After all my doubts I bought one!... DavidUK's A119 odyssey

DavidUK

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Just ordered.

I have a mental picture of @viofo with his head in his hands, weeping... ;)

Anyhow...

Screen Shot 2016-10-17 at 22.53.38.png

Plus a right angled USB adapter to take the cable up to the top of the screen: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141933998497Thanks to @Dashmellow for the Aukey power bank tip, albeit a different model. To power 1FPS mode when I park up somewhere dodgy.
Memory card recommended by Techmoan: http://www.techmoan.com

Hope it all works (as does Viofo!) :)
 
a bit of warning regarding power bank: make sure you put it in the coolest place in the car (preferably in fireproof enclosure). Otherwise you might come back and your Porsche will be a pile of smoldering slag.
 
Why would it get that hot?
 
Why would it get that hot?
The max temperature of typical Lithium cell is about 60'C. I know UK does not get very hot, but in summer, even in UK you will get above 60'C inside of the car. In NZ it easily gets above 70'C and in Australia.... well it is hell in Australia in summer (expect 80+ 'C). It gets worse if the lithium battery is under load (since due to internal resistance you will get some extra heat).
 
The max temperature of typical Lithium cell is about 60'C. I know UK does not get very hot, but in summer, even in UK you will get above 60'C inside of the car. In NZ it easily gets above 70'C and in Australia.... well it is hell in Australia in summer (expect 80+ 'C). It gets worse if the lithium battery is under load (since due to internal resistance you will get some extra heat).

Here in the UK I've measured my car at 50'C in fully shaded parts of the interior. In especially hot weather I wouldn't be surprised if the shaded parts reached 55'C. Parts of the interior in direct sun would be much hotter.
 
Just ordered.
:eek: Oh nooo! :eek:
I have a mental picture of @viofo with his head in his hands, weeping... ;)
o_O:mad::confused:
He can save himself if will tell you from the start to ask syptec for support because you bought a Spytek A119 and not a Viofo A119. Then for sure spytek will tell viofo in 15-20 emails what an UK user wants and expect from A119. Viofo will read all emails in their chinese holiday which is 3 weeks. Then will go 3 years to work at David's firmware.

My vote is to create a sub-forum area called
David UK's A119's odyssey
:D

Now I will go out from A119 threads and come back on October 28, 4PM with a lot of popcorn.

enjoy,
Mtz
 
Wish it will work well, but we highly recommend use the original car charger and adapter.
 
a bit of warning regarding power bank: make sure you put it in the coolest place in the car (preferably in fireproof enclosure). Otherwise you might come back and your Porsche will be a pile of smoldering slag.

As I've related on these forums, my old Buick burned up as I watched. Inside it was a LiIon flashlight in the center console and I had it in full view throughout the event. It was already a hot summer day and it was about 6 minutes after the fire reached the console area before the light blew, flying out the open driver's door venting with flames. And another flashlight nut like myself tested heat vs LiIon with a gas torch with approximately similar results. There have also been reports from folks who store LiIon lights in their cars in Australia curing the summer without any signs of trouble. I've also not seen more then a few reports where LiIon cells experiencing the heat levels possible in a car vented, and that low percentage coincides with their overall catastrophic failure rate in normal circumstances. Therefore I and many others who use LiIon cells regularly have concluded that they are as safe to store and use in a car as they are in a house.

What will happen is their lifespan will be shortened and the higher the heat the more significant this is. Estimates of as much as 70% loss have been noted though the usual rarely exceeds 50% loss. According one's usage this could take a year or three to become a problem. The most important external factor here is cell quality, which also significantly affects cell life overall. Good cells like Panasonic, LG, Samsumg, and Sanyo last longer, perform better, and are safer. Cheap LiIon cells should be avoided like the plague. That Aukey powerbank will probably have good cells in it. Most of the catastrophic LiIon cell failures occur during charging and the cheap powerbanks have not only cheap cells but often poorly regulated charging too.

