BlackVue B-130X Test & Review PP

[Panzer Platform]

I'm with Chuck in suggesting that EGEN start including a 12 AWG hardwire charging cable for their dash camera battery packs.

Great Scott!
Thank you so much Robert, for the confirm & verify.
I hope Broseph @BlackboxMyCar see's this post.
What about 100% OFC copper wire, instead of the less desirable "tinned copper", or "copper clad aluminum" wire?
Also, do you think the 16AWG 5 Amp CLA charge cable should be increased to 12AWG as well, or am I just asking for too much? lol
-Chuck

 

[rcg530]

Great Scott!
Thank you so much Robert, for the confirm & verify.
I hope Broseph @BlackboxMyCar see's this post.
What about 100% OFC copper wire, instead of the less desirable "tinned copper", or "copper clad aluminum" wire?
Also, do you think the 16AWG 5 Amp CLA charge cable should be increased to 12AWG as well, or am I just asking for too much? lol
-Chuck

I tend to prefer OFC copper. I try to stay away from copper clad aluminum wire for higher amp load installations.

Having the cigarette lighter adapter (CLA) charging cable wire upsized to 12 AWG seems a bit of overkill (IMO). In theory, only a 5 amp load is being placed on that wire. I don't think I've ever seen a 12 AWG wire providing power to a cigarette lighter adapter port - at least in the vehicle's I've owned.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Having the cigarette lighter adapter (CLA) charging cable wire upsized to 12 AWG seems a bit of overkill

I agree, overkill is what I’m after. I want “headroom”.
Here’s where I got the idea from.
This is a battery booster that works in a unique way, see photos.
Instead of jump starting a dead battery with 200-300 Amps of current in an instant.
It “recharges” a dead batter over a 10-20 minute period by plugging into the cigarette lighter port in the passenger compartment.
This is a nice option for your wife, and girlfriend who may not know how to;
1.) Pop the hood.
2.) Find the battery
3.) Identify the positive, and negative battery terminals.

It’s also nice to stay in the car if it’s raining, or snowing when dead batteries love to happen.
I also keep the traditional “instant” battery booster in the trunk too.
I bought this in 2018 from Walmart for $20, they went up to $40 in 2021 right be fore they were discontinued. I should have bought more than one. Lol
Stanley Simple Start;

Robot or human?

 

[BlackboxMyCar]

Great Scott!
Thank you so much Robert, for the confirm & verify.
I hope Broseph @BlackboxMyCar see's this post.
What about 100% OFC copper wire, instead of the less desirable "tinned copper", or "copper clad aluminum" wire?
Also, do you think the 16AWG 5 Amp CLA charge cable should be increased to 12AWG as well, or am I just asking for too much? lol
-Chuck

Haha very nice guys. We'll compile this for our manufacturer and see what they can do for the next iteration

 

[Panzer Platform]

Haha very nice guys. We'll compile this for our manufacturer and see what they can do for the next iteration

After I get fully intimate, and learn everything I can about the B-130X, I plan to compile all my test data, and observations into a report so it will be easier to interpret.
Right now my thread is kind of like rough draft notes.

 

[BlackboxMyCar]

After I get fully intimate, and learn everything I can about the B-130X, I plan to compile all my test data, and observations into a report so it will be easier to interpret.
Right now my thread is kind of like rough draft notes.

Hey, we're looking forward to this too!

 

[rcg530]

Hey Chuck,

I completed my 5 amp charging test with the B-130X using the BlackVue provided 16 AWG cigarette lighter adapter (CLA).

• BlackVue B-130X
  • Charging Cable - Cigarette Lighter Adapter (CLA)
• DC power supply - WANPTEK
  • Volts = 14.2
  • Max Amp Setting = 10.20 amps
• Dash Camera
  • VIOFO A139 Pro 3CH
  • HK3-C hardwire kit
• Temperature
  • 70.0F/21.1C

For the first 25 minutes of the charge cycle, the amp draw was under or hovering around 5.0 amps. The amp draw continued a slight upward climb the entire remainder of the charging cycle. When it was showing a charge level of 74% (1 hour 50 minutes), the amp draw was at its peak of 5.447 amps. Over the next 12 minutes it started to ramp down the amp draw until it finally was fully charged at 2 hours 3 minutes. A full 32 minutes longer than the projected 90 minutes stated in the documentation.

