Getting ready to go on a trip, need a dashcam

[sixfeetfree]

Morning friends,

We are about to head out on an eastern seaboard trip to Florida to help out on a family move. I've been nominated to drive their second car. There will be lots of stops on this 18 hour trip because they have little ones who can't travel for 9 hours each day, so we will be doing three 6 hour days. We would like to document the trip.

In no particular order.
Suction cup mount
Wifi
Large SD card compliant
Not hardwired
Smartphone App is a must
GPS would be nice
Single channel
2k video
Don't care about physical size
Needs to have a screen
Budget - $300 give or take.

I have had 3 Viofo A119's in the past and 2 of the 3 failed within 6 months, so I've not had good luck with that brand. Garmin 56 or 66w looks promising but I thought I'd get the opinion of DCT before my purchase.

This place is the arfcom of dashcams.

Many thanks!

 

[Outbacknomad]

I bought 4 Garmin 56 cameras for all four sides. Haven't really had them long enough, but the small amount of reviewing I have done, so far so happy with day and night videos.

Have added linear polarising film (optical sheet) to 3 cameras and 30.5mm linear polarising filter and modified step up ring to the front camera. I already had all these parts for actual photography.

The only thing to be aware of if you decide to get a Garmin when you first set it up make sure it gets a full satellite signal. Something that should be noted in the manual. Otherwise you have to go through the process again.....

I haven't tried the 66, but I think it would be too wide and as such you would have less detail for a given area.

I bought SanDisk 256GB high endurance cards. You will get about 17 hours before over writing.

P.S. Pace yourself, we have driven around Australia a few times. Eating sweets in the car is the worst thing. Fresh real food is better. Better still a fridge. Agree with the stopping regularly!

 

[sixfeetfree]

Cheers Outbacknomad!

We will certainly pace ourselves. Little ones are 2 and 6 months, plus 1 dog, so any long term driving is most assuredly out of the question. I figure 3 morning hours with an hour or so break, and another 3 hours after lunch or so. We have 5 days to spare but I think we can manage it in 3. Fresh fruit is a good idea, thank you.

How does the smartphone app perform with your Garmin units?

For my previous Viofo's, I think I used Dash cam viewer but didn't spend much time with it.

 

[Outbacknomad]

Haven't really used the app other than to position cameras for the VHB mounting tape. Don't want to get it wrong unnecessarily.

I've had no experience with other cameras so can't say if it is good or bad. But my personal opinion is that the bit I did it is a bit slow to connect & slow changing cameras. But then I got the cameras to sit there and if there was an issue I would take the card out and stick in the computer.

I have a Garmin GPS and am happy with that. It was a factor in why I got this camera(s).