BlackVue DR770X Box and Power Source

[Elbeau]

According to the information I have seen, this camera switches to parking mode based on the lack of vehicle motion and not based on ignition state.

As I understand it, parking in mode on dash cams means the camera is put into a low power draw state where only impact and/or motion sensors are powered until either one is activated. Then, the camera wakes up and records for a period of time before going back to sleep.

So, whether the DR770X goes into park mode regardless of how it's powered, why is BlackVue telling me I should use the hard wire kit and not the cigarette lighter adapter? In either case, the camera will be in sleep mode and then draw full power once triggered. In effect, the cigarette port is simply a more accessible connect point to the car's battery.
Now, I understand tgat with other dash cans, it is the hard wire kit that triggers the parking mode. But that is not the case with the DR770X.

So, how is the lighter connection option a worse option in terms of battery drain than hard wiring?

 

[rcg530]

Using the cigarette lighter power adapter to power the DR770X box unit provides power to the BATT+ and tp the ACC+ power circuits in the dash camera. Since the ACC+ is "never" turned off in this wiring configuration, the only manner in which the dash camera can enter/exit parking is based on the motion status of the vehicle. It will enter parking mode if the vehicle is has been stationary for five minutes and it will exit parking mode when the vehicle starts moving again.

When the 3-wire hardwiring cable is used to power the dash camera:

The ACC+ power will turn on/off based on the state of the vehicle's ignition switch. This "native parking mode" configuration allows the dash camera to enter/exit parking mode based on the state of the ACC+ power. Keep in mind that the motion based parking mode feature is still active as well even when wired with the 3-wire hardwiring cable (which IMO is quite annoying). The battery protection features can be used when wired in this manner allowing for the user of the low voltage cutoff and parking timer features.

From the DR770X Box Web User Manual:

Battery Protection (Hardwiring Power Cable installation only)​

When the battery protection is on, power is supplied to your BlackVue while the vehicle is off (ACC+ off) and also prevents the vehicle from battery discharge while it is parked. When enabled, BlackVue will automatically power down according to the set cut-off timer and voltage.​

​

Note
• Recommended settings for low voltage cut-off is 12V or higher during winter. – If battery protection is off, BlackVue will not operate when the vehicle is turned off (ACC+ off).​

​

The other thing that confuses some BlackVue dash camera users is that when the 3-wire hardwiring cable is used to power the dash camera and the "Battery Protection" feature is disabled in the settings of the dash camera, the dash camera will simply power down then the ACC+ is turned off even though the BATT+ power is still provided to the dash camera. If you use the 3-wire hardwire cable to power the dash camera and you want to use parking mode, you must enable the "Battery Protection" feature within the dash camera settings.

 

[Vortex Radar]

That’s odd. Where’d you read that it relies on vehicle motion? The 770X Box is designed to be hardwired and comes with a 3-wire ignition triggered power cable.

 

[rcg530]

That’s odd. Where’d you read that it relies on vehicle motion? The 770X Box is designed to be hardwired and comes with a 3-wire ignition triggered power cable.

It also comes with a cigarette lighter adapter as well.

 

[Vortex Radar]

Thanks for double checking. Yeah the motion/speed solution is simply a fallback for when an ignition triggered indicator isn’t available.

 

[Elbeau]

Using the cigarette lighter power adapter to power the DR770X box unit provides power to the BATT+ and tp the ACC+ power circuits in the dash camera. Since the ACC+ is "never" turned off in this wiring configuration, the only manner in which the dash camera can enter/exit parking is based on the motion status of the vehicle. It will enter parking mode if the vehicle is has been stationary for five minutes and it will exit parking mode when the vehicle starts moving again.

When the 3-wire hardwiring cable is used to power the dash camera:

The ACC+ power will turn on/off based on the state of the vehicle's ignition switch. This "native parking mode" configuration allows the dash camera to enter/exit parking mode based on the state of the ACC+ power. Keep in mind that the motion based parking mode feature is still active as well even when wired with the 3-wire hardwiring cable (which IMO is quite annoying). The battery protection features can be used when wired in this manner allowing for the user of the low voltage cutoff and parking timer features.

From the DR770X Box Web User Manual:

Battery Protection (Hardwiring Power Cable installation only)​

When the battery protection is on, power is supplied to your BlackVue while the vehicle is off (ACC+ off) and also prevents the vehicle from battery discharge while it is parked. When enabled, BlackVue will automatically power down according to the set cut-off timer and voltage.​

​

Note​

• Recommended settings for low voltage cut-off is 12V or higher during winter. – If battery protection is off, BlackVue will not operate when the vehicle is turned off (ACC+ off).​

​

The other thing that confuses some BlackVue dash camera users is that when the 3-wire hardwiring cable is used to power the dash camera and the "Battery Protection" feature is disabled in the settings of the dash camera, the dash camera will simply power down then the ACC+ is turned off even though the BATT+ power is still provided to the dash camera. If you use the 3-wire hardwire cable to power the dash camera and you want to use parking mode, you must enable the "Battery Protection" feature within the dash camera settings.

Thank you! So, if I read your post correctly, the prime advantage of hard wiring is that the camera will power off if the car's battery output falls below the set level and this will not happen if the lighter port is used. But, either way, the cam will be in low power parking mode when stationary. Correct?

