A229 Pro Overheating

[rcg530]

Try this: remove the rear camera cable from main unit and and power it from that port and not GPS port.
Waiting for the feedback.

That's changing two things at once. I'm going to swap out the GPS mount/module with a spare one I have to limit the scope of the change to one change at a time.

 

[DT MI]

...I'm going to swap out the GPS mount/module with a spare one I have to limit the scope of the change to one change at a time.

👍

 

[Mtz]

That's changing two things at once. I'm going to swap out the GPS mount/module with a spare one I have to limit the scope of the change to one change at a time.

If you will replace with a mount from the same batch it's possible the result to be the same as before. But if it will be the same you know what to do.

 

[VIOFO-Support]

That's changing two things at once. I'm going to swap out the GPS mount/module with a spare one I have to limit the scope of the change to one change at a time.

Thanks for your effort. We will also investogate in and hope we can figure out the issue together.

 

[SafeDriveSolutions]

An update on my A229 Pro 2CH (w/rear camera) that is turning off on its own. Between power down event 1 and event 2, I switched the battery pack that supplies power to the VIOFO HK4 hardwire kit (last week's test) and it still powered down. For this week's test, I swapped out the VIOFO HK4 hardwire kit for another "optimized" HK4 hardwire kit. During today's drive, the A229 Pro powered down at almost the exact same place in the parking lot.

I'm going to put together a video demonstrating the issue with the A229 Pro powering down along with four other dash camera acting as witnesses to the power down event. It seems that if I remain parked with the engine on, the A229 Pro remains in normal recording mode, but when I start driving and make a right hand turn in the parking lot, it powers down. The last things to try are replacing the A229 Pro GPS module or it's the A229 Pro front camera.

crazy question. I have seen some abnormal behaviour once when I wired the red and yellow backwards on a Viofo dash camera. Just a thought. i do know you always double check your wiring. But thoriwing it out there

 

[rcg530]

crazy question. I have seen some abnormal behaviour once when I wired the red and yellow backwards on a Viofo dash camera. Just a thought. i do know you always double check your wiring. But thoriwing it out there

Thanks for the suggestion. I've confirmed my HK4 wiring is correct for the connection to the dash camera battery pack. This issue has been reproduced with two different "optimized" HK4 hardwire kits and using two different dash camera battery packs to provide the 12V power to the HK4. The A229 Pro will power up, record in normal recording mode and enter/exit low bitrate parking mode. The original HK4 was powering this A229 Pro for several months without a problem. Starting two weeks ago (three of my weekly Friday 2 to 3 hour driving trips), that is when the problem was first encountered. The dash camera runtime was similar for first and third drives. Last week's drive had an additional driving segment added ahead of the location where this issue occurs. It could be something specific to location and/or my driving at the location where the A229 Pro powers down. I'm driving my car at "parking lot" speeds when the problem occurs.

 

[Mtz]

When I told you to make some tests with direct power into the camera I forgot to tell you that another weak point can be the small circuit board for the pins which are on the rear case. Plugging directly the power into the camera will move out from the scheme the whole GPS mount but also the pins PCB from the rear case. When a camera is not powering on thru the GPS mount the problem can be one small burned electronic component from that PCB. When such problem will occur people will start replacing the GPS mount but the camera will fail to work because of that small problem from the rear case

.

 

[rcg530]

VIOFO has provided me with a v1.3 A229 Pro firmware and they want me to have the A229 Pro create runtime log files. That's now my "next test" to see if the A229 Pro is experiencing an external loss of power (external to the A229 Pro front camera unit), an internally detected thermal event or something else.

 

[Jdem]

So I’m thinking of upgrading from a 3ch A139 Pro to the 3ch A229 Pro.

I live in Vancouver BC Canada, but it can get pretty hot here in the summer.

Should I hold off due to overheating issues? Or is the overheating issue not common?

 

[Chuck McCoy]

So I’m thinking of upgrading from a 3ch A139 Pro to the 3ch A229 Pro.

