Have A119, but which next? Yi;B1W;A119?

DavidUK

DavidUK

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You may recall I bought an A119 over a year ago, made a DIY CPL, fixed a buzzing noise (buttons) and then disappeared. That's because now it's sorted and just... works!

BUT... my wife was watching "Car Crash TV" or similar last night and said "Get me one!"

My default would be to get another A119, and I notice there's now A119V2 and A119S. Prices £75-85 for the A119 or A119V2

But having a quick nose around here, the B1W seems to be well regarded at around £45 on ebay, although 7 pages of discussion about various niggles worries me, here: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/blueskysea-b1w-dashcam.31173/

And I just watched Techmoan's review of the Yi 2.7 Ultra:

At £66 delivered this seems like an OK buy?

So, what's best value for money? The A119, which I know how to use; the B1W which doesn't seem quite as capable as the A119 in the 7 way test here: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...gitup-f1-g3-a119-b1w-xiaomi-mijia-mini.32045/ ; or the Yi 2.7 Ultra?

And who on here supports the Blueskysea B1W and Yi? I had excellent support from @viofo last year, but I see from the Yi 2.7 Ultra thread support may not be good here or direct? And Blueskysea?

I'm tempted by Techmoan's recommendation to go for the Yi 2.7 at £66, but @Wastedagen had some issues, here: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/yi-ultra-dash-camera.30650/page-3#post-381415

Which would you choose and why? Any others I'm missing which do as good a job for less, are reliable, and have good support?

Many thanks for your input.
 
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I can't think of a better alternative (for my needs) than the A119. I now have 2 in daily use and recommend it to anyone that is interested in some inexpensive insurance for their vehicles. when 4K (not fauxK) models start to become affordable and brighter for night driving, i'll consider switching it up.
 
Welcome back @DavidUK I did wonder where you'd gone! That's my 7cam thread you've been reading.

As you already have an A119, it's an easy recommendation to buy another one. It's reliable, discreet and inexpensive. Choosing between A119 and A119s is a matter of personal preference.

The B1W costs less than the A119, but offers a bit less too. Wifi app required to setup vs the A119 has a screen and buttons. Shape is different, may or may not suit her car better. Lower bitrate means more video duration on a microSD card, ideal for parking mode. Number plate recognition is rather good, but sometimes the higher resolution A119 does better. Both have capacitors rather than batteries. A119 can run silent or give audible feedback. B1W talks to you - whether that is reassuring or annoying is up to you, or your wife to be more accurate. A119 has CPL option. B1W may need a DIY solution... B1W support from @estore009

I don't know anything about the Yi ultra, except to point out the obvious that it's much more noticeable hanging down from a mount like that. Not everyone's cup of tea.
 
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@DavidUK Thanks for inquiry,you can get B1W support from me!
 
It may be best to go to the driver's (right) side of the car as the left isn't swept by the wipers unless under the dots, as below...

20160908_102834-2.jpg

Lots of "hanging" space. Dots mean a sticky mount, my preference anyhow...

20160908_102926-2.jpg

Space under and to the right of the dots seems ideal (BMW X1) and I think the A119 would fit nicely here with the lens poking out just under the dots. B1W would have cable coming out of right side, not ideal here, but it could go under the dots on the left hand side. Yi could hang either side.

@estore009 - does the B1W have a flip mode yet so it can be turned upside down with wire to the left?

A119 is £85 on Amazon but £60 on ebay from China via "Bedforshire". I take it all the different Bedforshire sellers are one and the same? No mention of import duty, just a wait for it to arrive.

It would be interesting to try the B1W as "something different" but there again familiarity with the A119 appeals. I'll think on a little more...
 
A119 is currently £65 with GPS from Banggood where I bought mine with no import duty. Arrived quickly too.
 
TonyM said:
A119 is currently £65 with GPS from Banggood where I bought mine with no import duty. Arrived quickly too.
Click to expand...

