App voltage display

[DJ70]

For a while I've had doubts over the accuracy of the battery voltage displayed on the start screen of the app.
A329T. Using HK6 hardwired. Hybrid parking mode.

Even when the car isn't being used & the app not connected to the dashcam, the voltage changes, both up and down.

I set the voltage as 12.2v with no time cut-off, but twice I've noticed that after stopping briefly (car wash queue) the dashcam switched off (low voltage).

After being garaged for hours the voltage was higher than immediately after a 25 ml drive.

The car is only months old with 4k on the clock and there's no reason to think it has any problems.

I've now set the voltage at 12v with 3hrs cut-off, to see if that makes any difference.

Has anyone else noticed this kind of discrepancy?

 

[mentadent]

Try one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196716175449
They work great. They log data for days and sync with the app to store for years. Also does temperature and some other useful features like alternator test.

 

[TonyM]

Try one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196716175449
They work great. They log data for days and sync with the app to store for years. Also does temperature and some other useful features like alternator test.

Thanks for the suggestion - I've been wanting a non-intrusive way to monitor my car's battery discharge whilst parked so I can evaluate the various parking mode options.

 

[lufa6977]

Try one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196716175449
They work great. They log data for days and sync with the app to store for years. Also does temperature and some other useful features like alternator test.

Is the data storage on the device itself and downloadable to the cellphone? Some devices will only record and save data via BT when the cellphone is in range.

Looks like a nice device. I think this is the manufacturers page: Leagend BM-6

 

[zagsbbfan]

For a while I've had doubts over the accuracy of the battery voltage displayed on the start screen of the app.
A329T. Using HK6 hardwired. Hybrid parking mode.

Even when the car isn't being used & the app not connected to the dashcam, the voltage changes, both up and down.

Has anyone else noticed this kind of discrepancy?

If the car is a recent hybrid, this may be entirely normal - the 12v battery may not be charged directly from the engine, but from the main (higher voltage) traction battery independently from whether the vehicle is running, under the control of one of the many computer modules in the vehicle. Since you say the vehicle is new, I suspect this may be the case.

 

[DJ70]

Try one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196716175449
They work great. They log data for days and sync with the app to store for years. Also does temperature and some other useful features like alternator test.

Maybe you've misunderstood my point. I don't need any add-ons tnx, the car is fine. But if, hypothetically, it wasn't at just under 4k it would be a warranty issue, & there'd be no reason for me to buy anything.

 

[DJ70]

If the car is a recent hybrid, this may be entirely normal - the 12v battery may not be charged directly from the engine, but from the main (higher voltage) traction battery independently from whether the vehicle is running, under the control of one of the many computer modules in the vehicle. Since you say the vehicle is new, I suspect this may be the case.

You may be on to something. It's not a full hybrid but it does use regenerative charging.

However, that still leaves the issue of the dashcam being shut down unnecessarily early. That, I suspect, could be due to the way in which the app/HK6 is reading the voltage. Maybe something @VIOFO-Support could investigate?

In the meantime, I'll play with some settings. To start with I'm trying it at 12v with 3hr cut-off.

 

[TonyM]

My car is a full hybrid. The 12V battery quickly drops to 12.2V soon after parking, and will go below 12.0V if I sit with the doors open or lights on for a few minutes. I now have hybrid parking mode set to 12.0V in-camera and 11.8V on the HK6.

 

[DJ70]

My car is a full hybrid. The 12V battery quickly drops to 12.2V soon after parking, and will go below 12.0V if I sit with the doors open or lights on for a few minutes. I now have hybrid parking mode set to 12.0V in-camera and 11.8V on the HK6.

That's interesting, thanks.

There certainly is quite a considerable variation in battery readings in the app.

I did try briefly with the previously mentioned settings, then I turned off voltage and just went with time. That did work, keeping the dashcam on when it would have previously shut down.

I've now set as you have but haven't been out again yet. It'll get a good test this evening though.

