Mobius in motion detect mode

[Isoprop]

It is a USB hub, but the Mobius is the only thing connected to it. No PC. But the fact that it is a hub may be fooling the Mobius into thinking it is connected to a PC. I will be looking for a 5V 1Amp charger with the correct USB plug and we'll see how that works.

Without power, I got many clips. It seemed to stop recording when the internal battery down about 50%. When I turned it back on it showed 2 flashes.

I'm sure the hub will be the problem, at least I hope so.
IMO, the flashes give a false sense of security. They were added because users wanted them. If the battery is on it's last legs it will still blink three times when the battery is full, but recording may only last a few minutes. I checked this with an old #16/#18 LiPo. The battery also isn't tested under full load because it's not recording. I guess the blinks are good for a very rough indication if you know the state of the battery. I've had a few Mobile phones do the same. They stay pretty long at almost full power and then drop rapidly. Smartphones seem to do a better job, at least mine do - for the time being.

 

[DHPMobius]

I bodged up a car mount using a hose clamp, a brass angle bracket bent in the shape of a U, and a 1/4" bolt and nut. The hose clamp holds the bracket to the stem of my rear-view mirror, which has a a knuckle fore and aft of the bracket allowing me to adjust the aim of the camera somewhat. It's ugly but effective. I may paint it black so it's less noticeable.

 

[MrSonicAdvance]

I feel like a bit of an idiot for asking this as it might have already been explained. If it has I didn't understand it, so I'll put my hands up to being dim from the off.

Okay, here's what I would like to do.

1) I'd like to be able to connect my Mobius to a 5v supply and have it start recording. (This I can already do)
2) When I finish my recorded journey, I'd like it to stop recording and enter into motion detect mode, while still connected to a power-source to ensure it can stay on guard while the car is parked while I'm at work. (This is the bit I don't know how to do.)
3) When I finish work, I'd like to be able to disconnect and reconnect the power to my Mobius and have it record the journey I make.
4) Go to 2 and repeat ad infinitum.

Can anyone advise me of the simplest way of doing this?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Gurkha9]

Cannot be done with the Möbius. You need a Lukas 7900 or similar for auto parking mode.

 

[MrSonicAdvance]

Cannot be done with the Möbius. You need a Lukas 7900 or similar for auto parking mode.

Thanks for your answer. I'd be amazed you can't use the Mobius to record a drive and then leave it in motion detect mode. I had hoped when I finished my journey, I could just press the "movie record" button to stop recording and the unit would go into motion detect mode (assuming I've set that up in the GUI) but I wasn't sure exactly how the motion detect works.
The instructions haven't got much to say on motion detection.

 

[Isoprop]

Thanks for your answer. I'd be amazed you can't use the Mobius to record a drive and then leave it in motion detect mode. I had hoped when I finished my journey, I could just press the "movie record" button to stop recording and the unit would go into motion detect mode (assuming I've set that up in the GUI) but I wasn't sure exactly how the motion detect works.
The instructions haven't got much to say on motion detection.

Why don't you just turn on Motion detection? I would expect there's always motion when driving, so the camera will record normally when driving and go into standby if there is no motion detected. The only problem will be to figure out what happens when you leave the car - the camera will need power or it will turn off when the battery is depleted.

 

[jokiin]

What's the timeout value on motion detect? If too short it may stop when stuck in traffic etc, depends just how sensitive it is

 

[MrSonicAdvance]

Why don't you just turn on Motion detection? I would expect there's always motion when driving, so the camera will record normally when driving and go into standby if there is no motion detected. The only problem will be to figure out what happens when you leave the car - the camera will need power or it will turn off when the battery is depleted.

Thanks for your reply. I've turned on the motion detection, I'm just not sure how to make the transition from normal recording to motion detection. Or indeed whether "normal" recording is possible with motion detection activated. Am I correct in assuming the "movie record" button works normally in motion detection mode, and when the Mobius is not recording video continuously (after pressing the button to start recording), the Mobius sits in motion detect mode? Or is the Mobius always in motion detect mode (if enabled) and it records for up to 5 minutes continuously when the car is moving (and therefore motion is constantly detected) then when you park it just records when it detects motion? (In the second instance the record button does nothing.)

 

[MrSonicAdvance]

What's the timeout value on motion detect? If too short it may stop when stuck in traffic etc, depends just how sensitive it is

I'm just setting it up and I was trying to figure out exactly what setting I should use to get the performance in my original post. I'm happy enough to have to press a button or two to swap modes (from drive mode to park mode, as I see it) but I was hoping it could be achieved in a single button push. e.g. when I press record, my Mobius starts to record contiuuously and when I press the record button again it stops recording and returns to motion detect mode.

