A229 Plus Test & Review PP

[triops44]

Preliminary Power Consumption
Keep in mind these figures may change with firmware updates.
Q: Why is power consumption important?
A: Usually the more power a dash cam uses the more heat it will generate.
And it will indicate how long it will operate in a parking mode.

Well no wonder the A229 Plus runs 28℉ (16℃) degrees cooler than the A229 Pro in 3-CH configuration.
I measured the power consumption of the A229 Plus & A229 Pro consecutively, using identical settings, and the same Hardwire Kit.
I remember reading different SD Cards can affect power consumption & operating temperature so I used the same Viofo brand 512GB SD Card.
A229 Plus: 2K + 2K + 1080p Firmware V1.0 0922
A229 Pro: 4K + 2K + 1080p Firmware V1.0 0926
Maximum Bitrate
HDR On
IR LED’s Off
Wi-Fi Off
LCD Screen Off

Normal Recording Mode
489mA @ 12.60V = 6.16 Watts (A229 Plus)
631mA @ 12.60V = 7.95 Watts (A229 Pro)

Low Bitrate Parking Mode
453mA @ 12.60V = 5.71 Watts (A229 Plus)
496mA @ 12.60V = 6.25 Watts (A229 Pro)

Two things stand out at me.
1.) In Normal Recording Mode the A229 Plus uses considerably less power than the A229 Pro, (1.79 Watts).
2.) The A229 Plus Low Bitrate Parking Mode is no where near efficient as the A229 Pro.

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I think there is a typo, did you mean to say the Pro low bitrate parking mode is nowhere as efficient as the Plus?

Doesn't the Pro knock down to 2k in parking mode, does that mean the Plus knocks down to 1080p or also 2k? Interesting that there's a big difference in power if both are in 2k in parking mode.

So the Plus should get over 10% longer parking recording before shut-off right.

I wanted a fancy 4k image but the Plus is looking like a better value...

 

[Panzer Platform]

I think there is a typo, did you mean to say the Pro low bitrate parking mode is nowhere as efficient as the Plus?

Not a typo, check out @rcg530 power consumption spreadsheet in his testing thread to confirm & verify.

Doesn't the Pro knock down to 2k in parking mode

Correct.

I wanted a fancy 4k image but the Plus is looking like a better value

If you want 4K when parked, leave the camera in normal recording mode.

 

[Mplay020]

Couldn't resist and ordered the plus 2 channel with the free 128gb sd card and your extra 5% discount, thanks for that! Now have to wait till December when I travel to the States to pick it up....

 

[Panzer Platform]

ordered the plus 2 channel

You should change your order to the 3-CH.
It's only $30 more.
If you buy the IR Interior camera at a later date it will cost you $70.
The night time image quality is really good, and much improved over previous A139 Pro IR Interior camera.
Viofo also offers an optional 6 Meter cable so you can mount it in the rear, or anywhere else.

 

[ductt]

Keep "just for fun" in your A229 thread, my thread is all business. lol

This post is for @VVonderwalle
Q: Does the A229 Plus have the same heat sink as the A229 Pro?
A: You tell me, (plus is middle).

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My a129pro died after 2y, I found that the thermal paste was a tiny spot (1/10 of the area). Any chance that we can reapply the thermal paste for a229pro and add more heatsink/vents to decrease its max temp of 75°C down to a229plus' 5x°C?

 

[Mplay020]

You should change your order to the 3-CH.
It's only $30 more.
If you buy the IR Interior camera at a later date it will cost you $70.
The night time image quality is really good, and much improved over previous A139 Pro IR Interior camera.
Viofo also offers an optional 6 Meter cable so you can mount it in the rear, or anywhere else.

View attachment 69028
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I considered the 3 channel, but I'm ok with the 2 channel. Not considering a second career as an Uber driver .

I can actually mount the front cam on some plastic trim that surrounds my rear view mirror so it's difficult so spot it from the outside and it would be out of the sun as gets very hot where I live. I am wondering if that might interfere with the gps signal if it's not directly on the windshield, but I guess I'll find out.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Not considering a second career as an Uber driver .

The Interior camera has nothing to do with Uber.
It’s about capturing evidence that’s out of view of the front & rear cameras.
The interior camera will be invaluable for providing evidence showing what's going on on either side of the car.
Especially in parking mode.
I've seen a few posts from users here complaining their 2-CH front & rear camera missed an incident that happen on the side of their car, and now they want help adding side cameras.

