70mai Dash Cam Battery Pack - Test & Review PP

[Panzer Platform]

This diagram needs to be added to the PC8 and B-130X manuals as the preferred wiring method.

This is a sensitive subject.
It means thousands of packs have been installed, and wired up in "less than ideal" configurations.
I notified BBMC, and BlackVue when I reviewed their packs;

 

[Panzer Platform]

In this post I will perform a 2nd discharge capacity test using my DROK USB load tester adjusted to 5 Watts connected to the USB Output with the included Type-C to Type-C cable.
The pack’s claimed capacity is 96Wh.
96Wh ÷ 5 Watts = 19.2 hours run time
Before performing this discharge test I fully charged the pack to 100%, and let the pack stabilize for 30 minutes after full charge status was indicated by the 4 green LEDs just to make sure it’s fully charged.
I set up a home security camera to monitor the test to make it easy to document, and interpret the results.
Here are the results;

100% Start
75% 5 Hours 10 Minutes
50% 4 Hours 17 Minutes
25% 4 Hours 16 Minutes
0% 3 Hours 34 Minutes
Total 16 Hours 17 Minutes

16.28 Hours x 5 Watts = 81.4Wh
The first discharge test with DROK was;
16.22 Hours x 5 Watts = 81Wh capacity
Q: Why am I getting diminished capacity results with my DROK tester?
I think I know why.
I have used my DROK load tester on various devices for the past 2 years, and it has always proven accurate.
Why is it now pulling approximately 5.9 Watts when adjusted to 5 Watts?
A: All previous tests where performed using the Type-A input.
This the very first time I have ever used the Type-C input.
It appears the Type-C input is not calibrated correctly.

 

[Hack_man]

Hack_man said:
I figured the third pin was adding constant +12V with respect to the Powercell 8.
Panzer Platform said:
What 3rd pin on the PC8?

My poor wording, I did not mean to imply the PC8 had a 3d pin.

Hack_man said:
It would be interesting to understand the benefits of constant +12V that make it worthy of adding that extra external wire.

Panzer Platform said:
The BBMC PowerCell 8, and BlackVue B-130X use a 2-Pin XT60 connector for power, and ground.
The power cable is connected to an ACC “switched” fuse.
When the switched fuse is energized current flows to the pack to begin charging.
The Thinkware BAB-95, and IROAD Power Pack Pro use a 3-Wire strategy.
The power cable is connected to constant battery voltage.
The 3rd ACC switched wire is connected to an ACC switched source.
Basically the Thinkware BAB-95, IROAD, and 70mai have a built-in relay inside the pack, and it only allows current flow when it gets “signal” from the 3rd wire even though the main power wire is connected to constant battery voltage.
This is part of the reason the 70mai is able to delay charging for 20 seconds, after getting an ignition signal.

The question I should have asked (and meant to ask now that I understand your post #22) is "what are the benefits of adding the third pin that the PC8 and BlackVue B-130X do not need?" If it's just delayed charging, this could have been accomplished without the need for a third pin (just use a simple counter). I'm sure there is a good reason, I'm just curious.

The important part of your post that I missed was that the PC8 gets its charging power from an ACC "switched" fuse but the other supplies that use 3 input pins get their charging power from constant battery voltage. Both schemes would benefit by implementing the recommended external relay.

Panzer Platform said:
The current draw on the 3rd pin signal wire was 15mAh.

OK so the ACC wire only has 15 mA current draw, that makes sense.

Hack_man said:
The Powercell 8 reports approx. 7- 9 mA discharge current when the dashcam is powered off as a reference point, which it would need for Bluetooth operation at the very least.

Panzer Platform said:
Can you provide a link to this specification?

When I stated "the Powercell 8 reports 7-9 mA..." I was referring to what the PC8 app reports for discharge current when I power off my dashcam.
Purely an empirical data point.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Both schemes would benefit by implementing the recommended external relay.

Thanks for the clarification.
The 70mai, IROAD, and Thinware packs already have the relay built-in.
That’s why it has a 3-pin connector, or signal wire to accept signal from switched power.
Only the PC8, B-130X, and similar packs with only power & ground wires would benefit from installing with external relay.

When I stated "the Powercell 8 reports 7-9 mA..." I was referring to what the PC8 app reports for discharge current when I power off my dashcam.

The battery life percentage, and current / amperage values in the APP are inaccurate.
I have tested with my Fluke Multimeter on the actual wires, and compared with APP in real time.
The BlackVue APP is the worst for accuracy.

 

[Hack_man]

Panzer Platform said:
The 70mai, IROAD, and Thinware packs already have the relay built-in.
That’s why it has a 3-pin connector, or signal wire to accept signal from switched power.
Only the PC8, B-130X, and similar packs with only power & ground wires would benefit from installing with external relay.

Panzer Platform said:
Have you ever installed an aftermarket car audio amplifier for a sound system?
You would NEVER run power wire from an amplifier to the fuse box, ALWAYS directly to the positive battery terminal, or dedicated junction.

So I would hope the instructions for installing the 70mai, IROAD and Thinkware packs all state to run the +12V constant power to a fused wire directly to the positive battery terminal, otherwise they may as well have gone with the two input-pin approach like PC8. I'm running my PC8 on the low current setting using the Cig lighter socket so less of a concern.