Help a brother out

[HonestReview]

Some days I won't even drive the car, so I guess power banks are my best option for running 4 cams overnight. Are those models the best for something like this?

Power Bank still relies upon you driving the car to charge the battery pack. Theoretically, if you drive enough, the battery pack is charged and you'll have 24 hours or so of "parking mode".

Hard Wired direct to fuse box requires your car battery to be charged. Again, enough driving to charge car battery. As with a Voltage Cutoff from the A129 Duo Hardwire Kit (or whatever camera / hardwire kit), it'll shut it off at the voltage you specify.

Battery Voltage

12.6 = 100%
12.4 = 75%
12.2 = 50%

Never recommend going below 12.2 / 50%, You may find a car that won't start in the winter.

AGM Battery = $300 or so from googling
Battery Pack = $300

Pick your poison.

 

[Dashmellow]

Power Bank still relies upon you driving the car to charge the battery pack. Theoretically, if you drive enough, the battery pack is charged and you'll have 24 hours or so of "parking mode".

Power banks should never be charged at the same time they are discharging unless they specifically have circuitry that allows for it. Very few power banks on the market have the appropriate circuitry for what is known as pass-through-charging.

There is also the issue of heat and vibration in an automotive environment to consider when charging power banks. Power banks should be at rest, at room temperature when charging.

Aside from that you'd need to drive all day and most of the night to properly charge a high capacity power bank in an automobile.

 

[cltjames]

@HonestReview How can you be wrong so often?

@Dashmellow so would having say four halos and swapping them every night work?

 

[Dashmellow]

Some days I won't even drive the car, so I guess power banks are my best option for running 4 cams overnight. Are those models the best for something like this?

I don't have personal experience with the 50,000 mAh banks. I think you'd be fine with a 20,000mAh (or somewhat greater) model. There are some excellent ones from PowerADD. RAVpower, Anker and a few other brands worth considering at very reasonable prices. They all come with decent warranties and customer service. Each power bank will have at least two ports to operate two cameras.

I'd recommend trying one and seeing how it works for you and then purchasing one or two more if you are satisfied with the results you get.

 

[cltjames]

For your power bank setup, is it discreet? Doesn't need to be perfect, just don't want wires hanging around

 

[HonestReview]

@HonestReview How can you be wrong so often?

@Dashmellow so would having say four halos and swapping them every night work?

Wrong about what? Those Hardwiring numbers are accurate.

Battery Pack goes to accessory in fuse box and Charges while you drive.---> Battery Pack ---> Camera Hardwire Kit...Powers Camera while Car is Off.
Hard Wire Camera to Fuse Box = Car battery charges while you drive. Shut off Car, Camera uses Car Battery. Once the car battery drops to a given voltage, camera shuts off.

Not rocket science......I'm not wrong.

 

[Dashmellow]

I'm not wrong.

No, HonestReview, you're NEVER wrong.

 

[Dashmellow]

For your power bank setup, is it discreet? Doesn't need to be perfect, just don't want wires hanging around

My truck has two 12V ports - cigar lighter receptacles - (although they don't call them that anymore) about 8 inches apart right over a cubby box under the dash board in the center console. I just unplug the cameras from their adapters and plug into the power banks in the console compartment. It's convenient and discreet.

 

[DT MI]

I think you'd be fine with a 20,000mAh (or somewhat greater) model.

FWIW as an informal benchmark I've run 2 SG9665GC cameras on a fully charged 12,000mAh PowerAdd pack for over 6 hours and it still had over 50% capacity left based on the LED displays on the unit.

 

[HonestReview]

No, HonestReview, you're NEVER wrong.

I've been wrong plenty of times here and in life. Those numbers are solid.

1. Op asked a very targeted question about 360 Degree Cover. I pointed out the proposed ideas were infeasible. 360 Degree Coverage is not possible with the setup OP was seeking. I suggested a Quad System vs 2 Dual Channels.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=quad+channel+dash+camera&ref=nb_sb_noss

2. Op has now concluded that he he doesn't want that but 2 x 2 channels. That's fine. There will be blind spots with whatever coverage he obtains. And mounting onto the A or C Pillar in a newer vehicle may run into issue with Side Curtains. So wiring tucked behind airbag. Side Curtain ever deploys and it trashes dashcam.

