Dash cam for a Model S

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I'm looking for a dash cam setup for a Tesla Model S:
  1. Want front + rear cameras.
    1. But NO dual channel. The extra wiring and poorer quality rules this out for me.
    2. Higher cost of two separate single channels is not a problem.
    3. Don't care about the convenience of having it all on one device. If I get into an accident, I'll take out the SD card and dig through the videos if I have to.
  2. Because the car is constantly topping off the 12v battery, I don't have to worry much about draining the battery.
    1. I think I'd prefer 24/7 recording (I don't mean park mode, I mean actually recording all the time).
      1. It seems it would be too easy to get unwanted "locked" files with park mode and g sensors from getting in and out of the car. I'd rather just have high enough capacity to have at least 24 hrs of video. I never park anywhere longer than that anyway.
      2. In fact, the only lock mode I really care for is the manual button-press one.
    2. I realize this means more charge cycles on the 12v battery and possibly shorter life span. That's OK (within reason).
    3. I realize that SG9665GC is not the ideal model for hardwired/park mode because of lack of buffering, but if I am always recording then this shouldn't matter right?
    4. Potentially heat might not be too big an issue. I live in a climate where the temps outside can get to 106 a few times a year, but on those days if I have to park in the sun I leave the AC on. That said, the AC probably doesn't help much for electronics mounted on the window in direct sunlight.
  3. GPS is not important to me.
    1. Unfortunately it looks like SGZC12RC comes with GPS and there is no option to get one without it. The GM doesn't seem to have the same video quality so it's not an option.
  4. I don't want an LCD but all the cams I like seem to have them. Don't mind it if I have to get one with LCD.
My top pick right now is the SG9665GC because I love the form factor and seems to have great reliability which is important if it's always on.

I don't like the SGZC12RC because of the size of the main unit. The remote lens is nice and compact, but I prefer the b40-style form factor of the GC which is all in one (this is seriously the best form factor of ANY dash cam IMO). I don't want to clutter the interior. I've seen mentioned that this is one of the lowest power draw out there (at least the panorama version) but doesn't make up for the negatives.

I also considered the Mini 0806 which beats the GC in resolution and image quality and storage capacity but it seems reliability is (was?) a problem. Plus, the fact it has a battery means I'd probably end up killing it by running it 24/7. I'd really go with this if it was capacitor-based or had a better reputation.

Blackvue is the brand I notice comes up the most frequently in Tesla forums which is kind of a surprise. It's pretty expensive for what you get, quality and reliability doesn't seem much better than lower priced cams, crappy bit rate (unless you use the hacked fw). I do like that it doesn't have a display. Also, it seems from what I have read so far power draw and heat is higher than SGZC12RC. While I'm not worried about draining the 12v battery, I do want to select a dashcam that has as low draw as possible to minimize the impact on lifespan.

There are a lot of high end cams I completely ruled out because of the ridiculous form factor and unnecessary features. If it's suction cup or too large or dangles too low it's a deal breaker. Basically anything that looks similar to a G1W or a point and shoot hanging on the window is out.

Is getting two SGZC12RC and having them run 24/7 a bad idea? Lifetime of the SD card could also be an issue, if it's short enough then I have no choice but to get a dashcam with a legit buffered parking mode, which basically rules out all the dashcams I actually like. So what would you suggest?

Sorry for the long post. Just trying to get everything I understand so far written down to test my assumptions.
 
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Hi Happy to help

I think you have a few of the models mixed up. (point 2., sub point 3.)

SGZC12RC has pre-buffer and doesn't come with GPS

I've had many customers buy either two SG9665GC or put 1 SG9665GC up front and 1 SGZC12RC in the back.

Both can take the high heat no problem at all. (and are reliable for sure)

I personally use 2 SGZC12RC in my Mustang Boss.
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/posts/?post_id=151447
They should be back in stock soon.

