F800 - Annoying LEDs

[dcastar]

Seriously... I didn't buy this thing to have bright blue LEDs flashing in my face, while I'm driving.

How is there -not- a way to turn WiFi off completely, or turn off all the LED's completely on the unit???

Either going to return this for an F770... which doesn't have a seriously flawed method of connectivity. (WiFi hotspot mode, seriously Thinkware?) or -- am going to do a 7 cent fix and put a piece of black electrical tape over the LEDs.

Honestly, all you needed to do to update the F770 was give it a better sensor and work on bitrate compression. These over-complications to smartphone connectivity, and disco WiFi LEDs are amateur hour.

 

[tabetha]

Thinkware do seem to be trying a bit too hard and going way off target in the process losing the plot along the way.
For the price The F770 should have as you say better sensors and bitrate, and the mental card issue sorted so they can RELIABLY use other make sd cards of higher capacity.
Please keep updated on your thoughts with the new F800 in use though, thanks.

 

[jokiin]

the F770 still seems to be the best of their models

 

[rdash]

Thinkware do seem to be trying a bit too hard and going way off target in the process losing the plot along the way.
For the price The F770 should have as you say better sensors and bitrate, and the mental card issue sorted so they can RELIABLY use other make sd cards of higher capacity.
Please keep updated on your thoughts with the new F800 in use though, thanks.

What makes you say the F770 has a better sensor? One of the main differentiators and points of the F800 is the new Sony sensor in it. I can't say I've done any objective comparison but I thought the whole point of the F800 was that it has a better sensor.

 

[jokiin]

What makes you say the F770 has a better sensor? .

not what he said, it was a suggestion on how to improve the F770, actually have seen no mention of them using any different sensor anyway

bitrate they can't really do much as it's a chipset limitation

 

[tabetha]

What makes you say the F770 has a better sensor? One of the main differentiators and points of the F800 is the new Sony sensor in it. I can't say I've done any objective comparison but I thought the whole point of the F800 was that it has a better sensor.

I meant that for the price I think the footage/video should be better

 

[TKSX]

I think for daylight, one will not notice too much of a difference between the F770 and F800. It might be a different story in pitch black or driving at night with the rear window is tinted.

 

[dcastar]

Thinkware responded to my Facebook message regarding this issue:

"Thank you for contacting Thinkware.
The Wi-Fi LED will blink if the Wi-Fi is disabled and will remain steady when the Wi-Fi is enabled.
Unfortunately, the LED lights cannot be disabled as they are operation indicators."

So basically:

• They designed a product with flashing LED lights... far brighter than the previous generation unit.
  • Because it requires an always-on, and imo completely flawed approach, for Wi-Fi Hotspot Connectivity to manage / configure the device.
• If the unit is positioned in the drivers field of view, which most Dashcams are, creates an unsafe/dangerous driving condition -- as the lights are so bright, flashing in your face, creating glare.
• And after being alerted to the problem, have been negligent in acknowledging this as being an issue...

Just wait until this causes an accident, and Thinkware is brought into a class action suit due to their negligence.

Thinkware -- please get it together here. A firmware update to reduce the brightness of the LEDs, at the very least, if not ability to turn them off completely is required.

 

[TKSX]

I installed mine behind a mirror so it is out of my view.

With regards to the operation of the LED, I do agree that there should be a function to disable wifi upon startup and it only activates when the WIFI button is pressed. When the button is pressed, the F800 will proceed in searching for a Wifi hot spot.

 

[jokiin]

Thinkware responded to my Facebook message regarding this issue:



So basically:

• They designed a product with flashing LED lights... far brighter than the previous generation unit.
  • Because it requires an always-on, and imo completely flawed approach, for Wi-Fi Hotspot Connectivity to manage / configure the device.
• If the unit is positioned in the drivers field of view, which most Dashcams are, creates an unsafe/dangerous driving condition -- as the lights are so bright, flashing in your face, creating glare.
• And after being alerted to the problem, have been negligent in acknowledging this as being an issue...

Just wait until this causes an accident, and Thinkware is brought into a class action suit due to their negligence.

Thinkware -- please get it together here. A firmware update to reduce the brightness of the LEDs, at the very least, if not ability to turn them off completely is required.

what's the bet people will resort to having to stick something over the LED and won't be able to see it then anyway

 

[nicktang]

For the front recording LEDs, it only have option on blink, left to right and random. My friend who got a F770 said he have the LEDs for according to recording mode (motion / continuous) flash differently, is this a missing option in your F800 too?

 

[Maxspeed]

Thinkware responded to my Facebook message regarding this issue:



So basically:

• They designed a product with flashing LED lights... far brighter than the previous generation unit.
  • Because it requires an always-on, and imo completely flawed approach, for Wi-Fi Hotspot Connectivity to manage / configure the device.
• If the unit is positioned in the drivers field of view, which most Dashcams are, creates an unsafe/dangerous driving condition -- as the lights are so bright, flashing in your face, creating glare.
• And after being alerted to the problem, have been negligent in acknowledging this as being an issue...

Just wait until this causes an accident, and Thinkware is brought into a class action suit due to their negligence.

Thinkware -- please get it together here. A firmware update to reduce the brightness of the LEDs, at the very least, if not ability to turn them off completely is required.

what's the bet people will resort to having to stick something over the LED and won't be able to see it then anyway

It does appear crazy to have this distraction of a flashing LED, I will be fortunate that it mounts behind my interior mirror, but you could consider going over the LED with a felt tip marker pen and depending how many times you went over it would determine it's brightness and still allow the LED to emit to a certain degree.
As you say, something you would not expect to need doing.

Max.