Battery Pack Drain Rate: a case of the DR970X BOX-2CH PLUS and B130A battery pack

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Hello all – glad to have found your forum as I just installed a Blackvue 2CH but have run into a quandary regarding battery drain. I surfed and searched a bit but did not immediately spot any threads specifically addressing the B130A batt pack being employed with the DR970X Box 2CH Plus. If there are, pls direct me, thank you!

System: DR970X BOX-2CH PLUS with B130A battery pack

BV's consumption specs for the DR970X BOX 2CH PLUS:
Normal Mode (GPS On / 2CH): Avg. 640mA / 12V
Parking Mode (GPS Off / 2CH): Avg. 510mA / 12V

BV's B130A Specs:
12.8 V / 7,500 mAh / 96 Wh. BV advertises that the B130A will operate for 30 hrs with a device drawing 3w or .25 amps.

Based on the DR970X consumption rate, I calculate hrs of op would look something close to 14 hrs in parking mode. Note, I run normal mode while driving off the car’s batt—not the B130A.

[td width="76pt"]Modes[/td]
[td width="48pt"]
Volts​
[/td]
[td width="62pt"]
Batt Ah​
[/td]
[td width="97pt"]
Cam Amps (mA)​
​
[/td]
[td width="69pt"]
Hours​
​
[/td]​
[td]Normal[/td]
[td]
12.8​
[/td]​
[td]
7.5​
[/td]​
[td]
0.64​
[/td]​
[td]
11.72​
[/td]​
[td]Parking[/td]
[td]
12.8​
[/td]​
[td]
7.5​
[/td]​
[td]
0.51​
[/td]​
[td]
14.71​
[/td]​

The quandary...I’m only getting 8 to 9 hrs in Parking Mode. My set up is working properly, i.e., the system 1) switches to PM when I shut off the car, 2) is being powered exclusively by the B130A, and 3) is in fact recording "impact events.” But I'm not getting anywhere near the longevity out of the B130A that my calc indicates I should. Unless the app is miss-reporting batt stats, I'm guessing the DR970X Box 2CH draws something like .85Ah vice the .51 BV indicates.

Besides simply turning off PM, do any of the settings in the BV app help to reduce draw on the batt pack? My current config is below (if it matters). If not, are there any other ways to reduce consumption while in PM?

Video settings:
Codec: H.265
Bitrate: Highest (getting acceptable clarity with “high” as well)
Audio Rec: on
GPS: on
Record Modes:
Normal
Parking Mode settings:
-- Time Lapse
-- Sensitivity: 2 (reduced from 4)
-- Region: second row from bottom only (had entire region selected)
-- Rear Cam: On
-- *Battery Protection: on
-- Low Volt Cut-off: off (was set to 12v--shouldn't have any impact, but...)
-- Cut-of timer: off

Misc:
LED: on (all)
SOS button: registered
Voice: on / Vol: 4
Reboot: 0300 hrs

* I could be confused (and often am) but Parking Mode doesn’t seem to work unless I enable battery protection, which I assumed was designed for the car’s battery and not an external batt pack like the B130A that I have. Quirk?
 
MKM2 said:
Hello all – glad to have found your forum as I just installed a Blackvue 2CH but have run into a quandary regarding battery drain. I surfed and searched a bit but did not immediately spot any threads specifically addressing the B130A batt pack being employed with the DR970X Box 2CH Plus. If there are, pls direct me, thank you!

System: DR970X BOX-2CH PLUS with B130A battery pack

BV's consumption specs for the DR970X BOX 2CH PLUS:
Normal Mode (GPS On / 2CH): Avg. 640mA / 12V
Parking Mode (GPS Off / 2CH): Avg. 510mA / 12V

BV's B130A Specs:
12.8 V / 7,500 mAh / 96 Wh. BV advertises that the B130A will operate for 30 hrs with a device drawing 3w or .25 amps.

Based on the DR970X consumption rate, I calculate hrs of op would look something close to 14 hrs in parking mode. Note, I run normal mode while driving off the car’s batt—not the B130A.
[td
The quandary...I’m only getting 8 to 9 hrs in Parking Mode. My set up is working properly, i.e., the system 1) switches to PM when I shut off the car, 2) is being powered exclusively by the B130A, and 3) is in fact recording "impact events.” But I'm not getting anywhere near the longevity out of the B130A that my calc indicates I should. Unless the app is miss-reporting batt stats, I'm guessing the DR970X Box 2CH draws something like .85Ah vice the .51 BV indicates.

