A129 rear camera banding and freezing (and repeatable)

[Cram]

I just installed a A129 system in a 1999 Toyota Rav4, powered by the cigarette lighter (still waiting for my HK3). The rear camera cable is fully hidden behind the trim with the extra length looped near the rear speaker. Firmware was updated to the latest available a couple of weeks ago. Micro SD card is a Samsung 128GB U3 EVO from Amazon.

I get a repeatable issue with the rear camera: when I start the car, rear camera video starts fine, but within minutes, green and purple bands start flashing (see image below) and within seconds after that, video freezes until the car is turned off. When I restart the car, this cycle restarts (good rear camera video, banding/freezing until car is turned off). I recently sent a request for help to Viofo support, but no answers so far.

I unplugged/replugged the rear camera cable –> no changes
I reset the unit (on the front camera) -> no changes

Any suggestion(s)?

Thanks

Marc

 

[jokiin]

could be a cable issue

 

[borik]

connect only front camera through a (spare) USB cable & USB adapter.

 

[Swin]

I just installed a A129 system in a 1999 Toyota Rav4, powered by the cigarette lighter (still waiting for my HK3). The rear camera cable is fully hidden behind the trim with the extra length looped near the rear speaker. Firmware was updated to the latest available a couple of weeks ago. Micro SD card is a Samsung 128GB U3 EVO from Amazon.

I get a repeatable issue with the rear camera: when I start the car, rear camera video starts fine, but within minutes, green and purple bands start flashing (see image below) and within seconds after that, video freezes until the car is turned off. When I restart the car, this cycle restarts (good rear camera video, banding/freezing until car is turned off). I recently sent a request for help to Viofo support, but no answers so far.

I unplugged/replugged the rear camera cable –> no changes
I reset the unit (on the front camera) -> no changes

Any suggestion(s)?

Thanks

Marc

Have you used the original rear cable since you mentioned "extra length"?

 

[uzz32]

Have you got an aftermarket head unit with DAB?

 

[Cram]

Thanks for all the responses. Has anyone encountered the issue I described?

To Borik: the spare cable has USB at the car end. I'll see if I have one of these. Should I leave the rear camera plugged in the head unit (you said "only front camera")?
To Swin: I used the original cable. Since it is longer than needed, I coiled the excess around the rear speaker (near its permanent magnet)
To uzz32: Not sure what you mean. I bought the A129 from OCD Tronic via Amazon. What's DAB?

Marc

 

[CaptureYourAction]

I coiled the excess around the rear speaker (near its permanent magnet)

Marc

This may be your issue. Move the excess to a different location and see if it helps.

 

[borik]

Thanks for all the responses. Has anyone encountered the issue I described?

To Borik: the spare cable has USB at the car end. I'll see if I have one of these. Should I leave the rear camera plugged in the head unit (you said "only front camera")?


Marc

try without rear camera connected.

 

[jokiin]

try without rear camera connected.

guaranteed there will be no banding and freezing in his rear camera then

 

[viofo]

Thanks for all the responses. Has anyone encountered the issue I described?

To Borik: the spare cable has USB at the car end. I'll see if I have one of these. Should I leave the rear camera plugged in the head unit (you said "only front camera")?
To Swin: I used the original cable. Since it is longer than needed, I coiled the excess around the rear speaker (near its permanent magnet)
To uzz32: Not sure what you mean. I bought the A129 from OCD Tronic via Amazon. What's DAB?

Marc

We do not suggest to coiled the excess.
May I know how long rear camera cable do you need actually, the standard version is 6 meters.

 

[uzz32]

DAB is digital radio, which many rear facing dash cams seem to interfere with.

Check this out:

https://www.dashwitness.com/blog/how-to-resolve-dab-interference/

As for coiling the cable, I've done this with the excess as well and zip tied with no adverse affects. However, like CaptureYourAction has stated, coiling it around your speaker may be the problem.

 

[Cram]

OK, I rerouted the rear camera cable away from the speaker magnet, and even used low bit rate. No changes whatsoever. I'll take this issue with the vendor (OCD Tronic.) If Viofo (posting on this thread) has any further suggestions, they are certainly welcome.

The excess cable length is about 2 feet (~60 cm)

As suggested by borik, I'll try to unplug the cable at the rear camera and will run the system with the cable still plugged in the front camera. However, Since the front camera was working properly with the rear camera plugged in, I suspect it should work fine. In order to isolate the problem between the cable and the rear camera, I'll need to get a second cable (a second rear camera would be nice too). If the problem remains while using a second cable, then the rear camera is faulty.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

Marc

 

[jokiin]

@OCD Tronic will sort it out for you I'm sure

 

[OCD Tronic]

If you need to send it in for warranty service it's no problem. Send us a private message or email with all your details.

 

[Mtz]

Usually people are destroying the cables when routing them inside car.

 

[Nigel]

If the problem remains while using a second cable, then the rear camera is faulty.

Could also be the front camera, the front camera supplies the power to the rear and records the image. Maybe the front camera is not providing the rear with enough power.

 

[jokiin]

If the problem remains with a new cable all you've done is confirmed the cable isn't the culprit, more likely a rear camera fault, but front camera could just as easily be where the problem is

 

[Cram]

If you need to send it in for warranty service it's no problem. Send us a private message or email with all your details.

What's the best way to contact you? I could not find any contacts other than going through Amazon where the only option is to return the product
Thanks

Marc

 

[jokiin]

click the user name, select 'start conversation'

 

[Cram]

Here is an update: my banding/freezing problems are now solved. The reason for the problems was my use of a non-VIOFO USB car adapter which was already plugged into my cigarette lighter. Once I switched to the VIOFO adapter, I no longer had the banding and freezing. In my debugging exrcise, I also tried a power bank with good results.

I suppose the non-VIOFO adapter did NOT provide enough power to the dashcams which in turn caused the problems on the rear camera, given that it is connected via long cable (6 meters).

Morale: not all USB adapters are the same . . .

Thanks to everyone for the help, especially the seller (OCD Tronic), whose support was amazing. I highly recommend them; you won't be disappointed.

Marc