Car Charger Setup Question.

[Alex M]

Hi! I'm new & shopping for a Dash Cam, setting my sights on a B40 / A118 C. I've watched some un-boxing videos and it seems that the power cable / charger plug is one piece and does not have additional usb slots. I believe people will have more than just a dash cam running in their car, such as a GPS unit or phone charger.

My main question is that how do you get the seller to include the additional wires / different plugs that you need? Or do you buy them separately? if so, kindly link some recommended products to purchase. Basically what is the best setup without doing the fuse box thing?

My planned set up is just 1 car charger that powers the dash cam & a 5in GPS. Hopefully it doesn't overload the outlet. Also my car is a standard sedan, so I assume what ever the length of the power cord that is shown in most youtube videos is the correct length that I need.

Thanks!

 

[runtohell121]

The seller most likely will not provide additional wire/plugs. You will need to buy them separately.

This is the charger/splitter I'm using for my A118-C.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B005MIZYOWUsing the regular/1amp USB port to power the A118-C, while leaving the "high-speed" port for charging smartphone. The 12v car outlet/socket, I usually use it for my radar detector.

Here's a USB cable to go along with the charger, can choose from other on Amazon, but preferably around 10ft.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B00HNF0OS8

 

[CheckYourLights]

I have used this. I bought it from Wal-Mart

As you can see at the time I had a DashCam and aftermarket back up camera in. I used this one with a switch because my car at this time had always on sockets, and I did not want to kill the battery or wear out the plug contacts from plugging and unplugging.

Here's a USB cable to go along with the charger, can choose from other on Amazon, but preferably around 10ft.

If you want 10 feet a little cheaper and now check out the gaming section at Wal-Mart. They sell On brand cables at 10 feet for 5 dollars. The cords are for charging PS3/PS4 controllers, but I use them for DashCams all the time.

If you need a MiniB like for the B40 buy a cable for a PS3 controller. If you need a MicroB like for the Mini0806 buy the cable for the PS4 controller

Lastly for wiring on a budget also my local Wal-Mart seems to have tons of these on clearance.
for around 6 dollars. although YMMV here because this one is a mark down. I use that plug with two PS4 charging cables to power a Mini 0806 in the front and Mini 0805 in the back of a family members car.

Also before I forget if planning to charge a GPS via USB cord and not the original charger be aweare that some GPS will not work while plugged into a USB port. They may go into Mass Storage Mode and act like they are connected to a PC

Also my car is a standard sedan

Both my Legacy and other family members car are 4 Door Sedans and I have no issue.
(Brings back memories of when I used to be anti 4 door)

 

[runtohell121]

If you want cheaper for almost anything... eBay is the way to go lol, just that shipping might take some time.

I personally look for thinner usb cables so it's easy to tuck under the headliner/pillar without pulling any pieces out, but that's just me, because I rather not pull off any pieces on my CX-5.

 

[DT MI]

I just put one of these in my wife's car. It easily handles 2 camera, a TomTom GPS and still has a USB outlet for her phone if needed. The Velcro tape it comes with is not up to the task so I replaced it with industrial strength Velcro and all is well.

http://www.autozone.com/12v-product...bell-black-triple-outlet-with-usb/263170_0_0/

 

[dash riposki]

I've used a lot of these USB port/12v outlet things over the last few years. Many die within a few months in a tractor trailer. (usually 24/7 use)
This one I picked up in January, and is still working.

It's small, the one quirk seems to be you may have to verify it's on when you start your car. (Small blue LED, and small push button on the back of the unit) I usually have two smartphones charging off of this, a GPS, and a satellite radio rcvr.)

DiGiYes® 48W Max 4 Ports Desktop USB Car Charger USB Hub Car Power Supply

(On amazon)

 

[Alex M]

Thank you! I feel like I have learned from your experiences.

 

[Caerus]

This is what I did for mine. I didn't use the included power adapter. I just bought a 15 foot USB to miniUSB cable (Amazon or Monoprice are your cheapest bet depending on what length you need) and an Anker dual 2.4A USB car charger ($10 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/B00D82O68Y).

It works perfectly. The bottom is routed to the dashcam, and the top I use to charge my phone. Another bonus is, if I don't want to take the camera or SD card inside to review footage, I can bring my laptop into the car, and just unplug the dashcam USB cable from the Anker and put it right into my laptop. It goes into mass storage mode and I can check video out without having to mess with the camera.

Also, don't worry about overloading the outlet, a dashcam draws maybe 1A or so. They're power sippers. The 12V outlet supplies ~10A, so you have plenty of excess. Charging your phone uses up more power.

 

[Kroenling]

I am using skylet led dual ports car charger, which is charge fast with LED display. You can try it.