Front and rear dash cam with parking mode. How does it work?

[russ331]

Also Russ...that camera you've got, the "SGZC12RC". It's not even listed on the dash cam comparison page on this site lol. Why did you choose it?

I prefer the smallest possible dashcam, so I can leave it permanently mounted, yet be confident that it won't be seen by a thieving scumbag when the car is parked unattended.



Add in buffered motion & g-sensing, capacitor, the ability to work with 2 power sources, good build & image quality, 2 Year Warranty & unrivalled support by Street Guardian, it was the winner in terms of best fit for my wants / needs.

 

[Jez]

Definitely going on my list of potentials...where did you buy it in the UK?

 

[abarth]

1. Why do you also have three cameras? (or four!? you mentioned the panorama as well?)

The panorama X1 is tiny to it’s a good match for my hatch glass. I also like the fact that I don’t have to go to my hatch to check on it’s status as the recording unit/LCD/SD card sits on my dash. My mini 0805 is on my front windshield as it’s also discreet enough to blend into my rearview mirror area. And as far as picture quality, it’s the better than the X1 so I’d rather have it up front. The blacksys 2-channel DVR that I have is currently uninstalled but I may have it cover the sides of my vehicle if I’m motivated enough to hook it up one of these weekends.

2. Will all the single channel dashcams have a power cable long enough to be used as a rear camera, with the cable running to behind the glovebox?

No, not all. But it’s easy enough to either use a USB extension cable or just splice your own wiring in between power source and camera.

3. Why did you get a multi safer BDP instead of the lukas 290?

The multi safer was the least expensive of the two at the time of purchase. And I’ve been using for a while now. It’s never let me down.

4. Why does a BDP allow you to set the cut-off voltage? eg. 11.8, 12, 12.2 volts. Is this just to allow a higher margin of safety? And maybe for an older battery it is better to set it higher?

It largely depends on your environment. You’ll want more voltage reserved if you live in a colder climate otherwise your battery may not have enough juice to start your car. I live in northern California where it rarely drops below 5*C even during the winter so I can confidently have my voltage drop to 12 without having issues.

5. Some of the BPDs have one female cigarette socket..can they all be used with a splitter and then two cameras? (eg. the multi-safer only has one socket)

I have a splitter connected to my BDP right now. It powers my mini 0805 and pano X1

 

[russ331]

Definitely going on my list of potentials...where did you buy it in the UK?

@niko is the sole distributor for the EU... http://hiniko.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=275

He's in Dublin.

 

[niko]

@niko is the sole distributor for the EU... http://hiniko.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=275

He's in Dublin.

Definitely going on my list of potentials...where did you buy it in the UK?

2 working days delivery to UK. No tax, no VAT etc.
2y warranty.
All local stock.

 

[Jez]

Thanks abarth

Hi niko, I'm going to narrow my list down now and may be in touch soon!

 

[niko]

Thanks abarth

Hi niko, I'm going to narrow my list down now and may be in touch soon!

Take your time, do research. I am always here to assist with any questions.

 

[Jez]

Thanks Niko

 

[niko]

Thanks Niko

No problem

 

[Jez]

Sorry guys, I was about to post a thread about potential cameras...but a couple more questions about parking mode!

If a camera with parking mode, eg. street guardian, is connected to a BDP - when the car turns off, does it automatically go into parking mode? This is a lower power mode, where the camera is just buffering the last 5 seconds, ready for motion detection or the G sensor to start it recording?

What if a camera without parking mode is plugged into a BDP - what happens when the engine is turned off? The camera remains fully on?

Are there any BDP systems that allow short time periods, eg. one hour/two hours? I would like to fit a BDP but do not need the cameras on when my car is outside my house overnight for 12 hours every night.

Thanks

 

[jokiin]

an external power management device won't have any influence on cameras being in parking mode or otherwise

 

[Jez]

Ok, so does the user need to manually put a camera into parking mode when they park their car?

 

[niko]

Ok, so does the user need to manually put a camera into parking mode when they park their car?

SGZC12RC can be operated two ways:
1. driving with Normal recording mode and manually switch into "motion detection" recording when parked.
2. drive always "Motion detection" ON, then you don't need manually switching anything.

 

[Jez]

Thanks Niko,

So is the motion detection feature on the 12RC considered to be parking mode? It's constantly got a few seconds buffered?

 

[niko]

Thanks Niko,

So is the motion detection feature on the 12RC considered to be parking mode? It's constantly got a few seconds buffered?

People commonly call parking mode if there is a pre-buffer recording while car is parked. It is constantly buffer into RAM memory and when there is a motion then it takes 5 sec before even and saves it, so you dont miss any important pre-event action.

 

[abarth]

it's like an always-on parking mode. the sensitivity is very high so you can leave it on motion detect and be confident that it will not miss anything. it's so good that you'll want a big memory card if you have any activity around your vehicle because it will be recorded.

 

[Jez]

Thanks guys

 

[Jez]

Hopefully the last question for this thread..!

Let's say I have a high end camera up front, eg. street guardian, and a cheaper cam for the rear, eg. mobius. Both plugged into a BPD. Both in motion detection mode (which I believe the mobius also has).

This will be a reasonably effective version of parking mode? The only difference between the two is that the street guardian will buffer and save a few seconds before motion is detected? Whereas the mobius will only start recording/saving from the point that motion is detected?

Thanks

 

[abarth]

Hopefully the last question for this thread..!

Let's say I have a high end camera up front, eg. street guardian, and a cheaper cam for the rear, eg. mobius. Both plugged into a BPD. Both in motion detection mode (which I believe the mobius also has).

This will be a reasonably effective version of parking mode? The only difference between the two is that the street guardian will buffer and save a few seconds before motion is detected? Whereas the mobius will only start recording/saving from the point that motion is detected?

Thanks

To make things even more confusing, cameras vary greatly at their effectiveness when detecting motion. My panorama pre-buffers which means it records for a few seconds before motion is detected. It’s very, very good. My mini on the other hand does not pre-buffer which means that when parked, a passing car may make it 1/3 into the frame before it starts to record. Not great but it’s still much better than nothing.

you'd be best served if you do specific research on the cameras you're considering since there's too many differences in feature sets and their effectiveness therein.

my definition of "effective" will differ from yours for our respective uses.

 

[Jez]

Hi abarth,

Sorry if we're going round in circles, but what's your definition of effective parking mode? Both front and rear cameras connected to a BDP, and both have motion detection and a buffering period?

I gave the street guardian and mobius as an example because if I do go for two separate cameras, it is likely that the front will be a street guardian and the rear, a cheaper model which does not have the buffering feature.