Besides simply turning off PM, do any of the settings in the BV app help to reduce draw on the batt pack? My current config is below (if it matters). If not, are there any other ways to reduce consumption while in PM?

Video settings:
Codec: H.265
Bitrate: Highest (getting acceptable clarity with “high” as well)
Audio Rec: on
GPS: on
Record Modes:
Normal
Parking Mode settings:
-- Time Lapse
-- Sensitivity: 2 (reduced from 4)
-- Region: second row from bottom only (had entire region selected)
-- Rear Cam: On
-- *Battery Protection: on
-- Low Volt Cut-off: off (was set to 12v--shouldn't have any impact, but...)
-- Cut-of timer: off

Misc:
LED: on (all)
SOS button: registered
Voice: on / Vol: 4
Reboot: 0300 hrs

* I could be confused (and often am) but Parking Mode doesn’t seem to work unless I enable battery protection, which I assumed was designed for the car’s battery and not an external batt pack like the B130A that I have. Quirk?
Click to expand...
Sorry...one of my tables didn't format properly. Here's a dumbed down version of the consumption hrs for the DR970X Box 2CH--according to my math, which is not my area of expertise:

Normal: Battery Ah 7.5 / Cam mA .64 = 11.72hrs
Parking: Battery Ah 7.5 / Cam mA .51 = 14.71hrs
 
I asked Blackvue about this recently after I also noticed shorter parking record times with the Box version. Here's what they shared:

Regarding the DR970X Box, the 12-14 hours is typical due to the higher power consumption of this model (around 38% higher)

Normal Mode (GPS On / 2CH): Avg. 640mA / 12V
Parking Mode (GPS Off / 2CH): Avg. 510mA / 12V

The reason the current consumption differs from the DR970X-2CH Plus is that the front camera of the Box model is separated from the main body and connected via a wired cable.
This setup requires additional circuits, such as SERDES and the Audio Processor, which contribute to the higher current consumption of the Box model.
Click to expand...
 
I have the DR970X Plus LTE version (2 ch) with B130X battery and I don't have any issues with shorter than advertised power use.
Mine lasts well over a day in parking mode when full charged prior to parking. It drains quicker when remote viewing or downloading.

So just seems it may be the box version.
 
To all, thanks for the intel and feedback--helpful. I suppose BV's explanation tracks. Although I'm seeing a slightly greater rate of consumption. Did BV happen to note if there's any way to reduce that rate?

8 to 9 hrs isn't bad...something I can live with, I suppose. Curious, any way to piggyback another batt pack off the B130A?
 
MKM2 said:
To all, thanks for the intel and feedback--helpful. I suppose BV's explanation tracks. Although I'm seeing a slightly greater rate of consumption. Did BV happen to note if there's any way to reduce that rate?

8 to 9 hrs isn't bad...something I can live with, I suppose. Curious, any way to piggyback another batt pack off the B130A?
Click to expand...
Sounds like a hardware limitation. I don't think it's adjustable.

The B-130A doesn't support expansion batteries, but if you're comfortable with wiring, you can always try running a pair of standalone batteries in tandem. You can give each one a separate input so each battery charges at full speed, then you wire the dashcam in parallel between the two batteries so that you get double the parking record time. It may be a good idea to also install some diodes in line to ensure that power doesn't incorrectly flow between the batteries themselves.
 
Vortex Radar said:
Sounds like a hardware limitation. I don't think it's adjustable.

The B-130A doesn't support expansion batteries, but if you're comfortable with wiring, you can always try running a pair of standalone batteries in tandem. You can give each one a separate input so each battery charges at full speed, then you wire the dashcam in parallel between the two batteries so that you get double the parking record time. It may be a good idea to also install some diodes in line to ensure that power doesn't incorrectly flow between the batteries themselves.
Click to expand...
While the job isn't really in my wheelhouse, I've tackled more challenging installs and mods in the past. Something to think about, thank you.
 
BlackVue used to do a battery pack that could be extended to add in extra battery packs to double, triple up etc - but those got discontinued.
They were connected together to by a specific cable to effectively make them one large battery.

