March 05 Firmware Update - Anyone tried it yet

[Nigel]

At risk of taking this thread totally off topic thanks to Nigel's choice of subject, if you're interested in photography, take a look at what pics are being posted onto Flickr, link is: https://www.flickr.com/explore

As regards to the rule of thirds, is OK, but rules are made to be broken

Looking at that, the rule of thirds seems more like a technique or style than a rule since it is more often broken than used!

Maybe more interesting is that my comment about DSLRs not being able to take the shots that I did with the mini 0806 does seem to be supported by: https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=pea**** (You will have to correct for the swear filter ), the few images that get anywhere close are from small compacts, not from DSLRS.

 

[veneno]

no gps-lock since upgrade

 

[richcam]

Don't know anything about zip files on Macs, the file you want is firmware.bin, copy that to the memory card while you update the camera and then delete it after.

I can't find anywhere which accurately describes how to carry out the 0806 firmware update apart from what you have said, so am I right in thinking that once I have downloaded the firmware file named 'firmware.bin' onto my Mac or PC, I simply drag that file into the folder named 'untitled' which I then insert into the Mini 0806, then power the camera up which will recognise the new firmware file and will update itself - which seems all too easy to me!

Is that it in terms of updating the 0806 firmware or is there more?

 

[grnbrg]

I can't find anywhere which accurately describes how to carry out the 0806 firmware update apart from what you have said, so am I right in thinking that once I have downloaded the firmware file named 'firmware.bin' onto my Mac or PC, I simply drag that file into the folder named 'untitled' which I then insert into the Mini 0806, then power the camera up which will recognise the new firmware file and will update itself - which seems all too easy to me!

Is that it in terms of updating the 0806 firmware or is there more?

Yup. Once updated, delete the file from the card, or the cam will keep asking you if you want to update.

 

[Nigel]

There are instructions right at the beginning of the user manual, except they forget to tell you to delete the file once finished.
Just put the file in the root folder and power on then answer yes to update.

Make sure you have the camera powered before saying yes, otherwise if the battery runs out you will be in trouble.

 

[richcam]

Thanks grnbrg and Nigel for your clarification on the 0806 firmware update.

Have copied the firmware file to the SD card tonight, so will give it a try tomorrow.

Cheers for now, am off to sleep now because it's well past midnight...

 

[richcam]

OK then, a quick update,

Installed the SD card in the 0806 this morning, switched it on, it detected the new firmware and asked whether to install YES or NO, so clicked YES. And much to my relief, after a few seconds it was successfully updated. I switched the dash cam off, ejected the SD card and viewed the contents on my Mac and deleted the firmware.bin file from the folder. All is good so far. Will let you know later today if it is actually still recording stuff!

One question though, having viewed the contents of the folder and deleted the firmware.bin file I note that it seems to have added a new txt file called dat.txt which appears to show a path from D drive, is this required or can it be safely deleted?

 

[jokiin]

Suggest formatting the card in the camera if you've been deleting files from a Mac

 

[Nigel]

dat.txt is used by the camera so that it knows which of the two memory card slots is currently in use when using sequential card mode.

As far as I know you can delete anything from the card, if it is needed then it will put it back.

As jokiin suggests, if you delete using a Mac and don't know what you are doing then the results may not be ideal, a format will give a clean card. The mini 0806 is not fussy about having a clean card though, there is no issue with keeping a copy of Registrator Viewer or whatever you want on there.

 

[jokiin]

Things like Registrator Viewer are no issue, the hidden system files a Mac leaves behind though are

 

[richcam]

dat.txt is used by the camera so that it knows which of the two memory card slots is currently in use when using sequential card mode.

As far as I know you can delete anything from the card, if it is needed then it will put it back.

As jokiin suggests, if you delete using a Mac and don't know what you are doing then the results may not be ideal, a format will give a clean card. The mini 0806 is not fussy about having a clean card though, there is no issue with keeping a copy of Registrator Viewer or whatever you want on there.

Thanks Nigel and Jokiin, have now formatted the Kingston 64GB card in FAT32 and it seems to be working just fine, though did notice that several settings had been reset after the update which was slightly annoying, it's a shame that these settings can't be stored with the firmware.bin file on the camera.

I can't honestly see much difference in terms of video quality apart from the video footage seems to be less over-sharpened than before.

