Cellink B or Ivolt

[tigermad]

I am buying the Thinkware F770 front and rear cam but I am torn between the above 2 battery packs. My requirements are 10 hours parking mode (time lapse/gshock or motion detection) during the day and the same at night, with an hour or so continuous per day.

The Ivolt is quite new and lasts longer than the Cellink but I am not sure I need a battery that lasts as long. Obviously the parking mode will not need 10 hours of constant battery when in parking mode so I am trying to work out how much power I need.

The ivolt also looks a lot bigger than the cellink and I think it will be harder to hide away.

Can both of these be taken in the house to charge if necessary?

Thanks

 

[flip9]

I havent read the iVolt installation manual but it looks like it be harder to install. It has a 3 wire input (Constant B+, Ground, ACC In)

The long and beefy 14AWG cable for the Constant B+ and Ground suggests it needs to be connected directly to the car battery. This would make sense as the iVolt has a high input current (12.6A).

The Cellink on the otherhand only has ACC and Ground, with an adjustable charge rate (5 or 7A) so you can use a cig plug or fuse tap.

Both have units have modular plugs so they can be disconnected, but you would need a beefy 12-15v power supply to charge it.

iVolt has more runtime and will charge quicker but the Cellink will be easier to install.

 

[Mark2457]

Obviously the parking mode will not need 10 hours of constant battery when in parking mode so I am trying to work out how much power I need.

If you want to use parking mode it absolutely needs 10 hours of constant battery. What else is going to power the F770? I use the celllink b with F770 dual cam and my car is parked at work up to 12 hours a day. works great (i use time lapse as motion detect gives dozens of false alerts every day) .Know nothing about iVolt

I havent read the iVolt installation manual but it looks like it be harder to install. It has a 3 wire input (Constant B+, Ground, ACC In)

the above is wrong. Cellink B also has 3 wires if you want parking mode to work. And it's a PITA, as you have to start stripping back the insulation that blackboxmycar had the manufacturer put onto hide the ACC wire (what a dumb idea)

 

[flip9]

Cellink B also has 3 wires if you want parking mode to work. And it's a PITA, as you have to start stripping back the insulation that blackboxmycar had the manufacturer put onto hide the ACC wire (what a dumb idea)

Of course there will 3 wires on the output side.. im talking about the input side. Cellink gets its Power and ACC signal from the same wire, thats why you are able to use a cig plug instead of hardwiring it.

With the iVolt you need to connect B+ directly to your battery, and then use a fuse tap for the ACC signal (so the unit knows when the car is ON).

With the Cellink you dont need to connect directly to battery, you just need a fuse tap to an ACC source. It gets its power and ACC signal from the same wire, so to speak.

 

[tigermad]

Thanks for the replies. Decided on getting the Cellink and F770 front and rear. Just need to find an installer now

 

[MarcoM]

Is there any real reason for not just using a single ACC or better IGN connection with the iVolt, and skip the battery connection altogether? This would charge the iVolt only when the car is on and would not hit on the car battery; like the celllink.

 

[tigermad]

Is there any real reason for not just using a single ACC or better IGN connection with the iVolt, and skip the battery connection altogether? This would charge the iVolt only when the car is on and would not hit on the car battery; like the celllink.

I'm still not sure the ivolt has to link straight to a battery. Surely this is a lot more hard work for installers etc wiring this up.

 

[flip9]

The iVolt has a very high current draw with no adjustment switch.

Fuse taping 12.6 Amps to an existing circuit is not a good idea. That's like putting a 30" lightbar to your car and connecting it directly to the headlight wires.

The correct way of doing it by having a dedicated power cable and a ACC triggered relay, which explains the iVolt wiring setup.

Even my cars fuse box with an unused 15A fuse is a little too close for comfort for 12.6A.

I can't find the manual online but id be gobsmacked if Thinkware recommends you to use a fuse tap for the B+ wire.

 

[tigermad]

The iVolt has a very high current draw with no adjustment switch.

