How to connect the Viofo A129 Duo to a Blackvue B-124X battery ?

Dacug

New Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
20
Reaction score
2
Location
Europe
Country
Germany
I would like to connect the dual version of the Viofo A129 to a Blackvue B-124X battery.
The Cellink NEO is no option, as I need the additional USB port of the Blackvue B-124X for powering 24h a LTE router.

Does anybody sell a cable that directly connects the Viofo to the "Dashcam" port of the B-124X battery, without any adapters in between?
 

Thank you for your reply.
So the only way to wire this case would be like this?
Viofo A129 --> USB cable --> USB to cigarette lighter adapter --> cigarette lighter socket with cable to B-124 --> Blackvue B-124X battery
 
if it supports the same 3 wire output cable that the Cellink Neo does and can connect to the HK3 that would be a better option, not sure if it does or not, they're both made by Egen though so it may be possible, something you'd need to check with the seller
 
I haven't bought it yet.
I'm not sure if there is a seller in my country who can answer specific questions like this one, as using Dashcams in parked cars doesn't seem to be common here.
Maybe I have to find an international seller to get support for questions like this.
 
if you haven't bought it yet then better to get the Cellink Neo which definitely has the 3 wire output option available
 
My problem is that the Cellink Neo doesn't have an additional USB port, while the Blackvue B-124X has one.

My plan was:
- Connect a Dashcam with good picture quality, e.g. the Viofo A129 Duo, to the "Dashcam" port of the B-124X battery
- Use the additional USB port of the B-124X battery to connect a Raspberry Pi with LTE hat. Then I could put some self written python scripts on the Raspberry to remote control the Dashcam whenever the car isn't parked in the range of my Wifi.

An alternative would be to wait for the Europe release of the Blackvue DR750S-2CH-LTE dashcam instead. But because so many people report that the image quality of the Blackvue isn't good, I hope that there is a way to implement my original plan.
 
Use the additional USB port of the B-124X battery to connect a Raspberry Pi with LTE hat. Then I could put some self written python scripts on the Raspberry to remote control the Dashcam whenever the car isn't parked in the range of my Wifi.
not clear on what you're hoping to do here???
 
The Raspberry in my car would regularly poll the API of the Dashcam to see if there are new video files.
At the same time the Raspberry runs a password protected webserver and it is constantly connected to the Internet via a LTE flatrate.
When I access my self-written webinterface of the Raspberry remotely, it offers to forward new video files to me.
 
Yes.
I would also buy several battery expansions if that's necessary to get enough power.

My car is regularly damaged by other cars when it's parked. The perpetrators always flee, because the low fines for fleeing are a bad joke.
I'm hoping that a good dashcam installation can help here.
 
you would probably want to manually enable wifi mode when parked, if you leave wifi on all the time it records at a lower bitrate which is going to impact your recording quality, that may not be as big an issue while parked as there is less movement anyway but they also run hotter with wifi on, something to consider
 
you would probably want to manually enable wifi mode when parked, if you leave wifi on all the time it records at a lower bitrate which is going to impact your recording quality, that may not be as big an issue while parked as there is less movement anyway but they also run hotter with wifi on, something to consider

Not to mention the camera is susceptible to overheating, because wifi mode isn't meant to be used on a continuous longterm basis.
 
This sounds like a lot of home-brew work with the raspberry pi and what it’s doing. Most people who are installing an LTE WiFi router are just looking for a power source.
Some dash cams, like my Thinkware U1000 and I think the Blackvue DR900S have advanced parking mode support so if the accelerometer is tripped it not only records a video, it can remotely notify you as long as it has internet. I’m not sure about the Viofo.
But I wanted to ask, if you’re good with making a Raspberry Pi and all that, why wouldn’t you simply splice off the power cable, or make a three-way cable yourself. Why the need for a second port on the battery?
It isn’t even clear if that second USB port is even active, it really depends on how the manufacturer designed the port to be used.
 
Maybe you can just connect a second lifepo4 battery pack and request customization from the factory to include one USB port output (5V 2A)?
Look for the other threads on how to connect lifepo4 battery packs to the cellink (xt60 connector).

That way you have an extension pack (with USB port) that will be charging as the car runs.

Example product is like this.
12V Portable Super Capacity Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery Pack 10ah 20ah 30ah li-ion LiFePO4 cell with USB BMS Free Shipping
 
If you can design such a system, the building of it is a relatively small step. Connectors are made in many variations with the tools needed to install them readily available and easy to use, so all you need to do is ensure that the connectors you choose are appropriate for the task you're putting them to. This will be mostly in checking their power-handling capability and that data (and more) is published for every connector. It's better to take this route than trying to find and use adapters which create losses and possible failure points.

Phil
 
I still think while everyone is suggesting ideas here, the main point of failure is being ignored...That the Wifi forces the camera to record in lower quality, generate far more heat, and is not meant to be run longtime in station mode. Chances are the camera will overheat and all this work goes to waste.
 
Not to mention the camera is susceptible to overheating, because wifi mode isn't meant to be used on a continuous longterm basis.

I could do a stress test of the system first, to see if this is a problem. My sequence of events for this test would be:
1. First I would buy the Viofo A129 Duo and the Blackvue B-124X battery.
2. Charge the B-124x at home
3. Write a simple stress test script for the Raspberry Pi that contacts the WiFi of the Viofo every five minutes, and occasionally downloads files. The script would also log every attempt in a database, also if the Wifi of the Viofo was not reachable - which would mean that it shutted itself of because of a heat problem.
4. Put them all in the trunk of my parked car, connect them provisionally, and let the whole thing run for 24 hours. Then evaluate the results of the log and the quality of the recorded videos.

If the stress test goes fine --> Go ahead and build the whole thing.
If the stress test fails --> I'll have to see. Maybe I'd return the Viofo to the merchant and buy another Dashcam with cloud access included.
 
It isn’t even clear if that second USB port is even active, it really depends on how the manufacturer designed the port to be used.

I just took a look at the manual:
It says "1 USB port (5 V) allows you to simultaneously charge another device (smartphone, mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, etc.) while powering the dashcam".
That sounds like the battery always powers the USB port whenever the dashcam is powered as well?

Some dash cams, like my Thinkware U1000 and I think the Blackvue DR900S have advanced parking mode support so if the accelerometer is tripped it not only records a video, it can remotely notify you as long as it has internet.

Buying a dashcam with builtin cloud support is still an option, but I somehow don't like the idea.
Let's assume Blackvue would triple the subscription prices for their cloud functioniality next year. What could I do? Nothing - I'd be trapped in the vendor lock-in.
That couldn't happen with an own solution. The latter one could also be extended if my demands change, e.g. if I want to add two additional side cams in a year - then my webinterface could be extended to collect their videos as well.
 
Back
Top