A118C couple of issues

[executioner]

Hi all

After two exact years of service my A118C has a few issues and hoping to fix them. In Panama the humidity is very high and temperature is usually in the 30-35C range.

If you can see in the pictures the top of the camera where the base is has expanded from heat. Now everytime I park I take the time take off the camera from the windshield and place it where it does not get direct sunlight.

This bend created an issue because now even when you focues the lens properly becuase of vibratings it goes down and you get it looking 1/4 of the image at the dashboard so I am constantly fixing it. I guess that part is not easily fixable but just sharing my experience with people that live in very hot countries to consider this.

Since it is hardwired and usually don't look at the videos often noticed a few weeks ago that all shut down videos were corrupted and it is not keeping the dates anymore. Do I have to replace the capacitor or it may be another issue?

I may need to just move this one to the rear and buy a new one.

 

[Gibson99]

you could perhaps glue (NOT super-glue or similar) the lens assembly where you want it aimed so it can't fall down and point at the dash/hood. then use a little adhesive foam or felt to fill the gap between the camera and the mount to stop the vibrations.

as for it losing the date, yes, the little RTC battery may be dead. it's not the capacitor, but it's a little silver disk about the size of a pea, soldered to the main board. @viofo might be able to send you a new battery to solder on if you're good with a soldering iron.

if all the shut-down videos are corrupted, then THAT sounds like a bad capacitor. again, @viofo may be able to provide parts, but you'd have to ask him.

 

[jokiin]

if all the shut-down videos are corrupted, then THAT sounds like a bad capacitor. again, @viofo may be able to provide parts, but you'd have to ask him.

that doesn't look like it's one of their cameras

 

[DT MI]

that doesn't look like it's one of their cameras

How can one determine if it is?

I ask because I have 2 A118-C cams bought from SpyTec some time back (12 months plus). Both were successfully updated with the current F/W available on the SpyTec site which displays a Viofo startup screen while the original F/W displayed "Welcome" in a Germanic font.

 

[jokiin]

doesn't look like the ones I've seen, if it's old then perhaps they were doing things differently back then, haven't seen them supply them with a generic welcome screen though, if the firmware version starts with B40 it's not theirs

 

[DT MI]

...if the firmware version starts with B40 it's not theirs

Well, I'll never know for sure since both cameras are now running Viofo F/W - successfully as far as I can tell.

 

[jokiin]

Well, I'll never know for sure since both cameras are now running Viofo F/W - successfully as far as I can tell.

a year ago the copies were running the same PCB so it would work, more recently the copies started using an alternate supplier to cut costs, those will have issues

 

[DT MI]

...more recently the copies started using an alternate supplier to cut costs, those will have issues

Well it looks like I got lucky with either a Viofo produced camera or a 'compatible' knock off.

My reason for updating the F/W was to see if the GPS acquisition time would improve, it's pretty slow given I have the GPS units mounted near vertically (Note: It doesn't appear to have helped.). My assumption on the compatibility was that SpyTec would not make the F/W available if it would cause issues with cameras they sold - so far that seems to be the case.

 

[jokiin]

Well it looks like I got lucky with either a Viofo produced camera or a 'compatible' knock off.
.

a year ago the copies were using the same PCB, the change is more recent than that

 

[executioner]

Thanks for your replies, been busy the whole week... I will try the suggested ideas and could test that firmware update just for kicks to see if it works. This one was bought from Spy Tec on Amazon around January 2015. I already have a A119 on its way.