Failing to record-Missing footage.

One of the fastest ways to debug a problem is to swap out suspect parts with known good parts to see if the swap has an effect on the problem. In your case, even buying a new memory card, you wont have a known good part. However, if the alternate part is a different brand, it is unlikely to have the same problem as the original, so if both behave exactly the same, they are probably both good, and the problem is elsewhere.
Even the best manufacturers produce some lemons. Nothing is certain in life but death and taxes. Being pissed about the problem and complaining about it is not likely to get it fixed.
If your finances are so tight you can't afford to lose $40 on a memory card, perhaps you should not be spending money on a dash cam.
You can blame the camera when you prove it is not the memory card, and not the way you are powering the camera. The problem can be caused by any one of those, and until you are sure which one it is, it is not a good idea to assign blame.
 
The most expensive memory cards i ever got, was the very 2 that also failed in record time,,,, i am talking barely getting to fill the cards 1 time. ( PNY U3 card + Trancend ultimate U3 card )
The replacement cards worked fine and one of them are still in service too. though not constantly these days as i am mainly using 128 GB cards for testing and 256GB for daily use, and the two cards was 64GB ones,,,,, back when a 32 GB card was plenty expensive,,,, today i can get 256GB for the same price i paid for the 64GB cards just fine, several actually if i shop for the cheapest 256GB cards :eek:

Memory cards i always check for errors with the little H2testw program, but running it over with the SD organizations SD formatter program can also root out some errors ( of course using the full run not just a quick test / format ) so take a bloody while on large memory cards.

Flaky power source or memory card are most often to blame for erratic behavior, you be surprised how many times we have tried to troubleshoot a persons problems in here for page upon page, only to suddenly realize the guy is using a in car USB port,,,,,, which are very often not powerful enough.
So we tell him use provided power source,,,,, and then we never hear from him again,,,,, probably as then it worked.

But yeah i feel your frustration, i have "just" gotten a +2000 USD air rifle,,,,,, that do not shoot like i want and for sure not as good as my +10 year old rifle do.
Slowly reining it in, but OMG what a uphill battle.
So bad that i am saving for another brand 2000 USD rifle,,,,,,, Sigh :rolleyes:
BUT ! i aint giving up on that sucker, it just made it personal now, and i dont take kindly to such attitude.

PS. my last memory card problem, was a brand new Adata endurance card, that only had like 30 % of the specified read / write speeds, but a once over with sdformatter fixed that,,,,, though not many dashcams seem to like it, but my action camera can spamk it with 4K/60 footage at 100 mbit, and that never given a single error, and thats way past what any dashcam do to a memory card, but then again never gotten near to fill the 256GB card.
 
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One of the fastest ways to debug a problem is to swap out suspect parts with known good parts to see if the swap has an effect on the problem. In your case, even buying a new memory card, you wont have a known good part. However, if the alternate part is a different brand, it is unlikely to have the same problem as the original, so if both behave exactly the same, they are probably both good, and the problem is elsewhere.
Even the best manufacturers produce some lemons. Nothing is certain in life but death and taxes. Being pissed about the problem and complaining about it is not likely to get it fixed.
If your finances are so tight you can't afford to lose $40 on a memory card, perhaps you should not be spending money on a dash cam.
You can blame the camera when you prove it is not the memory card, and not the way you are powering the camera. The problem can be caused by any one of those, and until you are sure which one it is, it is not a good idea to assign blame.
The problems is these cameras "hiccups" are alleviated by restoring/resetting the camera. Similar to clearing the cache on your computer.

If I don't reset the card and camera then I'm not following the advice here and my testing is wrong.

If I do reset the card and camera then the camera doesn't see any problems for an unknown amount of time. Therefore my test is in inconclusive.

I already own the camera. My goal here is to rule out either the card or camera
 
Memory cards i always check for errors with the little H2testw program, but running it over with the SD organizations SD formatter program can also root out some errors ( of course using the full run not just a quick test / format ) so take a bloody while on large memory cards.

Flaky power source or memory card are most often to blame for erratic behavior, you be surprised how many times we have tried to troubleshoot a persons problems in here for page upon page, only to suddenly realize the guy is using a in car USB port,,,,,, which are very often not powerful enough.
So we tell him use provided power source,,,,, and then we never hear from him again,,,,, probably as then it worked.
The camera is hardwired by viofos hk3 parking kit. It has been since day one. It has not been moved or altered since day one other than the occasional unplug when trying to mount or remove the sd card.

The card has been tested with h2w and sd formatter. The only other card i can possibly use that is large enough is a 16gb sd sandisk card.
FVjK9VY.jpg
HEZeQos.jpg


I believe the problem will occur after the car has gone through filling the entire card and/or entering parking mode. I believe testing at home with a power supply will not provide the same effect as the camera would never parking mode. The camera would also be continously recording and never be commanded with start/stop sequences.
 
How are you sorting files when viewing recorded files? I noticed sometimes it's alphabetical, sometimes reverse alphabetical

Since the modified/created time will match the filename prefix anyway, just sort alphabetically all the time.