24/7 is ok but only if you get a higher quality MLC based card such as the Lexar 633x series. (so it can take the long term punishing write/recycle loops)
 
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Pier28 said:
I personally use 2 SGZC12RC in my Mustang Boss.
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/posts/?post_id=151447
They should be back in stock soon.

24/7 is ok but only if you get a higher quality MLC based card such as the Lexar 633x series. (so it can take the long term punishing write/recycle loops)
Click to expand...

How long would you estimate the aforementioned flash would last under these constant recording conditions?
 
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if you wanted to leave cameras running 24/7 I'd say replacing the memory cards at least every six months would be advisable, reality is that's probably close to several years of ordinary usage and even six months might be a stretch

personally not a fan of having cameras running 24/7
 
just personal view, some people do it but I think it's an excessive amount of use that's hard to justify in most cases, anything captured in your absence could be overwritten before you see it in some cases
 
Just in case someone else with a Tesla finds this thread (this xkcd comes to mind): I ended up getting a blackvue DR650GW-2CH. I was certain I wasn't going to get the blackvue at first, but several factors influenced this decision:
  1. I'm not going to do this install myself. It seems most shops that have experience installing dash cams have have done predominantly blackvue installs. I feel better knowing there probably wont be any surprises. This is the top reason for doing with this cam.
  2. It's got a capacitor instead of a battery (a must have IMO).
  3. It's very discrete.
  4. I decided against running the cam 24/7.
    1. It seems hardly anyone does this, so I'd be on slightly uncharted territory.
    2. Battery life isn't a problem, but the extra wear on the dash cam (heat) and sd card (heat + lots of writes) is.
  5. Because of 4, I need a cam with good parking mode. Specifically, buffered parking mode.
    1. This rules out a lot of cams, specifically my favorite one , the GC =(
  6. I ended up reversing my opinion on 2 channel cams.
    1. It's convenient to have the storage all in one place, if something happens I remove a single sd card from the front and I have all the evidence in my pocket for later (same reason LCD is stupid, you aren't trying to prove anything on the spot, the point of the video is for court, let the other party lie their way into a corner on the scene and present evidence in court or insurance where it matters).
    2. It seems easier/cleaner (for this car) to hook up power to the main unit and pull a line to the second channel than to wire up two power sources.
Cameras I considered but decided against:
  1. The 750 model blackvue has a higher quality rear channel (1080p vs 720), but I absolutely abhor the form factor. Too bulky and large LCD screen.
    1. After watching the comparison videos, I'm OK with 720 rear.
    2. I consider the trade off between rear channel quality and form factor worth it, others might feel differently, in which case the 750 or even a Lukas might be a better option.
  2. Same goes for similar cams. Lukas 9950 is nice but main unit is huge and draws too much attention (7900 is quite large too). Same applies to Panorama and Vico models. Wtf if wrong with the people in charge of designing these things?
  3. The SG9665GC doesn't have buffered parking mode, sadly this rules it out. Also, I can't seem to find an option to buy the GC without GPS which I don't want/need (and dont want to buy a GM).
  4. Mini series does not come with capacitors and no buffered park mode.
  5. SGZC12RC is out because of the size of the main unit. Especially since it's not 2-ch, I don't want two large units taking up space anywhere inside the car, even the glove box.
    1. It's too bad because the quality is good and I like the idea of a remote lens system.
      1. Presumably keeps the main CPU and capacitor/batt (which does all the encoding) alway form the window where it can stay cooler.
      2. I would love to see a remote lens system that uses an SSD instead of a card.
      3. Main unit can probably use less expensive PCB since size isn't as much a concern.
      4. If only the SGZC12RC main unit was flat didn't have an LCD it would be easier to tuck away.
The dash cam market is so ridiculous. I hope a serious manufacturer comes in and wrecks this market some day but for now it's basically about choosing the least ****ty option, which for my specific needs seems to be a blackvue 6502ch.
 
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