Dashcam recommendation for my OAP father? -UK

[FleixPack]

Hi all,

I'm new to dashcams but I'm trying to catch up on the terminology and technology. My father wants one but he's not technologically minded (can't use a computer/phone), so it would need to be something that's as simple to use as possible - Specifically with regards to stopping a recording if there's an incident that needs to be saved and not over written on the memory card. I believe some Dashcams can be configured to start and stop when the ignitions is turned on/off?

As far as budget goes, I'm looking at around £60 in the UK.

Thanks

 

[kamkar]

you dont really stop recordings, dashcams default start and stop with the car, but you can most often lock a event by pressing a button the camera.
Either way with a sufficient large memory card ( 64 GB at least ) you have at least 8 hours worth of footage with a regular 1 channel system, before the camera will start to delete the oldest footage to make room for more on the full memory card.

The simplest setup you plug into the cigarette lighter in the dashboard, and that is also fine aside for some new cars that socket are on all the time, but for the most it is a perfectly fine place to get power.

It is still recommended to check up on the camera and the memory card, every few months, even if you have the best camera and brand memory card, they still are not really set and forget.
But maybe you can do that when you visit with a laptop or a OTG memory card reader connected to your phone, on the PC it take me 10 minutes or so to look over a 128GB memory card .
What i look for is drive sessions ( identified by the time/date name of recordings ) start and end in locations you would expect, and that the files can play so you only need to play a few seconds of each file you inspect.
If recording sessions suddenly start to start a few 100 M from your dads place or end a few 100 M from it, or for that sake in the middle of some random road, you are having problems with something.
If your dad are anything like me, you will soon find that you are a creature of habit and drive the same routes over and over.

It is also recommended to format the memory card in the camera every few months, this reset the file allocation table that can get fragmented with all the writing and deleting of "small" files.

It is also recommended if you have a larger event to stop the car so the camera turn off and then pull out the memory card, or at least pull out the power plug ( most often a USB plug ) so the camera dont risk overwriting.
This is no problem as you will not be driving further anyway.
If it is just a little thing and you are still mobile, as long as you dont drive for hours on end the event should still be safe with a larger memory card, or you can lock the event ( just seconds,,,, 30 - 60 or so, though some camera do save event files as whole 1- 3 - 5 or 10 minute files / what ever you use, most of us use 3 minute file sizes ) that will safeguard the actual event itself, and if not used for more act as a beacon for footage of before and after which will still be in and among the regular recordings.

Many cameras now save event files in a folder marked RO, which are short for read only,

 

[kamkar]

I would not advise having G - sensor or anything smart on, if it worked that would save events, but most often it is just a source for grief.
Anyway the camera should record all the time, and then it is just a matter of finding the event, but if it is big thats no problem and are probably the last recording of the day.

If the camera have GPS you just set your time zone, the camera will then use that with the sattelite time to set the correct clock / date, dashcams do not have automatic daylight savings like computers and phones, they are not that smart yet, so that is a manual thing.

 

[SawMaster]

Welcome to DCT @FleixPack

Most of today's better cams are less than simple to set up, but with a hardwire kit can be very simple to use as you don't need to do anything- the cam turns on and off with the car key and will save files of impacts such as a crash automatically. Someone will need to check the files occasionally to be sure the cam is still recording properly, and to format the card then too as that helps with reliability. Once every month or two is plenty with most cams and you can likely do that when you visit your Dad- takes just a few minutes for all this.

Now down to price. There's not a lot to choose from at that level. Cams don't come with sd cards or hardwire kits in this range either, and a good card is critical to cam reliability. As the climate isn't terribly hot there, a LiPo battery equipped cam can do OK and the "70mai" cam with a hardwire kit and Samsung EVO Select card from Amazon should make for a good package at or under that price. There are a couple other cams in that range I've been watching and they might be good too, but the 70mai has been around and in wide use for well over a year with almost zero reliability or recording issues noted, not this certain with those others. Although Nextbase is advertised hard over there, I would recommend avoiding their products in this kind of use as their current series of cams has reliability issues, need careful watching, and need more 'hands on' attention to keep them going than almost every other cam.

Phil

 

[Nigel]

Specifically with regards to stopping a recording if there's an incident that needs to be saved and not over written on the memory card.

I'm sure he could pull out the power cord from the car accessory (lighter) socket. If you hardwire it then it becomes a little more difficult, but if you get something like the Viofo A119 then he can just remove it from its mount.

