Minimizing power usage of the N4 during parking mode in order to extend the available running time from the car battery

[HPKA]

Hello all, another question from me.

Scenario:

• Vantrue N4 running the front, rear and interior cameras
• Hardwired into the car with the Vantrue Hardwiring Kit - on the interior lights fuse if you're wondering. The cutoff switch is in the 12v position to minimize battery wear.
• Parked inside in a reasonably lit underground parking
• Parking mode is in use as I've had issues with petty, but expensive, vandalism
• Low Bitrate Recording is my current setting for Parking Mode (see my other thread)

Issue is that I don't drive long distances and don't do so every day (if I'm honest about my habits). I'm finding I'm getting only a few hours, 3-6 hours perhaps, from the car battery.

I'd like to see what settings, or indeed setup changes, I could make to minimise the camera's power usage during parking mode, and thereby extend the available runtime from the car battery. I'd rather not use the 11.6v cutoff as changing the battery on a Honda Pilot is no small task. However, I'm absolutely open to changing camera settings.

I've deactivated the IR LEDs for the internal camera, as they are not necessary in my case as there's enough light coming into the car to see anyone breaking in (or through the windows). I was considering changing to 5FPS timelapse recording, which would likely show any vandalism to an acceptable level. Before I do though, I wanted to see if that would be considered an effective power-reducing change?

Thanks everyone.

 

[BasicSpencer]

Hello all, another question from me.

Scenario:

• Vantrue N4 running the front, rear and interior cameras
• Hardwired into the car with the Vantrue Hardwiring Kit - on the interior lights fuse if you're wondering. The cutoff switch is in the 12v position to minimize battery wear.
• Parked inside in a reasonably lit underground parking
• Parking mode is in use as I've had issues with petty, but expensive, vandalism
• Low Bitrate Recording is my current setting for Parking Mode (see my other thread)

Issue is that I don't drive long distances and don't do so every day (if I'm honest about my habits). I'm finding I'm getting only a few hours, 3-6 hours perhaps, from the car battery.

I'd like to see what settings, or indeed setup changes, I could make to minimise the camera's power usage during parking mode, and thereby extend the available runtime from the car battery. I'd rather not use the 11.6v cutoff as changing the battery on a Honda Pilot is no small task. However, I'm absolutely open to changing camera settings.

I've deactivated the IR LEDs for the internal camera, as they are not necessary in my case as there's enough light coming into the car to see anyone breaking in (or through the windows). I was considering changing to 5FPS timelapse recording, which would likely show any vandalism to an acceptable level. Before I do though, I wanted to see if that would be considered an effective power-reducing change?

Thanks everyone.

I did try the different parking modes and the time lapse was the only parking mode that used less energy than low bitrate recording. I chose to stay with low bitrate because you can still hear noise when viewing video and can catch more details.

I did bite the bullet a few months ago and I’m using a dash cam battery pack in two of my cars now (the blackvue b-124x) so I can record throughout the night. (These batteries cost more than the dash cam themselves though)

I have two other cars that I’m looking into possibly getting an automotive solar charger for but haven’t tried it yet (looking at the different options on Amazon but so far this appears to be far cheaper and could help keep the batteries good at all times for the cars I’m not driving much). Maybe this solution could help for you too because it can keep you batteries charged during the day and when night time comes then maybe you will have enough juice to last throughout the night.

 

[JAz909]

I did try the different parking modes and the time lapse was the only parking mode that used less energy than low bitrate recording. I chose to stay with low bitrate because you can still hear noise when viewing video and can catch more details.

I did bite the bullet a few months ago and I’m using a dash cam battery pack in two of my cars now (the blackvue b-124x) so I can record throughout the night. (These batteries cost more than the dash cam themselves though)

I have two other cars that I’m looking into possibly getting an automotive solar charger for but haven’t tried it yet (looking at the different options on Amazon but so far this appears to be far cheaper and could help keep the batteries good at all times for the cars I’m not driving much). Maybe this solution could help for you too because it can keep you batteries charged during the day and when night time comes then maybe you will have enough juice to last throughout the night.

Worth a shot I'd say.

I did the solar panel thing in my car as I don't always drive daily and when sitting for more than a few days it would kill my batt (using motion + collision). So far, since about end of June (so this is all summer months...) it's worked quite well. My parking spot is under a tree so partly shaded but I prob. get about 5 hours of direct sun and the rest of daylight hours are indirect.

My alarm/remote start can report the car's batt voltage and where in the past I'd see (after a few or five days) getting down to 12.0 or even 11.8 or 11.7 now I rarely see the car get under 12.5 and by 3 or 4 back up to 12.7 or 12.8. The battery is prob 4 yrs old+ and I pretty much beat the snot out of it before I got the solar (repeatedly letting it get to that 11.8ish voltage before boosting and going for a 10m drive is ugly) so I consider these number pretty much a win. That and the fact that the car can sit a week or more now and still start right up w/o a boost pack.
When I do replace the battery soon for winter, at least that one will live much more "comfortably".

This is this the panel I bought (10W from Amazon) for around $30 I think. Read reviews. According to reviews, some don't put out stated power. The one I bought had a couple of legit sounding reviews where ppl had tested the output and reported 10-12w from it and my results seem to back that up.

hth

 

[wibbly]

I would love to see someone pull the trigger and try one of these

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005143707078.html

Theory would be that it would detect early enough (earlier than registering a collision) to allow the camera to start up and record for all but the 'hit and run' type of events. Consumes less than 10mA according to its spec.