Mobius heavy use

C

CPot

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Hi,
I'm new of "Mobius world" so, also if I red a lot about this cam, I hope you'll excuse me if I'll ask simple questions.

I would use this cam (but feel free to suggest everything, also other cams) as dashcam, mainly "parking mode". I would check situation around my car when I'm not in it...

I thought to buy a Mobius (1, 2, mini?) and connect it to a powerbank... mobius just because seems enough small and simple but smart...
1) I would remove battery, for security reasons, so at first I ask you if cam can work if attached to powerbank without battery/capacitor.
2) I would ask if exists an heat problem... I mean, can I leave cam working in my car for long hours (4-5-6 hours) without fear to burn the car itself? (I know maybe I'm a little paranoid... but you know I wouldn't protect my car from others, and create damages by myself).
Today it's cold, but summer will arrive.

Have you already tested different video mode (example different fps, of time-lapse, or motion detection+video) to evaluate if there is an important difference in heat of mobius after hours of "recording"?

Can you suggest mobius 1, 2 or mini for quality/heat? (however I have to see what mobius can I get here in Italy, I need an online trusty seller).

Thank you
 
Welcome to DCT. Mobius Mini is not recommended for use as a dashcam, so choose between Mobius 1 or 2, with capacitor kit conversion.
 
CPot said:
Hi,

1) I would remove battery, for security reasons, so at first I ask you if cam can work if attached to powerbank without battery/capacitor.

Thank you
Click to expand...

Without battery/capacitor, there'll be no memory of date and time. ie. no rtc.
 
jokiin said:
Mobius 1 with supercaps installed will be your most resilient option
Click to expand...

I found mobius 1 (New Version Wide Angle Lens C2) or 2 in a famous online shop (b**gg**d, I don't know if I can say the name), difference in prise is 20$ (mobius 1 cheaper)..
so if mobius 1 is also better for my use, and haven't important drawbacks, well, it's good, and for cam I'll spend about 70$. Is it a good price or you kwon better international sellers?
Ok after that I have to buy supercap...

Can you suggest a "strong" micro SD card? Can I use card up to 64GB right? (Seller says max 32GB...)

Can you suggest a "strong" and right power bank (spreaded worldwide)? I red in a post that some power bank are just to "smart"... and don't give power to cam after few seconds because believe that battery is fully charged. This problem exists also using supercap?
There is a std description that make clear if a power bank can be made "less smart"? Feature that prevent overheating is, obviously, fundamental.

Thanks all
 
I liked the Tomo powerbank which used 4 replaceable 18650 batteries. (Until vibration in my usage made it die an early death, Would work fine otherwise.)
I see other powerbanks on Amazon of the same type that will take up to 8 user supplied 18650 batteries.

Most of the powerbanks I've bought online do not have the capacity they claim, and few will run a dashcam reliably for 8-10 hours. I like the idea of the user replaceable 18650 cells.
 
I've been running my Mobius (original "C" lens version with super-caps) 24/7 for about a year now full-time recording. My work van can get very hot parked in SC's summer sun. My cam isn't in the direct sunlight but withstands the ambient heat with no noticeable effects. I use Transcend Premium UHS-1 64 GB cards; both 300X and 400X; I've also used a Samsung EVO 32 GB card. Never any problem of any kind- not even a hiccup :D Based on my calculations, the 400X card has delivered around 600X write cycles and still tested 100% with h2testw but I replaced it anyway just to be safe. TBH I doubt that there are more than 2-3 other cams which could equal this amazing feat.

Mobius Mini isn't suitable or dashcam use, and Mobius 2 isn't quite ready for prime-time yet but it's getting close and should prove to be an excellent cam once it's more developed. Mobius original is fully developed with all the bugs found and worked out; you can't go wrong with it, especially given it's price ;)

Phil
 
CPot said:
2) I would ask if exists an heat problem... I mean, can I leave cam working in my car for long hours (4-5-6 hours) without fear to burn the car itself? (I know maybe I'm a little paranoid... but you know I wouldn't protect my car from others, and create damages by myself).
Today it's cold, but summer will arrive.
Click to expand...

Where are you planning on mounting the Mobius? I've had one Mobius case melt and mine aren't used in "parking mode" - they're off when the vehicle is parked.

Given you're in Italy I'm thinking heat will be a problem.
 
jokiin said:
for international this is the best place to buy from http://www.ebay.com/usr/eletoponline365 it's the Mobius manufacturers own eBay store
Click to expand...

Thank you, good to know, I searched Mobius 1 with supercaps installed but I didn't find anything... I didn't find supercap-alone too... and could be problems with custom and customs duty due to their std shipment...

SawMaster said:
I've been running my Mobius (original "C" lens version with super-caps) 24/7 for about a year now full-time recording. My work van can get very hot parked in SC's summer sun.
Click to expand...