 

[Deleted member 85644]

My a129pro died after 2y, I found that the thermal paste was a tiny spot (1/10 of the area). Any chance that we can reapply the thermal paste for a229pro and add more heatsink/vents to decrease its max temp of 75°C down to a229plus' 5x°C?

Yes, you can apply more paste to the heat sink/chip. Just do not over do the paste. I have two of the A229 Pro, one installed and one not installed. Think I will disassemble the second one and see how much thermal paste they have on the heat sinks.

Any thermal paste will work, I have Thermal Grizzly and Noctua paste, both are excellent.

 

[ozguy]

Yes, you can apply more paste to the heat sink/chip. Just do not over do the paste. I have two of the A229 Pro, one installed and one not installed. Think I will disassemble the second one and see how much thermal paste they have on the heat sinks.

Any thermal paste will work, I have Thermal Grizzly and Noctua paste, both are excellent.

That would be great if you could post pics buddy. Really appreciate it.

 

[JDtime]

Never was a fan of grizzly while good start thermals it dries out fast. Noctua never tried it personally. I use cooler master cryofuze or fuzeice iceberg thermal plus in my amd gaming laptops. Had much better results with those two and no pump-out effect. I wanted to get some honeywell ptm7950 but it is impossible to find a legit seller. I would not risk my system trying some random stuff that someone is saying is ptm7950.

 

[Deleted member 85644]

Never was a fan of grizzly while good start thermals it dries out fast. Noctua never tried it personally. I use cooler master cryofuze or fuzeice iceberg thermal plus in my amd gaming laptops. Had much better results with those two and no pump-out effect. I wanted to get some honeywell ptm7950 but it is impossible to find a legit seller. I would not risk my system trying some random stuff that someone is saying is ptm7950.

Take a look here.

MODDIY PTM7950

I like thermal pads as well, if I know I have two perfectly flat surfaces. I agree, that paste will dry out, some quicker than others. It is more of an issue for over-clockers and laptops that traditionally have worse cooling than the standard PC case.

 

[amdpowered]

The Interior camera has nothing to do with Uber.
It’s about capturing evidence that’s out of view of the front & rear cameras.
The interior camera will be invaluable for providing evidence showing what's going on on either side of the car.
Especially in parking mode.
I've seen a few posts from users here complaining their 2-CH front & rear camera missed an incident that happen on the side of their car, and now they want help adding side cameras.

Thoughts on the drop in recording bit-rate going from 2-ch to 3-ch?

 

[Panzer Platform]

Thoughts on the drop in recording bit-rate going from 2-ch to 3-ch?

To be clear, the issue you’re talking about only affects the A229 Pro, and only with the IR Interior camera.
The A229 Plus does NOT operate with reduced Bitrate when operating in 2-CH, or 3-CH configurations.

When the A229 Pro operates in 1-CH & 2-CH REAR configuration the front camera maintains it’s 57 Mbps Bitrate.
When the A229 Pro operates in 2-CH INTERIOR, or 3-CH configuration the front camera Bitrate drops to approximately 35 Mbps.
This is because the A229 Pro & A229 Plus REAR camera has it’s own processor to alleviate some of the work load off the front / main camera processor.

However, it still might be worth buying the A229 Pro in 3-CH configuration for two reasons;
1.) It’s only $30 more.
If you decide to buy the IR Interior camera later it will cost you $70.



2.) When the A229 Pro operates in parking mode it will automatically drop the front camera’s resolution to 2K, and use Low Bitrate recording, so running the Interior camera will not impact image quality of the front camera.
And during normal recording mode “regular driving” you can easily unplug the 3.5mm jack for the Interior camera to fully restore the full 57 Mbps Bitrate of the front camera.

 

[ogzogz]

To be clear, the issue you’re talking about only affects the A229 Pro, and only with the IR Interior camera.
The A229 Plus does NOT operate with reduced Bitrate when operating in 2-CH, or 3-CH configurations.

When the A229 Pro operates in 1-CH & 2-CH REAR configuration the front camera maintains it’s 57 Mbps Bitrate.
When the A229 Pro operates in 2-CH INTERIOR, or 3-CH configuration the front camera Bitrate drops to approximately 35 Mbps.
This is because the A229 Pro & A229 Plus REAR camera has it’s own processor to alleviate some of the work load off the front / main camera processor.