 

[kwolf]

Thanks Nigel and Jokiin, have now formatted the Kingston 64GB card in FAT32 and it seems to be working just fine, though did notice that several settings had been reset after the update which was slightly annoying, it's a shame that these settings can't be stored with the firmware.bin file on the camera.

I can't honestly see much difference in terms of video quality apart from the video footage seems to be less over-sharpened than before.

Which settings were reset? I'll have to go back in and look at mine. Only thing on mine I noticed that reset was the GMT offset.

 

[richcam]

Which settings were reset? I'll have to go back in and look at mine. Only thing on mine I noticed that reset was the GMT offset.

The changes that I've initially noticed have been that the recording time had changed from 1 minute to 3 minutes, the GMT offset was changed to zero, and the major change was that the time/date/speed info was no longer displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the video footage.

Should have some more footage recorded tomorrow so will be able to compare video quality between the 0806 and the Mobius which I recently purchased.

 

[Daimian]

Hi,

I am new to the forum, but been following a while, since deciding to purchase a Mini 0806.

Can anyone shed any light on the GPS-Lock issue. I received the cam on the 16th Jan 15 FW. Of course, I used the camera and was happy with it. So the next day I installed the lastest FW (5th March 2015) and now the GPS will not lock. It detects the hardware. I just receive the "GPS Invalid" icon on the screen. I downgraded to 28th Jan 2015 and that doesnt seem to lock the GPS either.

I have just downgraded back to the orginal FW (16th Jan 15) and after 6 mins or so, the GPS locked. However I am now stuck with an older FW, which a log of bugs appear to be in (MPH has been selected, however the speed is still KMH) etc.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Daimian

 

[richcam]

OK then, I recorded some video today, weather was fantastic for a change, very sunny, so ideal to test out the Mini 0806 (fitted with Circular Polarizing Lens Filter) and the Mobius dash-cam side-by-side, and even caught some crap driving by a Transit recovery van to demonstrate why recording number plates of on-coming vehicles is so important because this idiot nearly hit my car, and with the 0806 he would have gotten away with it, thankfully the far cheaper Mobius caught the whole instance on video - complete with numberplate.

EDIT: You can tell the screenshots apart because the 0806 has the date and time info and 0806 shown in the bottom right, whilst the Mobius has the date and time info shown in the bottom-left.

 

[scritchoune]

nice comparison ! but I think you misplaced the CPL on the 0806 as it isn't normal that you've got more reflections on your 0806 with CPL footages than on those taken by the mobius !!

 

[richcam]

nice comparison ! but I think you misplaced the CPL on the 0806 as it isn't normal that you've got more reflections on your 0806 with CPL footages than on those taken by the mobius !!

The CPL filter appears to be purpose made for the 0806 and has a magnetic surround so sits very neatly in front of the lens, it also has a white line etched on the outside of the filter housing, which according to the instructions should be at the top.

 

[Nigel]

The CPL filter appears to be purpose made for the 0806 and has a magnetic surround so sits very neatly in front of the lens, it also has a white line etched on the outside of the filter housing, which according to the instructions should be at the top.

The white line should go at the top and a top brand photographic CPL would always have the white line at the top, but a lot of the 0806 CPLs seem to be incorrectly positioned.

The easiest way to check/find the correct position is to stand the 0806 on it's end (power button end) a couple of meters directly in front of an LCD monitor/TV making sure both are perfectly vertical, put a bright picture on the TV and think of that picture as a windscreen reflection, turn the 0806 on to show the image of the TV on it's screen then rotate the CPL until the screen on the 0806 shows the TV as completely black (no reflection visible). Then check where the white line is. That is probably the exact correct position but a few monitors are polarised at 90 degrees to normal in which case the white line is now exactly 90 degrees out. Note that 180 degrees out is also correct.

 

[kwolf]

The white line on mine is for sure in the wrong spot. I tested it and found the best position for mine is with the white line pointing between 7-8 O'Clock. If I have it up at the top it does not reduce glare at all.

 

[richcam]

The white line on mine is for sure in the wrong spot. I tested it and found the best position for mine is with the white line pointing between 7-8 O'Clock. If I have it up at the top it does not reduce glare at all.

Have been adjusting the CPL filter based on the above comments and have found that positioning the white line at 1 o'clock seems to work best in terms of reducing reflections, I can only assume that the Quality Control at the Mini 0806 factory needs further improvement - whoever would have thought that!!!