Much of the online LiIon references are either somewhat or very outdated, and much of what is said about LiIon's is urban legend which has been retold so many times that almost everyone now believes it. Today's good cells use much better components inside and are far more robust than the earlier ones. Now that the process of thermal runaway is better understood it is better protected against during manufacture and there are far fewer instances of venting with flames versus a cell simply venting or failing otherwise. It still makes sense to not expose LiIon cells to excessive heat but more for reasons of lifespan than for safety. It still needs to be borne in mind that this is a powerful technology unlike any other and that there is going to be a very small percentage of catastrophic failures which cannot be detected by QC or predicted. You're more likely to be struck by lightning twice in one day than have a good cell which has not been abused vent with flames but it does happen on the rare occasion. If this small risk factor is too much for you then get a powerbank which uses one of the LiPo battery technologies instead. Those are considerably safer but do not pack as much energy per volume so an equal unit will be bigger. They will also cost more too.

tldr: You're almost certainly safe to use a good quality LiIon powerbank in your car as long as you don't place it where it will receive excessive heat such as near heater vents, near hot exhaust system components, or in direct sunlight. Never use cheap LiIon cells or powerbanks- the foregoing does not apply to them.

Phil
 
f this small risk factor is too much for you then get a powerbank which uses one of the LiPo battery technologies instead.
Phil

I think you meant LiFePo4 as LiPo (Lithium Polymer) is same chemistry as regular Li Ion battery, only difference is they are in different packaging (polymer vs metal can). Then there is of course real LiPo where the electrolyte is polymer but that is very rare.
 
:eek: Oh nooo! :eek:

o_O:mad::confused:
He can save himself if will tell you from the start to ask syptec for support because you bought a Spytek A119 and not a Viofo A119. Then for sure spytek will tell viofo in 15-20 emails what an UK user wants and expect from A119. Viofo will read all emails in their chinese holiday which is 3 weeks. Then will go 3 years to work at David's firmware.

My vote is to create a sub-forum area called
David UK's A119's odyssey
:D

Now I will go out from A119 threads and come back on October 28, 4PM with a lot of popcorn.

enjoy,
Mtz
Now hang on a minute. I asked if the Spytec version was a fake and @viofo confirmed it was just a "no brand" version, here: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...ailable-in-the-uk-who-from.20332/#post-288567

I then asked Viofo if it was identical: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...e-in-the-uk-who-from.20332/page-2#post-288583

And again: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...e-in-the-uk-who-from.20332/page-2#post-288621

...but got no answer from Viofo.

If you're telling me I won't get support from @viofo here (during my odyssey) maybe I should cancel the order and buy a Viofo one? Who from?

Oh... and I guess I should send the power pack back too or I'm doomed to roast?

...might as well include the memory card... :(

Or... is this your little joke?
 
:eek: Oh nooo! :eek:

o_O:mad::confused:
He can save himself if will tell you from the start to ask syptec for support because you bought a Spytek A119 and not a Viofo A119. Then for sure spytek will tell viofo in 15-20 emails what an UK user wants and expect from A119. Viofo will read all emails in their chinese holiday which is 3 weeks. Then will go 3 years to work at David's firmware.

My vote is to create a sub-forum area called
David UK's A119's odyssey
:D

Now I will go out from A119 threads and come back on October 28, 4PM with a lot of popcorn.

enjoy,
Mtz

This made me crack up! :D

If you're telling me I won't get support from @viofo here (during my odyssey) maybe I should cancel the order and buy a Viofo one? Who from?

Or... is this your little joke?

It's the same camera and I'm sure Viofo will provide full support to all users, regardless it's bought from Spytec or any other source.
 
@SergeiF

As you've noted, LiPo uses a different chemistry inside (LiFePo4 etc,). They are not built the same as LiIon either, being layered like a cake versus rolled up and contained in a can. LiPo can expand when overheated which reduces the risk of the seperator being punctured. And the external 'bag' will contain any nasty gasses the cell may produce when it fails. LiIon cells only have small vents in the positive end of the cell and being in a 'can' there's a much greater risk of the separator being punctured. 'Layering' as the LiPo's doesn't allow for best contact through the seperator layer which is one reason they can't have an equal capacity as LiIon at the same volume.

