A118 hardwired instead of using cigarette socket.

S.D.M.F

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Has anyone done this?

I don't want another big plug hanging out of a socket or one wired in behind the dash into a socket either.

I was thinking of using a 12VDC - 5VDC converter hardwired behind the dash and then cutting the cigarette plug off the end of the power supply cable and soldering directly to the converter.

The converter I can get has an output rated at 5VDC 3A 15W, will this be OK to power the cam?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

CPT DC.jpg
 
How many dash cams use the USB mini type B male connector for power? Are they fairly universal in case you ever switch to a different dash cam? Are you better off getting a USB type A jack and just using the supplied USB cable to power whatever cam you have?
 
Sorry to bump, but it appears I can't purchase from that eBay link above, do you guys think this is suitable?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/161393025349
Would hardwiring an A118C and a G1WH be too much for my battery?
 
Sorry to bump, but it appears I can't purchase from that eBay link above, do you guys think this is suitable?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/161393025349
Would hardwiring an A118C and a G1WH be too much for my battery?

should be fine as long as you buy two. ;)

as for your battery - if you leave them running while parked/engine stopped, it could be an issue, but if only while driving, it will be fine. the ac/heater fan draws more power than both cameras combined.
 
Just make sure they are connected to a switched 12V supply, not a constant supply. If wired this way, your battery will be fine.
 
@C.O , 1 Amp is on the low side; if you can, try to locate a more powerful converter, 2-3 Amps, just to be safe.
 
Thanks for the help guys; I have a quick question.
edit: guess i misunderstood something


How might I be able to record for X amount of time after I turn the car off; is there a third party unit I can install that has some charge in it enough to power the dashcam(s)?
 
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there are battery discharge prevention units you can get that will let it run after you stop the engine. mine is from ojocam and cost me about $35 from newegg - check the cf-100 install thread in my signature for a link. however, i use it with a cf-100 camera, not the a118. that's because the a118 isn't a good camera for parking mode because motion detection is worthless on it. also, it's not good to run a battery-based camera for long periods in hot cars. at least when you're driving you'll presumably have the ac/heat on to help control the camera temp. with an a118c it's not as much of an issue since there's no battery, but motion detection is still worthless on it.

remember that a 32gb card only holds about 5 hours of 1080p video so it will be overwritten quickly while parked. I'm about to upgrade to a 64gb card in my cf-100 because parking mode videos take up a good chunk of space, meaning that if i want to save any video from it, i have to take out the card and copy it within an hour or two (of recording time).
 
Do not recommend 3A output to camera,Normally,1A ~1.5A Output to Camera will be ok!
 
I used one of the below 12v to 2x USB plugs to hardwire mine in.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121473300443
Bonus is with 2x USB, I have a spare that I can now charge my phone at the same time.

$_1.JPG
 
We recommend you double check with seller to figure out if both 1.5A output to camera or both 3.0A output to camera!
 
We recommend you double check with seller to figure out if both 1.5A output to camera or both 3.0A output to camera!
that's not how amperage works. the transformer doesn't force 3A down the line to the device; it simply makes up to 3A available. if the device only wants to use 0.1A then that's fine. If the device wants to use 1.0 or even a full 3 amps, that's fine too. The only problem comes when the device tries to pull more amperage than the transformer can supply. Then the power gets dirty/unstable and it can actually burn out the transformer and possibly the device, too.

having a power supply that provides more amperage than the device needs is actually a GOOD thing in terms of stability and reliability.

Kinda like how you can safely drive a 1200BHP Bugatti Veyron on the road right alongside a 5BHP moped/scooter. Just because the power is available doesn't mean it's on full blast all the time.
 
Has anyone done this?

I don't want another big plug hanging out of a socket or one wired in behind the dash into a socket either.

I was thinking of using a 12VDC - 5VDC converter hardwired behind the dash and then cutting the cigarette plug off the end of the power supply cable and soldering directly to the converter.

The converter I can get has an output rated at 5VDC 3A 15W, will this be OK to power the cam?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

View attachment 11603
I hardwired mine. More info here: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/installing-hardwire-kit-for-a118c.9901/#post-124383
 
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