Best Mounting Location for Viofo A129

Kicker0927

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I’ve noticed many people installing their cam on the opposite side of their rear view mirror from where they sit. In essence, the passenger side. I was just curious as to why and is this preferred by most users? In my vehicle the best place to mount my Viofo A129 front cam is on the driver side of the rear view mirror due to the location of the windshield frit. I would like to keep it behind the frit due to the sun/heat exposure here in southwest Florida. What do you think?
 

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As you guys drive on the sane side of the road just like us Danes, i would mount on the Left of the mirror, this if the memory card slot are on the left side of the camera will make that easy accessible.
Just be careful when installing that you can still have the "twist" in your mirror, i forgot that installing a camera in my little sisters focus, so i had to redo the install.

BUT! with a wifi camera like the 129, you should be able to have the mirror where it is supposed to be, and then slide the "armed" ( sticky tape protector removed ) and powered up dashcam up behind the mirror and look at your wifi connected phone for alignment ( you might want to have the lens aimed lower than normal so you have bottom of windscreen / dashboard in view to assist with aim )
Then push it lightly on the windscreen, turn the mirror so you have better access, verify aim is good, take dashcam off mount so you can give the mounting bracket a good old push to really seat it, then give it a few hours to set before you put the dashcam back on the mount. ( the waiting period can be used to route wires for the cameras elsewhere in the car )

Yes as much of the camera as you can on the frit, only wires and mirror should determine how high or close to the mirror you can go for a clean stealthy install.
 
If those are pictures of your vehicle mounting on the sensor housing is worth considering.

 
you might want to pay attention to the way the camera slide on / off the mount, i once placed a SG camera so high on my frit that i was barely able to slide it off the mount for the wires that came down into the top of that model camera.
Since than i always mount cameras with all wires plugged in, so when that's done i can unplug wires and do the routing of them.
 
Yeah overlooked that, it actually look like a good spot too ( fairly flat )
Only the LCD will be facing very much downwards, a little annoying for the rare occasions where you would like to look at it while doing stuff.

If mounting there you might have to source another kind of 3M dual sided tape as the provided stuff work best on smooth glass, and car trim plastic are not that smooth.
 
Yeah overlooked that, it actually look like a good spot too ( fairly flat )
Only the LCD will be facing very much downwards, a little annoying for the rare occasions where you would like to look at it while doing stuff.

If mounting there you might have to source another kind of 3M dual sided tape as the provided stuff work best on smooth glass, and car trim plastic are not that smooth.

Well, I’ll have to update this after install because I do have a front windshield tint/UV blocking shield so the frit is actually covered by that too so it should be pretty smooth.
 
Only the LCD will be facing very much downwards, a little annoying for the rare occasions where you would like to look at it while doing stuff.
That's not been a problem for me. On the few occasions where I'm doing something in the car I just slide the camera off the mounting plate.
 
Considerations before sticking cams...

*Will that location impair your view while driving? (some places regulate that by law so check those)
*Is the lens within the area covered by the wipers?
*Will it physically fit without interfering with mirror use or any other in-built car function?
*Can it be removed and reinstalled to the mount?
*Can you access the SD card? (see above, you can pull the cam or move the mirror to get to the card if need be, just easier if you don't have to do that)
*How will the cabling to the cam work there?
*Is the PS cabling long enough to reach there?
*Will you be able to see the cam's LED indicator to know it's functioning as it should be while driving?
*Will you be able to see the LCD screen if so equipped? (this is usually needed only to work with the settings and you can swing the mirror out of the way for that)
*Will you be able to hit the "save" button easily day and night?
*IF yours is a "Taxi/Uber cam" with a lens which captures the interior of the vehicle, will it's view be impaired while driving?
*If yours has a separate rear cam, will the cabling reach to the back from that location?

Less obvious might be these considerations:

*Cams have been known to interfere with car sensors and GPS receivers which are sometimes mounted at or near the mirror. To test that can you temporarily hang the cam where you intend to see whether that will be a problem?
*Many cars now have airbags mounted in the roof pillars; can you run the cam cabling in a way that will not interfere with them? (you can usually run cables behind them)
*How visible will the cam be from outside of the car? (cam theft is an issue in some places so discrete mounting or easily removal may be needed)
*How much is the cam exposed to direct sun there? (in hotter climates cam overheating can be a problem, especially when parked; more with parking mode in use then)
*Does the cam come with extra 'sticky pads' in case you don't get it set right the first time or need to move it for other reasons?

