How I hid my big dashcam (Lukas 7950). What do you guys think?

[sausagedelay]

Living in a questionable suburb with a big sized dashcam was always a recipe for concern, worry and uncertainty. I put these thoughts to rest by trying to hide my dashcam within 2 fluffy dice, although the massive lens still sticks out in between. It's not the most inconspicuous way of hiding it, and the dice are a bit tacky, but I think its definitely better than just a plain dashcam. What do you guys think?

Does not block the view (screenshot of live feed throught the Lukas app)

 

[jokiin]

probably never get noticed if you had a '64 Impala or similar

 

[Feitelijk]

I have never understood the stealth-issue. I can see why you would want a small cam so it does not impair your view, but why is it important to hide the cam from other roadusers?

 

[jokiin]

I have never understood the stealth-issue. I can see why you would want a small cam so it does not impair your view, but why is it important to hide the cam from other roadusers?

it's more about hiding while parked in a lot of cases

 

[sausagedelay]

I have never understood the stealth-issue. I can see why you would want a small cam so it does not impair your view, but why is it important to hide the cam from other roadusers?

Same reason why people put their GPS in the glovebox when the car's parked. Just the chance of theft when I'm not in the car.

 

[Ralph2]

Are you concerned that air flow is reduced and it may now overheat?

 

[Sunny]

The body dissipates heat so blocking it may overheat.

 

[Dashmellow]

Living in a questionable suburb with a big sized dashcam was always a recipe for concern, worry and uncertainty. I put these thoughts to rest by trying to hide my dashcam within 2 fluffy dice, although the massive lens still sticks out in between. It's not the most inconspicuous way of hiding it, and the dice are a bit tacky, but I think its definitely better than just a plain dashcam. What do you guys think?

Based on long time experience installing dash cams as stealthily as possible my view is that the white dots on your fluffy dice attract attention and invite the casual observer to look closer to see what caught their eye. The general precepts for camouflage suggest that something completely flat black with no high contrast white dots would work better.

On a number of occasions I've asked friends and acquaintances who are not familiar with dash cams and who don't know that I own them to look directly at my windshield and tell me if they see anything unusual. When the camera is completely flat black and is not in the shape of what most people expect a typical camera to look like, they usually don't see it at all even if the camera and its lens is staring them in the face. Most of the time, after I point out the cameras they finally see it and then wonder how they could've missed it. If, on the other hand, the camera has white lettering on it to catch their eye, they notice it right away without my pointing it out.

Depending on the camera, one trick I've tried successfully is to simply cut a hole for a lens to protrude through in a small foamboard card painted flat black and mounted on the front side of the camera. It doesn't catch anyone's eye and doesn't immediately register to the viewer as a camera if they do happen to notice it. This technique also doesn't impede any cooling airflow around the camera.

 

[sausagedelay]

Are you concerned that air flow is reduced and it may now overheat?

I have not considered this......

 

[albertson]

Dashmellow has good suggestions. If you want to hide it, make it blend into the interior's general background with the flat black. The DIY forum has good tips on this.
I am a little contrary and decided to decorate my rear cam to be an odd piece of steam punk, down on the package shelf behind rear seat. Opposite of stealthy, but doesn't look like a camera either. Usually a friend will ask what that thing is? Then we both laugh.

 

[estore009]

Some special hidden car dashcam are available for a long time,maybe you can consider use one hidden car camera just behind your mirror!

 

[sludgeguts]

I have never understood the stealth-issue. I can see why you would want a small cam so it does not impair your view, but why is it important to hide the cam from other roadusers?

Some moron wants to throw out the rule book & use the wrong (but empty) lane to jump a queue then overtake you on a roundabout.
There is a prang. Said moron jumps out & starts accusing you of dangerous and erratic driving. He also refuses to hand over his details.
Said moron is also about half your age, a good 6" taller than you and looks like he 'can handle himself'.
Said moron then tells a bunch of lies to his bosses & their insurance company. There was an implication that I was speeding & driving erratically. He also said I hit him (his vehicle) on purpose and that I was extremely irate. He also had half a dozen witnesses to back up his story (not one of them appears anywhere on the video!).

I wonder. If I was using some huge camera that stood out like a sore thumb, would said moron have been bothered? Would he have taken advantage of his youth, size and physique to help himself to my camera ? In this day and age, people have been stabbed simply for looking at someone 'in a funny way'.
After all, his lie and the sudden appearance of half a dozen witnesses add so much weight to his argument that, even with stills from the camera, my insurance wanted more evidence.

The way I dealt with this was to remain calm - knowing I have a most reliable witness, distract the idiot by moving away from my vehicle so that, aside from his initial 'attack' where he got out & walked towards me, my vehicle was always behind him and simply repeat that the insurance will sort everything.

Of course, I could be 100% wrong. The idiot might have seen the camera and decided it was pointless to argue since everything was recorded - but I very much doubt it, guilty people can do the stupidest things if they think it will get them out of trouble.
In any event, our insurance contacted us in January to say that the other party had finally admitted fault. Which seems to imply that despite the overwhelming evidence of video footage, the other party can hold up proceedings by claiming non fault etc?

That is why I insist on the stealthiest setup I can find.

Edit. Just occurred to me. There's a large number of YT clips from countries where they just love the bright & blingy cameras fixed to their screens. Despite this, they still show clips of morons walking out & deliberately jumping on their bonnet - one guy headbutts the screen so much his head bleeds and the screen crazes. If people will do these stupid things with an obvious camera, why would another motorist back off when they see your cam (even though the chances of them spotting it at normal road speeds etc etc would be fairly remote).

 

[DT MI]

...guilty people can do the stupidest things if they think it will get them out of trouble....

That's the key to the matter in a nutshell. In another thread @Gibson99 has videos and a narrative to support this as well.

 

[GTA Driver]

I have never understood the stealth-issue. I can see why you would want a small cam so it does not impair your view, but why is it important to hide the cam from other roadusers?

As mentioned before, to prevent theft. There is a mall here that pastes notes on windshield wipers for leaving doors unlocked or valuables in plain view. I have turned off all the flashing lights on my Iroad. It was used as a security camera with some success.

 

[Genki]

It seems to depend on where you are. If you're in place like Detroit when you can get stabbed easily or get caught up in insurance scam after someone brake checked you, caused accident, and his 5 buddies in his car all claimed you ran into him, etc, a hidden camera would go a long way covering your butt. If you're generally in low crime area, visible camera may be fine.