512 Parking Mode Power Problem

[Peek]

I bought a 512 plus rear camera four days ago, hardwired by Halfords. Latest firmware (22.5), so issues with rear cam previously known hopefully avoided. Long story short, now on my second 512, Halfords and Nextbase support deeming the first one faulty. Second one not holding its charge because parking mode (for which I bought this model) was being triggered throughout the night. I live in a very quiet area. Viewing the recordings shows no activity (no passing cars or pedestrians). Thus the battery was drained by the morning. Halfords had told me to turn down the G sensor sensitivity as the 512 is known to be too sensitive (subsequently confirmed by Nextbase advisor), but this was pointless advice because, Nextbase advisor told me, there are two G sensors in the 512, one for triggering a protected file when in recording mode (e.g. a crash or pothole) and one for triggering a protected file in parking mode. The setting on the camera which enables changing the sensitivity of the G sensor relates only to the first G sensor and has no effect on the parking mode G sensor, which cannot be modified by the user. The advice from Nextbase was to turn off parking mode! That's one of the main reasons I bought the thing. He also said that to get over the draining of the battery I would need to bring the dashcam into the house regularly to charge it properly, as the car will take a long time to give it a full charge. No, I'm not prepared to do all that faffing about. He said the longer term solution was for Nextbase to produce a firmware fix, but that they were discontinuing the "1" series soon (312, 412, 512 etc), so they might not see the fix as a priority. I also pointed out that the camera was running for 1 minute after a protected file has recorded then shutting down, not 10 seconds as the manual says (I have auto shutdown set at 10 seconds). The Nextbase chap checked this at his end and said "you're right: we didn't know that. We'll have to put that in the next firmware update".
All in all, a shambles. I will give this camera two more nights to see if the above was a fluke then get it uninstalled by Halfords and a refund. Not impressed so far.

 

[Nextbase Support]

Hi @Peek

I have just seen this, I saw @Farmersden on another post and didn't realise it came from here.

I am so sorry that our products and support has come across this way, please see my response copied below.

"I have just been made aware of this, a member of our management team has listened to the call and spoken with the member of support that this is referring to.

I can completely understand your concerns, but rest assured we're not abandoning anybody or any products. If there are bugs then we can fix them, of course there will come a time when there won't be any issues to fix and then there is unlikely to be any further updates. This doesn't mean support will stop or the use of playback software and so on.

We are currently still manufacturing this range of Dash Cams - please don't be concerned. "

As above, we are still manufacturing the current range, they are not discontinued.

Please let me know if you still have them? Are you able to get in touch so that we can resolve this for you?

 

[Peek]

Hi @Peek

I have just seen this, I saw @Farmersden on another post and didn't realise it came from here.

I am so sorry that our products and support has come across this way, please see my response copied below.

"I have just been made aware of this, a member of our management team has listened to the call and spoken with the member of support that this is referring to.

I can completely understand your concerns, but rest assured we're not abandoning anybody or any products. If there are bugs then we can fix them, of course there will come a time when there won't be any issues to fix and then there is unlikely to be any further updates. This doesn't mean support will stop or the use of playback software and so on.

We are currently still manufacturing this range of Dash Cams - please don't be concerned. "

As above, we are still manufacturing the current range, they are not discontinued.

Please let me know if you still have them? Are you able to get in touch so that we can resolve this for you?

Hi Tiffany
I'm going to persevere, BUT ONLY because I took the cameras back to Halfords so that they could re-wire them to a permanent live. This seems to be the only way forward. That was done yesterday and there have been multiple protected recordings overnight, averaging one an hour. As I said before, I'm in a very quiet area. At least the battery won't be dead with a permanent live. The downside is that, for example, either someone could crash into my car at midnight, but there are so many recordings subsequently that the protected file either gets recorded over (I'm a little confused on this aspect as to whether protected files are saved when the memory card is full or not and what happens if there is no more space for a further protected file?), or the card becomes full with protected files and thus fails to record a crash at 7am. Having the camera on permanent live with parking mode on seems the best I can hope for despite these risks, as no camera at all is a bigger risk.
I've spoken again to Nextbase support and the man said that further to my previous call he had put the 512 on test overnight in a deserted office only to find multiple protected recordings the next morning, thus demonstrating that it is far too sensitive. What baffles me is that this seems to be news to Nextbase. Was the camera not properly tested prior to going to market? The guy at Halfords reckons the explanation which might let Nextbase off the hook for this is that maybe it's only with the 22.5 firmware that the camera is so sensitive (only speculation). I asked him how come no other customers at his branch have had this difficulty. He guessed that not many other customers have the 22.5 firmware, which I insisted on to avoid the known hassles with the rear camera as previously documented, as not many have front and rear cameras and not many customers bother to upgrade the firmware to 22.5 (which begs the question: how do those who do have rear cameras get them to work without 22.5?).
I'm told by Nextbase that a firmware update beyond 22.5 will be necessary to reduce the sensitivity of the G sensor.

