Distorted video signal output to headunit

[flip9]

Try another circuit with the fuse tap first. If it still happens then the hardwire kit may be poorly filtered.

Switch mode power supplies use high frequency switching which creates RF noise. They are also prone to receiving and passing on RF noise from their source.

 

[Module 79L]

Thanks alot for the suggestion guys
Spot on Gibson99 & Module79L!
I found the culprit and it was actually the power source of the dashcam.
The current power source tap from the fuse box is giving me video distortion, but everything looks great when I hook it up to the lighter socket!
Could it be a bad hardwire kit? Or insufficient power from the fuse box?

Hehehe, I've been working with TV signals since when b&w, valve powered TV sets were still around and I learned to diagnose a lot of problems just by looking at the image, especially VCR and analogue satellite receivers-related image problems.

It has nothing to do with the voltage, the problem is this:

Switch mode power supplies use high frequency switching which creates RF noise.

...especially when they're made with poorly designed capacitors. I have been replacing dry or swollen capacitors from switching power supplies on a regular basis since digital electronic appliances became more widespread.

 

[Jason Lim]

Done that.
No distortion when using the cig adaptor as power source.

bad hardwire kit is more common, if in doubt wire in a female cig adapter and use the supplied power cord to run the camera

 

[flip9]

I have been replacing dry or swollen capacitors from switching power supplies on a regular basis since digital electronic appliances became more widespread.

Yeap the batch of defective caps from over a decade ago sure didnt help. Dont you just miss the simplicity of a linear supply.

Done that.
No distortion when using the cig adaptor as power source.

Through the hardwire kit or through the standard cig adapter > USB?

 

[Jason Lim]

Done that too.
Tried tap other circuits and none of them works.

Try another circuit with the fuse tap first. If it still happens then the hardwire kit may be poorly filtered.

Switch mode power supplies use high frequency switching which creates RF noise. They are also prone to receiving and passing on RF noise from their source.

 

[Jason Lim]

Only the cig adaptor > usb > dashcam works flawlessly.

Yeap the batch of defective caps from over a decade ago sure didnt help. Dont you just miss the simplicity of a linear supply.



Through the hardwire kit or through the standard cig adapter > USB?

 

[Module 79L]

Yeap the batch of defective caps from over a decade ago sure didnt help. Dont you just miss the simplicity of a linear supply.

I do, regarding the almost problem-free design, but I don't due to the size and weight they had when compared with the switching power supplies for the same amp output. Also, none of the ones I repaired with good capacitors did break again.

 

[Jason Lim]

Good info.
I'm still wearing a nappy when the TV is b&w

Hehehe, I've been working with TV signals since when b/w, valve powered TV sets were still around and I learned to diagnose a lot of problems just by looking at the image, especially VCR and analogue satellite receivers-related image problems.

It has nothing to do with the voltage, the problem is this:

...especially when they're made with poorly designed capacitors. I have been replacing dry or swollen capacitors from switching power supplies on a regular basis since digital electronic appliances became more widespread.

 

[Gibson99]

I do, regarding the almost problem-free design, but I don't due to the size and weight they had when compared with the switching power supplies for the same amp output. Also, none of the ones I repaired with good capacitors did break again.

One of my LCD monitor has a high pitched whine that changes depending on if it's fully off or just in sleep mode, but the monitor works fine otherwise. I think I read somewhere it could just be a bad cap. Is it really as simple as pressing on the top of the cap (with a pencil eraser to insulate yourself) while it's making noise to figure out which one it is, then replacing it with another of the same rating? Where do you recommend buying single caps so I don't have to buy a gross of them?

 

[Module 79L]

One of my LCD monitor has a high pitched whine that changes depending on if it's fully off or just in sleep mode, but the monitor works fine otherwise. I think I read somewhere it could just be a bad cap. Is it really as simple as pressing on the top of the cap (with a pencil eraser to insulate yourself) while it's making noise to figure out which one it is, then replacing it with another of the same rating? Where do you recommend buying single caps so I don't have to buy a gross of them?

If the monitor works fine, that whine might not be from a capacitor. I know of some cases when that happened, as they start to dry out, but usually the noise doesn't last very long in time. Permanent or prolonged high pitched noises are usually produced by vibrating transformers, which may vary according to the load on the power supply.
You can always open it up and look for any swollen cap(s) in the power supply.

 

[cqrt]

I have my fused hardwired A118C hooked up to my in-dash monitor with standard non-shielded 4 m long 3.5mm to RCA cable, video output is good.

Date is wrong, my next issue to try and sort out, adjust date to today's date and return to the screen, several seconds later the date jumps to the future date of 1st Oct 2016.

 

[jokiin]

Date is wrong, my next issue to try and sort out, adjust date to today's date and return to the screen, several seconds later the date jumps to the future date of 1st Oct 2016.

try turning GPS off in the menu, it should still log the data but will stop the time sync happening. something is amiss for it to be doing what it's doing, depends which hardware, firmware and GPS versions you have though

 

[cqrt]

I have the VIOFO branded A118C from Gearbest. So yeah I have unplugged the GPS module and it seems to have stopped changing the date. It only started happening after the 27-7-2016 update, I might roll it back.

I like this camera, I think for the money it's good value, but there are a few niggly bugs. For instance, my audio will only record in the 'Motion Detection' mode. If I disable Motion Detection, the audio records 2-3 seconds of audio sporadically, about every other minute or so. Weird.

 

[jokiin]

I like this camera, I think for the money it's good value, but there are a few niggly bugs. For instance, my audio will only record in the 'Motion Detection' mode. If I disable Motion Detection, the audio records 2-3 seconds of audio sporadically, about every other minute or so. Weird.

need to report this to @viofo so they can check it, if you can upload a sample file would help

 

[Module 79L]

I have my fused hardwired A118C hooked up to my in-dash monitor with standard non-shielded 4 m long 3.5mm to RCA cable, video output is good.

As we concluded earlier, it was a power supply issue rather than poor cable shielding. The interference on the picture the latter may cause usually appears with a different pattern on the screen.

 

[Jason Lim]

I have my fused hardwired A118C hooked up to my in-dash monitor with standard non-shielded 4 m long 3.5mm to RCA cable, video output is good.

Date is wrong, my next issue to try and sort out, adjust date to today's date and return to the screen, several seconds later the date jumps to the future date of 1st Oct 2016.

What hardwire kit you are using?