A129 locks up after two days

[Deleted member 56879]

I had my A129 running flawlessly for about six months, then sometime in August 2019 I started noticing that the camera would have rec / mic light on, but when starting the car, the screen would not light up and change over from Parking Mode to Continuous Mode. Given the camera was under warranty, I reached out to BBMC and their service has been excellent and we're still working on resolve, but in the mean time I thought I'd post here to see if anyone else had similar experiences.

We did all the usual verifications and checks, new SSD card, format, reset settings, check wires... the camera would work as normal, both parking and continuous for about two days then lock up again. BBMC swapped the camera out.

When I got the new one, I upgraded from 1.5 to ver 1.9 and inserted the SSD card and setup the camera. Everything worked perfectly. After two days, I noticed the same symptoms, but with one additional note. After resetting the power, WiFi would be enabled. When checking the camera settings, all seemed to be set to default.

Again, I checked wires, different SSD, format, reset settings, etc... all worked good for two days, then locked up again. Upon logging into the camera the settings seem to stick except one, time settings. It switches from GMT 0 instead of being GMT -7.

Like I said, I've been working with BBMC, and they've been great and we'll figure something out, but in the mean-time I thought I'd check here to see if anyone has had similar situation.

Regards,

 

[CaptureYourAction]

Did you press and hold the reset button for about 5 seconds after manually defaulting the cameras settings (after you updated)?

 

[Deleted member 56879]

I forgot to mention that I downgraded it back to ver 1.5 and I did use reset camera settings from the app.

While it was in stuck mode I did hold the power for 5 seconds. I’m not sure if that’s the same as a reset.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CaptureYourAction]

I forgot to mention that I downgraded it back to ver 1.5 and I did use reset camera settings from the app.

While it was in stuck mode I did hold the power for 5 seconds. I’m not sure if that’s the same as a reset.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There is a reset button hole on the side of the camera. Use a paper clip, or something similar, to press it.

 

[Deleted member 56879]

There is a reset button hole on the side of the camera. Use a paper clip, or something similar, to press it.

Ok, done... thanks for the tip, guess we’ll see in two days.


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[minc3]

I had my A129 running flawlessly for about six months, then sometime in August 2019 I started noticing that the camera would have rec / mic light on, but when starting the car, the screen would not light up and change over from Parking Mode to Continuous Mode. Given the camera was under warranty, I reached out to BBMC and their service has been excellent and we're still working on resolve, but in the mean time I thought I'd post here to see if anyone else had similar experiences.

We did all the usual verifications and checks, new SSD card, format, reset settings, check wires... the camera would work as normal, both parking and continuous for about two days then lock up again. BBMC swapped the camera out.

When I got the new one, I upgraded from 1.5 to ver 1.9 and inserted the SSD card and setup the camera. Everything worked perfectly. After two days, I noticed the same symptoms, but with one additional note. After resetting the power, WiFi would be enabled. When checking the camera settings, all seemed to be set to default.

Again, I checked wires, different SSD, format, reset settings, etc... all worked good for two days, then locked up again. Upon logging into the camera the settings seem to stick except one, time settings. It switches from GMT 0 instead of being GMT -7.

Like I said, I've been working with BBMC, and they've been great and we'll figure something out, but in the mean-time I thought I'd check here to see if anyone has had similar situation.

Regards,

Looks like similar issue that I’ve been facing with the PRO (exactly one week ago). Freeze in parking mode. So far I’ve yet to encounter the same issue after flashing a beta firmware provided by @viofo . Will see how is it today (similar situation like last week - hot sunny day + in parking mode)

 

[Mtz]

Are you keeping WiFi always on?

 

[Deleted member 56879]

Heck no... not only is that a bad idea, but it interferes with the remote start and other remote features of the car. Like I said, this thing has been running like a champ for about 6 months out right.

 

[jdct]

I had a similar issue with a different brand dashcam. It would most often lock up sometime between 16 and 24 hours of recording -- I had assumed to to some bad software coding. Rather than wait for a fix I implemented a workaround in the form of a timed circuit that would cut power supply to it for 12 seconds every 12 hours, thereby resetting it before it would lock up on its own. It's not a proper solution, but it eliminated the issue well enough for me.

 

[minc3]

I had a similar issue with a different brand dashcam. It would most often lock up sometime between 16 and 24 hours of recording -- I had assumed to to some bad software coding. Rather than wait for a fix I implemented a workaround in the form of a timed circuit that would cut power supply to it for 12 seconds every 12 hours, thereby resetting it before it would lock up on its own. It's not a proper solution, but it eliminated the issue well enough for me.

Nice one. It’s like restarting windows before it starts to get laggy lol.

 

[Mtz]

I had a similar issue with a different brand dashcam. It would most often lock up sometime between 16 and 24 hours of recording -- I had assumed to to some bad software coding. Rather than wait for a fix I implemented a workaround in the form of a timed circuit that would cut power supply to it for 12 seconds every 12 hours, thereby resetting it before it would lock up on its own. It's not a proper solution, but it eliminated the issue well enough for me.

