Looking for dash cam with night vision and large display (removable?)

[fjparks]

Hi,
I just started looking at getting a dash cam. I would be hard wiring it.
I'm thinking the detector head to mount between the rearview mirror and the windshield. This would make controls on the unit hard to operate, can you control from your phone?
I want it for continues recording while driving. I assume they loop record and I can download to phone over WiFi(?)
I also want low-light / night vision for night and poor visibility driving, so I want a decent size screen. I'm thinking the detector unit would have video out and I could mount removable screen to sun visor or low on dash below line-of-site to front hood end.

Any recommendations on manufactures or observations on a setup like this? Don't want to spend a fortune, but I wouldn't expect it to be less than $100

I don't care about rear view, in-car video, security recording when the car is not running, or GPS.

From the little I have read I do want:
* capacitor vs battery design for heat tolerance
* sensor unit to be Sony or Omni Vision

Thanks for your time.

 

[SawMaster]

Welcome to DCT @fjparks

Hate to disappoint you, but in dashcams what is called "night vision" isn't that at all. Here the term essentially means a cam which can capture images in low-light conditions. Some cams do have IR, but it's only for in-car recording because the IR emitters reflect off the glass so the cam doesn't 'see' much outside. You really can't drive from the screen images of a dashcam, and not too many cams have AV out where you can use a bigger screen display unless you also stop recording. Lot's of cams have wifi features now, but only a few have near real-time imaging and again that often stops the recording. A few more than that will do snapshots. Your eyes are going to see a lot more than any dashcam does under all conditions.

The main purpose of a dashcam is to record video and audio as you drive to help resolve any disagreements or vagaries in road incidents, and also offer you similar protection while parked. They can do that well with a good cam. But that's about all they can do well, and if you need something more you will need something other than a dashcam.

Phil

 

[fjparks]

Thanks for the reply Phil.
Bummer, I was hoping to get functionality of both.
I'm ok with low light image vs IR, but a large display is a must if I want to use it far aid in low visibility situations.
Do you have the make / model of a dash cam that does have AV out? I think Im ok with the recording being stopped while using external video out.

 

[kamkar]

You are much better off slowing down in low light / bad weather situations.
There are not much gained by using a low light camera to aid, and going that route also loose depth perception due to the wide angle field of view of the lenses, so things look further away then they are on the screen and in the video footage.
So even if you dont look at the screen all the time, then looking over now and then gain you nothing but distraction.
You can get used to it, People in the Radio controlled hobby fly drones using the view from a camera on the drone transmitted to a pair of googles they wear, but it is something that take a lot of practice to do, but when perfected they can almost thread a needle.

I have myself had a system plugged into my 7" head unit of the car, and i was also able to drive along a highway at night looking at the screen only, but it is a highly unnerving experience and for sure not something i would ever try to do in traffic.

Many years ago when i had a job where i got off at 4 in the morning, i was driving home on more or less empty motorways, so to entertain my stupid self, i some times drove several km by only looking in the side mirror and steering by the side of the road i could see in that mirror.
This also take a lot of getting used to, not least since i was going the 110 km/h motorway speed, so in a second or two you go pretty far, and as you are going by the assumption that no one are parked illegal on the motorway you are taking chances.
One night going home driving the normal way, and as i did most times did 130 - 140 km/h i found a black / dark green cop car ( K9 ) unit parked across the 2 lanes and with no light on it,,,,,,,,,, that took a bit of luck and driving skill getting out off, and a really mad me telling the stupid cops that if they park a car across a motorway they better put some GD light on it.

One other thing it can also be illegal to have a video screen going you can see, it is that way here in Denmark, so you can have a screen on a navigation unit going or your car radio, but they can not display video or TV if the driver can see the screen.
In theory i could maybe get a fine just for the little dashcam screen displaying the footage, but it do go black after a few minutes.
Just like here you can not put something on the windscreen that obstruct the view, so a dashcam have to be placed out of the way and no stuff dangling from the mirror.
In theory ( cuz it are not really enforced much due to lack of police and a Danish society going to hell ) but the law say just a dangling wire should be enough to give you a fine.

