Dashcam to capture vandalism

[d99]

Hey everyone,

Last week my car was hit on the quarter panel purposely while parked in my condo underground parking. Two days later, someone sideswiped the same rear quarter panel in some parking lot, not sure where.

I now need a dash cam after picking my car up from the bodyshop next week! I had an HD dash cam in my old car which recorded while driving on an SD card and kept looping over. I got it on aliexpress for $29 and it's a pretty good cam for the price, but it's only useful for day driving, the night vision was terrible.

I don't want to spend a crazy amount of money and maybe there's a good Chinese version out there from aliexpress. I know a lot of companies get them from china anyway and rebrand.

Here's some additional details to help narrow down any choices or recommendations.

1. I live in a condo with underground parking. The damage done to my car the first time was done there. This is one of the main reasons to get one, I don't trust many people in the building. The condo cameras are SD and don't capture anything...my spot is also in a blind spot. I need a good camera which captures low lighting in an underground garage. There's also no power outlets available.
2. I would prefer to have a front and rear camera which only activates and records when motion is detected.
3. I don't drive the car often. During the weekdays, I take it out to my office 2-3 days and it's only a 15-25 min drive away. I drive a bit on the weekends also, no long distances.
4. Relatively inexpensive, if possible. Under 100-150 if at all possible?

Thanks!

 

[SawMaster]

You won't get all your wishes granted in one cam, and you're going to need more than just a cam given your car usage patterns. Start with listing what matters to you most, then narrow it down from that. And remember that you don't get what you don't pay for and your listed budget won't be enough to get you what you want.

Right now the cheapest decent low-light cam is the new G1W-S, but it doesn't have parking mode and without pre-buffering the motion detect and g-sensor are practically useless. Cams with pre-buffering start at twice that cost but those don't do well in low-light. Double that cost to get both. This can't be had in a 2-channel cam so double that again for 2 cams. You'll need a powerbank to run the cams during your extended parking times since you don't drive daily, and probably one for each cam for the same reasons' again more costs.

Since you've had problems twice, once for sure parked there and the other rime probably there too, I'd be screaming at the building owners for a safer spot where their security cams will cover it; cost zero. If they won't do that I'd consult a lawyer to see if they could be held liable for any future damages; cost for consultation should be in the $50-$75 range if you shop around. Add more if you have to file a lawsuit but you'll get all that back if you win the case so that cost might be zero eventually. According to how you park, one cam might be sufficient for this one purpose saving you 50%. One G1W-S owner is having success running his cam 24/7 so far, thus overcoming the lack of pre-buffering, and if it turns out this cam is up to that kind of usage you'll save a bundle on cam costs.

Don't despair, there is something which can be done no matter what, but as far as cams go you're going to have to compromise somewhere so arrange your priorities first, and then we can best advise you from there.

Phil

 

[d99]

You won't get all your wishes granted in one cam, and you're going to need more than just a cam given your car usage patterns. Start with listing what matters to you most, then narrow it down from that. And remember that you don't get what you don't pay for and your listed budget won't be enough to get you what you want.

Right now the cheapest decent low-light cam is the new G1W-S, but it doesn't have parking mode and without pre-buffering the motion detect and g-sensor are practically useless. Cams with pre-buffering start at twice that cost but those don't do well in low-light. Double that cost to get both. This can't be had in a 2-channel cam so double that again for 2 cams. You'll need a powerbank to run the cams during your extended parking times since you don't drive daily, and probably one for each cam for the same reasons' again more costs.

Since you've had problems twice, once for sure parked there and the other rime probably there too, I'd be screaming at the building owners for a safer spot where their security cams will cover it; cost zero. If they won't do that I'd consult a lawyer to see if they could be held liable for any future damages; cost for consultation should be in the $50-$75 range if you shop around. Add more if you have to file a lawsuit but you'll get all that back if you win the case so that cost might be zero eventually. According to how you park, one cam might be sufficient for this one purpose saving you 50%. One G1W-S owner is having success running his cam 24/7 so far, thus overcoming the lack of pre-buffering, and if it turns out this cam is up to that kind of usage you'll save a bundle on cam costs.

Don't despair, there is something which can be done no matter what, but as far as cams go you're going to have to compromise somewhere so arrange your priorities first, and then we can best advise you from there.

Phil

Hi Phil,

Much appreciated for that detailed response!

