BlackVue B-130X Test & Review PP

[zontarh]

I forgot to mention it will draw more than 8.5 amps while charging the battery as well as powering the camera at the same time.

 

[Panzer Platform]

thanks for that but don’t understand the separate ignaitom relay? What’s the benefit of that and is that a custom install ?

The fundamental reason for NOT powering a 10 Amp device through a fuse box is safety. It’s the reason we have building safety codes, and entire licensed trades like electricians. 10 Amps is a lot of current that can generate a lot of heat in wiring. Generally speaking anyone with formal education, training, and experience in automotive repair & maintenance, or consumer electronics might agree running more than 1 Amp through a fuse box is not a good idea.

Back in the day it was generally accepted that adding any electrical accessory that draws more than 1 Amp of current must be wired on its own dedicated circuit either to a power distribution block, or directly to the vehicle starter battery. Think about auxiliary lighting like LED Light Bars. Those draw between 5-10 Amps, and they come with wiring harnesses that always connect directly to the vehicle starter battery.

Of course people have been installing dash cam battery packs through the fuse box for years, and I’ve never heard of a related catastrophic wiring disaster, (car fire) but in my opinion it’s unnecessarily flirting with danger.

 

[devil84]

Thank you, that’s very interesting. Is quite bad for these manufacturers then to suggest hardwiring into fuse box without relay if it’s a safety concern?

I will need to get a specialist to look at this me now if this is the case

 

[Panzer Platform]

Thank you, that’s very interesting. Is quite bad for these manufacturers then to suggest hardwiring into fuse box without relay if it’s a safety concern?

It's understandable why they make this recommendation. They want their device to be as easy as possible to install. Running a wire to a fuse box in the passenger compartment is a lot easier than running a wire outside the passenger compartment, and under the hood directly to the battery. A proper install is not a big deal. It's basically like installing a car amplifier for an aftermarket audio system.

 

[devil84]

It's understandable why they make this recommendation. They want their device to be as easy as possible to install. Running a wire to a fuse box in the passenger compartment is a lot easier than running a wire outside the passenger compartment, and under the hood directly to the battery. A proper install is not a big deal. It's basically like installing a car amplifier for an aftermarket audio system.

funny you should say that, i had an an amp installed in my car. my car is a bmw and the battery is in the boot/trunk so that should make it a lot easier.

how much is the relay? i.e. how much additional costs in terms of material and where can i source from UK? what exactly would i need to buy?

thanks again for all your advice.

 

[Panzer Platform]

funny you should say that, i had an an amp installed in my car. my car is a bmw and the battery is in the boot/trunk so that should make it a lot easier.

how much is the relay? i.e. how much additional costs in terms of material and where can i source from UK? what exactly would i need to buy?

thanks again for all your advice.

Google search "Automotive 12AWG Relay".
Here is an example.
They £22.62 for a pack of 5.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B07V9M7FMH
Watch Robert's video for an explanation.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Dear Diary,
Today Senpai noticed me. lol
Bromance #1 Oct. 2020 Joseph @BlackboxMyCar
Bromance #2 July 2022 Robert @rcg530
Bromance #3 July 2023 Ariel @Vortex Radar

 

[matt7991]

I only have the B-130X, and the BBMC PowerCell 8.
The PC8 also does not have any "lag start up time".
Yes, you can either turn off the dash cam, or turn off the battery pack.
The B-130X & PC8 have their pros & cons.
What dash cam you're using might make a difference which one will work better for your application.
What dash cam do you have?

Hey @Panzer Platform , id like you're opinion here. I'm deciding between the bbmc powercell 8 and the b-130x. I have a 2ch a139 pro. I live in Canada so we do see a wide range of temperatures, including well below freezing. What would be your recommendation? I see I can get the pc8 refurbished for 288, or the b-130x for 327. Reliability is of course a big deal for me, and I heard the b-130x may have better cold weather reliability?

With that in mind, what's your recommendation? Thanks!

 

[Panzer Platform]

opinion

Everyone knows what my opinion is worth, and where I can stick it. lol
The BBMC PC8 & BlackVue B-130X are 99% identical.
Technically the B-130X is slightly more “advanced” because it’s cold weather charge protection works better.

It can also accommodate 24 Volts systems if you have a commercial vehicle, or if you’re a tinkerer, and want to hook up a solar panel with raw power (no charge controller) because those can operate in the 24 Volt range.
I tried it with a 50 Watt panel and it did not have enough current, (you will need 100 Watt panel or bigger);
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/blackvue-b-130x-test-review-pp.48114/post-586771

The downside of the B-130X is no expansion port to link additional packs.
Another downside is the APP requires you to make an account just to access the B-130X settings, (this may have changed since I last tested it).
It all comes down to your specific use application.
Maybe @rcg530 @safedrivesolutions @BlackboxMyCar or @Vortex Radar can shed light on the things I missed.

