G1WH (Preventative tweaks on a new unit)

[HoZy]

Hi all,

After browsing the forums for a while I picked up a G1WH from eBay seller "cu-tomorrow"
In Sydney,Aus. For $55AUD ($42USD) including delivery.

First things first, It arrived. I threw my Class10 Samsung pro 16GB MicroSD in & formatted it and set it up confirming it is working and continued to dismantle the unit confirming it had a genuine Novatek NT96650 it shipped with "G1WH-DA380-2014.11.28.03" firmware with the internal battery dated January 2015.

Then decided to tackle some "common issues" I noticed people post about on this forum & various others as a "preventative" measure.

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Minor rattles = Disassembled and used thin foam backed tape over all buttons, Still tactile & no rattles.

Faulty USB socket = Re-Soldered 4xGrounding tabs (2 were ontop of their solder pads with no solder), Pressed in the top tab slightly for more clamping force & applied hot glue to sides & rear of port to increase life.

Faulty/No SD card inserted = Re-Soldered the 4xGrounding tabs (1 wasn't even soldered) as well as hot glue on this one.

Out of focus/low focus when hot = Adjusted focus ring ever so slightly using mini-hdmi out on TV then used Hot glue @ the base of the lens assembly, The middle threads & the top thread.

Loose battery = Small dot of hot glue on opposing corners of the lipo battery (Included double sided tape was very weak)

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I also decided to plastidip the white useless LED diffuser black for the sakes of it being annoying.

Now, Some other things I've read is the lipo acting up in cold & hot weather, For this I ordered a "Turnigy nano-tech 260mAh 1S 35-70C Lipo Pack" for $3.95aud + post.

While being a hobbyist I've always noticed the nano-tech batteries reacting best to cold/hot weather as well as they do not have a habit of ballooning under extreme weather like regular lithium polymer batteries do.

This has yet to arrive and I will update once it does.

Thanks for listening to my rambling,
Cheers
Mat

Edit: Couple of iPhone snaps

 

[SawMaster]

I like your way of thinking! Once I get to know what I've got I rarely leave anything alone after the warranty runs out because I can see where it can be made to do better. My friends joke that I can't leave anything alone but my stuff always works better than theirs so I have a rebuttal

If you could point me to some more info online about the differences between Nano-tech and LiPo batteries I would appreciate that; one can never know too much!

Phil

 

[Dashmellow]

Once I get to know what I've got I rarely leave anything alone after the warranty runs out because I can see where it can be made to do better.

You wait for the warranty to run out? What a wuss!

 

[HoZy]

All I can say is so far so good, I didn't use the charger that came with it as it looked terrible, The cable was mostly rubber than wire.

I used an eBay 12v - 5v 3A USB stepdown & wired it to the wiring of my Cigarette Lighter and used a good quality USB cable.

Still waiting on my adhesive mount & turnigy 260mah nano-tech battery.

Cheers
Mat

 

[Dashmellow]

All I can say is so far so good, I didn't use the charger that came with it as it looked terrible, The cable was mostly rubber than wire.

Yeah, a decent shielded cable in a proper wire gauge is a top priority!

I guess if they used better quality components in these dirt cheap dash cams, they wouldn't be so dirt cheap.

 

[HoZy]

Yeah, a decent shielded cable in a proper wire gauge is a top priority!

I guess if they used better quality components in these dirt cheap dash cams, they wouldn't be so dirt cheap.

I suppose, But I've spent $25aud ontop of the dash cam. That includes microsd, battery, adhesive mount, cable & stepdown buck.

Pretty happy with that, Especially because this was meant to be a "temporary" camera, But if it lasts me 1-2years I'll be over the moon.

Total $60USD inc. camera.

Cheers
Mat

 

[Dashmellow]

I suppose, But I've spent $25aud ontop of the dash cam. That includes microsd, battery, adhesive mount, cable & stepdown buck.

Pretty happy with that, Especially because this was meant to be a "temporary" camera, But if it lasts me 1-2years I'll be over the moon.

Total $60USD inc. camera.

Cheers
Mat

Yes, I understand and agree. Perhaps you've seen the DIY project I posted where I installed a high quality lens in a G1W-H and ended up with a camera that provides remarkably improved image quality.
I spent $40.00 USD for the original camera, stealth painted the front shell and installed a lens worth approximately 30 dollars USD, so I have over 70 dollars into a camera I bought to "play" with and am delighted with the results.

(The camera uses an aftermarket 15 ft shielded power cable and USB charger, so the actual cost to me is really a bit higher than quoted I suppose, but those items have also been in use with other cameras.)

 

[Spriggan43]

Hi Guys,

First time on this forum, i also have a G1WH from ebay seller "cu-tomorrow" and it has been work fine (1 month old now), till last week when the unit stopped seeing the SD card, thinking the SD card was dead i tested in the card in a computer the card works fine, So i am left thinking, that maybe my unit also has a lack of solder problem. what do you guys think?
Is there a how too for cracking open the camera without destroying it?

 

[Dashmellow]

Is there a how too for cracking open the camera without destroying it?

https://dashcamtalk.com/g1w/#Disassembling_the_Camera

 

[Spriggan43]

Th

https://dashcamtalk.com/g1w/#Disassembling_the_Camera

Thank you.
Now i just need some plastic tools and its go time.

 

[Dashmellow]

Th

Thank you.
Now i just need some plastic tools and its go time.

You can use a filed down corner of an old credit card, a guitar pick, a carefully applied pocket knife or just about anything else you can think of to improvise with.

 

[Module 79L]

Hi Guys,

First time on this forum, i also have a G1WH from ebay seller "cu-tomorrow" and it has been work fine (1 month old now), till last week when the unit stopped seeing the SD card, thinking the SD card was dead i tested in the card in a computer the card works fine, (...)

Just because the computer test says the card is fine it doesn't mean that the camera "thinks" the same. There are a lot of cards that work perfectly fine on smartphones, tablets or photo cameras and have some issues with dashcams. What card are you using?