Blackvue B-130A

[Vortex Radar]

Does anyone know what the differences are between the Blackvue B-130X and the B-130A? Specs seem similar as far as I can tell with limited info currently available, but the A should be a good bit cheaper.

Googling for it, looks like the B-130A was briefly up on Blackvue's US website. It 404's if you go to the URL now, but it looks like it should retail for $256 now. I'm not sure if that's gonna be the official MSRP though.

That's a welcome improvement compared to $359 for the B-130X on Blackvue's website. I've seen the B-130A for €449,95 over in Europe which is odd because that's USD $472, nearly 2x higher than $256. I saw that @Turbine is running the B-130A over in Israel, so I guess they're staggering the rollout around the world.

Anyways, I'm curious to compare the B-130A with the 70mai battery and a comparable'ish Ecoflow battery in an upcoming video. I've been running the 70mai battery for a little while now and overall I'm liking it, but I really do find myself missing Bluetooth. I can appreciate the cost savings of the 70mai if you're willing to sacrifice BT, but it looks like you'll be able to get the B-130A with BT for a similar pricepoint, and that's what's catching my eye.

Does anyone know more about the A?

 

[Augustus]

Does anyone know what the differences are between the Blackvue B-130X and the B-130A? Specs seem similar as far as I can tell with limited info currently available, but the A should be a good bit cheaper.

Googling for it, looks like the B-130A was briefly up on Blackvue's US website. It 404's if you go to the URL now, but it looks like it should retail for $256 now. I'm not sure if that's gonna be the official MSRP though.

View attachment 77853

That's a welcome improvement compared to $359 for the B-130X on Blackvue's website. I've seen the B-130A for €449,95 over in Europe which is odd because that's USD $472, nearly 2x higher than $256. I saw that @Turbine is running the B-130A over in Israel, so I guess they're staggering the rollout around the world.

Anyways, I'm curious to compare the B-130A with the 70mai battery and a comparable'ish Ecoflow battery in an upcoming video. I've been running the 70mai battery for a little while now and overall I'm liking it, but I really do find myself missing Bluetooth. I can appreciate the cost savings of the 70mai if you're willing to sacrifice BT, but it looks like you'll be able to get the B-130A with BT for a similar pricepoint, and that's what's catching my eye.

Does anyone know more about the A?

Can't find any info on the A here. It's more than double the price for the X at $500 AUD compared to the $210 AUD for the 70mai battery pack when they're the same capacity.

Is it worth more than double the price for Bluetooth? Hard negative. If 70mai does it for their successor, then it's a disruptor to the market because $500 is a lot for just a battery. Even similar capacities for camping from other brands are going for the 300/350/400 mark not 500.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

Does anyone know more about the A?

The first I heard of the new “A” model was when I replied to Turbine’s post.
I found that same confusing info yesterday.
Now it looks like it’s $299 on the US website;

https://shop.blackvue.com/product/blackvue-ultra-battery-b-130a/

I looked at the specs for the A and they’re identical.
Who knows what kind of “marketing” is going on, but it’s nice they dropped the price from $360 down to $300.
That’s only $70 more than the ($220) 70mai Hardwire version + ($10) CLA charge cable, (must buy separately).
An extra $70 for the Bluetooth functionality of the B-130A might be worth it to some folks.

 

[lufa6977]

I can't get the U.S. link to work, but the BlackVue Nordics link works, specs and manual download available there. However, when clicking the link for the manual, the provided manual is for the B130X

B130-A

Specifications​

Model Name	Power Magic Ultra Battery (B-130A)
Capacity	12.8 V / 7,500 mAh / 96 Wh
Product Dimensions	Black / 152.7mm (W) X 206.0mm (L) X 33.6mm (H) / 1,537g
Operation Temperature	Charging Temperature: 0 °C − 45 °C (32 °F − 113 °F) Discharging Temperature: -10 °C − 60 °C (14 °F − 140 °F)
Storage Temperature	-20 °C − 45 °C (-4 °F − 113 °F)
High Temp Cut Off	High temperature: Approx. 80 °C (176 °F) / Low temperature: Below 0 °C (32 °F)
Backup Battery	LiFePo4
Input Power	12V system: – Cigarette lighter plug: 11 V–18 V / 7.2 A (max) – Hardwired: 11 V–18 V / 13.0 A (max) 24V system: – Cigarette lighter plug: 22.5 V–30 V / 3.6 A (max) – Hardwired: 22.5 V–30 V / 6.4 A (max)
Power Consumption Hour	Cigarette lighter plug: 14.2 V / 5 A Hardwired: 14.2 V / 9 ACigarette lighter plug (standard 5 A charging): Approx. 90 mins Hardwired (rapid 9 A charging): Approx. 50 minsApprox. 30 hours (based on a single dashcam that consumes 3 W)
Output current / Quiescent current	Dashcam port: 11 V–14.2 V / 2 A (max)
Others	USB port: 4.75V–5.2 V / 2A (max)