However, it still might be worth buying the A229 Pro in 3-CH configuration for two reasons;
1.) It’s only $30 more.
If you decide to buy the IR Interior camera later it will cost you $70.

View attachment 69063

2.) When the A229 Pro operates in parking mode it will automatically drop the front camera’s resolution to 2K, and use Low Bitrate recording, so running the Interior camera will not impact image quality of the front camera.
And during normal recording mode “regular driving” you can easily unplug the 3.5mm jack for the Interior camera to fully restore the full 57 Mbps Bitrate of the front camera.

I'm experiencing a delay in some of my user-oriented tests because there are new a229s that haven't arrived yet. @viofo @VIOFO-Support

@Panzer Platform @rcg530
Can you test a situation I'm curious about?

We know that there is an extension cable in the microphone set. Can you try using this cable to extend the A229 Pro or Plus IR camera? I know the camera cable is a special cable, but we will know whether it will work technically or not, what do you think?

 

[Panzer Platform]

there is an extension cable in the microphone set. Can you try using this cable to extend the A229 Pro or Plus IR camera?

I tested this a month ago.
It does not work.
The good news is they now offer an optional 6 Meter IR Interior cable.

 

[ductt]

Any chance we can use the IR cam cable for 5V cooling fan

 

[Panzer Platform]

Any chance we can use the IR cam cable for 5V cooling fan

No.
Absolutely not, this will cause irreparable damage to the space time continuum. lol

 

[fabri]

Hi, i am new to dashcam world and i am interested in buying this A229 Plus. It seems to be a good budget 3 channel dash cam with starvis 2 sensor and decent low light performance. I would like to use the dash cam especially in parking mode. But i drive just a few kilometers per day, so i think that hardwiring is not a good choice because most of the time the car is stationary and the camera will be recording continously (even at night). I am thinking about buying 2 powerbank 20000mAh or more mAh. Do you think is it possible to record 12 hours during the night with one powerbank and 12 hours during the day with the other powerbank? I know that with USB powerbank, the dashcam can't detect when the engine power off. Does this dashcam can enter Parking Mode Low bitrate automatically based on GPS? Or can it be forced into Low Bitrate Parking Mode with a settings/button?

 

[ozguy]

Hi, i am new to dashcam world and i am interested in buying this A229 Plus. It seems to be a good budget 3 channel dash cam with starvis 2 sensor and decent low light performance. I would like to use the dash cam especially in parking mode. But i drive just a few kilometers per day, so i think that hardwiring is not a good choice because most of the time the car is stationary and the camera will be recording continously (even at night). I am thinking about buying 2 powerbank 20000mAh or more mAh. Do you think is it possible to record 12 hours during the night with one powerbank and 12 hours during the day with the other powerbank? I know that with USB powerbank, the dashcam can't detect when the engine power off. Does this dashcam can enter Parking Mode Low bitrate automatically based on GPS? Or can it be forced into Low Bitrate Parking Mode with a settings/button?

I asked similar questions and the members here were great in answering.. They may add to this.

What is the Smallest Power battery Pack for Dashcam? USB power bank etc?

Hey guys, What would be the smallest in size battery pack for parking mode? Just for shopping trips etc. Don't need anything to run longer than 3 hours or so. https://www.blackvue.com.au/accessories/blackvue-b-112-battery-pack/ ?? Is a normal USB power bank suitable to just plug in and...

dashcamtalk.com

 

[Panzer Platform]

I am thinking about buying 2 powerbank 20000mAh or more mAh. Do you think is it possible to record 12 hours during the night with one powerbank and 12 hours during the day with the other powerbank?

Welcome to the club.
The A229 Plus 3-CH configuration in Low Bitrate Parking Mode is approximately 5.71 Watts of power consumption.
20,000mAh USB Power Bank = 74Wh
74Wh ⨸ 5.71 Watts = 12.9 Hours

can it be forced into Low Bitrate Parking Mode with a settings/button?

Enabling Low Bitrate Parking Mode in the settings without using the Hardwire Kit will require 5 minutes of “no activity” to enter parking mode.


What is the difference between a $20 USB Power Bank, and a $360 dedicated dash cam battery pack?