How long does the date & time stick on B1W if no power supply for long period of time?

[nsns]

I have tested the camera and am afraid it has a flaw which is responsible for my lost accident video.
I didn't format the sd card because I want it to test would the locked video files appear in the event folder now when it has correct time and date.
And everything is ok now, there is two lock video with the correct time and date. One I lock manually, the other is lock by triggering G sensor.

So the final conclusion is:
Lock files in the EVENT folder can't be overwritten with files that are older than those in the event folder only with newer files. The lock video file will disappear in the DCIM folder and will not appear in the EVENT, it will be lost.
Here is an example in my case: I didn't drive the car for a few days, the camera lost to date and time, and set the default date to the year 2015, from that point normal video files will appear in DCIM folder regularly only with the wrong date. But unfortunately, there is no single new lock file in the EVENT folder. Lock files will keep disappearing in DCIM folder and it will be lost.
Even if you got an accident, with your camera set to wrong (default) date and you pull out power from the camera a few seconds after, G sensor already lock the file and it will be missing from DCIM folder and it be lost, because lock file with the year 2015 can't overwrite single newer lock file in event folder.

So keep your watch regularly on the camera date and time because you will lose an acident video file as it happens to me because of the wrong date and time.

I was very pleased with the camera for almost 9 months, with no problem and the first time when I really needed the camera and got an accident the camera fail to save video.

 

[Leonauto]

I have tested the camera and am afraid it has a flaw which is responsible for my lost accident video.
I didn't format the sd card because I want it to test would the locked video files appear in the event folder now when it has correct time and date.

Lock files in the EVENT folder can't be overwritten with files that are older than those in the event folder only with newer files. The lock video file will disappear in the DCIM folder and will not appear in the EVENT, it will be lost.
Here is an example in my case: I didn't drive the car for a few days, the camera lost to date and time, and set the default date to the year 2015, from that point normal video files will appear in DCIM folder regularly only with the wrong date. But unfortunately, there is no single new lock file in the EVENT folder. Lock files will keep disappearing in DCIM folder and it will be lost.

This is useful information! However, I would like to clarify one more thing - the Event folder at the time of the check was filled out and new files were recorded only when erasing old ones, or the folder was not completely full?

 

[nsns]

The event folder was full with the lock files from 17/06 to 30/6 it has around 12Gb which is about 40% of useful space from the 32Gb card.
From 30/06 camera has lost the date and after that I didn't have any new lock files in the event folder until today when I did the test with updated date and time. I didn't erase anything, these two lock files from today have overwritten two oldest files from 17/06 in the event folder.

 

[SawMaster]

Not sure if this is related but when I was using the very first firmware my B1W shut down twice because the locked files had filled up. Mine has behaved well after firmware updates. Mine is a cam from the very first production run so this may not apply to yours.

With most (all?) cams, the 'loop' function requires that date/time be working properly, and similar things have happened with other cams that also lost that setting so it wouldn't surprise me it that is also the case here. The only solution I know of is to not leave a cap-based cam unpowered for longer than it will hold the date/time setting or to check and reset the date/time anytine you go past that.

Phil

 

[Leonauto]

Yes, if you didn’t use the car for several days and didn’t turn on the dash accordingly, it makes sense to simply connect your smartphone to the B1W before starting the trip to check that the dash works, and at the same time the date and time will be updated in the dash if there was a failure

 

[estore009]

Lock files in the EVENT folder can't be overwritten with files that are older than those in the event folder only with newer files

The older locked files should be overwritten by the newer locked files when the reserved memory full!

I was very pleased with the camera for almost 9 months, with no problem and the first time when I really needed the camera and got an accident the camera fail to save video.

Suggest you sync its time after a long time without usage;

 

[nsns]

The older locked files should be overwritten by the newer locked files when the reserved memory full!

NO, and YES, if the newer locked file has the older date (in a case of date and time reset) there will be no overwrite locked files when reserved memory is full. If the time and date are set correctly overwritten locked files goes like you said, and in that case all is working correctly.
The only cure is to regularly check time and date if you don't use the car every day as you mention above.

 

[sdl87]

Suggest you sync its time after a long time without usage;

@estore009:
Could you have the camera play an audio message if it finds a file newer than the current file being written? Like "Verify date and time settings" or something.

This seems like an easy way to notify the user when the camera loses the date/time. Since the camera is unreliable as a dash cam when it loses the date/time, it seems like an essential feature to alert users when they need to sync the clock again.

 

[estore009]

Could you have the camera play an audio message if it finds a file newer than the current file being written? Like "Verify date and time settings" or something.

Will have a check with our tech support to see if they can do something!

This seems like an easy way to notify the user when the camera loses the date/time. Since the camera is unreliable as a dash cam when it loses the date/time, it seems like an essential feature to alert users when they need to sync the clock again.

Added a cell battery on its PCB from April to keep time!

 

[sdl87]

Added a cell battery on its PCB from April to keep time!

If you're going to send replacements for the two I bought before you added cell batteries, that's great. Otherwise a firmware update telling me when the date/time settings need to be synchronized would be an acceptable solution.

 

[SawMaster]

Added a cell battery on its PCB from April to keep time!

Can you ask your engineers if a MS621FE-FL11E 3V 5.5mah 6.8mm cell will work for this?

I have two early production cams and bought these cells to try and solve this issue. It would be nice to know if they will work before I break out the soldering equipment and try this on my own

Phil

 

[jokiin]

Can you ask your engineers if a MS621FE-FL11E 3V 5.5mah 6.8mm cell will work for this?

I have two early production cams and bought these cells to try and solve this issue. It would be nice to know if they will work before I break out the soldering equipment and try this on my own

Phil

was the earlier PCB configured for an RTC cell but not used?

if not it would have been a PCB revision to include one

 

[estore009]

I have two early production cams and bought these cells to try and solve this issue. It would be nice to know if they will work before I break out the soldering equipment and try this on my own

if not it would have been a PCB revision to include one

It is a new PCB with a cell RTC battery!

 

[estore009]

Otherwise a firmware update telling me when the date/time settings need to be synchronized would be an acceptable solution.

Will PM you a firmware when it comes out!

 

[TonyM]

I have installed a B1W in my wife's car as a rear camera. The car is driven almost every day. Yesterday I went to check a recording from our recent trip and found that the correct date had been lost.

Is upgrading to a newer model with the new PCB the only solution?

 

[jokiin]

Is upgrading to a newer model with the new PCB the only solution?

either that or connect your mobile each time to sync the clock, not very convenient though

 

[estore009]

either that or connect your mobile each time to sync the clock, not very convenient though

If is it a good idea to set its default system time to be 2030 year? So it can keep loop recording even if with the wrong timestamp?

 

[jokiin]

If is it a good idea to set its default system time to be 2030 year? So it can keep loop recording even if with the wrong timestamp?

that can still be a problem depending on what files are on the card when it resets

 

[estore009]

that can still be a problem depending on what files are on the card when it resets

Most drivers would like to keep the current video clip in the card, right?

 

[jokiin]

if it rests to 2030 and you do a bunch of recordings, and it resets again it still deletes the wrong files, short answer is the new version with RTC battery is better, if they have the old one it's better to connect the wifi to regularly sync the clock to avoid problems