My story does sound pretty bizarre. I love where I live but the underground parking is definitely not a safe place to be. When my car was recently vandalized, it was due to a motorcycle burglary being unsuccessful. They tried stealing my motorcycle while I was on vacation, luckily I had multiple chains and alarms on it, they only cut through half of them chains before giving up and smashing my car in which shares the same spot as the bike. I moved the bike to another location now but since the incident, I'm noticing more scratches on my car, the side swipe, the massive quarter panel dent and scratches on my hood. I definitely want to try and capture something so I have solid evidence on what's going on. On top of this, I already had a motorcycle stolen a year ago in my underground (I didn't have security on it at the time). My experiences with security and management in the building has been useless. They've pulled up the tapes and don't see anything. Management doesn't do anything about it, they just shrug their shoulders. Getting a new spot is impossible because I own the condo unit along with the parking spot tied to my unit. I like your idea about consulting with a lawyer and that thought crossed my mind, but I want some solid footage otherwise it will be hard to prove anything. Hearsay never gets far in the court rooms.

With that being said, I might not need the second camera in the back. I can reverse park in to my spot and have a good camera in the front which will hopefully capture something. I also miss having it while driving because you never know. Is there a camera which boots up and starts recording as soon as motion is detected? This would save quite a bit of battery life I presume. Sorry, I don't know too much about dash cams.

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 46308]

Welcome to DCT @d99

 

[Harsh]

With that being said, I might not need the second camera in the back. I can reverse park in to my spot and have a good camera in the front which will hopefully capture something. I also miss having it while driving because you never know. Is there a camera which boots up and starts recording as soon as motion is detected? This would save quite a bit of battery life I presume. Sorry, I don't know too much about dash cams.

Thanks!

With motion-detect ON, most cameras with this feature will wake up and start recording if there's motion in the FOV or the G-sensor gets triggered.

Regular motion-detect parking mode will not save any footage leading up to the event (which could be crucial), only post motion being sensed or the G-sensor getting triggered.

If you want proper pre-buffered parking mode (few seconds recorded leading up to the incident as well), the Thinkware F50 should fit the budget mentioned in your opening post.

 

[SawMaster]

The F50 is a good cam but has the low bitrate issue and a few quirks in operation (those darn compromises again ). Still it's a good cam for parking purposes as are some others. Most of the cheaper non-buffered cams will take several seconds to boot up and begin recording in motion-detect and g-sensor modes. You get nothing of what happened before then, and by the time recording starts the person or car you need to see could be out of sight and gone. Plus many of them are either too sensitive or not sensitive enough. Pre-buffering is a must for your needs and I'd put that at the top of your priorities list Based on the cam and mounting scheme, some cams can be rotated so that when you park you can turn the cam to the back which will enhance the amount of area being covered somewhat. Done this way one cam would probably be enough or you can back into your space as you noted.

Parking security is really best done with external cams watching the whole area from the outside, but you may not be allowed to do that, or perhaps you can gain those permissions as long as it's done at your own cost. I know nothing of Canadian law, but almost everywhere a building's owner or management bears some responsibility for ensuring that it is a safe situation for people's use. If you called the Police when your property was damaged there, that will probably be enough basis for the Law to begin having effect. Oftentimes the threat of, or initiating of, a lawsuit will get you an acceptable response where no cooperation was given before. They will then see that you're serious about the matter and not afraid to pursue it which will cost them money to defend against. They are a business and they will always choose the cheapest solution which is doing nothing until forced to. In the US, a lawyer will send a "Letter of intent to file" for as little as $100 total cost. It has little meaning legally but it kind of wakes people up and it's a small price to pay if it permanently solves your problem Do at least look into this angle as it could be your best solution. Perhaps then they will install a security cam where your spot is covered adequately or agree to pay your insurance deductibles. And then maybe a cheaper cam will be sufficient for your remaining needs and some added protection

Phil

 

[DT MI]

...now nothing of Canadian law, but almost everywhere a building's owner or management bears some responsibility for ensuring that it is a safe situation for people's use....

True, but the OP has said it's a Condo and he owns his unit and associated parking space. This complicates the situation as he's dealing with a management company that he has, in effect, hired himself. It's going to come down to what the MC is contractually obligated to do.

 

[d99]

Thanks again everyone!

