Best practice: Parking mode enabled or not?

Graeme

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I'm reading of two options with Street Guardian and Viofo dashcams and wanted to see what you think.

Option 1: Hardware dashcam so power is always on, add battery discharge prevention, and set up parking mode
Pros: I'd have some video if someone hits the front of the car and leaves
Cons: I need to spend more on the installation to add the battery discharge prevention. The memory card will also wear out faster.

Option 2: Hardware dashcam to accessory power so parking mode isn't possible. Dashcam only works when car is running.
Pros: Cheaper installation. Memory card lasts longer
Cons: No video when car is not running

Is parking mode worth the extra work and cost?
 
Well, I think it really depends on your situation.

Personally, I don't use parking mode but I usually park in a secured underground parking so it's not a huge concern for me.

If you're parking in a public high traffic type location it's a smart, albeit, pricier investment when you consider the additional costs for a bigger memory card (which you'll probably want eventually either way) and some sort of voltage protection (not too familiar with SG or Viofo in terms of what's built in for parking mode, I'm sure other members will chime in)

At the end of the day, hardwiring for parking mode can always be done later on.
Installation really isn't too complicated either, you may want to take a look at a few install videos and see if it's really worth spending the money on install, especially if you don't end up going with parking mode.
 
it's all personal preference and needs. none of my vehicles are worth much but my newer car gets parking mode while my older baby-mobile only gets a driving DVR. I treat dashcams as a relatively inexpensive extension of my insurance policy. you may want full coverage on one vehicle while you get liability-only insurance on another.
 
It is pretty rare i feel i have a real need for parking guard, but this is mostly related to the little i drive mostly start and end a place where my car are safe of have CCTV coverage.
I am looking forward to trying it, but unless something change drastic i cant see me using it more than a couple of times every year, i would never use just cuz i can even if that here at hole would mean my camera had 1 CCTV camera aimed on it and one camera in it filming out.
Besides many days some degree of dew or rain obscure the windscreen in some way.
 
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