Mobius support thread and Tech Guide (post all problems/help requests here) Read posts #1-8 first

[Roger]

I've yet to run into this myself so i can't speak from experience.
But troubleshooting it from webcam mode seems the easiest to see instant results.
Try to hit the reset button, sometimes it works.
Try to disconnect and reconnect the lens ribbon from PCB.
IF it still persist, and you have another mobius camera on your hands, try to swap the lens. If it fixed after swapping - its a problem with the lens module. If its not fixed - its problem with the PCB.
If it runs on battery - try swap/capacitor connected to USB power. faulty battery may cause loads of issues.

Thanks kindly for the reply & suggestions. I will try the reset button & see if that helps. Unfortunately, the other suggestions are not within my limited ability to do some of those things now. I no longer have a second mobius because I had it hard wired into a car that I've since sold. I don't even know if I have a battery or a capacitor. I just found a box of spare parts that I had for various mounting options & in that box is what appears to be a new battery along with a precision screwdriver to fit for removing the screws. I'm "thinking" (given the presence of what looks like a new battery) that either I bought a spare or swapped it out for a capacitor at some point. I will take it apart for a look see & will report back. It also appears that I bought one of my 2 cameras in later 2015. This one (with the C lens) was the second purchase & probably still in 2015. That being said, it might make a bunch of sense to buy a new one - they're not all that expensive (in relative terms). Not sure at this point which camera I have but would like to get an identical replacement as it has worked so perfectly for so many years. I do know for sure that it has a C lens - it sticks outside the case - I'm assuming that it's a C2. The small light above the heat-sinks is rectangular as opposed to a circle or oval. Any help with identification of this camera would be greatly appreciated. Cheers = Roger
)

 

[Dashmellow]

@Roger, if you could post a photo of your camera, especially with the front of the lens facing forward it would help identify which model you have.

BTW, there is no need to apologize for "bumping" an old thread, especially for a venerable old camera like the Mobius which is still offered for sale and still in use by many.

 

[Roger]

Thank you kindly Dashmellow. I've read thru a number of posts trying to reacquaint myself with the forum & I'm a fan of "search" first before posting a new thread or bumping an old one. I do indeed recall your past assistance to "many" fellow members & I sincerely appreciate your response & offer.
Since I last replied, I've had a go at it. My camera has only 2 screws at the front behind the lens - not the 4 that I recall in posts 1-8. Upon opening it I see that the battery "appears" to be swollen (compared to the one that I found in my box). So I pulled it and (after some frustration with my eyesight & hands) I managed to install the other one (new ?). I did a reset with a small Allen key that I think came with the camera and perhaps intended for adjusting the focus on the lens - memory is not what it used to be !! I tried plugging it into my computer but it's not recognized at this time as a removable drive. I had this problem before and usually after several attempts it will work. I thought perhaps the battery would need charging, so I plugged it into a USB block used for my phone. The light on the top is a steady color green - it did flash blue initially & quickly turned to green. I can easily take a picture of the camera with either my iPhone or a "real" camera BUT I have no idea how to put it into a post......
Fortunately, I have never had a real "need" for the camera from an accident perspective - 60+ years of driving without an "at fault" accident !!
BUT, having it there does give one a sense of security. Additionally & lately, our local Law Enforcement agencies do from time-to-time ask folks if they have any "dash cam video" to assist with an investigation.
Sorry, I digress & ramble too much....Cheers = Roger

 

[Dashmellow]

The green light means that the battery is charging. When it goes out the battery is fully charged.

Make sure you have a memory card in the camera when it is plugged into the computer, otherwise it will not show up as a removable volume. Also, make sure you use a USB cable that has a data connection. Some USB cables only provide for charging but no data connection with the computer. That is often the explanation when some members report that the green light illuminates but the camera doesn't appear as a removable drive.

You mentioned you may have a Mobius 2 camera and we need to clarify if that is the case.

I think it's a Mobius 2 with a "C" lens

Just to be clear which camera you have, does it look like this one below? This a Mobius 1 camera with a C2 lens.



Or does your camera look like this one? This is a Mobius 2 camera.



Note the difference in the appearance of these two lenses. The C2 lens is on the left and the original "C" lens is on the right.

 

[Roger]

WOW !! and as the young ones say OMG !! This is so helpful. Thank you immensely !!

My camera is identical to your first picture - Mobius 1 with C2 lens.

Looking at your last picture (of the lens types) I'm somewhat unsure. It looks like the one on the left - the C2. Mine is "even" with the housing, has a black center & the outer portion of the lens appears to be an orange color ring.

I seem to recall when I was buying my second mobius that I was influenced by members on the forum saying that lens ? was the better one at that time. The B lens was not recommended & I went with the recommended one. I would have then had the original lens on the first camera & the newer one on the second camera.

I had the first one in a Nissan Sentra (hard wired) & the second one in a Nissan Rogue (plugged into the power outlet) where it still resides today. With the 2 in play I was able to compare & preferred the latter with the wider FOV.

After the current one is charged, I'll try it again in the SUV & see if it records properly. However, I think I'll buy another one now "if I can" because it appears they are no longer made but there may be some NOS ones out there. Better the devil you know than the one you don't !!

I can always pass it along to either my daughter of my eldest grandson who'll be getting his first car soon.

Thanks again, and Cheers = Roger

 

[Dashmellow]

@Roger, if you buy a new Mobius I would recommend purchasing from either Eletoponline365 or Digitalele889 on eBay. Both are direct factory authorized sellers for Mobius and they will provide excellent service.