The CLA's 16 AWG wiring stayed cool during the entire test. The max temperature observed for the CLA's wiring was 84.7F/29.2C.

The DC power inverter sold by BBMC is rated for 5.0 amps. Based on this test, I believe the B-130X may be overtaxing the BBMC power inverter resulting in the overheat/shutoff of the DC power inverter. I have one of the BBMC DC power inverters, but I have not tested it yet. I've moved on to the PowerCell 8 power discharge test with a VIOFO A139 Pro 3CH as the load on the PC8.



Here's a Google Drive link to the 180 MB video file showing the entire charging process (most of it is time-lapse video).

b130x_20221219_5amp_charge_cycle.mp4

drive.google.com

 

[Panzer Platform]

I love this.
Thank you for the confirm & verify.
So I guess the 16AWG size wire of the CLA is adequate under room temp test conditions.
My concern is real world consumer use in 115℉ (46℃) weather conditions in hot cars.
So I still advocate upgrading the 16AWG to 12 AWG size wire.
Of course it’s overkill, but I think it’s a worthy minimal cost increase.

 

[prebaned]

This is nice information. I have the B124X in two vehicles and contemplating of upgrading.

Question I can not find a answer to is, what is the life expectancy of the battery?

I see 1500 full charge/discharges, which isn't impressive, however my batterys never deplete setup with parking mode.

Maybe 70% then full charge, then 10% after a short trip stay then back to 100%.

How does this factory in?

 

[Panzer Platform]

Question I can not find a answer to is, what is the life expectancy of the battery?

Yo Preban,

This is one of those questions if you asked two different people you would get 3 different answers. Lol
How can a car last 5 years 100K Miles, and another driver can get 20 years 500K Miles out of the same car? It all comes down to driving style, climate, location, preventative maintenance, etc.

I’m new to LiFePO4 batteries. I only just heard about them being used in dash cam battery packs is 2018. Everything I’ve researched online says LiFePO4 batteries have 5,000 charge cycles in them compared to Li-ion & Li-Po that only have 800 - 1,000 cycles. I think EGEN, BBMC, BlackVue, Thinkware, etc. conservatively give estimates of 1,500 - 2,000 charge cycles for warranty, customer satisfaction reasons. They have no idea what kind of abuse, harsh climates consumers will subject to their batteries so better to under-promise, and over-deliver, than to quote the 5,000 charge cycles most other LiFePO4 products claim.

-Chuck

 

[Panzer Platform]

Power Output Specifications - Confirm & Verify (1 of 2)

The B-130X has a claimed maximum power output specification of;
2 Amps @ 14.2 Volts = 28.4 Watts - Dashcam Port
2 Amps @ 5.2 Volts = 10.4 Watts - USB Port

I would like to channel my inner Todd and test that Project Farm style. Since I have the BBMC PowerCell 8 I’m going to “Double My Pleasure & Double My Fun”. But I can’t imagine how much fun Robert, Ariel are having with their “Jack, Chrissy & Janet Threesome” since they also have the Thinkware BAB-95.

In order to test the dash cam port I have carefully selected two spare incandescent bulbs from my car to act as my load;
Sylvania 3156: 2.06 Amps @ 12.60 Volts = 26.0 Watts
Sylvania 9007: 5.11 Amps @ 12.60 Volts = 64.4 Watts

In order to test the USB Port I will use my cheap $20 Power Bank. The KUULAA KL-YD08 should be a good fit for this test because it is QC & PDW compatible, and has the capability to be charged at 5 Volts 3 Amps. It also has a built-in power meter to indicate Voltage / Amperage that can be compared with the output readings from the BlackVue & Cellink Neo Plus APPs.

In preparation I fully charged both batteries to 100%, and discharged the power bank to 0%. Let’s start off safe with the USB Port first, and move toward letting the magic genie smoke out with my 5 Amp / 64 Watt discharge test of the 9007 bulb.