 

[M8TJT]

But how can the g sensor trigger in a deserted office at night unless there were several minor earthquakes?

 

[Kremmen]

Been to Wales recently ?

 

[M8TJT]

Ah, hadn't thought of that K

 

[Peek]

But how can the g sensor trigger in a deserted office at night unless there were several minor earthquakes?

Hi M8TJT
Exactly. Either the multiple triggers are due to subsidence in the cheese mines of Caerphilly or the g sensor is massively over-sensitive.

 

[Kremmen]

Cheese mines, they've got mice in the office.

Of course, what's in the overnight protected files might reveal something.

I got some false movement alerts from my home ArloQ cameras. Turned out to be a moth that was breaking the IR beam overnight.

 

[Nextbase Support]

The office is still very much in tact

However, I note that this is the same person that had provided incorrect information regarding the products. Please leave this with me, I will check on Monday, if you like I can send you the R23 version?

Please private message me your email and I will send this to you.

 

[Peek]

The office is still very much in tact

However, I note that this is the same person that had provided incorrect information regarding the products. Please leave this with me, I will check on Monday, if you like I can send you the R23 version?

Please private message me your email and I will send this to you.

The office is still very much in tact

However, I note that this is the same person that had provided incorrect information regarding the products. Please leave this with me, I will check on Monday, if you like I can send you the R23 version?

Please private message me your email and I will send this to you.

Hi Tiffany
I would very much like to receive the version 23 firmware update, thank you, but I don't know how to private message you. Please could you, other users or the moderators explain how I can do this? I can't find any instructions in the website or via Google.

 

[Spuds]

Hi Tiffany
I would very much like to receive the version 23 firmware update, thank you, but I don't know how to private message you. Please could you, other users or the moderators explain how I can do this? I can't find any instructions in the website or via Google.

Hover your mouse over Nextbase Tiffany and select "start conversation"

Regards Spuds

 

[Peek]

Thank you Spuds.

 

[Peek]

I'm trying hard to give Nextbase the benefit of the doubt, but... Tiffany Nextbase privately emailed me a supposed update on Sunday, which I assume would fix the over-sensitive g sensor. The installation instructions she attached did not work. I emailed her back. It's now 48 hours later and no response. Looking at the camera it says the update is installed (version 23) but I don't see how it can be as the installation procedure did not happen, according to the instructions. So I rang Nextbase yesterday. The chap I spoke to said I'd not followed the instructions correctly, and that after inserting an SD card with the update on it, rather than powering up the camera via my computer, I should have powered it via a USB socket/adaptor from the mains (says nothing about that on the instructions on the Nextbase website). So I did that and got exactly the same hanging blue screen with just the word "update" on it. However, of equal concern, this chap told me that what Tiffany had sent me was not the solution to my g sensor problem as they were still working on that. So what she sent me I don't know. Whatever I installed has made no difference and the camera triggered repeatedly all last night. By the way, the option to show a firmware version screen as shown on the website for the 512 update procedure does not exist on the 512. I can only assume Nextbase are using a screenshot from another one of their cameras.
I also want a front and rear camera (512) in my wife's Mazda 2. The solution as it stands, without a desensitized g sensor, is to hardwire her camera into a permanent live fuse, as with mine, so that is what I asked Halfords to do on Saturday. Except they gave up the installation, as they told me a Mazda 2 is the only car they have come across which has no live fuses in the dashboard, only in the engine bay, which would be too risky. I rang my local Mazda dealer to see if Halfords staff were correct in being unable to find a live fuse. Don't know... ring you back. They haven't. I rang Mazda HQ. Don't know... you're not allowed to speak to our technical department. We'll take a message and ring you back. They haven't. Does anybody out there in the internet world know of any human beings who are reliable?
I'm using this forum (a) to see if anyone can provide me with solutions which Nextbase seem unable to and (b) to give potential buyers of Nextbase products information about my experiences and complicated circumstances to inform their buying decisions. I am utterly cheesed off with this whole dashcam business, which has occupied my brain for the last ten days. My son and his wife came for dinner on Sunday and revealed that they were playing a secret game of counting how many times I used the word "dashcam" during their visit.