Li cell and battery chemistries cover a number of electrolyte mixes. LiIon cells have different designations for their chemistries: INR, ICR, etc which also designates their best usage qualities (hi amperage, long runtime at low amperage etc.) For good powerbamks all that thinking has already been done and the correct cells will be used. LiPo's use similar but not identical chemistries as LiIon; the mix ratios vary as do the seperators makeup and their thickness. A good thread regards LiIon safety can be found here:
http://budgetlightforum.com/node/45314

It's all interesting to some of us but somewhat off-topic for dashcam users who only need to consider whether they want or need the extra safety of LiPo versus the extra power capacity of LiIon. Just remember to never buy or use the cheap ones ;)

Phil
 
It's the same, first point of contact for any support issues though should be the seller of the product

How many here do that? I'm guessing this is the number one destination for the quickest answers.

@SawMaster - Thanks Phil for the info. As usual, it's sent me off on a hunt for "Li-Po" power packs and I found this: http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbykin...wer_Bank_10000mAh_w_Dual_USB_Output_2_1A.html

Li-Po 10,000mAh £9.89 delivered (if you stay on the page for a discount!). So, I take it this is one of the NEVER buy ones?

More info here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B00USQZFZ6
 
Last edited:
Wish it will work well, but we highly recommend use the original car charger and adapter.

If I forget my ideas to use a power bank and pass through charging, are you OK with me using a power bank purely as a stand alone power supply (not being charged at the same time) for when I park and put the A119 into 1FPS mode?

In response to the "jibes", I think I have approached the purchase from a different angle than many. I did my research, asked A LOT of questions, looked ahead at what I may or may not be able to achieve with various cams, then came to a decision. That all of this has passed before your (and other buyers) eyes is not a bad thing as they might (if they're as inquisitive) want to know the same.

Yes, my odyssey WILL now change from "what do I buy" to "how the hell do I use this thing" but that too is the position other newcomers to the dash cam world will be in. Not everyone out here is a "boffin" and so I hope you will bear will me through my continuing voyage...

Now, should I carry on here once it arrives or start a new thread David UK's A119's odyssey? o_O
 
@SergeiF @SawMaster - that link from Sawmaster led me to: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/types_of_lithium_ion
Very useful to understand more about the different battery types.
...and safety issues of LiIon: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/archive/lithium_ion_safety_concerns

So, I have cancelled the LiIon Aukey power bank and will look for a LiFePO4 power bank.
So far, found this one: http://www.colorfly.eu/DEBOCH X5000/index.html
Datasheet: http://www.colorfly.eu/download/DEBOCH Powerbank X5000.pdf
And: http://www.colorfly.eu/download/DB/DEBOCH_Userguide_Eng.pdf
£50 delivered from Germany. Any good? Only 5,000 mAh but that should give me a good 4-5 hours when parked up I'd have thought?

Interesting too that LiFePO4 batteries can be charged more quickly too.
 
...So far, found this one: http://www.colorfly.eu/DEBOCH X5000/index.html
Datasheet: http://www.colorfly.eu/download/DEBOCH Powerbank X5000.pdf
And: http://www.colorfly.eu/download/DB/DEBOCH_Userguide_Eng.pdf
£50 delivered from Germany. Any good? Only 5,000 mAh but that should give me a good 4-5 hours when parked up I'd have thought?

Interesting too that LiFePO4 batteries can be charged more quickly too.
"Power Capacity(Battery): 5000mAh (Typical) /3.2V/38Wh"
5 * 3.2 = 16Wh

How do they get 38Wh?

Maybe the 5000mAh is not the same power capacity as 5000mAh for a lipo? I would expect it to be less as the voltage is lower than the 3.8 used by lipos but they give a much bigger Wh value, equivalent to a 10,000mAh 3.8V lipo..
 
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