the VIOFO box.

Viofo have responded to me today and obviously think it is an issue with their unit.


Hi Russell Butler,

I will forward this problem to our engineers.

Would you mind to return the camera for repair and get a replacement?
For our company is located in China, it will take a long time period to get a replacement. Would you mind to contact the seller first?
If the seller doesn't reply to you, please get back to us and send us the order receipt of the camera as PDF, I will send you the RMA and delivery address, so you can return the camera back to us and get a replacement.
Thanks.
The last file being corrupted does suggest that it is loosing power before completing the writing of the files. Some memory cards use more power than others so it is possible that with the extra power drain of the wifi, a particularly power hungry card could show the problem when a power efficient card does not.

I think it is more likely that the super-capacitors are rather variable in capacity, and maybe some are inadequate to support shutdown with wifi on. For some reason it is very hard to make super capacitors with consistent capacity, even within a single batch.

If you can't get a replacement through your seller, and you don't want to send it back to China, you could consider using the .ts file option, where the files do not get corrupted if they are not completed.
 
Purchased from Viofo in the UK through Amazon so no issues with return. Just trying to get them to send me a replacement unit before I return the faulty one so that my daughter is not driving around without a camera installed in the car.

".ts" file option means nothing to me. Could you explain how I would change this, would it still play on a Android tablet via WiFi?
 
Purchased from Viofo in the UK through Amazon
Ask them if they could send you the replacement through Amazon before you return yours so you don't loose use of camera.
They could also initiate the replacement through Amazon even after 30 days. It happened to me with another company about one year ago.
 
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