Not sure what he does with it then if he can't use a computer or phone? With some cameras, you can replay video on the camera, but the screen is always too small to be able to see any detail.

 

[SawMaster]

With nearly every cam there's a clearly marked easy-to-press button for saving recordings. I think the 70mai has that; I'll check soon and let you know.

And please don't see me as being condescending to your Dad- I'm 61 myself and I'm not the sharp tack I once was so now I'm beginning to appreciate how easy it can be to forget things like turning cams on and off If it's anything important, making it simple goes a long way to taking care of things reliably- there's great value in that for anyone.

Phil

 

[richx]

I'm not too sure about 70Mai tho, I've had one unit of the original 70Mai dashcam, and two units of 70Mai Pro and all of them started giving battery-induced reliability issues after 15-18 months. It would enter a boot loop once the effort to charge the battery took up more power than 5v 2A can supply, the mainboard would black out, wait awhile, and boot up and repeat.

 

[SawMaster]

@richx You're in Malaysia where it gets really hot, and cams with batteries have problems with that kind of heat. The OP is in England and battery equipped cams do OK there.

Phil

 

[FleixPack]

you dont really stop recordings, dashcams default start and stop with the car, but you can most often lock a event by pressing a button the camera.
Either way with a sufficient large memory card ( 64 GB at least ) you have at least 8 hours worth of footage with a regular 1 channel system, before the camera will start to delete the oldest footage to make room for more on the full memory card.

The simplest setup you plug into the cigarette lighter in the dashboard, and that is also fine aside for some new cars that socket are on all the time, but for the most it is a perfectly fine place to get power.

It is still recommended to check up on the camera and the memory card, every few months, even if you have the best camera and brand memory card, they still are not really set and forget.
But maybe you can do that when you visit with a laptop or a OTG memory card reader connected to your phone, on the PC it take me 10 minutes or so to look over a 128GB memory card .
What i look for is drive sessions ( identified by the time/date name of recordings ) start and end in locations you would expect, and that the files can play so you only need to play a few seconds of each file you inspect.
If recording sessions suddenly start to start a few 100 M from your dads place or end a few 100 M from it, or for that sake in the middle of some random road, you are having problems with something.
If your dad are anything like me, you will soon find that you are a creature of habit and drive the same routes over and over.

It is also recommended to format the memory card in the camera every few months, this reset the file allocation table that can get fragmented with all the writing and deleting of "small" files.

It is also recommended if you have a larger event to stop the car so the camera turn off and then pull out the memory card, or at least pull out the power plug ( most often a USB plug ) so the camera dont risk overwriting.
This is no problem as you will not be driving further anyway.
If it is just a little thing and you are still mobile, as long as you dont drive for hours on end the event should still be safe with a larger memory card, or you can lock the event ( just seconds,,,, 30 - 60 or so, though some camera do save event files as whole 1- 3 - 5 or 10 minute files / what ever you use, most of us use 3 minute file sizes ) that will safeguard the actual event itself, and if not used for more act as a beacon for footage of before and after which will still be in and among the regular recordings.

Thank you for the info and tips. I can only visit every few months, sometimes longer but I'll be able to check it's still recording ok on those occasions. He's doesn't drive long distances, so overwriting an event should be an issue and I'll get a large MicroSD card for it. His car is 10 years+ old so I very much doubt the cigarette lighter will be of the type that's always on but I will double check that before purchasing a cam.

 

[FleixPack]

I would not advise having G - sensor or anything smart on, if it worked that would save events, but most often it is just a source for grief.
Anyway the camera should record all the time, and then it is just a matter of finding the event, but if it is big thats no problem and are probably the last recording of the day.

If the camera have GPS you just set your time zone, the camera will then use that with the sattelite time to set the correct clock / date, dashcams do not have automatic daylight savings like computers and phones, they are not that smart yet, so that is a manual thing.

I haven't had a thorough look into the options as yet but it sounds like this is a feature that is likely only available in more premium cams? Either way, I will take not of this thank you.

Welcome to DCT @FleixPack

Most of today's better cams are less than simple to set up, but with a hardwire kit can be very simple to use as you don't need to do anything- the cam turns on and off with the car key and will save files of impacts such as a crash automatically. Someone will need to check the files occasionally to be sure the cam is still recording properly, and to format the card then too as that helps with reliability. Once every month or two is plenty with most cams and you can likely do that when you visit your Dad- takes just a few minutes for all this.