Whilst that is no longer possible - would it theoretically be possible to daisy chain battery packs together?

For example - hardwire a battery pack to the car fuse box.
Then get a second battery pack, and connect it to the first battery using the cigarette lighter charger option rather than hardwiring the second.
Then connect the second battery pack to the dashcam - so the camera is running off the second battery which in turn continues to draw power from the first battery in order to extend its battery life.

I only have 1 battery pack, otherwise I'd test that for you.
 
danlat1415 said:
Then get a second battery pack, and connect it to the first battery using the cigarette lighter charger option rather than hardwiring the second.
Click to expand...
I could be wrong, but I don't think dashcam batteries would be very happy outputting the high current draws needed to quickly recharge the second battery. Instead it might be better to wire the two battery inputs independently like I described earlier so they can each charge at full speed off your alternator.
danlat1415 said:
Then connect the second battery pack to the dashcam - so the camera is running off the second battery which in turn continues to draw power from the first battery in order to extend its battery life.
Click to expand...
I'd expect to see reduced parking record times due to efficiency losses from one battery charging another battery and thus you'd see <2x the parking record time. Instead you can wire the two in parallel to effectively create one larger battery with 2x the capacity.
 
danlat1415 & Vortex Radar - Thank you for the ideas--both seem to have merit. One a bit more work than the other 🙂

Daisy-chaining batts can't be all that bad or impossible. I could have gotten a PowerCell 8 which can be expanded via the Cellink Neo. But, I wanted to stick with all BV components for my first time out. And, really, given the stats advertised for the Box edition and the B-130A, I didn't think I'd need more than just the one. That is, I kinda expected to get at least 14 hours of parking mode.

But, while I wanted to go with a single brand to start, I'm not necessarily overly loyal to one or the other. If research bears out that the PowerCell 8 performs well w/the Cellink expansion batt, I might consider selling my B-130A.
 
Yeah, expansion batteries are definitely the cleaner and easier solution, lol. Do you use the remote battery display via the cloud on the B-130A? I like the PC8 and am happy with mine, but of course you'd lose that feature.
 
Vortex Radar said:
Yeah, expansion batteries are definitely the cleaner and easier solution, lol. Do you use the remote battery display via the cloud on the B-130A? I like the PC8 and am happy with mine, but of course you'd lose that feature.
Click to expand...
As long as I can access the batt's status somehow, bluetooth, intenal IP address/webpage, etc., I'm fine. I want to say that cloud features (with anything, office software, storage, etc) always seem attractive to me at first...but I rarely end up using it. In fact, I rarely access the video from the cam...and when I do, I'm as likely to connect via Wifi or just pull the card.

I suppose another point about cloud access would be how secure it is...how easy would it be for someone to breach a Blackvue cloud server? Me and my data are already already so exposed...maybe that kind of privacy and security concern just doesn't matter any longer. At this point, I get reports monthly that everything from my SS to email to physical address is on the dark web--mostly due to a long history of breaches of governement, commerical entities, etc. But, none of that is close to offering realtime access and tracking--as I assume Blackvue's cloud feature does. Then again, my car's GPS can pinpoint where I'm at.

That's a long way toward saying that, no, I wouldn't miss cloud-based access. Yikes!
 
Just an update, for those to whom it may interest. I also had reached out to BV, who got back to me with some guidance on which settings might be impacting my excessively high consumption rate. They pointed to 1) parking mode triggers, 2) being connected to the cloud, and 3) motion sensor sensitivity levels. I also included as a 4rth option the detection regions settings.

So far, by far, the biggest gains I've seen came from removing my system from the cloud and adjusting the the sensitivity level (mine set to 2 of 5 on the slider). I went from ~8.5hrs to 12hrs of parking mode recording time with just those adjustments. I'm now playing around with the region detection settings--which don't as yet appear to have that great an impact. But I need to isolate them from the other changes I've made.

Aside, I also reduced the sensitivity of the Parking impact triggers to 4 of 10. I admit, I don't really know how "sensitive" each of those levels might be. Suppose I could push on the car to see what happens 🙂

In any event, I'm at 12 to 12.5 hrs of PM time (up from 8 to 9). So, I consider that a win and the formal end to my experiment. Sacrificing the cloud may seem to some like a bridge too far, but I wasn't really making use of it. Of course, cloud services seem like they only reveal just how handy they are 1 out of a hundred times--and that 1 time is always a doozy. We'll see.

