Reliable and License Plate Reading Ability?

[Noonamee]

I stumbled across the forum when I was looking for a dash cam to buy. I have bad experience with RexingUSA as the device died after a few months despite multiple replacements. I wish I knew the forum sooner so I could make a better choice.

I've read many threads on the forum as well as footages made by BlackBoxMyCar and I still can't decided which one I should buy. I may buy 2 dash cams this time, 2 for the front and one for the rear. Just in case one failed/ died, I still have the second one. I had 2 accidents not at fault and the dash cam stopped working at that moment!

SG9665GC is my first choice for the single channel. However, the dual channel cam is a headache. Medium reliability gives poor video quality ( F770, F800, DR650, DR750) and poor reliability gives good video (RC500s). It's just my opinion because I saw many short videos from users on Youtube are different from retailers. The main point of dash cam is capturing the detail that the a*hole left to your car so you can report him later. I'm not a romantic person so I don't want to see how blue the sky, how green the tree is, etc.

I'm willing to pay more for high quality product rather than cheap crap. I'm concern about its ability to read the license clearly in case of hit-and-run in the parking lot.

What's your opinion and recommendation?

 

[Demetrios]

Check the forum for SG9663DC, with preorders for North American market just started.

 

[Noonamee]

Thanks, I'm really picky and this one looks decent!

 

[Demetrios]

I am pretty sure it ticks all your boxes.

 

[DashcamDPR]

be aware, certain weather/light conditions can make number plates hard/impossible to read no matter how great the cam, which is why you may have noticed on some youtube clips the drivers shouting out the plate numbers!

 

[jokiin]

be aware, certain weather/light conditions can make number plates hard/impossible to read no matter how great the cam, which is why you may have noticed on some youtube clips the drivers shouting out the plate numbers!

some do better than others but no camera will get plates under all circumstance

 

[Deleted member 46308]

Welcome to DCT @Noonamee Street Guardian is a solid brand. I am confident the new dual camera being released soon will be outstanding. For a single camera the SG9665GC is a great reliable choice.

 

[SawMaster]

Plate capture is hit-or-miss with every cam, none can be counted in for this purpose Study vids under all lighting conditions for the cam you're considering and decide if it's good enough. At parking-lot speeds and distances most cams should do OK. The only real protection you have is your own insurance as plates can be stolen or obscured so think of your cam as something to help your insurer and the Police as nothing can prevent a parking-lot crash except being elsewhere

Another vote for the SG9663DC as your dial-channel cam. The 'beta' vids are very good and the people involved are the best I would buy this cam myself if I had the money, and if it follows the usual for SG it will be reliable enough to eliminate the need for a 3rd cam. The F770 is also quite reliable but has a few issues; again check the vids posted from it. If you really want a 3rd cam, consider mounting it in such a way as to capture something of the sides too, such as a rear-mounting facing forward, A little Mobius can with the C2 or D lens would be a fine choice for that. The WR-1 might also be to your liking for this.

Also keep in mind that heat and battery-equipped cams don't go well together which is why most of us in hotter climates prefer cams powered with super-caps And you'll likely want a BDP system, preferably with a powerbank like the Cellink Pro so that you don't run out of cam-time while parked or discover a dead battery when you return to your car.

And welcome to DCT where we eat. drink. think, talk, breathe. live. and love dashcams
Phil

 

[DT MI]

...where we eat. drink. think, talk, breathe. live. 'become addicted to'...and love dashcams...

There - fixed it for you.

 

[SawMaster]

There - fixed it for you.

^^ Thanks ^^ It can become addicting; I currently have one running vehicle and 8 dashcams

"Hi, I'm Phil and I am a dashcamaholic.... "

Phil

 

[kamkar]

Dont focus on plate captures with current technology it is only a fortunate side effect in the best if circumstances, or you will be disappointed with whatever you get.

Not least with the poor American plates that at least to a outsider like me look like some states dont even want the plates to be readable with all the other BS they allow on them.

Even forgiving EU plates are often a no go.
Black thick letters 3 inch tall on a white reflective background, with some national stuff to the side and some places MOT stickers.

Danish plates with EU/nation stuff or without if you like that.
Can also be all yellow or yellow/white half background color, depending of tax bracket and use

Plates in the EU at large look pretty much the same, with a few little flavor changes, but size of plates and letters i think are the same.

If we are only talking pretty slow moving ( walking ) speeds then the chance of a plate capture go up a lot, but a moving incident like some phone junkie coming up from behind on the freeway and then side swipe you and run, that will be a tall order in anything but the best of lighting conditions.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

"Hi, I'm Phil and I am a dashcamaholic.... "

Phil

We already figured that out Phil. It is good you have admitted it though

 

[lacibaci]

...
Not least with the poor American plates that at least to a outsider like me look like some states dont even want the plates to be readable with all the other BS they allow on them.
...

You guys in EU have it easy. Check out some of these just in my state:

Good luck reading these

 

[kamkar]

Yeah its far out.