 

[Vortex Radar]

Yeah it looks like the US price is going up due to tariffs.

I agree that $80 may be worth it for BT. Maybe not $150-$200, but it’s definitely a useful option for some.

 

[Nigel]

Yeah it looks like the US price is going up due to tariffs.

USA and South Korea have no tariffs, there is actually a free trade agreement!

Of course the prices can still go up, why not put them up when all USA prices are going up and the competition has to put them up because they are made elsewhere, might as well make more profit!

 

[Augustus]

USA and South Korea have no tariffs, there is actually a free trade agreement!

Of course the prices can still go up, why not put them up when all USA prices are going up and the competition has to put them up because they are made elsewhere, might as well make more profit!

Yeah interesting pricing schemes that the delta between it and the 70mai isn't nearly as big in the USA as it is in other parts of the world

There are other parts of the world apart from America, companies and Americans need to remember that!

 

[Vortex Radar]

Looks like it's now up on Blackvue's website at $299.

B-130A

Key Features High-Capacity Battery for Extended Parking Mode Fast 50-Minute Charge* / Up to 30-Hour Operation** Wireless Connectivity for Easy Status Checks via the BlackVue App Integrated Fuel Gauge IC for Highly Accurate Power Readouts Cloud Battery: Pair with Your Cloud-Connected BlackVue to...

blackvue.com

I asked Blackvue what the difference is with the B-130X, and here's what they said:

Although the specs on paper are the same as the B-130X, it does seem to perform better in our tests (slightly longer charge).
It also seems to run cooler overall and the power readings appear to be more accurate.

So basically a cheaper and slightly improved version of the B-130X it replaces. Cool.

I've got one on the way and am gonna work on a video now on the Ecoflow battery and then compare the 70mai battery with the B-130A.

 

[Augustus]

Looks like it's now up on Blackvue's website at $299.

B-130A

Key Features High-Capacity Battery for Extended Parking Mode Fast 50-Minute Charge* / Up to 30-Hour Operation** Wireless Connectivity for Easy Status Checks via the BlackVue App Integrated Fuel Gauge IC for Highly Accurate Power Readouts Cloud Battery: Pair with Your Cloud-Connected BlackVue to...

blackvue.com

I asked Blackvue what the difference is with the B-130X, and here's what they said:



So basically a cheaper and slightly improved version of the B-130X it replaces. Cool.

I've got one on the way and am gonna work on a video now on the Ecoflow battery and then compare the 70mai battery with the B-130A.

Lmao, so it runs cooler and a bit better. We wanted more detail lol

 

[ckhris]

I’m on my second B130X
First one stopped charging over 75 percent and went down quickly. Now on my second one and it is currently charging only to 90 percent so it appears to be doing the same thing. I dont think Ill be buying a new Blackvue battery again.

 

[GPak]

I’m on my second B130X
First one stopped charging over 75 percent and went down quickly. Now on my second one and it is currently charging only to 90 percent so it appears to be doing the same thing. I dont think Ill be buying a new Blackvue battery again.

How long did you have your first one, and how old is your second one?
Just looking for some stats.
Thanks.

 

[ckhris]

First one was just out of warranty, maybe 13 months, but they sent me a new one anyway. This one is under a year old but I was told the warranty on this new one will not have a year warranty… so it was probably refurbished… at least they tried to help. At this point when this one sooner than later goes out I was considering blackbox my car battery they make… it is that or I just connect it to the truck battery and live with the poor performance running on my 2023 F150 Raptor. Lucky to get 3-4 hours on it. My 17 was the same… something with the Fords electronics cause my GMC AT4 did not have an issue and would last much linger before shutting down on low battery.

