i1000 / F70 / X6 MOdification to hidden mount

rudolf diesel

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Good day all.

I was posting in the "i1000 / F70 / X6 720P Dual Lens DVR Dash Camera" thread, but my posts there have started to take on a life of their own. So in the interest of not cluttering that thread up, I'll post further developments in here.

The first couple posts will just be cut and past from the other thread for now.
 
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Well, first post. Was looking to buy a cheap dash cam and settled on this model. Im not looking for the best cam out there, just something functional in case of accidents and to maybe capture a bit of the scenery now and then.

Took a chance on an eBay seller. Figured I couldn't go much wrong for 50 bucks to my door.

Auction claims:
  • Sensor : Samsung 4AW 1.2million pixels
  • View of front lens : 170 degree wide angle lens
  • Front lens video quality : AVI HD 1920*1080 @ 30fps
  • Back lens video quality : AVI D1 720*576 @ 30fps
  • Sound recording function: audio and video recording at the same time
  • Photo format : JPEG
  • Camera pixel : HD 2048*1536
  • Display : 2.0 inch HD TFT
  • USB interface: USB 2.0
  • Flash light function : support of optional
  • Flip function : Support
  • Motion detection function : Support
  • G-sensor : Triaxial three-dimensional collision detection
  • Emergency lock collision sensing : Support
  • Date&time stamp : Support
  • Storage Temperature : -20°-- 60°
  • Operating Temperature : -10°--60°
  • Operating humidity : 10-60%RH
  • Memory card type : Tfcard
  • Memory card capability : 512M- 32GB
  • Power consumption: 250-300MA
  • Battery : Polymer 800mAH lithium battery
  • Electric current while charging: 400MA
  • Charging time: 3 hours
Once I get it in my hands, we'll see if its worth the 50 bucks. Images in the auction looked like the "good" one, but you never know with eBay until you get it in your hands. Meh, it was still only 50 bucks.

If it even gets the same quality as the first few vids at the beginning of this thread, that's good enough for me.

I'll run it for a while and if it proves to be decently reliable, plans are to take it apart and integrate (ie:hide) it into the truck.
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Ah, and it begins.

Downloaded the spec sheet for the Samsung 4aw. Looks like the can sensor is a max 720p. So the 1080p claim must be upscaled if the sensor that "sees" the outside world is only capable of 720p.

720p is still plenty good for my purposes, but "lie number one" is not a good indication of a decent product on the way....

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Wife went out to the store today and I asked her to pick up a 32 GB class 10 MicroSD card if she found one at a good price.

She bought a Lexar 32 GB with the usb adapter. She paid 50 bucks!

That's as much as I paid for the camera!

LOL.


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decided to hedge my bets and ordered a G1W-C as well.

I'll compare the two cams for a couple months and decide which one will get permanently built into the truck.

I would really like to have one with a rear cam, but the best forward view will make the final decision.

:)
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Camera showed up today.

Popped in my lexar 32 Gb card.

Working fine so far sitting on my desk.

Firmware is A10 2014_0818

Once I get a couple minutes recorded, I'll have a look at the file it produces for further info...
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First good sign: vids are in .Mov format....
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Meta data:

Untitled-1copy_zpsa1303305.jpg

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on the left is 720 setting the right is the 1080 setting:

Untitled-2_zps06c4767d.jpg


Not sure how evident it is in the picture, but there is significantly more clarity in the 1080 video playback. the 720 is very "grainy" and edges are not sharp, whereas the 1080 playback has crisp corners and the colors are sharper.

Is it possible they have changed the cmos sensor in this inexpensive camera to one capable of 1080?

I may have to get the precision screwdrivers out....
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After seeing how the pictures posted, I can certainly say they are not representative of the difference between the two. it is a much more evident difference than those pictures show.

When my G1W-C gets here, I'll mount them both in the window and go for a drive for a comparison seeing as the G1W is a known 1080p camera....

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As requested, here is the auction I used: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/221504340942
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initial look seems that it's not a 170 degree FOV. A quick and dirty bit of trig makes it more like 90 degrees.

Quite a far cry frm the 170 as advertised in the auction.

I'll have to do a more detailed measurement to be able to say for sure....no time for that right now though.

I'l get to it sooner or later....:)
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Downloaded mediainfo and had a look at the 720 and 1080 files info:

Untitled-3_zpsa57fab3a.jpg


Left is 1080, right is 720.

10 Mbps for 1080, 14 Mbps for 720.

I wonder if my Lexar 32 GB class 10 card is helping that rate out a bit? Dunno, not my area or knowledge....

Both are close enough to 30 Fps for me to call it 30 Fps.
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Curiosity got the better of me and I removed the back case.