I connected the B-130X to my Wapntek power supply, and set it to charge at 14.20 Volts / 10 Amps for the USB test. When I connected the power bank to the B-130X the built-in power meter indicated it was charging at;
2.5 Amps @ 4.9 Volts = 12.25 Watts

The BlackVue APP indicated a power output of;
1.02 Amps @ 14.2 Volts = 14.48 Watts

The B-130X has exceeded the maximum output specification by 1.85 Watts, but based on my experience testing various USB devices this behavior is normal.

Next, I performed the same test on the PC8 under identical test conditions.
When I connected the power bank to the PC8 the built-in power meter indicated it was charging at an identical rate compared to the B-130X;
2.5 Amps @ 4.9 Volts = 12.25 Watts
“Nothing to see here”

However, this is where it gets interesting. When I connected the power bank to the PC8 I observed the output voltage drop from 14.2V to 13.6V, but the output amperage remained unchanged at 0mA. It appears the PC8’s BMS, or the Cellink Neo APP are incapable of indicating / monitoring the output amperage of the USB Port. Hopefully @Vortex Radar or @rcg530 have a minute to confirm.

For my next “Power Magic” trick I will see what color sparks I can get with my 64 Watt discharge test. Lol
-Chuck

 

[Panzer Platform]

Power Output Specifications - Confirm & Verify (2 of 2)

Now let’s move on to the Dash Cam port, and tickle the maximum end of the limits. The B-130X’s claimed maximum power output of the dash cam port is;
2 Amps @ 14.2 Volts = 28.4 Watts

I’ll be using these two bulbs as my loads;
Sylvania 3156: 2.06 Amps @ 12.60 Volts = 26.0 Watts
Sylvania 9007: 5.11 Amps @ 12.60 Volts = 64.4 Watts

I’ve got the 3156 bulb in a replacement socket with 16AWG size wires connected to the B-130X’s included (3-wire) dash cam output cable that has 24AWG size wires with my official RCG530 lever connector.
I’ve got the 9007 bulb in a replacement socket with 14AWG size wires, but I won’t be connecting it to the included output cable due to its tiny 24AWG size wires.

I fully charged the B-130X to 100%, and left it connected it to my WANPTEK power supply charging at 14.2 Volts 10 Amps. With the B-130X ready to go, and the BlackVue APP connected I plugged in the dash cam output cable illuminating the 3156 bulb. The APP indicated a power output of;
2.09 Amps @ 13.7 Volts = 28.6 Watts

I also had my UNI-T Amp Clamp measuring the amperage draw of the bulb and it measured; 2.09 Amps. So it looks like the B-130X is capable of delivering its maximum claimed specification of 28.4 Watts.

But now I want to know what will happen if the power draw exceeds the maximum specification. Will the BMS detect the over current condition, and shut off to protect itself from possible damage? So now’s the time for the 9007 bulb with its 64 Watt power capability.

I’m almost positive trying to push 5 Amps of current at system voltage through the tiny 24AWG wires of the dash cam hardwire output cable will result in damage, so I decided to recklessly jam the 14AWG bare wires of the 9007 socket into the B-130X’s 4-Pin connector. I hope my shaking hands can remember the correct orientation of the pinout. I was having flashbacks of my cousin’s 10 year old birthday party trying to remove some poor guy’s funny bone for $100 (Operation). The first time I did it I saw a tiny blue spark, it was so cute because I could tell it wanted to be bigger. I tried to get it on film, I’ll put the video at the bottom.

After successfully making the correct connection The BlackVue APP indicated a power output of;
5.30 Amps @ 13.6 Volts = 72 Watts Yowza!!!

I also had my UNI-T Amp Clamp measuring the amperage draw of the bulb and it measured; 5.42 Amps. So not only will the B-130X exceed it’s maximum output specification of 28 Watts by a whopping 44 Watts (almost 3x) the BMS is unable to protect itself from a possible overcurrent / short circuit situation.

