DPST Toggle Question

[DCnewb]

Here is my basic setup:

Viofo a229 Pro 2CH dash cam, which will connect into a PowerCell 8 battery pack using their spliced HK4 hardwire kit, and the PowerCell 8 will be hardwired onto an accessory fuse in my fuse box so the PowerCell 8 only charges while the car is running. No questions about that setup if that's all I was doing.

QUESTION: I want to add what I believe will be a DPST toggle switch onto the BATT and ACC wires in between the PowerCell 8 and the minimum voltage setting box heading toward the dash cam. No modifications on anything from the PowerCell 8 back to the fuse box. The intent is to be able to cut power to my dash cams - front and back - at any given time using this toggle switch. I don't mind if the PowerCell 8 continues to charge while I'm driving, but I want to have easy control on interrupting the power between the PowerCell 8 and the dash cams using this toggle switch. The ground wire between the PowerCell 8 and the front dash cam will not be altered.

1. Does anyone have experience installing a DPST toggle switch like this to be able to cut power to dash cams?​

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2. What is the typical wire gauge on the 3 wires in a HK4 hardwire kit?​

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3. Anything I'm missing missing here in my intended switched setup?​

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Thanks!

 

[Nigel]

The A229 Pro has a power button, you can turn it off whenever you want using the power button.

Using the power button has the advantage that you never forget to turn it back on again, since it will automatically turn back on next time you start the engine (It sees the ACC signal). If you use a switch, you will forget to turn it back on!

The rear camera is powered from the front camera, so you would only need to turn off the front camera.

Not sure why you want a DP switch, you would only need to switch the power conductor, better to leave the ground and ACC signal conductors connected, the ACC wire does not carry power, only a signal voltage.

The camera uses 5V at up to 2A, I think the conductors on the latest HK4 are AWG 18.

 

[DCnewb]

The A229 Pro has a power button, you can turn it off whenever you want using the power button.

Using the power button has the advantage that you never forget to turn it back on again, since it will automatically turn back on next time you start the engine (It sees the ACC signal). If you use a switch, you will forget to turn it back on!

The rear camera is powered from the front camera, so you would only need to turn off the front camera.

Not sure why you want a DP switch, you would only need to switch the power conductor, better to leave the ground and ACC signal conductors connected, the ACC wire does not carry power, only a signal voltage.

The camera uses 5V at up to 2A, I think the conductors on the latest HK4 are AWG 18.

Thanks!

On the toggle switch item, I know I can power off the dash cam using the power button on the unit itself. However, in addition to wanting to be able to cut the power between the PowerCell 8 and dash cam prior to the car turning off, I also want to control if/when the camera is allowed to turn on upon the vehicle starting - so a toggle switch gives me direct control over when the camera can receive power from the PowerCell 8 and is allowed to operate normally. Sometimes I want the camera to be off before the car turns off and sometimes I don't want the camera turning on until some period of time after the vehicle has started, which I could control with the toggle switch.

Would using a DPST switch damage anything, or is it more just overkill by also switching the ACC wire?

 

[rcg530]

I use DPST switches in my power feeds to the dash camera 12V harnesses (BlackVue, Thinkware, FineVu) or hardwire kits (other brands) in my primary dash camera test car. I use those switches to turn off the power to the dash cameras after powering them down by their own power switch (if they have one) when I'm parked at home. BlackVue dash cameras do not have any sort of power off button (I've asked for one for years). The only way to turn them off is to turn off the power being supplied to them. Their internal supercapacitor will handle power requirements during the shutdown period.

You only need to cut the power on the constant power wire, but I have DPST switches cutting the constant and accessory power and it seems to work fine. I setup a second vehicle for dash camera testing and in the power feed cables going from the battery pack(s) to the dash camera(s) I have a SPST switch only turning off the constant power. The dash cameras or their hardwire kits only use the accessory power as a "sense circuit" to know when to power up (if currently powered down) and enter/exit parking mode (if enabled in the dash camera settings).

If you want to make sure that no power is available to the dash camera, you would use the DPST switch approach and it you want to simply make sure the dash camera won't draw power to run it, you could use the SPST switch.

One could argue/suggest that you could put a SPST switch in the ground wire going to the dash camera or 12V side of the hardwire kit to accomplish the same thing.