3 Those Voltage Numbers are right.....I wouldn't ever recommend anyone go below 12.2....But hey go for it. at 12.0 (25%), you may find the car won't start...

4. Whether Battery Pack (ACC) or Hardwire (Car Battery), both have to charge while driving. So not driving sufficient amounts of time will shorten the record time on both.

 

[HonestReview]

My truck has two 12V ports - cigar lighter receptacles - (although they don't call them that anymore) about ten inches apart right over a cubby box under the dash board in the center console. I just unplug the cameras from their adapters and plug into the power banks in the console compartment. It's convenient and discreet.

Are those 12V sockets the type that are always on when the vehicle is off (using battery) or only hot when the car is started?

 

[Dashmellow]

FWIW as an informal benchmark I've run 2 SG9665GC cameras on a fully charged 12,000mAh PowerAdd pack for over 6 hours and it still had over 50% capacity left based on the LED displays on the unit.

Yeah, 12,000 mAh is fine. I like the extra reserve capacity of the 20,000 mAh units and these days the price difference between a 12,000 mAh bank and a 20,000 mAh bank is negligible and the size of the units are basically the same.

I think for the OP's needs the larger capacity would serve him well.

 

[TonyM]

I charge my powerbanks indoors with a wall charger...

 

[Dashmellow]

I've been wrong plenty of times here and in life. Those numbers are solid.

1. Op asked a very targeted question about 360 Degree Cover. I pointed out the proposed ideas were infeasible. 360 Degree Coverage is not possible with the setup OP was seeking. I suggested a Quad System vs 2 Dual Channels.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=quad+channel+dash+camera&ref=nb_sb_noss

2. Op has now concluded that he he doesn't want that but 2 x 2 channels. That's fine. There will be blind spots with whatever coverage he obtains. And mounting onto the A or C Pillar in a newer vehicle may run into issue with Side Curtains. So wiring tucked behind airbag. Side Curtain ever deploys and it trashes dashcam.

3 Those Voltage Numbers are right.....I wouldn't ever recommend anyone go below 12.2....But hey go for it. at 12.0 (25%), you may find the car won't start...

4. Whether Battery Pack (ACC) or Hardwire (Car Battery), both have to charge while driving. So not driving sufficient amounts of time will shorten the record time on both.

My view is that you are a bloviating guy who rattles on about things you have little or no personal experience with, arguing with members who have years of knowledge gained from actual hands on experience.

 

[TonyM]

I have a 10,000mAh battery and it's just about enough to run an A129 Duo for 8 hours, from memory. I prefer to use the 20,000mAh batteries so I know they won't run out.

Edit: My memory might not be reliable

 

[Dashmellow]

As an experiment I ran a SG9665GC with a freshly charged, not brand new 20,000 mAh power bank (PowerADD Pilot Plus li-polymer) until it ran down completely and it went for more than 50 hours.

 

[cltjames]

Just ignore him, it's the only way, otherwise this thread will be full of the useless turd's comments and responses to said useless comments. So three or four power banks should be enough, if I charge one or two while two others are used for all night parking mode, yes?

 

[HonestReview]

I charge my powerbanks indoors with a wall charger...

You can of course do that, but it depends on how people were to install the power bank and if it's easily accessible. Some people choose to hide these things under their seats or behind carpeting, so ripping it out each and every time is a pain in the butt. If you have it sitting in the glove compartment, or within reach, that changes the whole dynamic.

 

[cltjames]

You can of course do that, but it depends on how people were to install the power bank and if it's easily accessible. Some people choose to hide these things under their seats or behind carpeting, so ripping it out each and every time is a pain in the butt. If you have it sitting in the glove compartment, or within reach, that changes the whole dynamic.

Shhhh

 

[HonestReview]

My view is that you are a bloviating guy who rattles on about things you have little or no personal experience with, arguing with members who have years of knowledge gained from actual hands on experience.

So then... Where am I wrong on what I've told @cltjames. Feel free to correct any inaccuracies....