Now down to price. There's not a lot to choose from at that level. Cams don't come with sd cards or hardwire kits in this range either, and a good card is critical to cam reliability. As the climate isn't terribly hot there, a LiPo battery equipped cam can do OK and the "70mai" cam with a hardwire kit and Samsung EVO Select card from Amazon should make for a good package at or under that price. There are a couple other cams in that range I've been watching and they might be good too, but the 70mai has been around and in wide use for well over a year with almost zero reliability or recording issues noted, not this certain with those others. Although Nextbase is advertised hard over there, I would recommend avoiding their products in this kind of use as their current series of cams has reliability issues, need careful watching, and need more 'hands on' attention to keep them going than almost every other cam.

Phil

Are the hardwire kits difficult to install? I'm computer literate, but not a clue about car electrics. Hardwire sounds like the better option and also less messy having a something constantly plugged into the cigarette lighter with a wire trailing from it.

I won't skimp on the MicroSD card, I'll go a decent branded one. It's true that we don't get terribly hot weather in the UK but having said that, even UK summers can make cars unbearably hot inside. I am a little concerned as to how well one of these dashcams with a Li-ion battery would hold up, given the fact it's next to the windscreen which will exacerbate the heat.

With nearly every cam there's a clearly marked easy-to-press button for saving recordings. I think the 70mai has that; I'll check soon and let you know.

And please don't see me as being condescending to your Dad- I'm 61 myself and I'm not the sharp tack I once was so now I'm beginning to appreciate how easy it can be to forget things like turning cams on and off If it's anything important, making it simple goes a long way to taking care of things reliably- there's great value in that for anyone.

Phil

I didn't think that at all Phil, no worries. My dad does need something as simple as possible. Him remembering to turn it on/off has been one of my concerns, especially with me not being there to constantly remind. In time, he would no doubt make it part of his routine but I'd to avoid that if possible.

I'm sure he could pull out the power cord from the car accessory (lighter) socket. If you hardwire it then it becomes a little more difficult, but if you get something like the Viofo A119 then he can just remove it from its mount.

Not sure what he does with it then if he can't use a computer or phone? With some cameras, you can replay video on the camera, but the screen is always too small to be able to see any detail.

In the event that something needed to retrieving off and I wasn't there. I would ask him to post the card to me.

 

[FleixPack]

With nearly every cam there's a clearly marked easy-to-press button for saving recordings. I think the 70mai has that; I'll check soon and let you know.

I'm currently looking at the 70mai Pro, as well as the Aukey DRA5 mini.

 

[Nigel]

His car is 10 years+ old so I very much doubt the cigarette lighter will be of the type that's always on but I will double check that before purchasing a cam.

Don't count on that, a lot of Fords were always on 10 years ago. A hardwire kit is reasonably easy to install as long as you read up/watch youtube before you try, but then some people do have issues with some cars in not being able to find a suitable fuse. If there is a convenient hidden accessory socket that turns off with ignition then I recommend using that since it will be easier to install and he will be able to unplug it if necessary.

 

[SawMaster]

Hardwiring is as easy as changing a car fuse physically. The most common problem is deciding which fuses to tap. There are also 2-wire and 3-wire HWK's, for driving use only a 2-wire kit is all you need, and it will tap into only one fuse; the 3-wire kits enable parking mode protection to be used. It's really simple and easy. The toughest part is running the cable between the HWK and the cam, this is either tucked behind the trim molding on the windscreen frame or it's door gasketing. You don't want that cable to go across any airbags, but rather behind them, and that can get a little more complicated. Any car audio shop, most auto repair shops, or Halford's can do this for you; prices vary. If the cigarette lighter socket or power port turns on and off with the key it could be used here but those plugs can work their way loose or be knocked loose accidentally so may not be the best choice here. Plus that prevents the socket from being used for other purposes. Harfwiring tends to be more reliable if done well.