Also, by saying the motion parking mode is still active when hard wiring is used, is your point (and annoyance) that the cam still waits 5 minutes before entering parking mode?

 

[rcg530]

Thank you! So, if I read your post correctly, the prime advantage of hard wiring is that the camera will power off if the car's battery output falls below the set level and this will not happen if the lighter port is used. But, either way, the cam will be in low power parking mode when stationary. Correct?

Yes, when using the 3-wire hardwiring cable to power the dash camera, you can take advantage of the battery protection features built into the dash camera. The entry into and exit from parking mode will be instantaneous.

Also, by saying the motion parking mode is still active when hard wiring is used, is your point (and annoyance) that the cam still waits 5 minutes before entering parking mode?

The annoyance is that both methods of entry into and exit from parking mode are active at the same time. The primary method for parking mode entry/exit is based on the ACC+ power being turned off/on by using the 3-wire hardwiring harness. You still may encounter situations where the vehicle is stationary for 5 minutes while the ACC+ is on (heavy traffic, waiting in a fast food drive-thru line). In those situations, the dash camera will still enter parking mode even though the ACC+ is still on. It will exit parking mode when the vehicle starts moving again. The dash camera cannot (electrically) tell that it's being powered by the 3-wire harness or the cigarette lighter adapter, so it will still enter/exit parking mode based on the vehicle motion events. I've been asking Pittasoft to add a firmware setting to their dash cameras so that the dash camera knows that it's being powered by a 3-wire hardwiring harness (or name it "Disable Motion Parking Mode"). There's no need to have the vehicle motion based method of detecting when to enter/exit parking mode active when the dash camera is properly wired with the 3-wire hardwiring cable.

 

[Vortex Radar]

Yeah and regarding parking modes, Blackvues can do things like motion/impact detection or timelapse recording, but they don’t have a low power mode the way other brands do. Even when parked, all the cameras keep rolling, the cloud stays connected, etc.

 

[Elbeau]

Yes, when using the 3-wire hardwiring cable to power the dash camera, you can take advantage of the battery protection features built into the dash camera. The entry into and exit from parking mode will be instantaneous.

The annoyance is that both methods of entry into and exit from parking mode are active at the same time. The primary method for parking mode entry/exit is based on the ACC+ power being turned off/on by using the 3-wire hardwiring harness. You still may encounter situations where the vehicle is stationary for 5 minutes while the ACC+ is on (heavy traffic, waiting in a fast food drive-thru line). In those situations, the dash camera will still enter parking mode even though the ACC+ is still on. It will exit parking mode when the vehicle starts moving again. The dash camera cannot (electrically) tell that it's being powered by the 3-wire harness or the cigarette lighter adapter, so it will still enter/exit parking mode based on the vehicle motion events. I've been asking Pittasoft to add a firmware setting to their dash cameras so that the dash camera knows that it's being powered by a 3-wire hardwiring harness (or name it "Disable Motion Parking Mode"). There's no need to have the vehicle motion based method of detecting when to enter/exit parking mode active when the dash camera is properly wired with the 3-wire hardwiring cable.

Ah. That makes sense. It should be either/or. But, living in one of the highest traffic congestion areas of the country, I don't recall be stuck completely motionless in one location in traffic for 5 minutes. There's usually stop and go crawling. Or is speed a factor in releasing the motion based parking mode?

 

[rcg530]

Ah. That makes sense. It should be either/or. But, living in one of the highest traffic congestion areas of the country, I don't recall be stuck completely motionless in one location in traffic for 5 minutes. There's usually stop and go crawling. Or is speed a factor in releasing the motion based parking mode?

The vehicle most remain motionless for 5 minutes to enter motion based parking mode. When the speed of the vehicle reaches a low amount 5 MPH/8 KPH it will exit parking mode.

 

[Elbeau]

Thanks. I can't find it now, but somewhere a reply stated there is no low power mode. Perhaps it isn't a mode, but per the manual, normal mode consumes 730 mA with 3 cams and parking mode consumes 610 mA. Whether it's designed low power mode, or simply consumes less due to reduced recording, it is still consuming less power in parking mode.
However, another point: As my vehicle will shut off power to the cigarette port if the car's battery output falls to a certain level, the hard wiring would still be unnecessary given BV entering parking mode based on motion vs. ignition. Correct?

 

[rcg530]

However, another point: As my vehicle will shut off power to the cigarette port if the car's battery output falls to a certain level, the hard wiring would still be unnecessary given BV entering parking mode based on motion vs. ignition. Correct?

If your car turns off power to the cigarette lighter port when the battery voltage level drops to a "low" value, then technically you could use the cigarette lighter power adapter for the dash camera and it would enter parking mode after being stationary for 5-minutes and exit parking mode when the vehicle starts moving again.

 

[Elbeau]

If your car turns off power to the cigarette lighter port when the battery voltage level drops to a "low" value, then technically you could use the cigarette lighter power adapter for the dash camera and it would enter parking mode after being stationary for 5-minutes and exit parking mode when the vehicle starts moving again.

Thanks. That's what I thought.