Judging by a few posts, it sounds like the Thinkware F50 is a good solution for the time being! Does this cam require an additional power source? Is my car battery safe if wired direct? Night vision good?

As for my situation. I'm actually going to follow up tomorrow with security to see if any of the cameras caught anything. I know this wont lead to anything because the cameras in the entire building are terrible quality. The cameras are unable to even read a license plate, so forget about facial recognition. There's been cases of hit and runs in the underground and some were caught perfectly by the camera but the quality is just so poor, the police can't do much with it. The building or security is not responsible and they just tell you to go through insurance. I'm going to talk to a detective I know at one of the local stations also soon to seek advice...but I'm waiting for the footage from security first. I also asked about running a power line to the concrete post next to me so I can attach a camera, they said it's not possible. Got to love condo living...

 

[SawMaster]

You could do a lot worse than the Thinkware F50 but there are a few other cams which can also fill this role reasonably well. As to powering it, since you don't drive nearly everyday for long enough to fully recharge your car battery from the low state it would be in, I still think a powerbank is in order here. Perhaps you could do without, but if that substantially reduces the life of your car battery (likely) that could be costly. More of a hassle to keep a powerbank charged up but probably cheaper in the long run (there's those those pesky compromises again ).

As to laws, there will be much complexity here- why I recommended seeing a Lawyer- and I don't think any of us here is qualified very well for giving specific advice on this. For instance, in my State if any part of any contract isn't legal, the whole contract becomes illegal and thus void, while in other States only the illegal section is voided. In yet other States those rules only applies to certain types of contracts and not others. With such a wide scope of endings possible and so many facets of law involved here (civil, criminal, traffic, and real estate at least), only a Lawyer can sort it all out and you can be certain that at least some of it will not follow common sense thinking

Here's a link to the Thinkware F50 forum here on DCT. I suggest that you read what others have experienced with it but I think you'll find it will serve your purposes well.
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/forums/f50.207/

Phil

 

[d99]

You could do a lot worse than the Thinkware F50 but there are a few other cams which can also fill this role reasonably well. As to powering it, since you don't drive nearly everyday for long enough to fully recharge your car battery from the low state it would be in, I still think a powerbank is in order here. Perhaps you could do without, but if that substantially reduces the life of your car battery (likely) that could be costly. More of a hassle to keep a powerbank charged up but probably cheaper in the long run (there's those those pesky compromises again ).

As to laws, there will be much complexity here- why I recommended seeing a Lawyer- and I don't think any of us here is qualified very well for giving specific advice on this. For instance, in my State if any part of any contract isn't legal, the whole contract becomes illegal and thus void, while in other States only the illegal section is voided. In yet other States those rules only applies to certain types of contracts and not others. With such a wide scope of endings possible and so many facets of law involved here (civil, criminal, traffic, and real estate at least), only a Lawyer can sort it all out and you can be certain that at least some of it will not follow common sense thinking

Here's a link to the Thinkware F50 forum here on DCT. I suggest that you read what others have experienced with it but I think you'll find it will serve your purposes well.
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/forums/f50.207/

Phil

Hi Phil,

What other models do you recommend? Maybe I can also do some research on those, as I read more about the F50. Do you have a recommendation for powerbanks also? I don't want to damage my car battery or be stuck with a dead car.

I'll definitely look in to the law stuff. I'm just collecting as much info and data prior to reaching out.

Thanks

 

[jokiin]

F50 is 12v powered, keep that in mind when looking at powerbanks

 

[d99]

F50 is 12v powered, keep that in mind when looking at powerbanks

Thanks.

I found a couple on Amazon. In regards to installation tips. is there a method or way to wire and hook all of this up so the cam automatically runs from the cars battery when turned on and pulls current from the powerbank when it's off? Is there a way you can also have the powerbank recharge from the car battery when driving?

For my use, I assume it's best to grab a powerbank over 20000 mah. I found this: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/B00HFMUBYG.

If I can get away with something at 10000 mah, this is a really good deal - https://www.amazon.ca/gp/B014R1ADPE
Plus the adapter and cables

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/B00NH11N5A
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/B01GCOCMJY
I found the F50 online here - https://www.blackboxmycar.ca/products/thinkware-f50-dash-cam

I presume I'll need the hardwire kit also - https://www.blackboxmycar.ca/products/thinkware-hardwire-kit

There's a few fuses in the above link, does anyone recommend any in particular?