I live in Vancouver BC Canada, but it can get pretty hot here in the summer.

Should I hold off due to overheating issues? Or is the overheating issue not common?

I have no problem recommending the A229 Pro 3-Ch.
Here’s why;

A229 Pro Test & Review PP

I tried to “edit” all 7 POV’s into one video. Since I don’t have a computer, or editing software I downloaded the 7 clips to my iPhone SE 2020, and “glued” the clips together with iMovie. 1.) Front: A229 Pro Front / Main 2.) Rear: A229 Pro Front / Main 3.) Driver Side Exterior: A229 Pro Rear 4.)...

dashcamtalk.com

 

[rcg530]

Today’s drive did result in the A229 Pro 2CH (with rear camera) powering down during the drive, but not at the same location as the past three weeks. This week’s event took place about 5-minutes after exiting low bitrate parking mode and resuming normal recording mode. Today’s outside temperatures were about 10F lower than previous weeks (66F to 68F range today). The passenger compartment temp during the last parking mode session did get in the low 100sF (103F). I started driving and at one of the stoplights I hear the A229 Pro power down. I cannot see the screen of the A229 Pro since its behind my vehicle’s center rear view mirror. The A129 Pro 1CH, A139 Pro 1CH, Thinkware U3000 2CH and BlackVue DR970X-2CH all worked without incident when exposed to the same conditions as the A229 Pro.

Just before the shutdown took place, the zmd.log file has entries related to a temperature warning being presented on the LCD screen (which I cannot see while driving).

I’ve uploaded the last two low bitrate parking mode files, all the normal mode recording files after the last parking mode session until the A229 Pro shuts itself down and the log files to a Google Drive folder for VIOFO to review.

 

[Mtz]

Maybe your A229 Pro is a sample and the heatsink is not well fixed on the CPU. Viofo updated the heatsink at the end of 2023. I don't know how it is looking the new one, buy I know how it is looking the first one. My first early sample have the heatsink not glued to the CPU because the material used was not OK and failed to keep it glued. But I am not using that dashcam in parking mode, but rarely when driving.

I don't know if you listened any of my advices so I will not ask again, you know better what to do.

 

[ductt]

FYI:

Test settings: A229 Pro, 3-channel max settings (bitrate, GPS, etc...), 3-channel parking mode (auto detection), normal days in a tropical country (VN).
Final version: external heatsinks+external fan (40x40x7, air drawn out thru a 1x1cm hole, with a speed regulator, tapping from HK4 Type-C connector), dashcam is under the plastic cover (same as the image).

Results:
3-channel recording: max speed fan (~1watt, noticable fan sound in cabin) + AC (22 degC): 62 deg C (on chip)
3-channel recording: max speed fan, parking mode (27 degC outside, >4 hrs): 72 deg C (on chip), 32 degC outdoor (after 2hrs): 74 deg C (on chip), 33 deg C outdoor (after 3hrs): 78 deg C (on chip)

3-channel recording: min speed fan (~0.5watt, no fan sound in cabin)+AC (22 degC): 74 deg C (on chip), housing temp ~60 degC (warm) <– my default settings for daily use
3-channel recording: min speed fan, parking mode (24 deg C outside, >4 hrs): 74 deg C (on chip); 36 deg C outdoor (2 hrs)–> 86 deg C (on chip), housing temp ~75 deg C: hot

3-channel recording: Fan off+AC (22 degC): 77 deg C (on chip)
3-channel recording: Fan off, parking mode (27degC outside, >4 hrs): 85 deg C (on chip), 34 deg C (outdoor, 3 hrs) –> 94 deg C (on chip)+ housing temp: ~80 deg C: very hot but still working.

Sandisk Extreme Pro 512 GB still works at 94 deg C (on chip).

