Help a newbie to choose a dashcam

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archat

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Hi,
This is my first post here.
I'm looking to purchase a dashcam.

Requirements are:
  • Good video quality - day and night
  • Price range - about 100$
  • Hardy. I'm from India and my car is parked in the sun 5 days in a week for more than 8 hours. Temperature can go upto 50 deg C in the car in this case. So the cam should be hardy enough to withstand such temperatures.
  • GPS is optional - if I can get it within this range it would be fine.
  • Also, the cam should not be large.
  • G-sensor

I was going through Aliexpress for some time. But so much cams are available there which makes me quite puzzled.

I was thinking of a GW1. But also want to check if I can get a better one within 100$.

Thanks in advance guys!!
 
For a climate like India and around $100, go with a capacitor based model like the G1W-C available from Foxoffer. No GPS though.
But in reality to properly tolerate such high temps you need to up your budget and look at some Korean or Taiwanese cams like the Lukas LK7900, Vicovation TF2+ or wait for future Vicovation models that were recently announced at CES. There is also jokiin's GT2S http://www.guardtrak.info/product/gt2s/
 
Save some money and remove the camera from the car on hot days.. 50 degrees is insane for any electronics... nothing will sustain those temp for long.
 
REyewitness said:
Save some money and remove the camera from the car on hot days.. 50 degrees is insane for any electronics... nothing will sustain those temp for long.
Click to expand...
In India barring 2-3 months in winter the temperature inside a car parked outside will easily reach 50 deg C. I was also thinking of removing the cam everytime I park the car outside but I doubt whether the cam mount will survive daily removal and fitting :confused:.
 
Usually , good dashcam test at 90 centigrade, so do not worry. Just some cheap dashcam use low temperature material.
 
Within your budget the only good capacitor based dash cam I can see now is C1W-C, around 60usd.
 
Now if I decide to remove the cam whenever I park the car outside what models shall I look into? (withstanding high temp is no longer a requirement).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
GJHS said:
The Mobius has a metal threaded tripod mount so it won't get damaged taking it on and off a lot.
Click to expand...
I'm not thinking of Mobius because of the heating issue.
I'm looking for cam models other than G1W in my budget of 100$.
 
archat said:
I'm not thinking of Mobius because of the heating issue.
I'm looking for cam models other than G1W in my budget of 100$.
Click to expand...
I live in a hot climate, temps here are 27-37C year round. My Mobius rarely gets how when using it while driving unless it's in direct sunlight. The heat sinks get hot as they should, the case doesn't. If I know it's going to be in the sun, I just put the defroster on low the cool breeze fixes that problem.
When the car sits in the sun, I just remove it with a simple unplug and spin. In the car parked was the hottest it ever got, which was my mistake. Is a great little camera and I like mine so much , I'm getting a second for the rear window. I too was worried about the heat. After lots of research and questions, I couldn't find many heat problems reported and the one I did find had his camera replaced.
 
archat said:
............snip.......But so much cams are available there which makes me quite puzzled...............snip.....
Click to expand...

Ain't that the truth!....There's lots of us newbies hanging around here, & this is the best place to grab a cup of coffee* or mug of beer (coffee at night & beer for breakfast) & spend time reading through the various forums. After a while ur'll get a feel for what brands & vendors r worth u'r consideration.

* or tea, which I think u folks prefer, eh?
 
archat said:
I'm not thinking of Mobius because of the heating issue.
I'm looking for cam models other than G1W in my budget of 100$.
Click to expand...

There is no heating issue with the Mobius if you remove it from the car all the time and have A/C on when in use in your climate.
If you don't like the idea of a G1W-C and want to remove the cam daily, there are plenty of NT96650 cams out there at around $100 or less. (GT680W, RX300W, GT550WS etc) However IMO the mounts they use may be the weak point if you're removing daily. Look for one with a tripod mount option like the Mobius or some other DIY idea like Niko has previously suggested. It should hold up better in the long run.
 
At some point in your going to have to "pull the trigger" and buy one. We all went through this. Personally I leave no electronics in my car, both for theft and the other for UV, extreme temps I don't want to subject my electronics to this type of degrading environment. Do you leave your cell phone on the dash to bake? Why expect a $100 dash cam to survive when the $800 cell phone won't.
 
archat said:
The problem word is plenty for me.
Click to expand...
While there are a lot, there are a few great ones and each at different budget. At the price of the G1W, there is nothing that matches it quality. At the next level, in the small action cams, nothing beats the Mobius. As you go higher you can reach different cameras such as the DOD LS series or the Powerucc Panorama 2 and then on up to the Vicovation TF2+.

So the choice is on budget and the which of the few great ones at that budget meets your needs best. Stay with the great ones to make your first one an easy experience. For me I wanted a small camera so it was between the Mini 0801 and the Mobius. I really liked the huge support on two forums and all the places I could use the Mobius, so easy.
 
Guys any comment about the following?
This one is with ambarella A2 chip. 120 degree wide angle. mov file format, built in GPS.
Specs look good. Also, sold quite a few no. Seller is with 100% feedback.
 
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