List of problems & issues with the RC500S

Thanks Chris.
 
DOD are working on the Time Lapse Parking Mode features as we speak, they have advised us that the completed firmware should be ready by June at the very latest.

Smaller Parking Mode improvements will be rolled out before then as well.
 
DOD are working on the Time Lapse Parking Mode features as we speak, they have advised us that the completed firmware should be ready by June at the very latest.

Smaller Parking Mode improvements will be rolled out before then as well.
DOD are working on the Time Lapse Parking Mode features as we speak, they have advised us that the completed firmware should be ready by June at the very latest.

Smaller Parking Mode improvements will be rolled out before then as well.

FYI, in another thread in this forum I pointed out that Cecilia Feng of DOD Taiwan indicated that a firmware update addressing parking mode was expected to be released before the Chinese New Year (Feb 16th).
 
In spite of all the problems and issues with the DOD RC500S, it seems to be the 2 channel unit with best image quality so far (until perhaps the BlackVue DR900S 4K is released later this year).
See this "infamous" video: Blackvue DR750S vs Thinkware F800 PRO vs DOD RC500S vs Viofo A119S [Extreme test] dashcam review
Some highlights from this excellent comparison video can be seen below.

So my question is would you recommend this unit over its competitors (BlackVue DR750S-2CH and Thinkware F800-Pro).

To my inexperienced opinion, the most important part of these cameras is image quality, so in case the footage is needed for an insurance claim or as evidence to the police, the number plates can be made out in the dark or when the vehicle is moving.
The competition seems to have more fancy features, but if the video isn't clear, what's the point.

Would you recommend this unit? Or not? and please explain why.

Thank you,

Motion blur comparison
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Low light grain noise (high ISO noise)
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Low light license plate readability
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Headlight glare license plate readability
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Hi, new here to ask about some issues I've got with my RC500s. I've had it installed since October last year via the hard wiring kit. Initially I had it with surveillance mode on. More often than not I'd find the camera not recording when I came back to the car after a few hours. In that state it was completely unresponsive. Pulling the power cable was the only way to reset it. It was also draining the battery quite a bit.

So after a while I changed the fuse so it's on only on when the ignition is on. That however showed that the camera is very unreliable. There are 3 possibilities when I start the car:
  • the camera won't start, no lights or sounds
  • the red light will come on with the chime sound but will become unresponive
  • it'll start normally and tell me it's recording
The 'red light unresponsive' is the prevailing variant by a fair margin. In both bad cases pulling and reinserting the plug fixes it. I wanted to ask if that's a fairly common problem? I'll be contacting their support when I get the serial number of my unit.
 
Hi

Got similar problem, camera start in morning with delay. It will tell me recording now, but for let's say 3min or so will not record anything. I use default power supply, connected to fuse box in fiesta mk7.
Latest software, default settings apply after update. Hope is just bug in software.

sorry for my broken english :)
 
In spite of all the problems and issues with the DOD RC500S

That top motion blur comparison, the think ware F800 pro, that's not motion blur that's bitrate blocking obscuring the plate.
Actually its the same with all 4 cameras in those screen grabs, just to different degrees of blocking, making me wonder what kind of recording parameters was in play for the cameras.
 
Hi, I'm new here and first comment :)
I've had my DOD RC500s since March 2017 and really like the camera although it's been buggy. I have stayed with an older version of the firmware dated 19/4/17 as I didn't like the new female voice over with the versions since, especially for camera alerts as it was annoying. I rather like the beeps that the previous firmware has. I have now updated to the new firmware version 1801263 dated 6/2/18 after the reading the notes and glad to see some things have been fixed and some new features added. I've also noticed the voice over has a much more softer tone. I've decided to stick with this version as the dash cam is now at a better functioning state. But I wanted to know if anyone else has been getting traffic camera alerts where there are no fixed cameras? Would these be mobile speed camera zones perhaps or false alerts? As there is nothing to distinguish them

I also want to ask DOD Tech Australia if there will be any chance to address the following issues and requests:

1. Could there be a separate file for updated camera alert data like Thinkware has rather than including it in the firmware? This way we could have a choice to keep using a certain version of firmware but still able to update the camera alert data.

2. Could there be a choice to either prefer a voice over or beeping sounds; or voice over for camera status and beeping for camera alerts?

3. It seems there is no function to record at least 10 seconds before and after a parking mode event. Could this also be added as there is no point of having detection mode when events leading up to an event is not captured.

Thank you in advance
 
these are not false alerts, it's false positives from mobile speed camera locations, the database for Australia is so full of these that the alerts are useless, it's not a camera problem it's just the data itself which is no good, my Kenwood head unit has exactly the same problem, I ended up just turning it off

pre buffer is not supported by the chipset, they have updated some of the parking mode functions in the latest firmware though, might be worth checking that out
 
I have always been against the speed camera functions, at least the way they work now, which isent that good.
For it to work you need a live constantly changing database, and a lot of users to keep it updated all the time.