On the cam battery you will probably get from 2+ to 5 years use before it goes bad in your climate. Better to have a cam which uses super-caps instead as heat doesn't affect them but that type of cam may go above your budget somewhat. It's becoming more universal in dashcams as they are so much better for lifespan and reliability, These LiPo batteries can be replaced but that entails sourcing the right one, cam disassembly, and soldering which is more than most folks can do. Even the best cams don't last forever so the way I see it, replacing a cheap cam every few years will end up being about equal to paying for a good one with supercaps up front. If you replace with the same cam that's easy to do since only the cam body need be swapped, the wiring can be reused. The original plain 70mai is so cheap that replacement every few years is painless and almost as cheap as replacing it's battery, especially if you pay someone else to do the battery replacement. That cam also does good vids daytime and OK at night which isn't normally found in the cheaper cams. The 70mai Pro does better vids but costs more and it's battery will last no longer so you decide if the better vid quality is worth it. I;m not familiar with the Aukey, but their products are generally OK or better, though some do have an issue or two with parking modes etc.

Given the situation, cam reliability in starting, stopping, and recording are going to be what matters most so that your father doesn't have to do anything but drive and never fool with the cam. This is not easy to get at this price level but the 70mai and the Pro version will do this for you with a HWK for sure.

Phil

 

[FleixPack]

Hardwiring is as easy as changing a car fuse physically. The most common problem is deciding which fuses to tap. There are also 2-wire and 3-wire HWK's, for driving use only a 2-wire kit is all you need, and it will tap into only one fuse; the 3-wire kits enable parking mode protection to be used. It's really simple and easy. The toughest part is running the cable between the HWK and the cam, this is either tucked behind the trim molding on the windscreen frame or it's door gasketing. You don't want that cable to go across any airbags, but rather behind them, and that can get a little more complicated. Any car audio shop, most auto repair shops, or Halford's can do this for you; prices vary. If the cigarette lighter socket or power port turns on and off with the key it could be used here but those plugs can work their way loose or be knocked loose accidentally so may not be the best choice here. Plus that prevents the socket from being used for other purposes. Harfwiring tends to be more reliable if done well.

On the cam battery you will probably get from 2+ to 5 years use before it goes bad in your climate. Better to have a cam which uses super-caps instead as heat doesn't affect them but that type of cam may go above your budget somewhat. It's becoming more universal in dashcams as they are so much better for lifespan and reliability, These LiPo batteries can be replaced but that entails sourcing the right one, cam disassembly, and soldering which is more than most folks can do. Even the best cams don't last forever so the way I see it, replacing a cheap cam every few years will end up being about equal to paying for a good one with supercaps up front. If you replace with the same cam that's easy to do since only the cam body need be swapped, the wiring can be reused. The original plain 70mai is so cheap that replacement every few years is painless and almost as cheap as replacing it's battery, especially if you pay someone else to do the battery replacement. That cam also does good vids daytime and OK at night which isn't normally found in the cheaper cams. The 70mai Pro does better vids but costs more and it's battery will last no longer so you decide if the better vid quality is worth it. I;m not familiar with the Aukey, but their products are generally OK or better, though some do have an issue or two with parking modes etc.

Given the situation, cam reliability in starting, stopping, and recording are going to be what matters most so that your father doesn't have to do anything but drive and never fool with the cam. This is not easy to get at this price level but the 70mai and the Pro version will do this for you with a HWK for sure.

Phil

Thanks Phil that's really helpful. I'll look up how much Halfords would charge to install the kit as I may well not see my parents for Christmas and there's no point it sitting on a shelf waiting to be used.

One last question if I may, do you happen to know of any reliable UK outlets that sell the 70mai? It's not available on Amazon and the only other outlets I can find are overseas. I'd prefer to buy from a UK source and get a warranty.

 

[SawMaster]

mymemory.co.uk LINK has been recommended as a good SD card source thyere and their price on the 70mai looks great but they may be an online-only seller, I don't know. Not many 'brick-and-mortar' dashcam sellers in the world now. You could ask 70mai directly or purchase directly from their website LINK. Halfords sells the NextBase cams and may try to push you to buy one but be warned that their new series of cams have lots of problems and are best avoided.

Phil

 

[Nigel]

mymemory.co.uk LINK has been recommended as a good SD card source

Indeed, and their own brand cards are very good value, I have a couple and have had no problems.

However they are not actually a UK company, they are on the Island of Jersey, and although that is one of the British Isles, it is not in the UK, so be careful with customs. Memory cards may not be an issue, because they fall under the tax thresholds, if you buy two then they will send two separate packages, each under the tax threshold, but a camera may get VAT added at the customs at the normal rate. Not saying don't use them, just be aware.

 

[SawMaster]

@Nigel Thanks for the help here I did notice the 70mai site listed "Best Buy" as an affiliate- do you have any of those stores over there?

Phil