DR900X

[darling]

According to Blackvue website the 900S and 750S are all replaced with equivalent X models with optional LTE module.

 

[kamkar]

Okay
But for me that only mean they have added yet another thing i dont want.

 

[BlackboxMyCar]

That is correct, the entire S series has ended production and succeeded by the X series. The X series will have optional SIM card modules, meaning that a hotspot from the user is not needed to be supplied if using the Cloud feature.

 

[Nath]

@BlackboxMyCar Just out of curiosity, does the feature to connect to a Wifi hotspot as the source of internet is still available? (in other words customer isn't forced to buy CM100 module in order to get Cloud)

 

[BlackboxMyCar]

The CM100 module is optional for Cloud to work! Old method still works.

 

[kamkar]

O i would not be supriced if you must get CM100 module to do any of that smart stuff.

 

[Deleted member 64174]

...

 

[BlackboxMyCar]

What is the latest on the release date for the 900x? Last I heard was July of 2020, we are close to 2021 now.

https://www.blackboxmycar.com/collections/blackvue/products/blackvue-dr900x-2ch-4k-dash-cam

We'll be able to ship next week

 

[USDashCamera]

Blackvue sent me one for review, and I posted my review this week. I really like the new LTE module. At first I was upset it wasn't built in but I think this is the better option. I also reviewed the DR750-2CH LTE that had it built in. The camera is much bigger with it built in, and if you want to upgrade, it costs more because you can't just keep the LTE module and upgrade the camera.

The main downside is these cameras are basically the same camera with new better hardwire kits (built in low voltage and timer like thinkware, finally!) and the LTE option. The video quality is the same as the S series which is a shame because the DR900S is already over 2 years old and the U1000 and A129 Pro already looked noticeably better than the 900 models. If you are looking for LTE but a jump in video quality you might have to wait until the next gen. but when it was 2 years between the S and X series, who knows how long the next model comes. I hope next year.

 

[MCadi]

Great since you’ve reviewed a dr900x perhaps You could tell me how to hardwire mine which arrived today into the cars fuse box so it permanently live and I can view it on my phone via Vodafone sim in the lte module I’ve fitted the full system and just need to know how to connect hard wire kit / wiring into fuse box. Currently I’m powering my dr900x via the 12 volt socket but camera switches off when I switch engine off. Video or photos would be a massive help please. Thanks

 

[kamkar]

Yes most often today powering from the car lighter socket will just give you regular operations, to utilize parking mode, and i assume smart features of these blackvue cameras you need a hard wire kit, and today they are often 3 wire kits.
So they will need one wire connected to a always live +12 V source, and another wire to a ACC switched +12 V source, and then of course also the ground wire.
Which fuses to use are a bit tricky to say, in general you of course want to stay clear of important sources like airbags - engine management ASO.
New cars can also add a extra layer of complexity as wire harnesses of today often are smart, in which case it make it hard to find a fuse to go with.

If you say what kind of car you have and its year that will give more of a chance for people to guesstimate what fuses to try.

I am not familiar with blackvue, so this are just general INFO

 

[KANNINA 2.0]

I hesitate to throw this out there, but...

If you'd rather not hardwire to the fuse box, there is a OBD2 option available. I'm testing it now with my DR900X.

There's a place in Los Angeles called "Ace Dashcam" that makes a OBD2 power cable specifically for the DR750X and DR900X. He makes them himself in his shop.

I was a little wary, obviously, so I looked for reviews and other sellers, but found none--other than his EBay store where he also sells them. So I called him and we chatted. Got a good vibe, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Worst that could happen is it fails and I go back and hardwire the cam.

I've been running one for a couple of weeks now without any problem at all. As far as the cam is concerned, it thinks it's hardwired to the fusebox. Parking mode and all other normal functions work perfectly, and all battery protection functions in the phone app work perfectly. The cam thinks it's hardwired.

You can find his website and see it under Electronics > Parking Mode Add-Ons. Like I said, it doesn't come from somewhere else, the guy makes these on site. And looks like pretty good work as well.

YMMV, but I'll report back after another month or so with an update. I have high hopes.

 

[MCadi]

Yes most often today powering from the car lighter socket will just give you regular operations, to utilize parking mode, and i assume smart features of these blackvue cameras you need a hard wire kit, and today they are often 3 wire kits.
So they will need one wire connected to a always live +12 V source, and another wire to a ACC switched +12 V source, and then of course also the ground wire.
Which fuses to use are a bit tricky to say, in general you of course want to stay clear of important sources like airbags - engine management ASO.
New cars can also add a extra layer of complexity as wire harnesses of today often are smart, in which case it make it hard to find a fuse to go with.

If you say what kind of car you have and its year that will give more of a chance for people to guesstimate what fuses to try.

I am not familiar with blackvue, so this are just general INFO

Seat arona

 

[MCadi]

I hesitate to throw this out there, but...

If you'd rather not hardwire to the fuse box, there is a OBD2 option available. I'm testing it now with my DR900X.

There's a place in Los Angeles called "Ace Dashcam" that makes a OBD2 power cable specifically for the DR750X and DR900X. He makes them himself in his shop.