The waze like app i use on the phone have like 300.000 users daily and the only times i have had any problems are comming to a site warned about just to find nothing there, but thats due to us Danes using mobile speed traps and they dont sit in the same place all day, though they do tend to measure the same places.
 
these are not false alerts, it's false positives from mobile speed camera locations, the database for Australia is so full of these that the alerts are useless, it's not a camera problem it's just the data itself which is no good, my Kenwood head unit has exactly the same problem, I ended up just turning it off

pre buffer is not supported by the chipset, they have updated some of the parking mode functions in the latest firmware though, might be worth checking that out

Thanks jokiin appreciate your feedback
 
I have always been against the speed camera functions, at least the way they work now, which isent that good.
For it to work you need a live constantly changing database, and a lot of users to keep it updated all the time.

The waze like app i use on the phone have like 300.000 users daily and the only times i have had any problems are comming to a site warned about just to find nothing there, but thats due to us Danes using mobile speed traps and they dont sit in the same place all day, though they do tend to measure the same places.

Thanks Kamkar1. Would be a good idea for a dynamic database like Waze, but then again, by the time you're at a certain place, they might not be there like you mentioned. I much preferred it when they only had the fixed camera alerts and the alerts were a series of beeps rather than the annoying voice overs. The mobile camera zone alerts added to that annoyance to say the least. I turned the alerts off now and so much better! Hopefully DOD will go back to just having the fixed cameras on their database and ditch the mobile camera zones altogether
 
More choice would be nice, and that should be greatly possible to make in firmware.

The waze like app i have on my phone make the sound of a police patrol when i get within a Km of a measuring point, if i paid a little and got the pro version the APP are more adjustable, among that the sounds used.
I think my app tag a location for 1 hour at the time, and that's also the time the ATK vans are parked in one location before moving on, in general they use the same spots and only go new places if there are complaints from people.
So you quickely form a mental map of where you have to be alert APP or no APP.
 
My dashcam few times a week don't start with a car. Most cases it take up to 10 minutes to start recording, ofc sound comming and all this bells on start.
 
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Ok, I look bit closer and this whats happens. When camera starts got "recording now" msg and green and red light flashing, but from time to time my footage start after (I guess) 3 or 6 min from start. I use samsung 64GB evo (comes with dashcam) and toshiba I believe 64GB too. Missing footage appear on both cards. Lastest software, I don't start car instantly but wait for dashcam msg and lights. Don't know what to do, mayby downgrade...

When it starts is fine for even whole day... atm I'm looking for new update but who knows when this will happen. Camera is 5 mth's old.
 
Installed a RC500S about 3 months ago. What an absolute piece of crap - I would have been better off spending the $500 at a whorehouse! The Suzy battery is just 15 months old and kept going flat! I complained to the battery supplier who tested it and said the dashcam was draining it. I have gone through the instructions and while I know I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, I think I can read and understand. I have reset the thing at least 10 times (mainly to get rid of that bloody nag who tells me I am approaching a speed camera and to drive safely) and it will hold the settings for a day, a week sometimes two weeks and then reverts to default. As I said at the start - absolute piece of crap.
 
Installed a RC500S about 3 months ago. What an absolute piece of crap - I would have been better off spending the $500 at a whorehouse! The Suzy battery is just 15 months old and kept going flat! I complained to the battery supplier who tested it and said the dashcam was draining it. I have gone through the instructions and while I know I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, I think I can read and understand. I have reset the thing at least 10 times (mainly to get rid of that bloody nag who tells me I am approaching a speed camera and to drive safely) and it will hold the settings for a day, a week sometimes two weeks and then reverts to default. As I said at the start - absolute piece of crap.
Are you sure it is not a faulty hardwire kit? that is supposed to cut the power off when the voltage gets low. Also what mobile phone are you using to reset everything via wifi?
While I agree it has it teething problems, the picture quality is pretty damn good in low light and in the day too. Having said that, I decided that the dropped frames every now and then and the little glitches were really annoying, so my other car got a Street Guardian ..and it hasn't missed a beat. Not as stealthy and hidden as a DOD, but still ok. :)
 
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Ok, I look bit closer and this whats happens. When camera starts got "recording now" msg and green and red light flashing, but from time to time my footage start after (I guess) 3 or 6 min from start. I use samsung 64GB evo (comes with dashcam) and toshiba I believe 64GB too. Missing footage appear on both cards. Lastest software, I don't start car instantly but wait for dashcam msg and lights. Don't know what to do, mayby downgrade...

When it starts is fine for even whole day... atm I'm looking for new update but who knows when this will happen. Camera is 5 mth's old.
I have the same problem every now and again. start the car up in the driveway..drive off...check the sd card later on and the recording did not start for 2 or 3 minutes down the road...pretty annoying..especially if an incident happens.
 
I have the same problem every now and again. start the car up in the driveway..drive off...check the sd card later on and the recording did not start for 2 or 3 minutes down the road...pretty annoying..especially if an incident happens.
Check older one, my use last date if gps is not fixed and real time clock not set.

Wysłane z mojego SM-G935F przy użyciu Tapatalka
 
Anyone having an issue with parking mode? Mine works great on parking mode, but when I start driving it won’t get out of parking mode, records for 30s then doesn’t record anymore, had a pedestrian get hit behind me the other day, and surprise surprise, didn’t record it.

My only solution is turning parking mode off and hopefully the battery pack survives before I start driving again.
 
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