I remember I asked two years ago @viofo about automatically camera restart after continuous working after 6 hours for example and the response was that is not possible. Normally the restart should happen for example after 6 hours only at the moment when no movement was in front of camera. If for example is not movement after 7 hours, then after 7 hours to restart.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[jdct]

I remember I asked two years ago @viofo about automatically camera restart after continuous working after 6 hours for example and the response was that is not possible. Normally the restart should happen for example after 6 hours only at the moment when no movement was in front of camera. If for example is not movement after 7 hours, then after 7 hours to restart.

enjoy,
Mtz

Blackvue has that interval restart option in at least one of its dashcams. Perhaps Viofo can only initiate hard shut down but has no mechanism in place to restart again. I don't think any current implementation is sophisticated enough to perform restart only if no motion, but that's just my guess in consideration of the current state of dashcam tech. There is nothing preventing a manufacturer from designing a camera that could do exactly that.

 

[Mtz]

When resetting the camera it restarts automatically.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[jdct]

When resetting the camera it restarts automatically.

enjoy,
Mtz

Yes, but does it not remain off if you power it off with the power button? To restart, power may need to be removed and reapplied in the current design.

An excellent device would have a watchdog timer built into it -- circuits external to the processor that can detect and trigger a system reset if necessary.

 

[Mtz]

The discussion was if camera is automatically restarting, was not about power on or off. So there is a situation when camera restarts without touching the power, but a menu setting, the Reset to default.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[Deleted member 56879]

BBMC is sending me another a129 under warranty.

What I don’t understand is, the camera worked great for about 6/7 months before it started locking up. The replacement locked up right off the bat.

Let’s hope the replacement fares better.


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[viofo]

BBMC is sending me another a129 under warranty.

What I don’t understand is, the camera worked great for about 6/7 months before it started locking up. The replacement locked up right off the bat.

Let’s hope the replacement fares better.


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Do you mind to try the beta firmware shared here?

A129 DUO V1.9 BETA Version for testing

Optimized the parking mode recording, parking files are saved under Parking folder separately. Download link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jU8djFE74kHiB8pbPF_diJkbKNculK6C Please let us know your feedback, thanks for help testing.

dashcamtalk.com

 

[Deleted member 56879]

Are you keeping WiFi always on?

Do you mind to try the beta firmware shared here?

A129 DUO V1.9 BETA Version for testing

Optimized the parking mode recording, parking files are saved under Parking folder separately. Download link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jU8djFE74kHiB8pbPF_diJkbKNculK6C Please let us know your feedback, thanks for help testing.

dashcamtalk.com

Hi Viofo, thank you so much for chiming in on this thread. Absolutely we'll give the beta 1.9 a shot. Here is what I did.
- Formatted an SD Card (the little 16GiB that comes with the camera).
- Mounted the camera (with SD Card installed) and copied the beta firmware to it
- Unplugged the camera from pc, replugged, upgraded started and finished.
- Mounted the camera back in the car, and turned it on. I depressed the reset button on the side for 5 seconds (as instructed above)
- Connected to WiFi and made all appropriate settings.

Here is what I noticed, the camera, after about two or three minutes completely shut off... I powered on the camera and went back in to make sure all settings were set (including parking mode).
I rebooted the camera manually, and it came on-line, then I turned the ignition off. NOTE: Unlike before, it took 1 minute to change-over from continuous mode to parking mode. Is that normal?
Second, I noticed enhanced motion detection. The screen went off and the record light flashed. When I got out of the car and walked infront of the camera, I noticed it started recording again.

I told BBMC Support that I will be holding off RMA'ing this camera back until we give this a few days to test. I will keep this thread and BBMC updated.

Cheers!

 

[CaptureYourAction]

Hi Viofo, thank you so much for chiming in on this thread. Absolutely we'll give the beta 1.9 a shot. Here is what I did.
- Formatted an SD Card (the little 16GiB that comes with the camera).
- Mounted the camera (with SD Card installed) and copied the beta firmware to it
- Unplugged the camera from pc, replugged, upgraded started and finished.
- Mounted the camera back in the car, and turned it on. I depressed the reset button on the side for 5 seconds (as instructed above)
- Connected to WiFi and made all appropriate settings.

Here is what I noticed, the camera, after about two or three minutes completely shut off... I powered on the camera and went back in to make sure all settings were set (including parking mode).
I rebooted the camera manually, and it came on-line, then I turned the ignition off. NOTE: Unlike before, it took 1 minute to change-over from continuous mode to parking mode. Is that normal?
Second, I noticed enhanced motion detection. The screen went off and the record light flashed. When I got out of the car and walked infront of the camera, I noticed it started recording again.

I told BBMC Support that I will be holding off RMA'ing this camera back until we give this a few days to test. I will keep this thread and BBMC updated.

Cheers!

Don't forget to manually default the cameras settings in the menu after the firmware update.

I would also make all your setting adjustments on the camera itself, not through the app, just in case this is what is messing with the camera. Make sure WiFi is off.

 

[Deleted member 56879]

Don't forget to manually default the cameras settings in the menu after the firmware update.

I would also make all your setting adjustments on the camera itself, not through the app, just in case this is what is messing with the camera. Make sure WiFi is off.

Ok, so wife just pulled in the garage, mic light was on, record light was off, screen was off. I rebooted the camera, did as stated, a refresh from the menus (not the app), then went and set all the settings from the menu. I turned the key off, waited a minute, screen went out, I saw the record light flash, several beeps and then the camera lost power. I powered up the camera and rechecked all the settings. I also pulled the fuse box panel to check the parking tap, it was securely in place.

@viofo, don't know what else to try, we've tried everything, new SSD's, old SSD's, resets, upgrades, downgrades, upgrades to beta (which seems to have made the situation worse). I will be sending back to BBMC.

Thanks!