AllWinner Tech

A10

d5003CA 25H1

other visible chips:

1. Innix H5TQ1G63DFR 11C 205A NTKF1117HK

2. AXP209 DC144CB 61S1

3. cFeon Q65-104HIP 133SQ5A2 1403TDA

CMOS, only distinguishing marks:

i1000-99141

Battery:

562837P
MASK0488
520maH
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So, googling the CMOS sensor confirms it is only capable of 720.

Going to look up the A10 now....
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A10:

1-140310140405537.jpg


So the processor is certainly capable of doing 1080P.

Hmmmm, I wonder if I could swap in a different CMOS?

MUHAHAHA!

Crap, that didn't take long. I haven't had it much more than an hour and I'm already thinking about hacking it up......sheesh.
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Ran some video in the dark last night.

In all fairness, it's always very dark here and not much ambient light, even in town.

Not much to see and my truck "booms" a lot on the audio (it's a rather "hot" diesel). For the most part, the video is dark except in the headlights. I'll try to get one of the videos up on youtube later.

Oddly, when I use media info to check the Fps it shows 24 Fps vice the 29.8 it did sitting on the table. Not sure what that's all about. Is it possible the processor is working harder at night?

Some of the button pushes are a little wonky. Like the "flip" option. For example: sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes its press and hold the "REC" button, sometimes it's press and hold the "MIC" button.

The blue LED for "power" isn't on this one, it's amber. Much better for night use.

Hmmm, I'm beginning to think I should move all this info into it's own thread.....
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Carrying on with my original plans, I took the camera apart again to measure the flexible flat cable. Since I plan to remote mount the CMOS sensor, I need an extended ribbon cable.

Luckily for me, the board and the sensor both use flip lock connectors. Pop 'em open and remove the cable. Installing and extension is just as easy as buying a longer cable.

The cable turns out to have 24 pins and is 14.45 mm wide. Works out to a pitch of .5

part numbers on it are 20624 80c 60v vw-1

Pretty common stuff.

Now to measure the truck between mirror and planned DVR installation spot int he overhead console. An 8" cable should do it. About the same length as the mobius guys are using.

ebay will provide a couple inexpensive cables to try out.

:)
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And that brings this up to date. More to follow as it develops.

:)
 
Little bit of an ebay frenzy.

turns out I need about 300mm to reach the intended spot in the overhead console from the mirror mount when I plan to hide the CMOS.

So. I went looking for FFC ribbon. Bought some 300mm stuff and we'll see how that works. I had to buy a batch lots as I couldn't find singles or low quantities. At least I'll have lots to try if I get a few bum ribbons in the batch.....:)

Then, hedging my bets, I went looking for a 24 pin to 24 pin ZIF flip adapter/extender. I also need a place to disconnect everything if I ever need to take the mirror or overhead console out. Qucik search of ebay reveals No Joy on 24 to 24 extenders.

So I bought some loose 24 pin flip connectors and a 26 pin adapter I found on the bay. When it gets here, I'll dismount the 26 pin connectors and solder the 24 pin connectors to the board. Voila! instant 24 pin extender.

Then I bought some assorted FFC ribbon lengths.

I'll play around with those and see what works and what doesn't for length with video noise and/or interference. I've got some shielding out in the shop I can try if things get noisy (it's good stuff, I work in aerospace).

Total cost so far for all this?

27 bucks.....:)
 
Interesting.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to whether or not the camera does 25 Fps or the near 30 Fps.

Some files are one, some file are the other.

bears more investigation I think.....
 
Took it for a daytime drive.

I honestly can't say if I notice a difference between 720 and 1080 settings.

That would seem to make sence as the CMOS is only spec'd at 720p.

I'll probably just use the 720 so the files aren't quite as big.
 
Interesting.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to whether or not the camera does 25 Fps or the near 30 Fps.

Some files are one, some file are the other.

bears more investigation I think.....

if your rear cam is the same as mine (looks like it from the pics), then it's actually recording at 720x480@25fps. maybe that's what you're seeing?
 
if your rear cam is the same as mine (looks like it from the pics), then it's actually recording at 720x480@25fps. maybe that's what you're seeing?
That would be a good theory, except I don't have the rear cam hooked up.

:)
 
Picked up a microSD slot extender.

If it works properly, it will solve a lot of headaches in mounting the DVR in the overhead console.

Buttons and switches are easy to relocate from the sides of the unit.

Moving the SD slot is another story.....
 
Now thinking a small fan might be beneficial in the confines of the overhead console.

Nothing large or noisy, just something that will move the air around and over the processor/LCD.

I have several small fans in my parts drawers.

May pick up a stand alone speed controller to adjust it if it's too noisy. Or I may just go the resistor route.

Maybe I'll look at thermal pasting a small heat sink to the processor also. I haven't noticed any heat issues, but have read the heat load goes up when the rear cam is attached.

Lots of options.

As we all know, heat kills electronics. Can't hurt to increase the thermal shedding capabilities!

:)
 
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Well, new development.