Did it sneak through UK Customs, or was it supposed to be duty free, dispatched from an EU distribution centre? VAT and RM handling charge don't appeal!
Thanks for the info.
 
estore009 said:
No flip mode now,will add auto flip in my next batch!
Click to expand...

Next batch or next firmware version? Just wondering if the flip could be applied to those units already out there with other members?

Where's best to buy B1W or A119 (V1 or V2, not S) from the UK please? Are Banggood and all the ebay "Bedforshire" resellers OK? Where else?
 
for the heck of it, here's a B1w mounted under an a119. (for size comparison)

b1wa119.jpg

I'd be tempted to go with the b1w unless you think your wife is going to want to fiddle with the app when driving.

:)
 
DavidUK said:
Did it sneak through UK Customs, or was it supposed to be duty free, dispatched from an EU distribution centre? VAT and RM handling charge don't appeal!
Thanks for the info.
Click to expand...
There is no import tax on that amount anyway, but you should pay VAT imported or not, if it is imported then it is your responsibility to ensure VAT gets paid. Of course if you are buying it from Bedforshire then the supplier should have paid VAT so you don't need to, shouldn't matter where it is actually posted from, although you should probably check their business address really is in UK!

Ebay is normally safe if you pay through PayPal.

I suggest the A119, but you could try the B1W and if you don't like it as a front camera then it still makes an excellent rear camera.

Mounting to the right is better, easier access if the mirror is in the way and it is closer to approaching cars so there is less motion blur due to the angle.
 
i'd go for the A119. Enough with camera dangling. A nice wedge well stuck up and flush. you forget to have it up there.Stealth, tried and true.
 
DavidUK said:
Where's best to buy B1W or A119 (V1 or V2, not S) from the UK please? Are Banggood and all the ebay "Bedforshire" resellers OK? Where else?
Click to expand...
B1W is available on amazon,and its order was fulfilled by amazon!
 
The THREE fake reviews on Amazon have rather put me off the B1W. Note the same phrases used in all three, especially "a built-in LCD screen so you can easily see the footage" (it has no screen). Who sees the need to fake reviews? They should try not to repeat phrases, and get the spec right at least!:

Screen Shot 2017-12-23 at 10.36.03.png
Screen Shot 2017-12-23 at 10.36.14.png

Screen Shot 2017-12-23 at 10.36.29.png
 
Yes those "reviews" on places like ebay and amazon are sad, it are not needed if you have a good product.
Though i must also admit i never really like to make reviews like that, and also places like trustpilot well i dont use them at all.

If you get what you pay for ( a working product ) then everything are normal, and normal you should not need to passe on.
On the other hand if you dont get what you pay for, then it would be nice to pass that on so other can have a chance to make a informed judgment of whether to buy or not.

You dont see people on the street yelling "HEYYYYY EVERYTHING ARE NORMAL", but if something is wrong then people should yell out so other people dont get harmed.
So from my point of view things should only have bad remarks ( if they are bad ) and no remarks if they are good, this other way are just confusing people i think.
 
'SOMETIMES' the reviews are of the wrong product from the same manufacturer. (On amazon)
I suspect amazon is screwing up at times. YES, there are fake reviews, and glowing reviews from people who don't know anything.

The B1W is a simple, competent dashcam.
 
kamkar1 said:
Yes those "reviews" on places like ebay and amazon are sad, it are not needed if you have a good product.
.....
Click to expand...

I tend to agree, BUT nowadays reviews are a marketing tool like others.

It happened very recently with a 360 camera (RYLO).
Before it was released there had been enthusiastic reviews by first reviewers
http://360rumors.com/2017/11/rylo-camera-amazon-reviews-real-fake.html

But the camera AFTERWARS indeed prove to be quite good
http://360rumors.com/2017/12/rylo-360-camera-image-stabilization-video-demos.html
http://360rumors.com/2017/12/rylo-vs-insta360-one-compact-stabilized-4k-360-camera.html
 
Without incentive fake reviews wouldn't exist. I wonder who the beneficiary is. :whistle: :D
 
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