Dash Cam needed

[Rzrbrn]

This is my first thread on this forum. I had a HiCool dash cam in my Tundra. It was unreliable and very, very frustrating, and did not have good instructions. I now have a 2019 Ram 2500 Laramie and would like a new dash cam. I pull a travel trailer. I am very close to buying a BlackVue DR900X -2CH, but I still am considering other cameras. I may install using a BlackVue DR900X / DR750X / DR590X OBD-II Parking Mode Power / Hardwire Cable which is sold on Ebay: This SEEMS like a reasonable way to connect to power.
The thing is the BV is probably way more than I really need. The cost is immaterial. Is the OBDII a good way to connect to power?
Needs:
1. Reliability
2. Video quality
3. Buffered record mode
4. One touch button on camera to lock file if an incident occurs, and saved to separate file. This is very important. I need simple.
5. Wifi for video viewing without removing the data card (using an iPhone and MacBook Pro), and for changing parameters.
6. Don't really need dual cameras, but may in the future, perhaps installing on the back of the travel trailer.
7. Don't need parking mode: This is a truck, I expect it to get dinged.
8. Capacitor, due to use in very hot, and cold, weather.
9. GPS would be nice. Not sure why, I usually know where I am...give or take 100 miles...
10. Large Videocard
11. Probably don't need LTE but may in the future. I am elderly (or so everyone keeps telling me), so when I say future take this with a grain of salt...
12. Good customer support
13. Audio
14. Not real keen on have a screen: Can't see well enough to fidget with the menu on a small screen.

Sure nice to find this website. I am browsing though other threads, lots of good info, Thank you.
Henry

 

[jokiin]

not a fan of using OBD port for power, never something I would recommend

3. buffered record mode is only for 7. parking mode, has nothing to do with regular recordings

6. not possible

14. without a screen you have to rely on a mobile device, when there are any errors it can be harder to diagnose without a screen, something to keep in mind

 

[kamkar]

1: Yeah you want that, and now it is not unreasonable to expect / get 3-4 years out of a system ( at least )
2: Also want that, but the dash cameras are not going to match the better action cameras or phone cameras, we are still going to have limitations in what they can do for us though, on a good day you can get a plate capture just fine, but 30 minutes later miles down the road with a little cloud passing in front of the sun and you driving thru a area of trees lininng the road, and that on coming car that take off your mirror, well his plate will not get captured unfortunately.
3: SG deal in segments instead of a very small buffer in on board memory, so in my case using 3 minute segments, if i hit the event button right as something happen, and i am 10 seconds into the current segment getting recorded, well the camera will save the previous segment and the current one, meaning i will have 3 minutes 10 seconds from before the event and 2 minutes 50 seconds after.
This approach do put additional strain on the part of the memory card reserved for Read Only recordings, but with a adequate sized memory card thats not going to be a issue unless you have the camera on a bumper car at the state fair and you hit that event button every time you get bumped.
4: Manual event button, all cameras have this, some times you have to find it on the camera, some offer a little remote BT button you can place within easy reach, and SG now have a wired one too in their SG9663DR system as due to it being a remote system you kind of have to do that + there is also a microphone in there too as having it in the remote main unit you have hidden deep in the car will be bad for audio recordings.
5: Wifi are more or less a norm nowadays, good for us old people with tired eyes that keep forgetting our reading glasses,,,,,,, i still want a LCD on the camera mind you.
6: Expandable systems are rare, but there is a few, SG only have one of their models like that, if not financially constrained you should go for a dual system, not least if cars in your state only have 1 plate on the back, cuz then all oncoming cars you get a chance with the rear camera for a plate capture, with just a front camera you get no chance.
We EURO boys are blessed in this regard, 2 plates on cars, larger easy to read plates no silly graphics allowed.
Having a wire go all the way out back to a trailer of some sort, thats not a good idea, you could maybe put a cheap wifi CCTV camera ( these can also have on board recording on a memory card )
That camera you could have going live on your phone.
At least thats what i would try if i was towing stuff after my car often.
7: You can hard wire just for neatness and having your dash / console 12 V socket free for other stuff, SG allow for this with their generic PSU, you just snip off the 12 V plug, and wire the 2 wires into a fuse instead, so money saved for a hard wire kit ( this do not support parking mode )
8: Capacitors are a must have.
9: I always have speed embedded in the footage, and it is also nice for time keeping, though no dashcam can deal with automatic daylight savings like computers and phones can, so in my case living in a GMT +1 hour country i have to change my time zone to +2 in the summer time.
10: In this day and age i recommend 128 GB memory card size for every camera in a system, so a dual channel system should ideally have a 256GB card, the main thing is to get a genuine one, and one that have warranty for dashcam use.
Have to keep eye out as some brands seem to go a long way making sure as little cards are compatible with their system ( wanting to sell their own expensive brand memory cards )
11: I am not big on the "smart" cameras, but it is the future, but just like i only deal in cash transactions and at least in relation to the Danish state have absolutely nothing digital, so they thing i am a cave man, and i prefer they think that.
12: Many brands have mediocre support, many pretty much noneeven the very biggest brands, if this is high on your list Street Guardian are your brand.
13: Audio is good, i also have it on, but often have to mute it is i upload to youtube as that will otherwise cough up a copyright issue, but if thats not your thing there are absolutely no issue with audio recording, unless you like me like to sing along some times + i also have a foul mouth, and in spite of me being a Dane my go to language are English, so sometimes i also have to mute sound to spare thin skinned viewers my foul language.
14: Yeah i really need to have a pair of reading glasses in my car, my 55YO eyes are now too tired to deal with little screens or test in general, i still prefer to have a LCD on dashcams, but after setup it is rare i use it, for playback they are of course useless with the stamp size.