Maybe a license late in the US are not really meant for identification, but its just another avenue of income for the state, and if that's the case the state will always do its best to please,,,,, though that's not really the states job,,,, and that's what its all about, some people staying in nice jobs.

I am totally on board with that thing about the individual, but for the greater good there must be places and cases where the individual dont have to be expressed.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

Obviously they have forgotten why readable plates are necessary.

 

[lacibaci]

On top of all that only rear plate is required (in my state)...

 

[HeWhoMustNotBeNamed]

I have long suspected that each and every state gets a kickback from the insurance companies for making license plates difficult to read.

There's a reason the rate of uninsured drivers has hovered steadily at ~15% for many decades.

 

[kamkar]

I am wondering who will be paying for the data centers the fruit company and facebook are building here, i am pretty sure they wont, or at least push over as much as they can on the already strung out Danish tax payers.

Off course one could hope that would then lead to the revolution / civil war we Danes need so badly, but sadly people here are too far gone to even notice

 

[Noonamee]

be aware, certain weather/light conditions can make number plates hard/impossible to read no matter how great the cam, which is why you may have noticed on some youtube clips the drivers shouting out the plate numbers!

Yeah, I just notice that my requirement is quite high, my eyes can't even make out the license plate hundreds of feet away XD

I would buy this cam myself if I had the money, and if it follows the usual for SG it will be reliable enough to eliminate the need for a 3rd cam. The F770 is also quite reliable but has a few issues; again check the vids posted from it. If you really want a 3rd cam, consider mounting it in such a way as to capture something of the sides too, such as a rear-mounting facing forward, A little Mobius can with the C2 or D lens would be a fine choice for that. The WR-1 might also be to your liking for this.

Also keep in mind that heat and battery-equipped cams don't go well together which is why most of us in hotter climates prefer cams powered with super-caps And you'll likely want a BDP system, preferably with a powerbank like the Cellink Pro so that you don't run out of cam-time while parked or discover a dead battery when you return to your car.

And welcome to DCT where we eat. drink. think, talk, breathe. live. and love dashcams
Phil

I think the price of SG may go up $100 compare to other competitors, $499 is just MSRP and we can expect a huge difference from retailers. Before knowing there'll be SG dual channel, I was going to order F800 Pro but there are too many functions and this makes the cam less reliable and stupid. I feel like a car for sale with a bunch of listing features like Cruise Control, AM/FM radio, Power Door Locks, Air Conditioning, etc. And I don't see anyone in the forum claim Thinkware products working flawlessly more than year. However, if I don't drive much, I will need a power bank for it which I also need for other dash cam to record 24/7. 2 power banks may be used to support the dash cam and QC 3.0 charger, solar panel as a sunshade to provide electricity for the banks when the car on/off.

^^ Thanks ^^ It can become addicting; I currently have one running vehicle and 8 dashcams

"Hi, I'm Phil and I am a dashcamaholic.... "

Phil

lol, are you working as a patrol for police dept or Google Map? If not, they should hire you!

If we are only talking pretty slow moving ( walking ) speeds then the chance of a plate capture go up a lot, but a moving incident like some phone junkie coming up from behind on the freeway and then side swipe you and run, that will be a tall order in anything but the best of lighting conditions.

There are a few generic Chinese brands that are capable of taking license plate very well, but its quality and customer service are crap and people stay away from them.

We already figured that out Phil. It is good you have admitted it though

People have so many dash cam in their cars that I almost have dashcamphobia

On top of all that only rear plate is required (in my state)...

but most cases when you live in a state requiring front license plate, police don't usually pull you over for only the plate

 

[kamkar]

They can all do it when the circumstances are just right, but problem is that's not often at least up here in Denmark ( as far north on globe as Canada )

If you look at much footage from brands you will see their night performance shots are filmed in pretty slow moving traffic, and in a town with so much ambient light you will not find in the country i live in, but maybe Las Vegas.
So naturally you can see plates on the cars passing the camera car as they only drive 1-2 MPH faster

But in the general conditions here it is problematic, and with the pretty bleak weather we most often have in the winter time, then i just about forget about plate capture for a few months.

Though hit and run are on the up here in Denmark it dont bother me much, but i drive a "cheap" little car and the only thing i care for is that it is warm in the winter and go wrooom when i turn the key.
BUT ! i do have a IP camera on my balcony door aimed at my car where it is parked at night in the back yard behind the apartment block, and i will fawk up anyone that i catch vandalizing my car again, cuz that happened 2 times just after i moved here 5 years ago. ( keyed SUV + window broken in current car )

Already my car got a dent in the roof from some one trowing a AA battery high in the air and then hitting my car, i swear the Danish gene pool need to be cleaned out whit thermite.
the dent dont bother me much, but as a principle if i found out who did it i will cave in his face.

This is the sjdash ( a cheap one ) and it do just fine here, 2 days later,,,, not so well and i was like WTF the amount of light is the same as yesterday, but apparently not.