Without wishing to jump the gun, it does seem as though the voltage sensing side of things could use some work from @viofo

Watch this space... 🤔

 

[mentadent]

Maybe you've misunderstood my point. I don't need any add-ons tnx, the car is fine. But if, hypothetically, it wasn't at just under 4k it would be a warranty issue, & there'd be no reason for me to buy anything.

Ok good luck.

 

[TonyM]

There certainly is quite a considerable variation in battery readings in the app.

I've noticed that too. However I've also watched the voltage readings during parking recording and they fluctuate too, including a non-Viofo dashcam.

I've bought one of those Bluetooth voltage devices which I intend to install tomorrow so I can compare to the HK6 reading.

 

[DJ70]

Having changed voltage cut-offs (#9) it did help. The dashcam stayed on in parking mode while out for a meal last night. 🙂

I'm still unsure about why setting the HK6 & app differently would help. Does the camera shut down based on the HK6 or the app, I wonder. 🤔

Maybe the more conventional vehicles with the standard battery / charging set-ups respond better the sensing parameters of VIOFO dashcams.
Perhaps @VIOFO-Support could enlighten us?

 

[TonyM]

I'm still unsure about why setting the HK6 & app differently would help. Does the camera shut down based on the HK6 or the app, I wonder. 🤔

Those are optional settings used by the hybrid parking mode. If for example you set 12.0V in camera and 11.8V on the HK6, you can set the A329S to record low bitrate until the voltage drops to 12.0V, then switch to low power impact detection until 11.8V, then it turns off completely.

 

[DJ70]

Those are optional settings used by the hybrid parking mode. If for example you set 12.0V in camera and 11.8V on the HK6, you can set the A329S to record low bitrate until the voltage drops to 12.0V, then switch to low power impact detection until 11.8V, then it turns off completely.

Right, so as I understand it the dashcam shuts down based on the HK6 setting, with the app only affecting the recording mode.

How would it be if the app was set lower than the HK6, which would cause the shutdown?
Or would that not work?

I'd like to be able to look at the app settings right now but that would mean connecting to the car, which is a little inconvenient.
Here's where it would be helpful to have the app work offline. 🙂

 

[TonyM]

Right, so as I understand it the dashcam shuts down based on the HK6 setting, with the app only affecting the recording mode.

How would it be if the app was set lower than the HK6, which would cause the shutdown?
Or would that not work?

When the HK6 cutoff voltage is reached, no power is supplied to the dashcam so it will shut down. If you have a lower voltage setting in the camera it will not have any effect.

 

[TonyM]

My car is a full hybrid. The 12V battery quickly drops to 12.2V soon after parking, and will go below 12.0V if I sit with the doors open or lights on for a few minutes.

I bought a bluetooth battery monitor similar to the one suggested by @mentadent

Today was the first day of use, and already the results are interesting. Here's a voltage fluctuation caused by opening the doors to exit the car when I arrived at work, then locking the doors. The steady parked voltage was ~12.3V but it dipped to 11.7V just by opening the door for a few seconds.

I returned to the car at lunchtime, 4 hours later. The voltage was steady at 12.0V. Unlocking the car dropped it a bit, then opening the boot/trunk caused a drop to ~11.2V. There's another dip when I open the door to enter the car, and another brief drop as I press the Start button before the engine begins charging the battery at 14.4V .

I think this device will help me to understand my battery charge levels throughout the day, and inform choices regarding the type of parking modes I use and the voltage cutoff values.

Looking at the whole day (up to 5pm when I arrived back home)
- Overnight discharge without parking mode is gradual
- Driving to work via school (45min) charges the battery back up to 12.3V
- 4hrs low bitrate on the A329T discharged to 12.0V
- A short drive to the gym recharged to 12.3V
- Just 45min with both the A329T and S1 4K recording in parking mode dropped the voltage below 12.0V.

 

[DJ70]

I'm turning off the voltage display on the opening screen. To me, the considerable variations displayed even when nothing is supposed to be happening makes it pointless.

 

[mentadent]

Likely something is happening.