 

[Spuds]

Hi @Peek, sorry to hear of your woes with different companies. I can only speak of my dealings with Nextbase and find them totally customer focused and they have dealt with my questions with courteous efficiency. Their answers have not always dealt completely with some of my issues but that is probably down to my own expectations and not generically of concern to others. Also I am surprised with your dealing with @NextbaseTiffany. She has been absolutely brilliant in all my dealings with the company. She rings back when she says she will. She even phoned me a few days after sending out parts used for fault finding to check I had received them and a follow up to see if my problem had been addressed to my satisfaction. Not many companies would send out advanced replacements without taking your Visa details first.

I can only think that Tiffany must be away from the office. I wish you all the best in getting your problems sorted.

Spuds


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Peek]

Yes, Spuds, I've heard nothing but good reports about the customer care from Nextbase and Tiffany seems very diligent from the many mentions she gets on this forum. All the more frustrating that I'm getting nowhere with my multi-layered difficulties. That's why I'm being quite measured (for me!) in describing my exasperation. Thank you for your good wishes.

 

[Kremmen]

Regarding the firmware update.

Once you have the .bin file on a freshly formatted sdcard, put the card in the device and either plug it into the car power source or a wall usb ... never a PC usb as the device goes into a different mode.

 

[Nextbase Support]

Hi @Peek

Oh my goodness, that does sound very stressful - all aspects! I've just picked up your email today, this message answers the questions I was asking in my reply though so no need to reply via email. The R23 was sent as it's the latest, albeit unreleased, and there was a chance it could improve the situation.

Re the parking mode: with R23, how many files have you had protected, was there any improvement at all? If you haven't installed it yet please call me on 02920 866 429 so that I can talk you through it.

Re the Mazda: I have checked the owner’s manual and some documentation online, fuse 10, the radio, is likely to be permanently live. Radios are generally able to play without the key. There are a few similar fuses, Audio and instrument cluster. Do you have any equipment to test them (multi-meter)?

 

[Peek]

Regarding the firmware update.

Once you have the .bin file on a freshly formatted sdcard, put the card in the device and either plug it into the car power source or a wall usb ... never a PC usb as the device goes into a different mode.

Hi Kremmen
Thanks. I did that, as advised by the guy at Nextbase, but with the same results - a hanging blue screen with the word"update".

 

[Peek]

Hi @Peek

Oh my goodness, that does sound very stressful - all aspects! I've just picked up your email today, this message answers the questions I was asking in my reply though so no need to reply via email. The R23 was sent as it's the latest, albeit unreleased, and there was a chance it could improve the situation.

Re the parking mode: with R23, how many files have you had protected, was there any improvement at all? If you haven't installed it yet please call me on 02920 866 429 so that I can talk you through it.

Re the Mazda: I have checked the owner’s manual and some documentation online, fuse 10, the radio, is likely to be permanently live. Radios are generally able to play without the key. There are a few similar fuses, Audio and instrument cluster. Do you have any equipment to test them (multi-meter)?

Hi Tiffany
Thank you. I've just come to this forum AFTER sending you a private email, so apologies. Just to cover some issues you ask here, so as to keep the millions of forum readers in the loop:
1. I now understand you sent me R23 more in hope than confidence of it being the solution. OK, that's fair enough.
2. No improvement with R23 (if properly installed). I haven't counted, but I'd say dozens of files through the last 24 hours. Maybe on average two an hour, but of course, once a protected file is triggered, the camera runs on into one, if not two, non-protected files until shut down, for front and rear cameras.
3. Better than having a multi-meter, I have a son! Having a son is not necessarily helpful, but it is if he happens to be a highly skilled electrician with state-of-the-art equipment. Getting him to be in the same place as my wife's car may take several days, as I explained in my email, so eager readers will have to remain on the edge of their seats for the next exciting installment.
4. The Mazda 2 is a 2014 petrol model if that helps re exact specs for the fuses. If you could give me some very precise directions for the right fuse to shove under the noses of the technicians at my local Halfords (the instructions, not the fuses, to shove under their noses), that would be excellent.
Thank you.

 

[Kremmen]

If you're not sure about the fuses, then as Tiffany suggested you need a multimeter. (or a son with the gear)

These days modern fuses have 2 tiny viewable metal tips where you can probe a multimeter to check both the power status and in multimeter continuity check mode, the fuse itself - - without removing the fuse.