I am stumped...

Taramaiden

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Hello everyone.
Before anyone gets technical, let me immediately paint a picture for you: I am 63, and about as techno-savvy as my dog is, about working at NASA's main launch base.
I purchased a NextBase 112 dashcam about 3 years ago.
Recently, well... I dunno what the heck is wrong with it.
I can't turn it on, and the screen is perpetually off/dark. There's a blue light in the bottom left of the unit, (next to the M menu button) and that's lit now... it's currently plugged into my laptop, because when I had it connected to the charger cable, connected to my cigarette lighter in the car, the blue light was also on, but the charger showed a red light. If I press and hold the on/off button - nothing happens.
I think the damn thing has run its course.
Ask any further questions, but it's possible the damn thing has given up the ghost...
Would I be right?
 
Welcome to the forum.

The first order of day with any dashcam acting up is to check the memory card, but then again your problem sound more like a dead camera, you can try and power it on with no memory card in it to see if that bring other results.
It could also be the PSU if the camera are not 12 V powered, but i think nextbase cameras are 12 V, 5 V cameras have some form of USB plug into the camera, this could be a micro or mini USB style.
If i am wrong and the camera are 5V if you have a USB wire that will work or a wall charger with a plug that are the correct type you could try that.

When dealing with dashcams here on my computer table i use a old charger from a Smartphone to power the camera

Trying to power it from a laptop are often not good enough, it will be fine for getting footage off the camera, but probably under powered for powering it even if it could.
But most often the data wire are live on a computer and this set the camera to mass storage mode to retrieve footage but not powering to do recording, even if you have a new computer with more powerful USB plugs like USB 3.0 and USB 3.1

If you go to replace it, then know nextbase seem to have some problems with their new models, at least that is what i gather from reading on this forum ( never owned a nextbase product myself )
 
With or without the memory card, the camera is dead.
I own a chromebook. I can't read anything on here, either from the camera or from the adaptor disc I place the memory card into, to enable transfer of images. Transfer is successful, but when I try to access the images, everything is just black.
(There seems to be the additional problem of program incompatibility...)

Wall-mounted plug-in charger makes no difference.
I think this camera's had it.

I have written to nextbase. So far, no reply.
Thanks for your time and attention...
 
Yes i think Chromebooks are quite under powered machines, but i have never tried to work on one of those.
Yes your camera have probably given up, 3 years are also a OK lifespan though not overwhelming, but these little cameras live a hard life.
Many new cameras also come with a combination card reader, so it can plug into a regular USB in a computer, or a micro or USB C plug that we find on smartphones.
Though at our age ( i am 54 ) even a phone screen start to get a bit small.
 
O yes thats right :rolleyes:, they are battery cameras, so that is indeed a option for the failure.
 
Is there not a short cut button(down arrow on older 512GW models) where you can turn the screen off whilst in use? You may have inadvertently switched the screen off
 
Nextbase, 3 years old. My bet is the internal battery is dead.

Not user replaceable.
Agreed. NB doesn't come around these forums anymore but we used to get fast answers from them here :cautious:

They used to offer a battery replacement service on at least some of their cams, perhaps they still do? You'll probably get a quicker answer from them by telephone, it's been reported that their online support is slow now too. If you decide to get a new cam from NB do your research well, their new series of cams seem to have issues with most of them. Not the kind of company or cams they once were and more's the pity for that :(

Phil
 
Sadly got to agree. They were good a while back but after some research I switched manufacturers and I haven't looked back.
 
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