Also, another thing to consider is that if your current camera is no longer functional you can purchase a new circuit board from Eletoponlone365. It is fairly easy to dismantle your camera and repair it. The camera would be good as new and it would cost half what a new one would go for.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/182667840709

 

[Necromancer]

My Mobius #1 is 10+ years old, still blinking normally in the car.
My Mobius 2 is getting on my nerves and i am thinking of replacing. Contemplating replacing it with new Mobius #1, based on my experience its super reliable, but its also 10 year old technology and im thinking of getting something more advanced -> better resolution.

Made a thread about it here:

Need a recommandation for dashcam

Hi, Need a recommendation for a dashcam with the following features: For hot climate - capacitor, no battery Quality and reliable - to work flawlessly for years without any maintenance. Records Sound Above Full HD (2.7K -> 4K) at 60 FPS, HVEC/H.265 codec Decent low light footage No need for...

dashcamtalk.com

 

[jokiin]

My Mobius #1 is 10+ years old, still blinking normally in the car.

you did well to get one a few years before they were released (2013)

 

[Necromancer]

you are correct

 

[jokiin]

Still quite a long time, nothing to complain about that's for sure

 

[Roger]

@Roger, if you buy a new Mobius I would recommend purchasing from either Eletoponline365 or Digitalele889 on eBay. Both are direct factory authorized sellers for Mobius and they will provide excellent service.

Also, another thing to consider is that if your current camera is no longer functional you can purchase a new circuit board from Eletoponlone365. It is fairly easy to dismantle your camera and repair it. The camera would be good as new and it would cost half what a new one would go for.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/182667840709

Again, thanks. Here's the latest update.
After fully charging camera with replacement battery (green light went off) I attached it to my computer & it recognized the removable drive. I was again able to see the video clips on there - all of which had the frozen screen.
Orange light was flashing & I thought I was good to go again.
Took it to vehicle, attached to SCOSCHE Magic Mount, plugged it in and no lights, no activity. Tried multiple times but it would not activate.
Returned to house & computer but it was not recognized as a removable drive. Again, tried multiple times - no luck.
Am familiar with both of the sellers that you recommended & I did some research on eBay for both the camera & the circuit board.
The board is selling for about $46 Canadian, which, when one pays with PayPal will be about $50 Canadian. They only accept PayPal & I'm good with that.
However, what may seem as a simple DIY replacement for some, I'm concerned on 2 fronts with that. Firstly, I question my ability to "get it done" & secondly, I'm unsure about other issues - maybe it's the battery, or the lens.
If I get a new board & am able to replace it, that may not solve the problem.....

So, to avoid future issues, I decided to buy new. I bought from Digitalele889 as, according to eBay, I had already bought one from this seller.

Just for the info of others re cost, the listed price was about $78.99 US Dollars, which showed on eBay as $95.95 Canadian dollars. When paying with PayPal the price increased to $100.14. Still, a fair price for such a reliable camera !!

Now I have to wait until about the 12th. of Never for it to arrive from China but I'll sing along with Johnny Mathis and enjoy the song.

In the interim, I'll go back thru the forum, reread posts 1-8 to get prepared for the "how to" when the camera arrives. I'll try to get my computer to recognize the old camera so I can record the setting on there to be applied to the new camera.

Once again, my sincere thanks to Dashmellow in particular, and to others who have joined the conversation & added value to this discussion, which may be beneficial to another member down-the-road.

Cheers to all = Roger ( who will continue to follow the forum more closely from now on !!).....

 

[Dashmellow]

@Roger, first of all, you're welcome. Happy to be of assistance! Secondly, I think buying a complete new camera was a wise choice! It should provide years of reliable use, plus we don't know how much longer the original Mobius will continue to remain available.

 

[TonyM]

we don't know how much longer the original Mobius will continue to remain available.

That's an interesting point I had not really considered. I suppose ultimately there will be a time when one or more of the components are no longer fabricated and cannot be replaced easily. Apparently components for the Maxi are already becoming difficult to source.

 

[Dashmellow]

That's an interesting point I had not really considered. I suppose ultimately there will be a time when one or more of the components are no longer fabricated and cannot be replaced easily. Apparently components for the Maxi are already becoming difficult to source.

Super-capacitors and Mobius batteries have become virtually unavailable on eBay - or elsewhere. I did find one seller offering one for $55.00 USD and another offering one for $70.00 USD! There are a few for less but with outrageous shipping costs. There is one party selling a Mobius battery on eBay for $24.99 USD with shipping at $19.99. Today, I found one for only $6.15 USD with shipping at $8.99. Says, "Limited quantity remaining". I'm debating ordering one.

I take this as a sign that Mobius will soon no longer exist. The cameras, lenses and other accessories do seem to be available for the time being but in some cases the prices are skyrocketing for certain items.

What word have you had from Mobius lately, if any?

 

[TonyM]

My local UK reseller Webbex appears to have 17 capacitors and 27 batteries in stock for the M1. I'll ring him up tomorrow and ask if those are genuine stock levels - they usually are.

 

[TonyM]

What word have you had from Mobius lately, if any?

Maxi components are becoming difficult to source, no word at all on the M1, and I'm still testing beta cameras

 

[country_hick]

Chips are in short supply. That affects the availability of all electronics.

 

[TonyM]

Chips are in short supply. That affects the availability of all electronics.

That is true. But I hear some are no longer being made, which renders anything reliant on that component as obsolete.

 

[Dashmellow]

They still make batteries and super-capacitors......and Mobius cameras too, apparently. Just maybe not Mobius super-capacitors and batteries.

 

[TonyM]

Maybe now is the time to buy an M1 before they're gone forever? I'm tempted, despite having drawers full of matchbox cameras!