412GW Corrupted files and other issues

[Dogfish]

I confess I've rather taken my 412GW dashcam for granted so was a bit miffed a few months back when I had a "near miss" and when I reviewed the footage found it hadn't started recording until more than a hour after I'd set off. Consequently the incident wasn't recorded. I put this down to the fact that I hadn't re-formatted the card for several years although I wasn't entirely convinced that was the cause.

However, having re-formatted, after the next long(ish) trip I decided to download the files using a USB cable to my desktop PC. This gave me 33 files of which 5 were unplayable by any of my programs capable of handling .MOV files. When I checked their properties they were all smaller in size, by varying amounts, than the playable files which were all comparable in size. This suggests they were cut short before they could be properly closed. A further problem is that some of the playable files stutter and freeze on playback.

The SD card is a 16GB Nextbase branded one, purchased with the cam in July 2017. How likely is it that the card is the guilty party in all these situations? Do these cards deteriorate after many write cycles? Could my failure to re-format the card have caused the delay in starting to record? I can't see how that could happen.

Another, albeit less significant, problem is that the battery goes flat shortly after being taken off charge even though it's turned off. Since this is only meant to keep the camera running for short periods and the cam gets it's date & time from the GPS signal I can live with that.

I should be most grateful for any thoughts and/or advice.

 

[Kremmen]

Most files need to be "closed" to make them readable. Sudden power loss that stops recording will produce this corruption.

In the past I have seen Windows programs that are supposed to be able to close these files but I can't point you to one.

The battery or capacitor in dash cams must be healthy or what you've found is very common.

 

[Dogfish]

Yes, as I said, they appear to not have been properly closed. The strange thing is they were randomly distibuted among the other files which were generated in two half-hour journeys. The cam PSU is plugged into the cig lighter socket which is live with the ignition. I suppose it's possible there's a dodgy connection there but I'd be surprised if the battery were so dead that it couldn't bridge intermittent interruptions. Also that wouldn't explain the stuttering and freezing on the playable files which is why I wondered if deterioration of the card was responsible.

Looks like it's time for a new cam.

 

[Kremmen]

How old is the 412 battery ?

That is quite an old model now and we've seen reports of dead 422 batteries.

 

[Dogfish]

It's never been replaced so same as the cam. Bought July 2017 so around six years. Note: this is a 412, don't know what difference that makes.

 

[Nextbase Support]

Hi,

SD cards only have limited lifespans. In our manuals we recommend formatting every 2-3 weeks to prolong the life of the card. Without this regular formatting, or if the card is non-compatible or damaged, the card could corrupt which would cause a failure of data writing.
Symptoms of SD card failure are: an audible 'alarm' tone, non-functional buttons, freezing, corrupted files on playback, image missing from files, lack of file recording etc. After 6 years of use, it does sound like the SD card is dying and I'd highly recommend replacing the SD card. This should fully resolve the recording issues.

Regarding the battery, I'd recommend performing a battery test:

1. Unplug the Rear Dash Cam (if applicable) and remove the Dash Cam from it's windscreen mount.
2. Take the Dash Cam indoors and remove the SD card.
3. Using the USB cable provided in the box, plug it into a mains power supply (2 Amp recommended), make sure to plug the cable into the body of the camera, not through the car mount.
4. Go into the Dash Cam menu and make sure that Parking Mode is turned off (if applicable), if Parking Mode is enabled, this will affect the test.
5. Leave the camera on charge for 4 hours (or more) with the camera turned on. When fully charged, the blue charging LED should turn off.
6. Unplug the power cable, the camera should shut down.
7. Turn the Dash Cam on (using only battery power) and time how long it takes for the battery to run out and the camera to shut down.

Please note:
After performing this test, your Dash Cam will need to charged again, before reinstalling in your car.

If you can let me know how long the battery lasts for, I can then advice whether you need a replacement battery.

Kind regards,
Millie
Nextbase Technical Support

 

[Dogfish]

Hi Millie, thanks for your response.

I have the cam out of the car on charge, turned on with SD card removed as instructed. I don't know if this model supports parking mode, I've never tried to enable it. I assume if it is supported it wouldn't have been enabled by default.