Fuse taping 12.6 Amps to an existing circuit is not a good idea. That's like putting a 30" lightbar to your car and connecting it directly to the headlight wires.

The correct way of doing it by having a dedicated power cable and a ACC triggered relay, which explains the iVolt wiring setup.

Even my cars fuse box with an unused 15A fuse is a little too close for comfort for 12.6A.

I can't find the manual online but id be gobsmacked if Thinkware recommends you to use a fuse tap for the B+ wire.

Are you now saying you should not attach the cellink b to the fuse board of the car? This is what you are supposed to do to hardware it and it is all over the Internet with people successfully doing this.

 

[flip9]

Are you now saying you should not attach the cellink b to the fuse board of the car?

Where did i say that?

Cellink only has a draw of 7A, close to half of the iVolt so you can get away with fuse tapping it, or even using a cig plug (5A).

Don't believe me, speak to a qualified auto electrician (not a fitter/installer)

 

[tigermad]

Where did i say that?

Cellink only has a draw of 7A, close to half of the iVolt so you can get away with fuse tapping it, or even using a cig plug (5A).

Don't believe me, speak to a qualified auto electrician (not a fitter/installer)

Sorry I have obviously misunderstood. What did you mean by this ?
"I can't find the manual online but id be gobsmacked if Thinkware recommends you to use a fuse tap for the B+ wire."
I assumed you meant cellink bs wire. Is there a b+ wire on the ivolt?

 

[flip9]

iVolt will have a B+ and an ACC IN wire. B+ connects to a constant 12v source and the ACC wire is a sense wire so the iVolt unit and dashcam can turn on with the car.

Cellink wont have a B+ wire it will only have an ACC wire. This ACC wire is the power source and sense wire for the Cellink unit and dashcam to turn on.

 

[Mark2457]

The iVolt has a very high current draw with no adjustment switch.

Fuse taping 12.6 Amps to an existing circuit is not a good idea. That's like putting a 30" lightbar to your car and connecting it directly to the headlight wires.

The correct way of doing it by having a dedicated power cable and a ACC triggered relay, which explains the iVolt wiring setup.

Even my cars fuse box with an unused 15A fuse is a little too close for comfort for 12.6A.

I can't find the manual online but id be gobsmacked if Thinkware recommends you to use a fuse tap for the B+ wire.

This is something that I've always been curious about. If the hot side of the fuse connects to, say, a 200 amp bus (and then goes through a fuse to, say, a 12 awg wire) then i can see how it's Ok to use an add-a-fuse, but if the hot side of the fuse is already on 12 awg wire and you adding an additional 12 (or even 7) amps, I agree, it's not a good idea.

Does anyone know how the internals of the fusebox are wired? Is there a copper bust that all the hot sides attach to (like a residential electrical panel)?

 

[Maddog1974]

Fuse boxes generally have a big fat cable going to them which is basically direct to vehicle battery anyway so that would be a good place to pick up the Permanent power to the iVolt without going direct to the battery. I do agree on the fuse tap solution you need to be careful what circuits you connect it too.

 

[flip9]

Does anyone know how the internals of the fusebox are wired? Is there a copper bust that all the hot sides attach to (like a residential electrical panel)?

Yes your cabin fuse box basically has multiple bus bars that have a couple of thick supply wires going into it. These supply wires will have a main fuse typically located in the engine bay.

Some buses will be ACC/IGN switched, some might be constant.

Fuse boxes generally have a big fat cable going to them which is basically direct to vehicle battery anyway so that would be a good place to pick up the Permanent power to the iVolt without going direct to the battery. I do agree on the fuse tap solution you need to be careful what circuits you connect it too.

Some of these main supply wires will be after a relay, meaning they will be ACC/IGN switched. Unless you have the wiring diagram of your car you will be blindly splicing into high current supply wires.

Not to mention it will also be hard to access as it will likely be behind the fuse box.

My concern is for people who do DIY installs. Running the wire directly to the battery takes an extra 10-15mins to do, many just don't know how to do it.