It’s my recommendation the firmware / logic of the BMS be updated to cut off power once output power exceeds 28 Watts. And the 24AWG size wires of the output cable be increased to 16AWG wire. In order to accommodate the larger 16AWG wires maybe a new 4-Pin connector would be better like the combination wire harness / lever connector used by EGEN’s UK competitor PowerCore; https://www.power-core.co.uk/

I performed the same tests on the PC8 under identical conditions. Pretty much the same results with one exception. When testing the 9007 bulb the Cell Link Neo Plus APP indicated power output at only 3.1 Amps, but my UNI-T amp clamp measured 5.43 Amps. So it looks like the APP is not capable of indicating a higher than a 3.1 Amp draw.

2.2 Amps @ 14.1 Volts = 31 Watts (3156 bulb)
5.4 Amps @ 14.1 Volts = 76 Watts (9007 bulb)

 

[Panzer Platform]

I wanted to open up the B-130X to take a look inside like I did the PC8.
But I could not get it open without causing damage, so I had to settle for just popping the hood and taking a photo of the only visible difference I can see compared to the PC8.
Here’s a link if you want to see the inside of the PC8;

BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8 Test & Review PP

In a previous life, among my responsibilities were maintaining mainframe level comms and software equipment, I also had responsibility for DC power systems that exceed 1500 amps and powered several floors of equipment. So, I know a little something about power, but not everything. I do know...

dashcamtalk.com

 

[Vortex Radar]

I've still got all my dashcam batteries on my bench. In between the holidays, kids getting sick, other projects, and an upcoming vacation, it'll probably still be a few weeks until I can get a comparison video done with all three batteries, but I wanted to go ahead and share some more data with you all.

I've been running the Thinkware iVolt on my bench with a Thinkware U1000 in Energy Saving mode. Without the radar module, it sips power and is advertised to last up to 40 days for both the 1CH and 2CH setups (40 days assumes no events recorded). I would wake it up maybe 1-3x/day in between inadvertently bumping my desk while working or intentionally bumping the dashcam to see if it would still wake up at all, especially towards the end of the test. (With the U1000 in energy saving mode, it's solely relying on the front dashcam's G sensor. Motion detection is fully disabled. You also get much longer record times without using the radar module.) Anyways, here's my results:


Here's a more detailed version of the chart with individual data points shown:


Basically the app would report remaining percentages dropping steadily for 9-10 days. After that point, it would sit at 1% (sometimes 0%), but the dashcam would continue working up until somewhere between day 17-18 when it finally died.

So ultimately I got about 2.5 weeks out of this setup which is a result I'm very pleased with. It's not the full 40 days given that I triggered several events per day which would ramp up battery usage each time, but it's still WAY better than the ~1 day or so I'd get from other batteries like your typical Viofos and Blackvues.

It does look like the remaining battery percentage thing isn't accurate as you can see, but either way I'm glad that this test finally finished because it took a while and I wasn't sure when it was gonna be over, lol.

 

[Panzer Platform]

It does look like the remaining battery percentage thing isn't accurate

Very nice.
Right now I'm performing a discharge drag race between the PC8 & B-130X.
I have both of them running an identical power consumption Sylvania 906 light bulb.
I measured the both bulbs power consumption at 687mA @ 12.60 Volts = 8.66 Watts.
At the theoretical halfway point I'll switch the bulbs to account for any minor variations in power consumption.

I started the test 3 hours ago, and I took these screenshots of the APP's.
The remaining time, and battery life percentage of both batteries does not appear to be accurate.
Actually I have almost never witnessed the remaining time, and battery life percentage to ever be accurate.

I like how the BlackVue APP indicates a higher resolution of output amperage of 0.71Ah, while the Cellink Neo Plus APP only indicates 0.7Ah.
I wish they would also add the output wattage to make it even more helpful.
-Chuck

 

[Vortex Radar]

haha interesting. I was initially considering doing something similar with the same dashcam on each battery, but I figured that the results should be the same and that isn’t what primary separates the batteries. That said, recharge speeds do vary so maybe capacity varies too?

 

[Panzer Platform]

That said, recharge speeds do vary so maybe capacity varies too?