I just remembered, since your in Canada I recommend the IROAD Power Pack Pro 12.
It has 153Wh capacity compared to 96Wh capacity of the PC8 & B-130X.

IROAD Powerpack Pro 12 Battery Pack

Stay safe with IROAD's Powerpack Pro 12 Battery Pack for extended parking mode recordings. Rated at 12,000 mah, drive to charge and you're set!

safedrivesolutions.com

Call Ben in Vancouver 1-604-299-7758, or Ted in Toronto 1-647-968-7233 to see what they say.
-Chuck

 

[Vortex Radar]

Yeah they're mostly the same battery.

Blackvue dashcams recently got an update to where now they can report battery capacity via the cloud which is kinda nifty.

 

[Panzer Platform]

they can report battery capacity via the cloud

Guaranteed to be wildly inaccurate, correct? lol

 

[matt7991]

Everyone knows what my opinion is worth, and where I can stick it. lol
The BBMC PC8 & BlackVue B-130X are 99% identical.
Technically the B-130X is slightly more “advanced” because it’s cold weather charge protection works better.

It can also accommodate 24 Volts systems if you have a commercial vehicle, or if you’re a tinkerer, and want to hook up a solar panel with raw power (no charge controller) because those can operate in the 24 Volt range.
I tried it with a 50 Watt panel and it did not have enough current, (you will need 100 Watt panel or bigger);
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/blackvue-b-130x-test-review-pp.48114/post-586771

The downside of the B-130X is no expansion port to link additional packs.
Another downside is the APP requires you to make an account just to access the B-130X settings, (this may have changed since I last tested it).
It all comes down to your specific use application.
Maybe @rcg530 @safedrivesolutions @BlackboxMyCar or @Vortex Radar can shed light on the things I missed.

I just remembered, since your in Canada I recommend the IROAD Power Pack Pro 12.
It has 153Wh capacity compared to 96Wh capacity of the PC8 & B-130X.

IROAD Powerpack Pro 12 Battery Pack

Stay safe with IROAD's Powerpack Pro 12 Battery Pack for extended parking mode recordings. Rated at 12,000 mah, drive to charge and you're set!

safedrivesolutions.com

Call Ben in Vancouver 1-604-299-7758, or Ted in Toronto 1-647-968-7233 to see what they say.
-Chuck

For what it's worth, your opinion definitely matters! You're somewhat of an expert on here! I like the powerpack but it's definitely on the too pricy for me side unfortunately, otherwise I'd totally go for that. The reason I was looking at the pc8 and the b130x was the refurb pricing from bbmc, but I liked the b130x, even though the slightly higher price, more because of the thicker gauge wires.

I did shoot a message over to the guys at safe drive though so I'll see what they say!

Thanks again!

EDIT: Ted got back to me and that pricing definitely isn't going to work for me. What would your suggestion be, if any?

 

[Panzer Platform]

expert

I’m only an expert at screwing things up. Lol

because of the thicker gauge wires

The B-130X only has 14AWG charge wire, and its tinned copper, or CCA copper clad aluminum.
I would leave it in the box and make your own charge cable with 12AWG 100% Pure OFC oxygen free copper.

What would your suggestion be

I would send an email to 70mai and ask them what’s taking so long to release their dash cam battery pack.
It’s supposed to be 100Wh, and only $150USD.
It was supposed to be released April 2024.

 

[GPak]

.....................
EDIT: Ted got back to me and that pricing definitely isn't going to work for me. What would your suggestion be, if any?

If price is concern, consider the EcoFlow River 2, Power Station, 256Wh, new on Amazon for $168 with a 5-year warranty. It's a simple plug-and-play solution that requires minor cable work.
Details here:

Parking Battery-Power Station, 3X capacity and 3X cheaper than dedicated options + extra functionality

First, thanks to the members of this forum for posting great reviews and comments to help people like me choose the DashCam that suits their specific needs. Now, I want to share my project here and maybe help people, who do not want to mess with a car battery and fuse box but are hesitant to...

dashcamtalk.com

Since you live in Canada, the best option would be a DIY LTO battery, but it requires some DIY skills, details here:

LTO (Lithium Titanate Oxide) – The Ultimate Battery for Dash-Cam parking recording (DIY)

Before I start on LTO battery, I want to remind / let you know, that currently I am running two Viofo Mini2 Dash Cams, front and rear, using, off-the-shelf LFP based Power Station, which provides a lot more energy capacity and versatility for a lot less money compere to dedicated Dash-Cam...

dashcamtalk.com