 

[SawMaster]

Yep, in most places it's illegal to have a video screen visible to the driver while the car is in motion unless it's factory-installed for instrumentation or for the radio, or a GPS unit (and even those are sometimes regulated). Nowhere is it legal to drive using vision other than your eyes, and as I've already said no dashcam is going to be able to see more than your eyes do at night, and it's usually far less than that So you really need to re-think your question because until you do that every answer you get will be the wrong one

It's not that such a thing is impossible, but more that it's unsafe and that it's not something you'll ever get from any dashcam. You need true night-vision equipment to do what you want, and even in that realm you're not going to be able to use the cheaper stuff as it doesn't have the capability you need. You're going to be spending $400+ minimum, and you're really looking at $1000+ to do it well Even with the best NV equipment there are limitations and issues which have to be taken into account and allowed for which generally places this concept into only fields where you have control of or at least knowledge of what's out there already with some catastrophic loss being acceptable- in other words military combat situations, not public roadways.

So you really need to be seeking advice from night-vision websites and forums, not a dashcam forum, because our devices are not suitable for your purposes and never will be. And if someone ever crashes into me for their trying to drive with NV equipment they will need the services of a proctologist to remove said equipment from their body after I'm done with them

Phil

 

[kamkar]

I recon even a set of GEN 3 or maybe better night vision goggles take some getting used to, as a soldier i would assume you also like a wide field of view, so you still need a wide angle lens.
But the boys in blue can do air refueling of their plane / helicopter in total darkness using NVG, and that like driving are also something that have a small margin for error.
My eyes are old and tired too, and i have to wear glasses to read a smaller text, but at a distance i dont feel anything wrong, though it do seem like the light of oncoming cars are getting stronger and stronger, and maybe it also is with the advent of LED headlights.

Analyses here indicate that with age your chance of involvement in a accident go up, so by your late 70ties statistically you are just as dangerous a driver as a 18 yo kid who just got his license. ( in Dk you are 18 when you can get a car license, or that is you can get it at 17 now but you need to have a experienced co driver there when you drive at 17 )
At 18 kids mostly drive too fast and reckless, thats not the problem for older people that will actually drive under the limit ASO as they know they are challenged by age, but still the old people mess up just as much, just for other reasons.

At 54 i think i am still in t he sweet spot, and my insurance do classify me as a super elite driver, and rightfully so i have never wrecked a car of mine.

 

[SawMaster]

But the boys in blue can do air refueling of their plane / helicopter in total darkness using NVG, and that like driving are also something that have a small margin for error.

Yes, but they're the only ones around up there, so all they have to concentrate on its that one thing. That condition never happens reliably on public roads where you can encounter other vehicles, obstructions in the roadway, people or animals there too, or even damaged roadways that get washed out in flooding or get covered in landslides or rock-falls.

It is simply unsafe and infeasible to drive a car on a public road using night-vision equipment in any manner whether primary or supplemental. If you can't see you don't drive Or buy a Tesla- they're made for people who can't drive

Phil

 

[Dashmellow]

Night Vision has been available in production automobiles as a factory option for two decades and is currently available from Mercedes, Toyota, Lexus, Audi, Honda, Cadillac, BMW, Bentley and Rolls Royce. It's not cheap and it usually is only associated with higher end vehicles, but yes it exists.

Automotive night vision​

10 Vehicles with Night Vision​

Toyota Night View Detects objects and pedestrians during the nighttime

Audi


Toyota

 

[SawMaster]

Night Vision has been available in production automobiles as a factory option for two decades and is currently available from Mercedes, Toyota, Lexus, Audi, Honda, Cadillac, BMW, Bentley and Rolls Royce. It's not cheap and it usually is associated with high end vehicles, but yes it exists.

Automotive night vision​

10 Vehicles with Night Vision​

Toyota Night View Detects objects and pedestrians during the nighttime

View attachment 53678

But not for the $100 the OP wants to spend. If you know where that can be done tell me first as I wouldn't mind having a few cars like this around here to sell and get rich off of before the word gets out...