Phil
 
No i have had good luck with provided sticky pads and my car trim plastics too, but other seem to have encountered problems.
It is also a easy fix if you run into the problem, just get other sticky tape generally fix the problem.
 
I was just curious as to why and is this preferred by most users?
I've got one on both sides, and another in the middle, really doesn't make any difference other than the one on the driver's side is a little easier to see the screen when driving, but you shouldn't be viewing the screen when driving anyway! Just don't put them too high behind the mirror to be able to see the screen easily.

From your images I would probably put it on the plastic as long as that doesn't block the GPS because there is metal behind it. As well as being easy to see it is well protected from the heat of the sun. If you are sticking it to plastic then any polish and oils on/in the plastic must be removed with solvent/degreaser first, otherwise it may just fall off. Some plastics have a lot of oil on them, others stick very firmly.
 
I’m not sure I want to mount to the plastic as it may interfere with the built in electronics and would be lower on the windshield. One reason I didn’t like the U1000 was because the wiring was on opposite sides as the A129...so to mount the U1000 to the left of the rear view mirror it had the wiring sticking out to the left and the sd card would pop out in the small amount of area between the cam and the rear view mirror sensor housing. So it was harder to remove the card. I think the best location will be behind the frit to the left of the mirror, but just wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything I was not thinking of. There’s plenty of room so it won’t interfere with the swivel of my mirror and the A129 design allows removal of the sd card on the left and wires neatly tucked on the right side against the mirror sensor housing. I just have to leave enough room to the right of thode wires to be able to slide the unit to the right to remove it from the mounting bracket. Here’s a very similar pic of what my mounting location will look like...
 

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I’m not sure I want to mount to the plastic as it may interfere with the built in electricians and would be lower on the windshield.
I've mounted on the sensor housing in 4 different vehicles so far (2 GM, 1 Acura, 1 Toyota) and had no issues with any of the systems so that probably shouldn't be a major concern. It will be a bit lower on the windshield but not significantly, maybe an inch or so.

For OCD folks (like me?) having it on the sensor cover allows for it to be on, or closer to, the center line of the car. Mounted on either side not only will it be off-center but also angled a bit right or left - how much is a function of the curvature of the glass.
 
I've mounted on the sensor housing in 4 different vehicles so far (2 GM, 1 Acura, 1 Toyota) and had no issues with any of the systems so that probably shouldn't be a major concern. It will be a bit lower on the windshield but not significantly, maybe an inch or so.

For OCD folks (like me?) having it on the sensor cover allows for it to be on, or closer to, the center line of the car. Mounted on either side not only will it be off-center but also angled a bit right or left - how much is a function of the curvature of the glass.

I will have to look into it. I know the housing has a vent I’ll have to work around, but I’ll talk to my installer about my options. He has installed many dash cams so I’ll see what he thinks. Thanks for the suggestion!
 
You can always give a mounting location a "trial run" by using some of the no-mess blue or green painter's masking tape to hold the cam there for a short drive. (Edited to add that you shouldn't tape the lens). Once tested the tape should pull off cleanly with no residue. If the cam might fall, you can tie a string to it and something above to catch it if that happens.

Phil
 
You can always give a mounting location a "trial run" by using some of the no-mess blue or green painter's masking tape to hold the cam there for a short drive. (Edited to add that you shouldn't tape the lens). Once tested the tape should pull off cleanly with no residue. If the cam might fall, you can tie a string to it and something above to catch it if that happens.

Phil

Great tip! May have to give it a shot!
 
Well, I’ll have to update this after install because I do have a front windshield tint/UV blocking shield so the frit is actually covered by that too so it should be pretty smooth.
this is illegal in Arizona!
 
this is illegal in Arizona!

It’s actually legal in AZ, just can’t be reflective and can’t be beyond a certain grade of tint. The windshield “tint” is usually clear with UV blocking properties so it doesn’t actually tint the windshield like you would your side and back windows.
 
