Dash cam did not record crash

[Jon MN]

Hi all. I have a Mini 801, purchased January 2014, Amazon, from Spy Tec. Sat on the shelf until I finally got it installed this summer. It was hardwired to fuse box, with an add-a-circuit fuse tapped to the Aux Power/USB charger and then a 12v to 5v converter.

So a couple days ago the wife got t-boned going through a green light. Exactly the scenario I installed the @#$@ camera for!!! Of course he other guy claiming green too. Typical.

The damn camera didn't record the crash!! I've got multiple 3 minute clips leading up to it and then again starting 8 minutes after. The preceding clip stops at its 3 minute cycle mark, about 10 seconds before the impact. Then I have nothing until about 8 minutes later. So for some reason the next couple clips, including the crash, didn't save.

This really makes me lose confidence in the point of having a dash cam! I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what might have happened or suggestions on what to do differently.

Details on crash:
As I mentioned, was a t-bone, she was hit on driver's side front wheel area. She had a compact SUV, other vehicle was a basic 4 door Toyota type sedan. She laid down 20-30 feet of skid, no skid on his side. About 30-40mph average speeds in area. Guessing she was close to stopped or at least at a low speed. Both vehicles totaled. Sedan has pretty heavy front-end damage, guessing about 30-35mph. Air bags deployed for both vehicles, including side curtain. The camera was mounted to front window, using the hardware it was shipped with (I think it's the GPS receiver box?)

Any ideas? She said she turned the car off after the crash out of instinct, and then turned it back on a few minutes later, which would explain the post crash 8 minute gap. But I don't understand why the crash clip didn't save. Even if power was diverted from USB for the air bags or safety systems, it still should have drawn from internal camera battery right? Could the impact have disturbed the SD card and prevented recording? Meaning it's better to have a internal memory rather then external? Or if a clip is under 30 seconds and vehicle turned off then it’s not saved? Is it better to have longer file sizes or shorter file sizes?

AND - Hail Mary throw - Does the camera cache the video somewhere before offloading to the card? Is there a possibility of recovering the video from the device? I did a basic check through the USB card and the camera folders, with Show Hidden Files on. Not seeing anything. Any chance a file recovery program might pull something? Probably not huh?

Settings on camera:
auto power off - 1 min
loop - 3 mins
motion det - off
power off screen - 1 min
g sensor precision - 3 G
choose card - outer (Samsung 32 GB micro SD card)
Firmware 20131230

Mini 0801 With GPS Logger
Original Ambarella A2S60 Chip 5M pixel CMOS Car DVR Recorder + High Resolution Full HD 1080P 30 FPS, OV27

Sold by Spy Tec
Condition: New

It has an internal battery. I can turn it on and look at it now, shows full charge bars.

Link to the one I ordered: https://www.amazon.com/gp/B00HFZZSK0

 

[Sunny]

It could be corrupted due to losing power.
Use recuva to extract files if it's not already overwritten and then repair.

 

[ThePro]

Seconded, use recuva on the card, there might be a partial clip.

 

[Jon MN]

Nice thought. Thanks. Tried it, found a couple clips, used Grau repair to view - but are from other days. Also scanned the camera's internal, only found a tiny data file. No vid.

 

[Jon MN]

Any lessons on how to avoid this in future? Capacitor vs battery?

 

[Rajagra]

I'm sure data is written to the memory card on the fly. But if the camera shuts down unexpectedly (software crash or battery dies) then those clusters of data may not be marked as belonging to a file.
There would be a chance of recovering that lost data provided the memory card is not altered in any way. Best way to ensure that is to take it out of the camera before it is powered back on, and put it in a full-size SD adapter with the slider set to read-only.

Unfortunately, when you start the car again, recording starts, and it starts saving to where it thinks the next free space is. Which is exactly where it thought the next free space was before!!! So those precious chunks of data get overwritten immediately.

 

[wozzzzza]

run 2 cameras, if 1 fails you have a backup. capacitor is the best.

 

[2000rpm]

Failure to save important files is often due to the camera internal battery not having enough reserve power to complete saving of the last file and perform a normal shut down.
Lots of cars cut power when an impact is detected.

I recommend having two different front cams (and one rear cam) so if one front cam - or its power supply or its memory card - isn't working properly there's a backup.

 

[sludgeguts]

I know you said you've checked but you've got the g-sensor setting set to 3g (whatever that means). I always turn off all these bells and whistles for various reasons.
However. Are you sure that you've looked at every file and folder etc on the card?
Some cams record a duplicate file of the event to a separate folder which cannot be overwritten. Some cams automatically send the file to a lock folder (and miss it out of the main list completely. I even had a cam that saved the lock file in the main list but out of numerical step with the rest!
I would advise putting the SD card into an adapter set to read only & inspect each and every file 7 folder closely - it's a ballache I know but you never know.

 

[kamkar]

Run a good camera, and make sure its powered.

In other words dont do like i did a fjew months ago when i was rear ended and my rear camera diddent record it due to the power issues i knew i had
But at least that prompted me to fix those issues, and the crash was "captured" on 3 other cameras ( 2 front and the one in the right side of my car )

Now running 4 cameras + 1 test camera, and more test cameras is to come, so i will have to prioritize when more prototypes arrive.

Power grid is now beefed up, have 2 open sockets in the rear and will have 3 in the front soon.

 

[Roberthodgson]

When you replace your camera get a higher end Camers with a super cappasitor Vers a battery, I recently installed to new Blackvue DR650GW 2ch cameras to replace my older failing cameras, having 2 independent cameras is better then having a single dual camera as there is less of a chance of both cameras failing at the same time.

You could also install a battery pack that will keep the cameras recording after shutting off the car. Alex at Blackboxmycar.com sells them for about $240 for the battery and $330each for the cameras.

I haven't got the battery pack yet but its in my wish list

 

[Street Guardian USA]

Mini 0801 is the wrong choice for long term reliability. I went through 4 of them before throwing in the towel 2 years ago.

 

[Witness Auto Dash Cam]

Well, hope you can find the videos at the end.

Not familiar with the mini series. don't know whether or not there is a button for an auto save compared to the other brand.

Just little advice for you in the future

-Better to format your SD card monthly
-scan all of the videos in the sd and remove things you don't need.
-if there is latest firmware, then you better update it
-please give a xamn to the dash cam by not just putting it on the windshield and leave it there.

PS. Keep away from letting females to drive or touch on your gadgets(dash cam) just a friendly advice but not racist

 

[jokiin]

PS. Keep away from letting females to drive or touch on your gadgets(dash cam) just a friendly advice but not racist

that's sexist, not racist

 

[Deleted member 46308]

that's sexist, not racist

Gee I have always let them touch my gadgets. Probably explains a lot