Inconsistent parking mode

Can I jump in and ask a question as no one seems to reply on the firmware thread.
I have used the 2 wire hardwire kit, I saw on here a vid that when it goes into parking mode after a few seconds of ignition turning off a 5fps logo appears on screen and when the ignition is turned on the logo of a car shows and normal recording starts.I think I saw a logo of a stickman? at one point but the light was on the screen.
How to I get parking mode to start, I have the Beta FW with parking mode set to 1s, but it just seems to stay on normal recording and the screen stays on, Do I have to set normal recording as timelapse? I have set it to low bitrate, Cheers
 
R1KSU said:
Can I jump in and ask a question as no one seems to reply on the firmware thread.
I have used the 2 wire hardwire kit, I saw on here a vid that when it goes into parking mode after a few seconds of ignition turning off a 5fps logo appears on screen and when the ignition is turned on the logo of a car shows and normal recording starts.I think I saw a logo of a stickman? at one point but the light was on the screen.
How to I get parking mode to start, I have the Beta FW with parking mode set to 1s, but it just seems to stay on normal recording and the screen stays on, Do I have to set normal recording as timelapse? I have set it to low bitrate, Cheers
Click to expand...
The A129 will continue normal recording for 90 seconds after the car has stopped moving; or 90 seconds since turning on power if the car is already parked. Only after 90 seconds of being stationary does the camera switch to parking mode, whether that be 5fps or low bitrate.
 
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@TonyM What modes should I use please? motion detection or timelapse?
 
R1KSU said:
@TonyM What modes should I use please? motion detection or timelapse?
Click to expand...
I prefer not to use motion detection as it can miss the thing I want to record. Instead I choose to record constantly when parked.

I was using 5fps timelapse until recently when I changed to low bitrate when parked. I suggest that you try both to see which one you prefer.
 
TonyM said:
I prefer not to use motion detection as it can miss the thing I want to record. Instead I choose to record constantly when parked.

I was using 5fps timelapse until recently when I changed to low bitrate when parked. I suggest that you try both to see which one you prefer.
Click to expand...
Hi Tony, how come it can miss recording? Is low bitrate constant recording? Can we advise VIOFO to fix issue where it can miss recording or is it hardware limitation. Thanks, Bob
 
TonyM said:
I prefer not to use motion detection as it can miss the thing I want to record. Instead I choose to record constantly when parked.

I was using 5fps timelapse until recently when I changed to low bitrate when parked. I suggest that you try both to see which one you prefer.
Click to expand...
Sorry to sound dumb, but the menu has 2 time-lapse options, one for normal recording and one for parking mode. Will low bit rate make a difference to recording mode? Except using less space on storage. Cheers
 
R1KSU said:
Sorry to sound dumb, but the menu has 2 time-lapse options, one for normal recording and one for parking mode. Will low bit rate make a difference to recording mode? Except using less space on storage. Cheers
Click to expand...
In the Parking Mode menu entry, you can select what mode the A129 will use to record video when it switches to parking mode. If you select OFF, it will not enter parking mode.

In the Timelapse menu entry, you can select whether the A129 records normal driving as standard or timelapse video. I would suspect that most people leave this setting OFF. It's only useful if you wish to record a long journey as a timelapse - perhaps for a video journal.

There is a separate menu option for the bitrate that the camera uses for normal video recording.
 
Bexx said:
Hi everyone, thanks for all your advice and tips. I've been using the beta firmware for a few days and parking mode appears to be working great!

Very pleased with this little camera. :D
Click to expand...
Hello Bexx
If I've followed this thread correctly you are running the beta Firmware and:
  • able to power the camera via your car's system when driving (ignition on)
  • also able to run Parking Mode via an auxiliary 5 volt battery power source.
  • the camera automatically switches from active recording to parking mode when you shut off the ignition
  • the aux battery is charged when the car is running
All of the above without hard the hard wire kit; and without a dreaded car battery charger
Is this correct?

(BTW I was considering a similar plan (devised by a forum member) and then the Street Guardian SGZC12RC went MIA.)

Would you be OK with sharing details of how you wired things up & made it work?

Best regards
Edward

PS
PM OK if you prefer
 
Hi Edward

I'm afraid my setup isn't quite like that. My cam isn't powered by the car at all, I only use a USB power bank which I regularly take indoors to charge.

I must say though, that even though mine isn't hard-wired in any way, the parking mode is very effective. As soon as the car is stopped for about 90 seconds, it kicks in and as soon as the car moves it goes back into regular recording mode. The beta firmware has made a HUGE difference to parking mode reliability.

Basically, I connect the cam to the power bank and it can reliably be forgotten about until the power bank needs charging. I do unplug mine when I'm home, but there's no reason you can't leave it running 24/7.

One thing I have noticed is that the Viofo seems very power efficient. Before purchasing it, I hard-wired an old Thinkware F770 I had lying around and it dropped below the min voltage within 30-60 mins! Totally useless for parking mode. I then used it with my USB power bank and found I had to charge it every day. In comparison, the Viofo drains the same power bank in 4-5 days with the same usage.

I may try the official hard-wire kit when it's available as I believe the Viofo will be gentler on my battery. But for now, I'm very happy with the current set-up I'm using.
 
I leave mine in parking mode and after a few hours it stops and the record light blinks rapidly, I can still connect via WiFi, but can't see anything even though its still powered, I have to unplug it to make it record again as running the car makes no difference.
 
Bexx said:
Hi Edward

I'm afraid my setup isn't quite like that. My cam isn't powered by the car at all, I only use a USB power bank which I regularly take indoors to charge.

I must say though, that even though mine isn't hard-wired in any way, the parking mode is very effective. As soon as the car is stopped for about 90 seconds, it kicks in and as soon as the car moves it goes back into regular recording mode. The beta firmware has made a HUGE difference to parking mode reliability.

Basically, I connect the cam to the power bank and it can reliably be forgotten about until the power bank needs charging. I do unplug mine when I'm home, but there's no reason you can't leave it running 24/7.

One thing I have noticed is that the Viofo seems very power efficient. Before purchasing it, I hard-wired an old Thinkware F770 I had lying around and it dropped below the min voltage within 30-60 mins! Totally useless for parking mode. I then used it with my USB power bank and found I had to charge it every day. In comparison, the Viofo drains the same power bank in 4-5 days with the same usage.

I may try the official hard-wire kit when it's available as I believe the Viofo will be gentler on my battery. But for now, I'm very happy with the current set-up I'm using.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the clarification, Bexx
It is excellent news that your 5V power bank is working well to power the camera
Have you tried recharging it as you drive?
If so, has that increased the time between charging indoors?

FYI
I've not purchased a dual cam setup yet.
However, considering the range of available options (unreliable to unaffordable) with a real parking mode, the Viofo seems like a good choice
Edward
 
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