I just got done with the drag race.
The PC8 lasted 10 Hours 53 Minutes.
The B-130X lasted 11 Hours 7 Minutes.
I've opened both battery packs, and they both use identical LiFePO4 18650 cells.
So I think the capacity is identical, but the 14 minute difference is due to the efficiency of the BMS.
The PC8 is based off the older Cellink Neo 8 Plus S, and the B-130X appears to be a newer revision.

Also APP reporting accuracy.
The PC8 ran for 1 Hour 20 Minutes after battery life indicated 0%.
The B-130X abruptly shut off when at APP indicated 3% battery left. lol
It was easy to notice when the packs die because the light bulb turned off.
But I can't help but think it would be really nice if the packs would make that same startup chime when powering down, or even a voice notification.
I watched the Thinkware BAB-95 YouTube video, and that's part of the reason they integrated the "communication cable" so it can have the dash cam "speak" voice notifications for the battery pack.

 

[Vortex Radar]

I just got done with the drag race.
The PC8 lasted 10 Hours 53 Minutes.
The B-130X lasted 11 Hours 7 Minutes.
I've opened both battery packs, and they both use identical LiFePO4 18650 cells.
So I think the capacity is identical, but the 14 minute difference is due to the efficiency of the BMS.
The PC8 is based off the older Cellink Neo 8 Plus S, and the B-130X appears to be a newer revision.

Ah nice! Part of me wonders if those differences are within normal run-to-run variation and if the results would be consistent and repeatable. In my dashcam parking mode tests, I’ll get slight differences when repeating the exact same test and so it’s possible that the results may also just be attributed to normal variances.

Also APP reporting accuracy.
The PC8 ran for 1 Hour 20 Minutes after battery life indicated 0%.
The B-130X abruptly shut off when at APP indicated 3% battery left. lol
It was easy to notice when the packs die because the light bulb turned off.

lol yeah none of the batteries seem to report charging or discharging percentages accurately and, curiously, they all report things differently.

But I can't help but think it would be really nice if the packs would make that same startup chime when powering down, or even a voice notification.

Ooh that’d be great, especially when testing a motion detection type of parking mode where we don’t have an easy way to tell when the dashcam stops working, unlike something like Timelapse or low bitrate where it’s easy to just watch the footage and check the time when the dashcam stopped.

I watched the Thinkware BAB-95 YouTube video, and that's part of the reason they integrated the "communication cable" so it can have the dash cam "speak" voice notifications for the battery pack.

Ah yeah, they haven’t announced all the details yet, but it will be able to plug into and communicate with future Thinkware dashcam models to add some additional functionality.

It sounds like it’s still in development though and they’re not ready to announce the new features yet.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Ah nice! Part of me wonders if those differences are within normal run-to-run variation and if the results would be consistent and repeatable. In my dashcam parking mode tests, I’ll get slight differences when repeating the exact same test and so it’s possible that the results may also just be attributed to normal variances.

I duly accept your challenge sir. lol

 

[Panzer Platform]

I performed a “Power User” 5 Amp charge cycle with the B-130X.
I used two loads to simulate a real world heavy use scenario in the simple plug & play charge configuration. The first load is Sylvania 906 light bulb that has a measured power consumption of 687mA @ 12.6 Volts = 8.6 Watts. The bulb is connected to the output cable to simulate a power hungry dash cam. The second load is a DROK USB Load Tester set at 1 Amp @ 5 Volts = 5 Watts. This is connected to the USB Port to simulate a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. The total combined power consumption is 13.6 Watts.

I connected the B-130X to my WANPTEK power supply set at 14.2 Volts / 10 Amps with my specially constructed CLA 12AWG Charge Cable instead of the included CLA 16AWG charge cable. The ambient temperature of my office, and the starting temp of the 12AWG charge cable was 69℉ (20℃).

The charge time from 1% to 100% took 2 Hours 43 Minutes. This is 1 Hour 13 Minutes longer than the claimed 1 Hour 30 Minute charge time. The highest achieved temperature of the charge cable was 76℉ (24℃) an increase of only 7℉ (4℃). I am very pleased with the low temperature increase of my CLA 12AWG charge cable instead of the included CLA 16AWG charge cable.