It seems the picture is getting fussier and fuzzier the more I use the camera. The MBps is also dropping. Down to 4 now.

I have had the camera apart a couple times by now, but nothing to explain the current deteriorating picture quality.

Signs that were once clear are now barely readable. Vehicles are "fuzzy" until they are within about 10 feet and even then it's not crisp like it used to be.

I'm going to run it a few more days and see what happens.....
 
i've had mine apart a few times too - once to fix the loose buttons above the mic (MIC and REC buttons), and 2 other times to disconnect the speaker, then later reconnect it. turns out i DO need to have the startup sound to let me know it did actually start, since i was having an issue where sometimes the plug was 99% of the way in the lighter socket i added to the overhead console, but not enough to make a circuit and actually turn on, and gently bumping it with one finger was enough to turn it on.
anyway, taking it apart shouldn't make any difference. average bitrate going down makes sense if the sensor is giving the processor junk data, and because it uses VBR to save space, it will go down. maybe a speck of dust got into one of the sockets while you were playing doctor? ;)
 
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I actually kind of like the startup/shutdown sounds......:)
 
Ok, pretty sure I have a focus issue. I think it's too close. You can see in the pic that the hood reflections are pretty sharp (for a reflection that is) and the suction mount for my iphone next to the camera is pretty sharp. Yet, the road sign (which says "merge") is fuzzy to the point where you can't read the letters.

highway_zps589802bb.jpg


Even larger road signs are blurry. The speed numbers are blurry too.

Good luck getting any license plate that's more than a foot or two away. And when you can see it, it's fuzzy. Not even close to a sharp image. I've seen other videos on you tube from this type of cam (in less than 720P to boot!) resolution that look sharper than this.

So, I'm thinking I'm going to have to fiddle with the focus. to take it from a few inches in front of the camera (for initial focus) to a couple feet. That will put it nearer the front of the hood and hopefully sharpen up the images outside the truck.

That's on the 720P setting by the way. I saw no purpose to using the "1080P" option in the settings when the CMOS is only capable of 720....
 
Had a go at focusing.

Before:

focus1_zpsdb4bf69d.jpg


After:

focus2_zps052a6c7e.jpg


Just a tad better I think! That picture on the far wall is just about 35 feet away.

:)

Gotta love those Chinese QA inspectors!

o_O (no offense intended, just meant as a laugh)

I also discovered that at least the lens is in a metal holder. I used a small precision drill (used to clean out my mig guns) to make a divot in the outside ring so I could turn the lens with a small dental pick once the camera was reassembled and it's either aluminum or a pot metal.

The base it screws in to is plastic though...
 
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bit of a score yesterday.

I need a larger overhead console to fit the DVR into. My current one is from a regular ext cab truck and the DIC area is very thin and small. A suburban console has a much bigger opening since the rear HVAC controls are mounted there.

Problem is: the nearest scrap yar dis 3.5 hours away by highway. Too far to just pop in every couple weeks and see if they have one or not.

I got a line on a guy who supposedly had a lot of 88-98 GM trucks in his back property. Went to see him and sure enough, trucks and trucks and trucks!

in the very back, I found 1 suburban and it actually had the overhead console I needed. I pulled it out and then also took the sunvisors since they were the more "deluxe" versions (pull out blinds, lighted covered mirrors, etc).

I've also been wanting to rework my dash to hold more "gadgets" and switches (if you're ever seen a newer Kodiak dash, you'll know what I'm talking about), so I grabbed a couple dash bezels and knee bolsters on the way back to the front. I've also been mulling a project for said dash by using OEM "cargo light" switches to make things look a bit more oem. Its a bit of a pain to acquire enough of them as each truck only has one of these switches. I had 10 in the bag by the time I got to the front. What a lucky break!

Thinking I was going to need more money when considering the massive pile of bits I had in my arms, I prepared for the bad news by closing one eye, squinting with the other and asked "how much"?

"50 Bucks".

I couldn't get the money out of my wallet fast enough!

Now I'm all set for several winter projects.

Just have to wait for my cable and other asorted bits to arrive from "the peoples republic".......:)
 
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Did a bit of a mock up with the overhead console and the i1000.

Its going to fit pretty good if I use it.

The g1wc will fit just right. Here's hoping the one that shows up has the CMOS on a separate board....
 
Well, here's where this project ends and another pics up.

The G1W-c showed up today. Plugged it in and drove the mile or so up the road from the mailbox.

Better than the i1000. Not leaps and bounds, but much much clearer images. Even though I was driving directly into the sun.

So the i1000 will get relegated to pointing out the back window of the truck cap.

The G1W-c will be integrated into the overhead console.

Topping ont he cake was when I opened the G1w-c and saw it was the ribbon cable CMOS I was hoping for. I was worried it would be COB, but not so.

Now I can start working on remote mounting the CMOS/lens assembly and have the head/display in the console.
 
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