Best 2-Cam Setup? (and some "parking mode" questions)

[HamatoYoshi]

I know my way around regular cameras but I'm new to the dash cam game so I could use some pointers. Originally, I planned to get one cam and two hardwire kits so I could swap it between two vehicles. However, after perusing this great forum, you guys got me wanting a two-camera setup for each vehicle, or even four! haha I think I'll be happy with just front and rear, though. My vehicle was recently side-swiped in a parking garage and a rear camera may have come in handy then. In general, I want the highest quality, the latest technology, and reliability. Budget, I'd prefer to not go too far over $400 but am up for whatever if it's "the best".

I'd like something that can record for ~14 hours while parked at work. Can the vehicle's battery handle that, or would I need a battery pack? What's the best battery currently out, Cellink B? Or I could make one using a small SLA battery (which are really cheap, and have high Ah), a voltage regulator, etc...

I'm undecided as to whether or not I want a "parking mode" or continuous recording. Any thoughts?

Someone here posted some very impressive footage from a Street Guardian SGZC12RC but then I read about some problems it has with (I think) parking/memory cards. The Thinkware F770 has many features but the IQ seems like it could be better, or maybe I just saw bad videos. Is there something better? Would I be better served with two single-channel cameras? I'd prefer a two-channel camera for simplicity.

Are there any new cameras expected to come out soon that I should wait for?

Some other info:
•Temperature range: middle latitude USA, i.e., cold winters and hot summers, but not hot like FL/AZ/etc.
•Size: The smaller the better
•GPS: Doesn't matter
•LCD back: Doesn't matter
•Mac/iOS compatibility is preferred, but I also have a PC
•Large memory card compatibility preferred

I'm pretty flexible, I just want quality. What would you recommend?

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[jokiin]

a lot of modest single channel cameras currently out perform even the best dual camera models, 14 hours of reliable parking operation on a regular basis is a lot to ask of any camera and will take a toll on your battery (if you want to power it from the vehicle battery)

 

[HamatoYoshi]

a lot of modest single channel cameras currently out perform even the best dual camera models, 14 hours of reliable parking operation on a regular basis is a lot to ask of any camera and will take a toll on your battery (if you want to power it from the vehicle battery)

So is there a single-channel camera you'd recommend. It probably doesn't make much of a difference, but the ~14-hour parking is only 2 days/week. The other 5 days would be more like 8 hours (I don't need overnight recording). Thanks

 

[jokiin]

8 hours is still going to take a toll, think how long your battery would last if you left your interior light on everyday while you parked at work, do it once or twice and there's no long term effect, do it regularly and you'll be up for a new car battery before too long, particularly taxing during the winter months

 

[HamatoYoshi]

I ended up getting a Thinkware F770 but I need another 2-camera system for another vehicle. How does the new LG Innotek LGD521 compare to the F770? The LG has fewer features but the price is great.

 

[peterharvey]

For the absolute best parking mode, you must get two single channel dash cams like a Street Guardian SG9665GC V3 rather than a dual channel dashcam.

Furthermore, for the absolute best parking mode, you must use a dedicated Cellink B battery pack plugged into your cigarette lighter socket in your central console bin, so that the battery pack recharges every time your engine is on.
Using your car's lead acid battery for parking mode is second rate.
There's no need to hardwire the Cellink B to make your life miserable.

When your engine is off, the lithium ion battery pack, combined with a 12 V 2-way splitter socket will power your two single channel dash cams to record at FHD 1920 x 1080, at at the full 30 frames per second, full time!
The Cellink B V2 has an override switch so that it does not record while you're parking at home etc.

Time lapse recording at 1 fps will not give best quality & no audio either.
Also, buffered recording is inaccurate, as the dash cam recording trigger is not sensitive enough, and will NOT always be triggered to record when you want it to.

A Thinkware F770 has time lapse recording & buffered parking mode, however this doesn't deliver the absolute best parking mode recording that you're after.
The F770 dual channel also doesn't have the best rear dashcam footage in low light either; for that, presently you need two single channel dash cams.

Best to record parking full time like a surveillance camera at a bank or shopping center.

A Sandisk 200 GB micro SD card in an SG9665GC will give something like 26 hours of recording until it overwrites itself.
A Samsung 256 GB mSD card will give something like 34 hours of recording, however the 256 GB card is almost twice the cost of the Sandisk 200 GB mSD card...