Phil

 

[Dashmellow]

But not for the $100 the OP wants to spend. If you know where that can be done tell me first as I wouldn't mind having a few cars like this around here to sell and get rich off of before the word gets out...

Phil

Many of the comments you've made in this thread are simply not true Phil, such as this one:

It is simply unsafe and infeasible to drive a car on a public road using night-vision equipment in any manner whether primary or supplemental. If you can't see you don't drive Or buy a Tesla- they're made for people who can't drive

Or this one:

Nowhere is it legal to drive using vision other than your eyes,

 

[Dashmellow]

Want Night Vision for Your Car or Truck? There Are Options at Every Price Point​

Well, for about $400 - $600 bucks at any rate.

 

[fjparks]

Want Night Vision for Your Car or Truck? There Are Options at Every Price Point​

Well, for about $400 - $600 bucks at any rate.

View attachment 53680

Thanks DM
I am looking at these LanModd type devices. Looks like they also have loop recording. Need to figure out if I could mount it without obstructing vision but not too far off to the side.

You are much better off slowing down in low light / bad weather situations.
There are not much gained by using a low light camera to aid, and going that route also loose depth perception due to the wide angle field of view of the lenses, so things look further away then they are on the screen and in the video footage.
So even if you dont look at the screen all the time, then looking over now and then gain you nothing but distraction.
You can get used to it, People in the Radio controlled hobby fly drones using the view from a camera on the drone transmitted to a pair of googles they wear, but it is something that take a lot of practice to do, but when perfected they can almost thread a needle.

I have myself had a system plugged into my 7" head unit of the car, and i was also able to drive along a highway at night looking at the screen only, but it is a highly unnerving experience and for sure not something i would ever try to do in traffic.

Many years ago when i had a job where i got off at 4 in the morning, i was driving home on more or less empty motorways, so to entertain my stupid self, i some times drove several km by only looking in the side mirror and steering by the side of the road i could see in that mirror.
This also take a lot of getting used to, not least since i was going the 110 km/h motorway speed, so in a second or two you go pretty far, and as you are going by the assumption that no one are parked illegal on the motorway you are taking chances.
One night going home driving the normal way, and as i did most times did 130 - 140 km/h i found a black / dark green cop car ( K9 ) unit parked across the 2 lanes and with no light on it,,,,,,,,,, that took a bit of luck and driving skill getting out off, and a really mad me telling the stupid cops that if they park a car across a motorway they better put some GD light on it.

One other thing it can also be illegal to have a video screen going you can see, it is that way here in Denmark, so you can have a screen on a navigation unit going or your car radio, but they can not display video or TV if the driver can see the screen.
In theory i could maybe get a fine just for the little dashcam screen displaying the footage, but it do go black after a few minutes.
Just like here you can not put something on the windscreen that obstruct the view, so a dashcam have to be placed out of the way and no stuff dangling from the mirror.
In theory ( cuz it are not really enforced much due to lack of police and a Danish society going to hell ) but the law say just a dangling wire should be enough to give you a fine.

Thanks for the detailed response kamkar. I only see it as an aid, not a device to drive by. I'm still legal to drive my my distance vision in the dark is not what it used to be and there is a limit to how much you can slow down before you create a slow moving hazard to other drivers.

 

[Dashmellow]

Thanks DM
I am looking at these LanModd type devices. Looks like they also have loop recording. Need to figure out if I could mount it without obstructing vision but not too far off to the side.

If you do buy one please report back with your experiences. I'm sure everyone would be very interested to see how a camera like that performs.

 

[Dashmellow]

Apparently, there is a new model called the Lanmodo Vast Pro which includes more common typical dash cam features than the original as well as 1080p front and rear.
Interesting camera but the thing is enormous!

$199.00?

 

[Nigel]

Just turn your headlight on, then you will be able to see, that is the purpose of headlights!