Hope this dashcam will last 4-5 years 🙂

 

[Dashmellow]

FYI:

Test settings: A229 Pro, 3-channel max settings (bitrate, GPS, etc...), 3-channel parking mode (auto detection), normal days in a tropical country (VN).
Final version: external heatsinks+external fan (40x40x7, air drawn out thru a 1x1cm hole, with a speed regulator, tapping from HK4 Type-C connector), dashcam is under the plastic cover (same as the image).

Results:
3-channel recording: max speed fan (~1watt, noisy) + AC (22 degC): 62 deg C (on chip)
3-channel recording: max speed fan, parking mode (27 degC outside, >4 hrs): 72 deg C (on chip), 32 degC outdoor (after 2hrs): 74 deg C (on chip), 33 deg C outdoor (after 3hrs): 78 deg C (on chip)

3-channel recording: min speed fan (~0.5watt, no noise)+AC (22 degC): 74 deg C (on chip), housing temp ~60 degC (warm) <– my default settings for daily use
3-channel recording: min speed fan, parking mode (24 deg C outside, >4 hrs): 74 deg C (on chip); 36 deg C outdoor (2 hrs)–> 86 deg C (on chip), housing temp ~75 deg C: hot

3-channel recording: Fan off+AC (22 degC): 77 deg C (on chip)
3-channel recording: Fan off, parking mode (27degC outside, >4 hrs): 85 deg C (on chip), 34 deg C (outdoor, 3 hrs) –> 94 deg C (on chip)+ housing temp: ~80 deg C: very hot but still working.

Sandisk Extreme Pro 512 GB still works at 94 deg C (on chip).

Hope this dashcam will last 4-5 years 🙂

This looks very interesting but I've never before seen anyone successfully install a fan on a dash cam that could actually be silent in operation. It would be great if you actually accomplished this.

The last person who tried this showed us photos of his camera with a fan attached but wouldn't post any recordings or videos with sound demonstrating the project working in actual operation.

So far you've only shown us a camera with a drawing of a fan but no actual fan.

Heat sinks alone can work very well though. I've used them with success for certain cameras.

 

[ductt]

Like this (final fan direction is reverse). For minimum fan speed, no noise in the car but the fan noise is acceptable in the video, I can hear the music or people's voice talking, or this background noise can easily be removed by software.

 

[mentadent]

Fan seems like a good idea. I would put one on mine.

 

[Dashmellow]

That looks great.

You did say "no noise" earlier when you first mentioned the fan.

3-channel recording: min speed fan (~0.5watt, no noise)+AC (22 degC): 74 deg C (on chip), housing temp ~60 degC (warm) <– my default settings for daily use

Now you say, "no noise in the car but the fan noise is acceptable in the video". That's different than just saying "no noise". Noise in the video has always been the primary concern with dash cam fans, not noise in the car cabin.

Can you post a video with the fan running so we can get a feel for how well this actually works?

 

[ductt]

"no noise": I mean that I cannot notice the fan sound in cabin 🙂
Sample file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sdx_E0AEnCdnUVu9FC1hiLFlY7wNO_Rq/view?usp=drivesdk

Just cropped it on my phone. Increase the volume then you'll hear the fan noise in the background.

 

[Dashmellow]

"no noise": I mean that I cannot notice the fan sound in cabin 🙂
Sample file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sdx_E0AEnCdnUVu9FC1hiLFlY7wNO_Rq/view?usp=drivesdk

Just cropped it on my phone. Increase the volume then you'll hear the fan noise in the background.

I'm not talking about the cabin and having loud music playing during the video isn't exactly helping tell the story accurately. Also, I would assume we are talking about front facing video from the main camera which has the fan and heat sinks, not a remotely mounted interior camera.

 

[Nigel]

I'm not talking about the cabin and having loud music playing during the video isn't exactly helping tell the story accurately.

Try the scroll bar, there is a good selection of music, silence, talking, indicators clicking...

Also, I would assume we are talking about front facing video from the main camera which has the fan and heat sinks, not a remotely mounted interior camera.

A229 Pro has the microphone in the main unit, whichever stream you are watching.