The red recording LED is illuminated, not the blue charging LED (this does illuminate if the battery is being charged with the cam turned off, however). The cam has not been powered for several weeks and I would have expected the blue LED to illuminate until the battery was charged after which the red LED should illuminate. A few weeks ago I charged it on a mains charger for well over 4 hours whilst turned off then disconnected the charger overnight. The following morning it wouldn't turn on with the charger disconnected. I will see what happens when I carry out the remainder of your test and will report back.

 

[Dogfish]

Ok Millie, the results of the test are a bit baffling. First, as I said above, with the cam on the charger, SD card removed and the cam turned on, the red LED was illuminated (steady not blinking) instead of the blue. I gave the cam 5½ hours on the charger and the red led stayed on. I took the cam off charge and the red LED instantly turned off. I tried to turn the cam on and off and there was no response.

I then put it back on charge and it came on (red LED on). I turned it off and the blue LED then illuminated. This extingushed less than ½ hour later but the cam would still not turn on or off once it was taken off charge although strangely all the buttons down that side flashed as I pushed the power button.

I used a Samsung phone charger capable of giving 2Amps.

The only possibility that makes sense is that the battery is totally dead and this is affecting the functionality of the charging circuit. I'd be most grateful to have your verdict.

 

[Dogfish]

No verdict forthcoming then . . . .

I don't know whether 6 years is a reasonable life expectancy for a product such as this, which was top of the range and quite expensive at the time. If it needs to be replaced it begs the question of whether to go for anothe Nextbase product, especially bearing in mind the problems we've had with the cheaper 312GW models in our other family cars.

 

[Nextbase Support]

Hello,

Thanks for your response, please be aware that we only work Monday to Friday on this forum. It does indeed sound like the battery needs replacing.
We can provide a new battery for you directly and we offer two battery services. I've provided the details below:

To minimise the time you have to spend apart from your camera, we can send you a battery for £10. This option is only available to mainland UK delivery addresses due to transportation limitations.

The battery replacement process is relatively straight forward and usually takes between 15/20 minutes to complete, but does require some soldering. Please see the attached instructions: https://we.tl/t-T81Ik3rs0x

A replacement battery can be purchased from the below website:

Dash Cam Batteries

The iN Car Camera batteries section includes External Battery packs which will enable your camera to be used when not connected to a laptop or being used outside the car.

nextbase.co.uk

Alternatively if you don't feel comfortable with the replacing the battery yourself, we can get the camera booked in for repair for £35. The average turn around for repairs is between 7-10 working days.

Kind regards,
Millie
Nextbase Technical Support

 

[Dogfish]

Thanks for your response. I guessed you wouldn't be working over the weekend which is why I waited until today (Tuesday) for a reply.
Having read through the fitting instructions I feel confident I can manage the battery replacement. Before retirement I was an electronics engineer.
I'll get a new battery and SD card and let you know how it goes. If all else fails I can always use the card in a new cam.

 

[Nextbase Support]

Thanks for your update, if you need any further assistance please feel free to drop me a note or give us a call on 02920 866 429 (UK).

Kind regards,
Millie
Nextbase Technical Support

 

[Dogfish]

A brief update : I replaced the battery without any problems and have installed and formatted a new microSD card so will report again once it's recorded some journeys.

Physically replacing the battery was a bit fiddly. The easiest bit was soldering it in.

Edit: Having used the cam with the old card, re-formatted again, (before the new one arrived) a short journey produced 22 files with the entire trip recorded and none unplayable. Maybe there's nothing wrong with the card. Still, the new card is 32GB, double the old and the maximum supported by the cam, which will allow 3 hours to be recorded before new files start overwriting the old.

 

[Kremmen]

FYI I used a 64Gb card in my 412.

As long as the card is formatted to FAT32 it will work.

You do need third party software as Windows will not format cards over 32Gb in FAT32.

 

[Dogfish]

Just a final post to update and close this topic :

The battery and SD card replacement look to have done the trick. I just downloaded the results of a 90-minute return journey - just over 3 hours total - and it recorded 66 files. I obviously haven't gone through every one of them but as far as I can see they all look ok, which I can tell from the thumbnails (good files show a frame from the file whereas corrupted ones show a generic thumbnail). I have verified that it recorded the entire journey so it's all looking good. Now I just need to remember to re-format the card more often.

Many thanks to all for the advice and assistance.