In that image of the Toyota system above, it is quite clear that if the headlights were turned on instead of dipped then the people would be clearly visible to your eyes! Driving at speed with them dipped in that situation could be considered dangerous and thus illegal.

 

[SawMaster]

Many of the comments you've made in this thread are simply not true Phil, such as this one:



Or this one:

You offer opinion- please post something factual to back it up.

Show me where any place specifically allows driving without using your direct vision, or official Court decisions stating the same. Everywhere I know of requires that vehicle operators be able to see where they are going, which is why there are laws (such as where you live) that limit what can be placed on the windshield or within the driver's view. That wouldn't be happening if it weren't deemed necessary for a driver to see where they are going using their eyes. The closest you get to this is an allowance for self-driving cars which is an entirely different matter.

I was unaware of the devices you show, and I'll concede that it can be done for less than $1000, but in this too lies the question of doing this safely, for these devices do not allow for the binocular depth perception which most people rely on to judge distances. Again this is why that everywhere I know of requires an eye test of drivers and special dispensation for those whose sight is impaired enough in one eye to make the normal perception of distance unusable.

Dear friend, and you know I truly do consider you that way, you have of late gotten to be rather argumentative at times, and I don't know why. There's no need for such, especially with me. Neither of us knows everything and we never will.

Phil

 

[kamkar]

I would appreciate a driving aid that saw and alerted me to dangers on the road ahead, it is a constant fear of mine driving at night on a highway ( 80 kmh ) as you could potentially meet a cyclist there driving in the side of the road, but with no light on.
So if the timing is bad and there is a car going the other way, things would get ugly as you can not pull out, so you can go right into the 4 foot 4 foot ditch that often line Danish highways, in which case you and your car go somersaulting into a field.
So a occasional voice saying cyclist on the road ahead i would appreciate as a driving aid, cuz some cyclists here while we Danes pose at the worlds premiere cyclist country, well many are suicidal dangerous idiots, and in fact the reason i got into dashcams in the first place.

But a screen i would have to glance at just the right time to catch a danger, that is still a novelty in my book.

 

[Dashmellow]

You offer opinion- please post something factual to back it up.

Show me where any place specifically allows driving without using your direct vision, or official Court decisions stating the same. Everywhere I know of requires that vehicle operators be able to see where they are going, which is why there are laws (such as where you live) that limit what can be placed on the windshield or within the driver's view. That wouldn't be happening if it weren't deemed necessary for a driver to see where they are going using their eyes. The closest you get to this is an allowance for self-driving cars which is an entirely different matter.

I was unaware of the devices you show, and I'll concede that it can be done for less than $1000, but in this too lies the question of doing this safely, for these devices do not allow for the binocular depth perception which most people rely on to judge distances. Again this is why that everywhere I know of requires an eye test of drivers and special dispensation for those whose sight is impaired enough in one eye to make the normal perception of distance unusable.

Dear friend, and you know I truly do consider you that way, you have of late gotten to be rather argumentative at times, and I don't know why. There's no need for such, especially with me. Neither of us knows everything and we never will.

Phil

Argumentative? Really? I merely posted about how night vision is indeed available in production automobiles after you claimed otherwise. I mentioned it was expensive and generally associated with high end cars. So you post a retort about how it isn't available for less than $100.00 along with a sarcastic and provocative emoji. Don't tell me about being argumentative.

As for any laws and regulations regarding whether these night vision systems are legal, why don't you take it up with Mercedes, Toyota, Lexus, Audi, Honda, Cadillac, BMW, Bentley or Rolls Royce?

 

[SawMaster]

But a screen i would have to glance at just the right time to catch a danger, that is still a novelty in my book.

And an inherent danger, for you'd not be seeing things outside the FOV of the camera, and those things often matter

Phil

 

[kamkar]

I do like the cars that display HUD style on the windscreen, that is leagues better than looking at the center of the dash or console if it is in the radio.
But i must insist on a sprinkle of AI so i dont really have to identify / see things, just react prudently to the alert of a possible issue.