Now coming to your issue: the jump in date (year) happens if your cameras internal clock battery isn't charged to hold current time. In that case. it updates the actual time once it gets a GPS lock. which happens a few minutes after you start driving.

So all the pre GPS lock files will end up at the top of the list (when sorted alphabetically). However their suffix (last 5 digits) should help you find the missing clips if it was just a file naming issue.

I'd also suggest you switch to Details view (Ctrl + Shift + 6) when looking for files

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Edit: Just noticed another thing: the video is dark at 12 noon, but there's light at 1600 hrs? Check if you've set your timezone properly

screenshot_20220112185202.png

Look at the last 5 digits. It kept recording after 68209 till 68232. If it were NOT recording, that number would not have increased.
I suspect your camera went into parking mode for some reason. Check DCIM/Parking folders if they are there
 
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I believe the problem will occur after the car has gone through filling the entire card and/or entering parking mode.
This implies the problem is a slow memory card. Once the card is full, it has to erase old video to add new video. Erasing a sector on a FLASH card is the slowest operation. This gets slower as the card wears. Until the card is full, the camera need only write data to the card. Once it is full, it must both erase old video and write the new video. If the card has gotten too slow, it will not be able to keep up with the data rate of the video, and it will fail.

I don't believe the speed tests include the time taken by the erase cycle.
 
How are you sorting files when viewing recorded files? I noticed sometimes it's alphabetical, sometimes reverse alphabetical

Since the modified/created time will match the filename prefix anyway, just sort alphabetically all the time.

Now coming to your issue: the jump in date (year) happens if your cameras internal clock battery isn't charged to hold current time. In that case. it updates the actual time once it gets a GPS lock. which happens a few minutes after you start driving.

So all the pre GPS lock files will end up at the top of the list (when sorted alphabetically). However their suffix (last 5 digits) should help you find the missing clips if it was just a file naming issue.

I'd also suggest you switch to Details view (Ctrl + Shift + 6) when looking for files

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Edit: Just noticed another thing: the video is dark at 12 noon, but there's light at 1600 hrs? Check if you've set your timezone properly

View attachment 59578

Look at the last 5 digits. It kept recording after 68209 till 68232. If it were NOT recording, that number would not have increased.
I suspect your camera went into parking mode for some reason. Check DCIM/Parking folders if they are there
I believe the files are set to be viewed/sorted by date and time (recent first). I will confirm and edit this post when I get home. Files are sorted by date modified-recent first NOT date and time.

The issue with the date and daylight which you are referring to is the camera defaulting the date and time when I reset it. I didn't go back and set the correct time therefore it has the incorrect time.
The issue I'm referring to is in that the file names and the time stamp on the camera are all synchronized in various clips but suddenly don't synchronize in some. The ones that aren't synchronized suddenly appear as the most recent files (via file time not timestamp) even though they are chronologicaly older clips.


About the parking mode: if you look at the end of my first post you'll see that I left the fishing spot at 8pm. The camera recorded less than 2mins of drive time and then didn't record the 2hr drive home. When I got home at 940pm the camera went into parking mode and started recording in parking mode.

There were no files in the parking mode or RO folder that matched the missing footage. The missing footage was MIA. The camera never audibly alerted that it wasn't recording.

If what you are saying about the gps lock time is true than it should have had this missing file error only one time. But it happened numerous times.
 
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This implies the problem is a slow memory card. Once the card is full, it has to erase old video to add new video. Erasing a sector on a FLASH card is the slowest operation. This gets slower as the card wears. Until the card is full, the camera need only write data to the card. Once it is full, it must both erase old video and write the new video. If the card has gotten too slow, it will not be able to keep up with the data rate of the video, and it will fail.

I don't believe the speed tests include the time taken by the erase cycle.
That makes sense but I would also be inclined to believe this puts additional strain on whatever resources the camera uses not just the memory card.
 
I reformatted the sd card in windows to fat32

-I reformatted the card inside the dashcam

The card has been tested with h2w and sd formatter.

I noticed in the post with photos the card is formatted as exFAT. What file system does your dash cam format the card with? Mine formats it with FAT32. It doesn't sound like it's the issue since you already formatted it in the dash cam, but I wanted to point out the inconsistency.

I would start trying to isolate the different variables. Drive it with the rear camera unplugged and see if the issue occurs. Drive it while the camera is powered by a USB bank and see if the issue occurs.
 
I noticed in the post with photos the card is formatted as exFAT. What file system does your dash cam format the card with? Mine formats it with FAT32. It doesn't sound like it's the issue since you already formatted it in the dash cam, but I wanted to point out the inconsistency.

I would start trying to isolate the different variables. Drive it with the rear camera unplugged and see if the issue occurs. Drive it while the camera is powered by a USB bank and see if the issue occurs.r

When i tested the card with sdformatter it was formatted to exfat. This is what the (older) screenshot above showed. I have since been using another program called GUI formatter which can format it to fat32 in PC. Ive used both programs to format the card prior to inserting it into the camera body. Either way, whenever i remount it to the viofo cam i always format it in-camera. When i do that the card gets formatted to fat32.

