0806 video freezes

[AusMat]

Hi

This forum seems to be the most knowledgeable on this cam (been lurking around for a few weeks checking out various info's!) so hopefully someone can help me out/steer me right!

Anyhow, last week i picked up a 0806 (seller states it is v3 stock, i'd say at the very least its v2 if not v3 just due to what came in the box).

So for some reason the cam keeps locking up after it records for a little bit, usually 15mins>30mins it'll just freeze requiring a manual reset. Annoying thing is 9 times out of 10 the indicator lights will keep operating like its working fine (GPS/Charge on, Recording light blinking), only once you turn the screen on you'll see the video is "frozen" and no video is recorded after that. Very rarely on that 10th time it'll actually lock everything up or power off (all lights stay on or just goes completely off) and when i reset it, the first time i power it on it'll do nothing (no sounds/black screen/etc) but will show the Red LED solid on and freeze, then i hold the button for 20 secs again, after that it'll power straight on no problems (until it freezes again)

If i attempt to "stop" the recording it just sits there with the spinning circle in the middle of the screen until i reset it.

This didn't occur immediately out of the box, it recorded perfectly for 2 or 3 days but then around the time i flashed the latest firmware to it it started doing this. I've tried flashing a few different firmware versions to the cam (the latest one actually seems to make the cam freeze faster/more often than older versions?) but they all lock up now (even after resetting to default settings on my original firmware version!)

I've tried 2 SD cards (one 8Gb and one 32Gb, both sandisk, both class 10, both check fine on the PC with h2testw). Cam is hardwired to the car but also craps out using the cig light plugs or even just connected to a USB charger/pc and left recording on the desk.....

I don't use 2 cards at once (i read about that issue) but i have tried both A and B slots and set the camera to record to A or B not Auto.

My cam does get a little warm but i'd hardly say it was hot (not hot enough where i'd usually think "uh oh somethings wrong") after an hour of being on.

I've also noticed it dumps error log files to my SDcard when it craps out.

Does this sound like a bad camera? Is there anything i can do (settings on the cam/specific firmware) or should i start the painful process of warranty (luckily i bought from a local aussie ebay seller exactly for this reason).

Cheers!

 

[Prog]

I was ready to suggest various things to try but you've covered them all. You've clearly read this forum in great detail.

 

[Nigel]

If you haven't done so, try formatting the card on the PC, don't expect it to help but worth a try.

Given that you have error logs, there is probably an issue with one of the chips or a faulty connection on the circuit board in which case it needs to be replaced unfortunately. Problems that don't show up for 30 minutes are unlikely to get picked up during factory testing.

 

[AusMat]

i just tried formatting the card in the PC, locked up after 10mins of recording sitting on the desk (always seems to freeze at the end of a video segment rather than part way through). Even flashed it back to a 2014 firmware, no dice there either.

I'm thinking its heat related (had similar issues with other electronics with bad solder joints that work fine when cold, when they warm up they die due to bad solder joints expanding), as you said, i guess its an issue with a chip or a bad connection (personally leading toward something on the actual camera side as the camera seems to actually still be working when the video freezes up, ie record counter counting, can enable/disable lock and mic, led's flashing, etc)

I'll shoot an email off to the seller (thank god for paypal buy protection ) about a replacement (cause its really useless how it is), disappointing, the cameras such a good camera/great video/etc, i was a little worried about quality control before buying though i though it was unlikely i'd get a dud in a v3 batch On the plus side, the GPS is excellent, literally locks on as soon as i roll out of the garage door just too bad it doesn't record

 

[Nigel]

There is always going to be the odd one that has problems, they are too cheap to fully test everything for days before sale.

There have been a couple of other reports of log files being generated but it is very unusual, always happens in the first week of use, if they survive the first week then they are reliable. Let the seller sort it out for you and try another, and hope it is as well focused as this one!

 

[AusMat]

I recorded a short video of what it is doing and stuck it on youtube (here www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8XhRYDRd1E)

Got in contact with the seller, said they'll replace the unit, just gotta send it back. Just trying to get the return postage costs figured out (i know its standard practice for the buyer to pay return postage when it comes to ebay/online purchases but i don't accept that the buyer should pay to return a faulty item to the seller, maybe if they decide they don't want it/etc but not if its wrong or faulty or otherwise not what they bought....)