Help a brother out

[cltjames]

Hi guys,

Looking to outfit a 2010 Nissan Rogue with 360 coverage (say for keying). Must haves: buffered parking mode, low light visibility. From browsing the forums, it seems like 1080 is the way to go for night instead of 4k. Probably a 2 2ch connected to a hardwired battery pack with an extra battery pack.

 

[jokiin]

buffered parking mode is a bandaid fix to try and improve motion detection reliablility, it helps but still not foolproof, particularly in low light situations

 

[cltjames]

It records leading up to the event as far as I understood. At least that's what I want it for.

 

[jokiin]

It records leading up to the event as far as i understood. At least thats what i want it for

the point is motion detect doesn't always work, particularly in low light situations, if your car is getting damaged at night you're better to use timelapse or constant recording if you want to be sure to catch what's happening

 

[cltjames]

Ok. How would I manage constant recording, battery and storage wise?

 

[SawMaster]

Welcome to DCT @cltjames

360 degree coverage is fairly easy at a distance, but to get images directly beside the car gets complicated. Remember that the lens sees in a "V" shape starting at the camera so 4 wide-angle cams will overlap, but not up close. You'll probably have small areas uncovered to at least some degree. I presume Jokiin will explain the virtues of low bitrate recording versus other parking modes, but ATM it seems to be the best was to have assured event coverage for reasonably long parking times. And yes, running that many cams in any fashion will take more than your car battery to do for more than say an hour or two of parking.

Up close, 1080p can give good images, almost certainly enough for catching vandals, but it also takes some light for this to happen- no cam records in total darkness and the IR cams we have now do not have exterior illumination; they are intended to capture images inside the car. You also need to let us know your budget limits, as this kind of coverage doesn't come cheap. But have hope, for there's probably something we can do for you here if you can afford it.

Phil

 

[cltjames]

I'll spend whatever, although cheaper is preferred, so varying options would be greatly appreciated. So long parking time in low light visibility, what are my options? Also, how do I change the flag by my username?

 

[SawMaster]

I think the flag is automatic and represents where the server that is connecting you to the internet is located. We've had at least one member here change his several times by using different VPN's

One of the best low-light sensors right now is the IMX291 which also does great daytime. The IMX 323 does good in low-light but has lower overall resolution capability for less cost. The key here is to know what lighting you'll have- can you describe this? If it's really low the 323 might not be good enough.

Phil

 

[jokiin]

Ok. How would I manage constant recording, battery and storage wise?

battery usage is the same either way, you want cameras ready to go they need power

some cameras will offer a lower bitrate than normal for constant recording while parked to save space, timelapse saves even more space

 

[cltjames]

Let's just do 291 to be safe, since the lighting is dependent on where parking is available in my lot. Will I need more than one battery pack, are packs better than banks, will the suggested cam auto sort files into seperate folders to manage most likely large(r) file size due to constant recording, that sort of thing

 

[SawMaster]

The Viofo A129 Duo has a wedge-shaped main unit with a small remote; this cam does low bitrate parking recording and both main and remote use the IMX291. Can you mount this type of cam, or would you prefer something more like the K2S Pro which uses two small remote cam units cabled back to the main cam processor box? @jokiin might have some SG cams he could suggest for here as well.

Phil

 

[cltjames]

I can mount.

 

[SawMaster]

OK then, you do need to be aware that some users of the A129 Duo have had issues with it shutting down while parked, and of it stopping while driving and beeping. This does not affect everyone using parking modes in this cam and whether you will experience these issues is anyone's guess. Please read the threads on this site regards this before choosing this cam. Also look there to determine which SD card you'll want to buy. Dashcams are particular about SD cards and reliability so use only one you find well-recommended here for the A129 Duo to avoid problems

Powering the cams will require USB- type powerbanks which will need charging between uses, or you can use the Cellink Neo powerbank kit which automatically charges as you drive. It does require 45 minutes of driving to fully charge so if your daily drives are shorter than that it might not be the best idea. You can guestimate powerbank capacity by knowing that 2 cams will use about 1000mA per hour for regular recording and nearly that much for low-bitrate recording while parked. Based on where everything is mounted you might need longer USB cables to power the system. Again these need to be high quality with large all copper conductors and not the cheaper CCA type cables. 24ga is a good wire size, and Monoprice is a good place to source these.

If you don't think the A129 Duo is for you we can find alternatives, but they will either be higher priced, without the low-bitrate parking option, or with lesser-grade sensors.

Phil

 

[cltjames]

Here is the spot where I park.

 

[cltjames]

That lighting. What dashcam and mode is best for reliable all night recording? Buffered, time-lapse, constant recording? Or is time-lapse constant recording?

 

[jokiin]

if you're parking where that water spot is you'll have a chance, if you're in the shadows on the other side it's fat chance, odds will get even lower if you have tinted windows

 

[cltjames]

Obviously where I took the picture is my spot, not halfway across the parking lot. So not super low light. I havent read good things about Thinkware and Street Guardian doesn't even have parking mode. The A129 Duo looks good, is there no better alternative?

 

[jokiin]

Obviously where I took the picture is my spot, not halfway across the parking lot. So not super low light. I havent read good things about Thinkware and Street Guardian doesn't even have parking mode. The A129 Duo looks good, is there no better alternative?

nothing is obvious if you don't specify, open car parks like this don't always have designated spots, or you get people that park wherever they want even though they shouldn't and you end up on the other side

we have parking mode on a number of our cameras

Thinkware are ok, not the best, not the worst, they have their issues though, low quality video, fussy with memory cards etc, no camera is perfect for everyone, it's about what works for you though

 

[cltjames]

I specified with a pic angled at the ground saying "Here is where I park". Next time I'll draw an arrow just for you. Please read before you respond, this is the second time you've responded based on misunderstanding a clear question.

Ok. How would I manage constant recording, battery and storage wise?

battery usage is the same either way, you want cameras ready to go they need power

some cameras will offer a lower bitrate than normal for constant recording while parked to save space, timelapse saves even more space

Oh really, cameras need power? Why would people be inclined to ask for help, if you talk to them like they're stupid?

 

[jokiin]

Read before you respond, this is the second time you've responded based on misunderstanding a clear question.

Oh really, cameras need power?

seems you didn't understand the answer, constant recording, motion detect, or timelapse will have the same battery usage either way, the differences are related to memory usage so what you need for power is going to be the same requirement regardless of which method you choose