What card are you using?
Samsung (MB-ME128GA/AM) 128GB 100 MB/s (u3) MicroSDXC EVO Select
Powered through viofos 3 way kit set for 12.4v
FW 2.4
 
@ninja27 and everyone else
In regards to your posts above. Unfortunately you are responding to screenshots of files that no longer exist. Therefore i cant re-review anything as i didnt back up those files in the original post. As of the Opening post, the card has been formatted. I know you mentioned the possibility of the missing files somehow being attributed to the camera going into parking mode while driving. Maybe these -rough draft- screenshots i took will debunk that.

cSiFU9E.jpg

Reposting this SS of the last DRIVING files prior to reformatting.
I made a note here that file 20220107_195821_68291F had a timestamp of 7:58pm, File _68292F is the rear camera (same time)
This second SS shows a snippet of PARKING files I managed to capture but didnt post.
I made a note here that file 20220107_212756_68293PF had a timestamp of 9:29pm
As you can see the filenames are sequenced correctly but the parking file didnt start until i actually parked the car an hour and a half later.
That means the missing files were NOT in the RO folder. There is an hour and a half of missing footage.
The camera was set to record in 2min loops. There is no possible way I could be in the middle of the desert at file _68291F then be 58.5 miles back home on file_68293PF in 2 minutes . I would need to have been traveling at 1,725 MPH in order to get home in 2 minutes. I am not crazy.
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Card is currently sitting at 95% storage 115/119gb. All current files are accounted for. Ill see what happens once the camera/card starts overwriting.
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I think, as already posted, this type of view would help better with analysis :

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The missing footage was MIA. The camera never audibly alerted that it wasn't recording.
This is the biggest sin committed by every dashcam I have ever owned. Manufacturers should do everything in their power to prevent silent failures of their cameras. If the camera fails, it should make a big deal about it. Display a useful error message and beep out an error code continuously. It would be better to force the driver to pull over to silence the camera than to allow the driver to continue driving unaware that the camera has failed.
The camera should also beep out a pattern when entering parking mode. Entering parking mode when driving is an error the driver needs to know about.
 
This is the biggest sin committed by every dashcam I have ever owned. Manufacturers should do everything in their power to prevent silent failures of their cameras. If the camera fails, it should make a big deal about it. Display a useful error message and beep out an error code continuously. It would be better to force the driver to pull over to silence the camera than to allow the driver to continue driving unaware that the camera has failed.
The camera should also beep out a pattern when entering parking mode. Entering parking mode when driving is an error the driver needs to know about.
I totally agree. It should have warning tones for no power detected, no rear camera detected, overheat, not recording etc.

This is what im suspecting happened.

Now that i think about it those days were slightly chilly. I was running the heat/defrost on the car.
If you think about it both of the first instances the car recorded for about 20mins of driving. Went MIA then Immediately when parked it went into parking mode.

Im assuming the combination of running the car in 4k + having defrost on made the camera overheat. Once it overheated the camera had time to "cool down" as i dont think it was "on". Once i switch to park the camera receives the signal to come on again.

I will have to test how the camera behaves (turns off) when it overheats. If it shuts off no warning then i highly suspect this is what happened. If it overheats it causes the filenames to desynchronize then i can pretty much confirm it.

The only thing i question is why the camera ran for roughly 20mins the first 2 times and only 1m50s the third time before shutting off.

If all this turns out to be true... then ICBF with this "4k" Viofo camera. Cant run it in 4k during summer cant run it in 4k during winter.
 
I'm dubious that warm air being blown up the windscreen is any hotter than driving towards the sun in summer ?

I could very well be wrong, just an opinion.
 
Not familiar with the A129 but on the measured heat tests I've done things were much much hotter than any car heater or defroster I've ever encountered, so I can't see that being a direct factor here, although it could be adversely affecting an out-of-spec component in the cam or GPS mount. Could also be an out-of-spec card overheating too; they do have their own heat limitations though usually higher than cams.

Phil
 
Heater is blowing out 145F air. A129pro lists a 149F max operating temperature. Sd card has 185F max operating temperature.

Can't be compared to summer heat. Summer heat there is roughly a 115F ambient temperature. Leaving the car enclosed yes it will reach 160F inside. However as soon as you start the car/air conditioner the temp drops to 120F within seconds. Then to around 80F within a couple more seconds.

While the car is driving the car is receiving 45F air while the ambient temp is 115F

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Wow, that is some heater !!!
 
My heat tests measured at the cams ranged from 150F/ 65C to 160F/ 71C IIRC, and none of the quality cams failed. In previous unmeasured testing I've seen cheaper cams fail and all cams failed when recording normally parked in full sun on super-hot summer days. At these temps plastic siftens and touching metal more than a second or so leaves 1st degree burns behind. The impressive heat you see at the vent will be much less by the time it reaches the cam, test that yourself by measuring there.

Undortunately the way the world is right now, all 4K cams run quite hot and therefore will have heat-related issues sooner than cams needing less processing power, so you have to choose one trait over the other. Heat tolerance or 4K; pick one.

Phil
 
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