I was a little wary, obviously, so I looked for reviews and other sellers, but found none--other than his EBay store where he also sells them. So I called him and we chatted. Got a good vibe, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Worst that could happen is it fails and I go back and hardwire the cam.

I've been running one for a couple of weeks now without any problem at all. As far as the cam is concerned, it thinks it's hardwired to the fusebox. Parking mode and all other normal functions work perfectly, and all battery protection functions in the phone app work perfectly. The cam thinks it's hardwired.

You can find his website and see it under Electronics > Parking Mode Add-Ons. Like I said, it doesn't come from somewhere else, the guy makes these on site. And looks like pretty good work as well.

YMMV, but I'll report back after another month or so with an update. I have high hopes.

 

[MCadi]

That’s what I used on my dr900s 2ch brilliant however here in the Uk none as yet available so I’ll need to go down the hardwire route.

 

[ImpliedConsent]

I've received and installed the new 900x-2CH (sans LTE). I don't have a Blackvue I can compare it to, just an old dual 1080p. The features on the Blackvue blow me away. Yeah, the image quality is much better than my old dashcam by a long way, but it's all the other stuff. WiFi!? Viewing via my phone!? Cloud?! I can actually adjust my viewing angle incrementally. I popped in a 256GB card (after having to formatGUI to FAT32), read it, formatted, initialized and good to go.
My gripe is the rear camera LED. That thing is bright AF! There's an option to turn it off, but I kinda like it on to verify all is well. Had to put some blue painters tape over that thing.
I've got it hard-wired to my fuse box as per youtube videos (I always start there). I've never used parking mode in the past. I might get a battery backup and turn parking mode back on. I'm not ready to trust the voltage drop meter just yet.

(Upon Edit): doing more research, the voltage drop meter is legit. I turned parking mode back on, reduced some sensitivity. I did a 6hr timer. Still, loving the Blackvue features!

 

[KANNINA 2.0]

Update:

One month later and the Ace Dashcam OBD2 power cable for the Blackvue DR-900X/750X/590X series cams is working perfectly. No troubles at all.

Also, in my non-scientific testing of the Blackvue DR-900X built-in battery protection feature, it works as advertised with no complications due to the OBD2 power vs. being fusebox hardwired.

I have a 700CCA brand-new battery (car is new), no dedicated aftermarket battery for the cams at all, vehicle battery only. BV firmware battery protection settings at 12 volts/12 hours. Haven't driven the car for a week (home on COVID isolation, so perfect time to try this out...). Started it every morning long enough to wake up the camera but not to appreciably charge the battery. Cam then connected to my home network and stayed awake in parking mode, full 4K UHD, front and back cams recording, wi-fi on, for the next 12 hours. It took 4 days of this before the cam notified me that it would be shutting down to protect the vehicle's battery, which it did.

So, a month in, the BV DR900X-2CH and the Ace OBD2 power cable are 5 stars, totally recommend.

My only gripe with BV at this point is their cloud service. Although cheaper than it used to be, still more than I wanna pay. Twelve bucks a month isn't really that bad, but I despise having to sign up for anything that hits my credit card on a recurring monthly basis. Now, if they offered a slight discount for signing up for a year at a time, I'd be much more likely to do that. Remote viewing, notifications, cloud upload, etc., are really crippled on the free plan. Just not enough data allowance available to make it useful, IMO.

I hesitate to throw this out there, but...

If you'd rather not hardwire to the fuse box, there is a OBD2 option available. I'm testing it now with my DR900X.

There's a place in Los Angeles called "Ace Dashcam" that makes a OBD2 power cable specifically for the DR750X and DR900X. He makes them himself in his shop.

I was a little wary, obviously, so I looked for reviews and other sellers, but found none--other than his EBay store where he also sells them. So I called him and we chatted. Got a good vibe, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Worst that could happen is it fails and I go back and hardwire the cam.

I've been running one for a couple of weeks now without any problem at all. As far as the cam is concerned, it thinks it's hardwired to the fusebox. Parking mode and all other normal functions work perfectly, and all battery protection functions in the phone app work perfectly. The cam thinks it's hardwired.

You can find his website and see it under Electronics > Parking Mode Add-Ons. Like I said, it doesn't come from somewhere else, the guy makes these on site. And looks like pretty good work as well.

YMMV, but I'll report back after another month or so with an update. I have high hopes.

 

[Nine29]

Still happy with the OBDII connection? What is the purpose of the separate black module with the red LED?

 

[KANNINA 2.0]

Still happy with the OBDII connection? What is the purpose of the separate black module with the red LED?View attachment 55130

Very much so. Still no issues whatsoever. Worth it, especially if, like me, you don't have a fuse panel in your car's interior.

The black module with the red light is an ignition sensor module. It's for vehicles with an auto start/stop feature. Prevents power to the cam from being interrupted when the engine shuts down at stops in traffic. Otherwise the cam would shut down and restart every time the engine did. Not needed in my vehicle as I don't have that feature, but causes no issues.

 

[Nine29]

Good to know...thanks for the info.