How to test Parking Mode functionality

[NewCammer]

I am just wonderwing how to test if the cameras parking mode works as expected. (of course without performing a real hit on the car)

In detail i am talking about the motion activated parking mode as a constant recording is not difficult to test.

Did some of you make tests like pushing your car around to "simulate" movements of your car like it was hit by another car?

In my point of view even a light hit should be captured and recorded so i tried it on my car with different force wo make it move.
(Shaking on the roof reeling, step on tire and apply a hard fast push, pushing the car from behind with my hands and so on)

 

[SteveFL]

"Bumping" your car or pushing it should produce the results you are looking to achieve.

 

[Nigel]

In detail i am talking about the motion activated parking mode

"Motion activated" may mean that the motion is detected visually, or with radar - maybe you just need to walk around your car, no need to touch it?

Depends on which camera model you have?

 

[NewCammer]

i mean the brands with the g-sensor activated camera. So motion / movement of the car.

Did anyone did perform such tests already and what was the result? All well?

 

[Ralph2]

i mean the brands with the g-sensor activated camera. So motion / movement of the car.

Did anyone did perform such tests already and what was the result? All well?

Far too many variables... your "bump" is going to be a lot different than my bump.

 

[kamkar]

push the car ( on a solid place on the body you don't want to make a dent )
Slap the windscreen.
Kick the wheels.

I tested the B1W parking mode by kicking a rear wheel on my car, and to my amazement it was enough to set off a event recording.
And you cant kick a wheel that hard

But i am sure someone can key the whole side of your car and that will not set off a event recording, but anything else that will leave a sizeable dent in your car i think will set off the G - sensor.
Now that it is a option i would however use always record low bitrate for parking, that way you always get everything going on around your car, and only downside is if it is something fast moving, cuz then the low bitrate might be a issue.

 

[viperman_69]

"Motion activated" may mean that the motion is detected visually, or with radar - maybe you just need to walk around your car, no need to touch it?

Depends on which camera model you have?

what dash cam uses Radar ?

 

[Nigel]

what dash cam uses Radar ?

Vantrue T2
Thinkware U1000 (Optional)

 

[adrwilliams]

I can test mine simply by firmly tapping the body of the dashcam while its asleep (Nextbase 522GW)

 

[TonyM]

I can test mine simply by firmly tapping the body of the dashcam while its asleep (Nextbase 522GW)

So, what does that tell you? If someone breaks into your car and taps the dashcam, it will wake up and record a video?

 

[jokiin]

So, what does that tell you? If someone breaks into your car and taps the dashcam, it will wake up and record a video?

if they're quick they'll get back out before the recording starts

 

[Nigel]

if they're quick they'll get back out before the recording starts

Easier to wait 30 seconds so that the recording stops again before they go in front of the lenses!

 

[adrwilliams]

So, what does that tell you? If someone breaks into your car and taps the dashcam, it will wake up and record a video?

Funny. Well clearly, it tells you that your dashcam is reacting correctly to an appropriate stimulus, doesn't it?
The question was how to test if 'parking mode' is active. Tapping the cam provides a similar input
to the sensor as it would receive in a mild collision, doesn't it? Or is it me who's missing something?
If you tap the cam and it switches on and starts recording, then that's an indication that PM is on and working.

 

[TonyM]

Funny. Well clearly, it tells you that your dashcam is reacting correctly to an appropriate stimulus, doesn't it?
The question was how to test if 'parking mode' is active. Tapping the cam provides a similar input
to the sensor as it would receive in a mild collision, doesn't it? Or is it me who's missing something?
If you tap the cam and it switches on and starts recording, then that's an indication that PM is on and working.

Yes, tapping a camera will usually confirm whether the g-sensor is activated, either in driving or parking mode. Whether that simulates the shock or vibration of a car-to-car impact is another thing.

I've been beta testing the g-sensor in parking mode on the A129 for more than 6 months. Only last week did it finally respond to me closing my own car door firmly, which is one test I use to try and simulate the effect of another car door being opened into my car.

 

[adrwilliams]

Yes, tapping a camera will usually confirm whether the g-sensor is activated, either in driving or parking mode. Whether that simulates the shock or vibration of a car-to-car impact is another thing.

I've been beta testing the g-sensor in parking mode on the A129 for more than 6 months. Only last week did it finally respond to me closing my own car door firmly, which is one test I use to try and simulate the effect of another car door being opened into my car.

Clearly there are a lot of variables. No two events are going to provide the same stimulus to the sensor. The risk is that a very minor event (such as you suggest - car door contact) provides insufficient stimulus and fails to activate the camera.

 

[SawMaster]

In some of the older Russian car crash vids you can see where the driver 'slapped' the top of the dash-mounted cam to lock the recording. Apparently such a mounting was once popular there, but almost everyone high-mounts for a better FOV now.

Tapping the cam should set off a properly adjusted G-sensor, but the impact the cam detects doing that will not be the same as someone driving into the car. Slapping the bottom of the windshield is a better test, but may still be inaccurate. I park where I can brace myself between the car and something solid, then give the solid part of the bumpers both a swift kick as well as a sudden shove with all the force I can muster. So far only one cam I've tried (B1W) could be set to get that test to function without getting lots of locked files from bumps in the road. Mine has what I feel is a perfect G-sensor, but some other B1W owners have lesser results. And of course any setting sensitive enough to capture keying would be too much for driving.

It's all something of a compromise but with many cams you can find a setting that will not be too bad while driving yet will also work with major car impacts. If you get better results than this consider yourself lucky.

Phil

 

[DerrickDFromAsia]

Slightly bumping your car or stand in front of you car for a few seconds will do the trick