Thank you, your words reassure me. Can I ask you how your powerbank lasts and its name? how minutes could you record on 32GB card?

murcod said:
Where are you planning on mounting the Mobius? I've had one Mobius case melt and mine aren't used in "parking mode" - they're off when the vehicle is parked.
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Ok, your words frighten me, but it's important know everything since I wouldn't make mistakes... What do you mean when say "melt"? Just a little deformed or else? Because everything depend on plastic used (and temperature reached...)...

THANKS ALL
 
CPot said:
Thank you, good to know, I searched Mobius 1 with supercaps installed but I didn't find anything... I didn't find supercap-alone too... and could be problems with custom and customs duty due to their std shipment...
Click to expand...

if you message them before purchase and let them know what you want they will arrange it accordingly
 
A 32GB card will give you roughly 4 hours of recording. I don't use a powerbank, my old van has a huge battery in it that can handle the work. It will shorten the battery life doing this but I don't mind that. Most cars do not have thus much battery capacity so a powerbank is a good idea.

Phil
 
The first link refers to what murcod has said here about the melted case. In that thread he also stated in post #60 that where he had it mounted could have been a factor. While he didn't specifically state it, it does appear that mounting it in direct sunlight was probably the main cause of this failure. It is not appropriate to mount any cam in direct sunlight in hot climates; doing that will have an adverse effect on any cam and is regularly advised against on these forums. Many other cams in direst sunlight have experienced melted cases; it is a dashcam problem, not a Mobius problem.

The second 'meltdown' he linked to was apparently caused by a bad component (processor?) which is a rare occurrence but can happen with any electronic device. It is an anomaly and not the particular fault of Mobius as he has implied here. That could happen with any cam and is not the fault of Mobius; therefore this example is invalid to this discussion.

So it seems that based on his one experience versus the numerous successes the rest of us have had with Mobius (including his other 2 Mobius whose cases did not melt because they were correctly better shaded) that he has determined all Mobius have heat-related issues. That is a very poor argument to support his position with :(

Thus it seems to me that his purpose here is as much to bash Mobius for his admitted error in mounting as it is to assist anyone seeking a cam for hot climates, and he further wants to disregard that he seems to be the only one who suffered this complaint because the rest of us heeded the warnings to not mount it in direct sunlight and have not had this problem at all.

I reiterate: Mobius is one of the best cams for hotter climates regardless of what murcod says and unless he shows several other examples of melted cases with Mobius where it did not receive direct sunlight I'd advise you to consider his example as both a user fault and an anomaly, not a fault of Mobius, which has been my position from the start. Lacking that further proof in adequate quantity to prove it is not an anomaly, I will not further respond to him here as I am not here to argue, but only to find and state the facts in order to best assist others with their dashcam choices and issues and to learn more myself :cool:

Phil
 
SawMaster/ Phil you seem to be taking objection to me presenting a balanced view on the Mobius. Perhaps read what I wrote again? Cpot lives in Italy (hot climate) and desires to leave the Mobius powered in a parked car.

There are other examples of Mobius cases deforming/ failing, here's a thread https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/the-mobius-heat-issues.2392/ . I'm sure other cameras may also melt when left in parking mode in a hot car- it's not a wise thing to do with any camera in a hot climate. The Mobius will perhaps suffer more due to the lack of ventilation holes in the plastic case- it was designed to be an action cam, not a dash cam. Proper dash cams tend to have ventilation holes that let air flow through and keep the internals cooler.

There are a number of dash cams that are mounted directly onto the windscreen glass eg. the A118, A119, Street Guardian SG9665GC etc. They are literally stuck to the windscreen. My Mobius was mounted around 10cm from the glass on the arm that supports the rear vision mirror and is powered from the accessories circuit- so is off when the car is parked. The last recording was on a 28 degree day (ie. the last recording on the SD card- it is "locked" permanently and can't be written to.) The camera had survived a lot hotter conditions prior to that day. Perhaps the deforming/ melting had been a long term, gradual process- I don't drive my wife's car very often so hadn't noticed it until that day.
 
I have a dark blue vehicle that gets hot as Hades sitting in the summer sun and the three Mobius cams I've been running in full time parking mode for the last several years have never had an issue with the heat even though they can sometimes get extraordinarily hot. Truth be told I've always felt like I'm pushing my luck running them the way I do but they always perform flawlessly and hold up to both extreme heat as well as extreme cold. Occasionally, in extreme cold they can take anywhere up to 60 seconds to warm up enough after being plugged in to boot up properly, but that's about the worst of it.

I know there have been some reports about deformed housings from some Mobius users in hot weather but I think most of us have not encountered that problem.
 
Dashmellow said:
I know there have been some reports about deformed housings from some Mobius users in hot weather but I think most of us have not encountered that problem.
Click to expand...

dark cars will heat up quicker and get hotter so that can certainly play a role, in tests I've done you'll get about 15°C hotter at the camera parked facing west in the afternoon sun than if you park in another direction, that can certainly be enough of a difference to push things over the edge of what they can reasonably handle

here's an example of how that can work out

Summer 01.jpeg
Summer 02.jpeg
 
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