This is all starting to add up...$$$!

 

[c4rc4m]

Techmoan recommends this battery pack as it simultaneously charges and powers whilst driving. That said, it certainly isn't cheap:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B0128ZBC88
Also, some advice on them in this preamble about dashcams:

http://www.techmoan.com/guide-to-dashcams/

A cheaper alternative might be a Vico Power Plus where the power comes from the car battery but the Power Plus prevents it discharging to an un-start-able state. The suitability of the latter may depend on the age of your battery and whether you do lots of short runs or longer distance.

 

[jokiin]

A cheaper alternative might be a Vico Power Plus where the power comes from the car battery but the Power Plus prevents it discharging to an un-start-able state. The suitability of the latter may depend on the age of your battery and whether you do lots of short runs or longer distance.

cheaper again would be just get the hardwire lead and use the cameras built in voltage and timer cutoff settings

 

[SawMaster]

The OP explains that the car is often parked for a few days at a time and usually gets relatively short drives. Given that, I don't think a BDP would give them adequate coverage time before shutting down, and the short drives may not fully recharge the car battery. Ideal would be a large dual-battery setup built into the car but even DIY that goes deep into their stated budget by itself. So I'm thinking a large powerbank is the better answer- that lets them get a good cam plus the long recording time they need within budget (or close to that).

Other cam choices could be a BlackVue model, but their parking mode is time-lapse and they're costly. The Mini series do OK here but have reliability issues. SG9665GC or Mobius can record 24/7 reliably in these conditions but are not great in low-light. Mobius has many time-lapse settings which could be used. One issue with continuous recording would be card size; we need it to cover a few days so huge and expensive cards needed taking that approach. The Vico-Opia2 is also time-lapse and has a few occasional issues. I just wanted the OP to not feel restricted to one choice

If you do go with the F 50 and a 12V powerbank, I'd recommend the biggest brand-name powerbank you can afford. First, you need the high capacity for the long duration use. Second, that will last longer than a smaller one being constantly pushed to it's limits as these do wear out eventually.

The real problems here are budget limitations, but even then nobody yet makes the perfect parking mode cam, and extended usage always requires external power and sometimes large SD cards complicating matters further. Always a compromise needs to be made somewhere so he more you know, the better choices you can make

Phil

 

[jokiin]

If long recording time is needed you'd really want a camera with a time-lapse function, no point powering it for days on end if the memory card gets overwritten multiple times in the process

 

[SawMaster]

That shows my point about there really being no good parking mode cam yet. None are 'plug-and-play' easy if you want more than overnight coverage; there's always something more needed.

Phil

 

[jokiin]

That shows my point about there really being no good parking mode cam yet. None are 'plug-and-play' easy if you want more than overnight coverage; there's always something more needed.

Phil

I agree, as I've said previously I believe the ideal camera for driving and the ideal camera for parking mode are two different cameras, everything else is a compromise one way or another

 

[d99]

Appreciate all the help!

My priority is definitely the parking mode over driving.

I'm not looking for a cam which tapes constantly 24 hours a day. If I have the car parked for 2-3 days, and something happened, it would be almost impossible to pull up the incident. The second issue is the battery being drained and the SD card becoming overwritten over time. I believe the ideal cam is something with the pre-buffering which only records when motion is detected. I'm curious, with this feature on the F50, when does the cam stop recording? Does it have some sort of timer which is also configurable? If the cam turns on with motion and records endlessly, this wont work either. I assume there's a cam which detects motion and records for a small time period and then shuts down again. If the F50 (or any other) does this, then I should be set with a good power bank.

 

[russ331]

... I believe the ideal cam is something with the pre-buffering which only records when motion is detected ... I assume there's a cam which detects motion and records for a small time period and then shuts down again. If the F50 (or any other) does this, then I should be set with a good power bank.

My SGZC12RC is permanently in pre-buffered motion detect mode, when driving & when parked.

When parked overnight at my girlfriend's home, only a few files (each usually less than one minute in duration) are recorded between midnight & dawn. This is because there is no through traffic, the only passing vehicles are going to or from houses in the locality. The camera remains active all the time, & power consumption is similar to operation in loop-recording mode. I use Anker power banks, but for less than 24 hours between recharging.

Your experience may be similar in your underground car park. If so then no likelihood of the card being overwritten. Your main issue will be continuously powering the cam for 3 days or so.