 

[GPak]

Thank you for your reply.
13 months is not a long time at all.
The LFP battery cells should be good for about 2000 cycles, which is about 5 years of daily use.
Given the harsh conditions in a car, I would expect it to last at least 3 years (depending on specific usage, of course)

 

[Vortex Radar]

So my B-130A has arrived. It looks basically like the B-130X. It works with the main Blackvue app that you use for your dashcams and cloud, but not with the dedicated Blackvue battery app. (I believe that app is being deprecated.)

It comes with a hardwire and cig. lighter charging cable, as well as a Blackvue output cable. If you wanna use it with a different brand, you can either use the USB port or pick up an unspliced output cable and connect whatever dashcam you want.

I've got it on the bench now doing a parking mode test with the Viofo A329 plugged in via USB.

I've been mentally thinking of it compared to the 70mai battery. That one is $210 with a cig. lighter charger or $220 with a hardwired charger. This one is $300 for the battery with both chargers, but you'd need to spend another $25 to get a hardwire cable to work with any dashcam. That puts you at $325, or roughly $100 more than the 70mai one, plus having to go through the hoop of ordering two different things from two different places.

I really like having the convenience of bluetooth, for sure, but it looks like it's gonna be closer to a $100 price difference compared to the cheaper 70mai.

 

[Augustus]

So my B-130A has arrived. It looks basically like the B-130X. It works with the main Blackvue app that you use for your dashcams and cloud, but not with the dedicated Blackvue battery app. (I believe that app is being deprecated.)

It comes with a hardwire and cig. lighter charging cable, as well as a Blackvue output cable. If you wanna use it with a different brand, you can either use the USB port or pick up an unspliced output cable and connect whatever dashcam you want.

I've got it on the bench now doing a parking mode test with the Viofo A329 plugged in via USB.

I've been mentally thinking of it compared to the 70mai battery. That one is $210 with a cig. lighter charger or $220 with a hardwired charger. This one is $300 for the battery with both chargers, but you'd need to spend another $25 to get a hardwire cable to work with any dashcam. That puts you at $325, or roughly $100 more than the 70mai one, plus having to go through the hoop of ordering two different things from two different places.

I really like having the convenience of bluetooth, for sure, but it looks like it's gonna be closer to a $100 price difference compared to the cheaper 70mai.

Would I peg that difference of $100USD worth it just for Bluetooth? In my estimation, no. That price difference blows out internationally too...

 

[Vortex Radar]

So Blackvue just sent out a newsletter and the mentioned 3 differences between the X and the A.

Compared to its predecessor (B-130X), the B-130A offers:
🔹 Slightly longer usage time (up to 55 minutes more)
🔹 Lower charging & operating temperatures for enhanced safety
🔹 Simplified installation with a direct power cable to the dash cam

More record time is definitely helpful. I thought about doing a comparison, but given that my B-130X is pretty used at this point and likely has reduced capacity compared to new, I wouldn't be able to do a fair head-to-head. However, for reference, I compared it to the 70mai and got 1 hour longer (24.5 hours instead of 23.5 hours) with an A329 2CH in low bitrate mode. I also tried the B-130A with a DR970X-2CH Plus with cloud via WiFi and got 18 hours in motion/impact detection mode.

Recharge time took 61 min when hardwired. Previously on the bench I saw 72 min with the B-130X so that does look improved. I'm not sure why there was a difference though since both were pulling a little over 9A.

Comparing the different temperature limits, I checked the specs and they are identical for both batteries so I'm not sure what they're referring to.

The simplified installation option is helpful for Blackvue customers, but not for people who want to use a different brand of dashcam and thus would want an unspliced 3 wire cable since you'd have to pay extra for that.

 

[Vortex Radar]

Just wrapped up my video of the B-130A, especially comparing it to the B-130X and the new 70mai battery.

 

[rebel_dct]

I hope they would sell that hardwire cable separately.

 

[Vortex Radar]

I hope they would sell that hardwire cable separately.

They do with the 70mai. You can get it with both cables. It's just a goofy process to change between inputs.

 

[Nell410]

I’m currently have the B-130A connected to the cigarette lighter and it randomly keeps beeping. Low input voltage warning