Again, thanks, everyone, for lending your experience and insight. Cheers!
 
Hello,

I have a Question on the dashcam / battery combination you are using for - DR970X BOX-2CH PLUS with B130A battery pack

I see the marketing info for the B-130A offers simplified wiring where the battery may be connected directly to the dashcam to power the system. In your scenario were you able to do the direct connection to the "Box" for powering of the system?

I haven't been able to find a clear answer if this feature also applies to the Box models.

Thanks in advance.
 
PTX said:
Hello,

I have a Question on the dashcam / battery combination you are using for - DR970X BOX-2CH PLUS with B130A battery pack

I see the marketing info for the B-130A offers simplified wiring where the battery may be connected directly to the dashcam to power the system. In your scenario were you able to do the direct connection to the "Box" for powering of the system?

I haven't been able to find a clear answer if this feature also applies to the Box models.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Yep, it makes it super easy to connect to the Box as well. It uses the same power connector as the windshield mount versions.
 
Vortex Radar said:
Sounds like a hardware limitation. I don't think it's adjustable.

The B-130A doesn't support expansion batteries, but if you're comfortable with wiring, you can always try running a pair of standalone batteries in tandem. You can give each one a separate input so each battery charges at full speed, then you wire the dashcam in parallel between the two batteries so that you get double the parking record time. It may be a good idea to also install some diodes in line to ensure that power doesn't incorrectly flow between the batteries themselves.
Click to expand...
Could you draw up a diagram for me on how to wire two batteries in tandem?

I have the same issue with low parking mode with the 970X Box and B130X Battery - using LTE Cloud too.
Right now I have a automotive relay in my wiring.
I also picked up the Anker DC300 but thinking I might return it for the River 3/River 3 Pro.

Ideally, I'll like to charge the Anker/Eco flow while driving and have it charge the B130X which then powers the dashcam in parking mode if the main battery (Anker/Ecoflow) gets depleted.

I'm not sure how safe XT60 splitters are or if there is another viable solution.
 
I’ve read this thread with much interest, as I’m close to pulling the plug on the 970 Box and potentially the 130 battery either at the same time or sometime later….Many thanks @MKM2 for the post!

Interesting that the ‘Box’ pulls more load…I would never have known and certainly a consideration…

I really would like at least 24hr of potential parking mode capacity, as I’m just conscious of times when I do leave the car overnight somewhere etc…..Obviously, a few hours in a car park or whatever are no real sweat, but anything more seems to be a real aspect for most camera systems. So weighing up the options…

@MKM2 , how are you getting on with the 970 Box otherwise..?
 
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Vortex Radar said:
Sounds like a hardware limitation. I don't think it's adjustable.

The B-130A doesn't support expansion batteries, but if you're comfortable with wiring, you can always try running a pair of standalone batteries in tandem. You can give each one a separate input so each battery charges at full speed, then you wire the dashcam in parallel between the two batteries so that you get double the parking record time. It may be a good idea to also install some diodes in line to ensure that power doesn't incorrectly flow between the batteries themselves.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I do gravitate towards the 130A and keeping all in house, so this option may be a consideration…
Presumably, a setup like this would void the BV warranty on the battery if not the camera system itself..? Providing it could be proved to have been connected in such a way, that is..! 😉

One thought – how would dual 130A batterie set up in such a way work re the connection to the BV App, would they both be seen independently..? Or would the App be tricked into seeing a larger capacity 130A…?
 
PTX said:
Hello,

I have a Question on the dashcam / battery combination you are using for - DR970X BOX-2CH PLUS with B130A battery pack

I see the marketing info for the B-130A offers simplified wiring where the battery may be connected directly to the dashcam to power the system. In your scenario were you able to do the direct connection to the "Box" for powering of the system?

I haven't been able to find a clear answer if this feature also applies to the Box models.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Have been wondering exactly the same, as it’s likely I would get the battery at a later stage to the rest of the install and didn’t really like the thought of potentially having to unpick a lot of the power wiring…As you say, no clear answers out there…

Good to have the situation confirmed from @Vortex Radar and @MKM2 , thanks!
 
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