It’s actually legal in AZ, just can’t be reflective and can’t be beyond a certain grade of tint. The windshield “tint” is usually clear with UV blocking properties so it doesn’t actually tint the windshield like you would your side and back windows.
Arizona Front Windows Tint Law
Arizona does not have a single-window tint law. Instead, it has specific rules for each of your vehicle’s windows, and it is a sticker on what you can do with your windshield than it is with the others.
For your front windshield, you can use non-reflective tint, provided that it is above the manufacturer’s AS-1 line. The only exceptions are medical. If you need to stay out of the sun for health reasons, you can file for a waiver with the Arizona Department of Transportation. No other exceptions are allowed for your front windshield.
 
I am considering and struggling this question for months, and so exciting to find this thread, especially I owned a same Mazda CX-5.
My currently dash cam is an Roav C1 pro, with same shape and similar dimension of Viofo A129. To make the lens closer to center but avoid the sensor housing invade into the camera view, I mounted the camera on the lower left side position, making it unconcealed to the passenger and outside as picture 1. The only good things is the camera is totally behind the rear view mirror, which mean no visual field lost as picture 2.
Actually Mazda's windshield sensor is asymmetry and is off to the passenger side. You can find it from picture 3. I think after I replace my current dash cam with an A129, I would prefer to mount it to the left windshield (driver side) frit, so that the lens will more center alignment than to the right (passenger side). Now I am using a yellow post note sticker to test how much of the view field will be eaten by the A129.
I also did a no sense comparison between thinkware U1000 and viofo A129 about their wiring and mounting lock direction. To lock the camera to the mount, you will need slide from left to right for U1000, and right to left for A129. For me that's the only advantage for U1000 because I can center-align the U1000 even touch the sensor housing after lock on to the mount, but have to leave space for A129. Another choice is mounting a blackvue DR dash cam beneath the sensor housing- even better location. But in my opinion, the A129 beaten the blackvue and thinkware at all other merits.
And one more thing to clarify, it shouldn't be so much necessary for center-alignment, it just my OCD to trying to make my car cabin clean and tidy.

IMG_0383.jpg IMG_0382.jpg IMG_0384.jpg
 
I am considering and struggling this question for months, and so exciting to find this thread, especially I owned a same Mazda CX-5.
My currently dash cam is an Roav C1 pro, with same shape and similar dimension of Viofo A129. To make the lens closer to center but avoid the sensor housing invade into the camera view, I mounted the camera on the lower left side position, making it unconcealed to the passenger and outside as picture 1. The only good things is the camera is totally behind the rear view mirror, which mean no visual field lost as picture 2.
Actually Mazda's windshield sensor is asymmetry and is off to the passenger side. You can find it from picture 3. I think after I replace my current dash cam with an A129, I would prefer to mount it to the left windshield (driver side) frit, so that the lens will more center alignment than to the right (passenger side). Now I am using a yellow post note sticker to test how much of the view field will be eaten by the A129.
I also did a no sense comparison between thinkware U1000 and viofo A129 about their wiring and mounting lock direction. To lock the camera to the mount, you will need slide from left to right for U1000, and right to left for A129. For me that's the only advantage for U1000 because I can center-align the U1000 even touch the sensor housing after lock on to the mount, but have to leave space for A129. Another choice is mounting a blackvue DR dash cam beneath the sensor housing- even better location. But in my opinion, the A129 beaten the blackvue and thinkware at all other merits.
And one more thing to clarify, it shouldn't be so much necessary for center-alignment, it just my OCD to trying to make my car cabin clean and tidy.

View attachment 50403 View attachment 50404 View attachment 50406

YESSSS!!! I did not realize the housing off-center like you said. I have a 2019 Mazda CX-5 and the frit layout on the drivers side is almost like it's meant for a dash cam to hide behind. The passenger side barely has any frit as you can see in the pics. I just held a Viofo A129 Pro in the position of your sticky pad and the cam is surprisingly much smaller in area, but you have the right idea there! As soon as I mount the cam, I'll update and provide some pics. I'm trying to decide between mounting in the frit area or on the back of the sensor housing itself.
 
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