I appreciate all I may need to do is just leave the power on 24/7 and leave my Mobius in Motion detect mode all the time, so when I drive it will record continuously, and when I park it will act as a motion detector. But the instructions aren't too clear about that, so I thought I'd ask on here.

 

[jokiin]

That's a good suggestion (if it could work) but I'm not sure they have that functionality or if it's even possible on their current hardware, perhaps @Isoprop could advise if it's viable or not

 

[MrSonicAdvance]

That's a good suggestion (if it could work) but I'm not sure they have that functionality or if it's even possible on their current hardware, perhaps @Isoprop could advise if it's viable or not

I've got a sneaking suspicion that your original suggestion is the answer: Leave it in motion detect mode and the Mobius will automatically record whenever I drive, and keep watch for movement when I park. But if @ Isoprop could confirm whether that is actually the case and whether the Mobius is happy being powered 24/7, I'd be very grateful.

 

[Gurkha9]

I use my Mobius B Lens on MD mode with either a 30 or 60 time out (can't remember at the moment). It works fine, except I have it power off with ignition. But I wouldn't leave it 24/7 in that mode (at least not with a battery)

 

[jokiin]

That's how it should work, power a camera 24/7 that has batteries inside does have some inherent risks though, that's not a möbius thing, the same applies to any camera with a battery, they do have a capacitor option available to address this issue though

 

[Gurkha9]

FYI I did play around a bit with MD in 'parking mode' one night using a battery pack as a power source. I found it was recording when it shouldn't have been.
MD was set on high though, so I guess that's to be expected. I did not try other settings.

 

[MrSonicAdvance]

That's how it should work, power a camera 24/7 that has batteries inside does have some inherent risks though, that's not a möbius thing, the same applies to any camera with a battery, they do have a capacitor option available to address this issue though

That's something I had suspicions about (the bit about it not liking it.) Especially as LiPos can have some exciting characteristics if they don't like what's happening. I like the capacitor idea, that is definitely a consideration for my application.

 

[MrSonicAdvance]

I use my Mobius B Lens on MD mode with either a 30 or 60 time out (can't remember at the moment). It works fine, except I have it power off with ignition. But I wouldn't leave it 24/7 in that mode (at least not with a battery)

As Jokiin said, maybe I don't really want a battery and the capacitors are a better option for me. I did read your earlier post about the trouble you had with it. I wonder if the 80mins operating time is extended when it's not actually recording, but in passive MD mode. I'm sure a desirable solution for me is out there, possibly the capacitor option.

Thanks to all for your support, guys. It's great to be able to ask the question and have such positive responses.

 

[horaceCJ]

FYI I did play around a bit with MD in 'parking mode' one night using a battery pack as a power source. I found it was recording when it shouldn't have been.
MD was set on high though, so I guess that's to be expected. I did not try other settings.

How can you be sure? If there is motion just for 1 second (even a change of light in the scene) the recording will start for the time-out period and you will not see anything in the movie.

 

[Isoprop]

That's a good suggestion (if it could work) but I'm not sure they have that functionality or if it's even possible on their current hardware, perhaps @Isoprop could advise if it's viable or not

I see your point, but it's not possible to switch from MD to normal mode in the current firmware version. I don't know if this functionality will ever be implemented, certainly not in the next few months. It would require an enormous firmware re-design, so, given all the other work that still has to be done I would think chances are pretty remote. It would also require a complete re-design of the GUIs.
When the MD sensitivity is set to high it is extremely high! I like it that way even though it may be a tad bit too sensitive. I have to put on the lens cap to stop recording. Maybe normal and low mode sensitivity should be increased a little.
It's been a while since I tested MD and I have never experimented using MD together with a supercap. Quite honestly, I don't have the time, but will gladly take note of people's experiences and ideas.

 

[MrSonicAdvance]

I see your point, but it's not possible to switch from MD to normal mode in the current firmware version. I don't know if this functionality will ever be implemented, certainly not in the next few months. It would require an enormous firmware re-design, so, given all the other work that still has to be done I would think chances are pretty remote. It would also require a complete re-design of the GUIs.
When the MD sensitivity is set to high it is extremely high! I like it that way even though it may be a tad bit too sensitive. I have to put on the lens cap to stop recording. Maybe normal and low mode sensitivity should be increased a little.
It's been a while since I tested MD and I have never experimented using MD together with a supercap. Quite honestly, I don't have the time, but will gladly take note of people's experiences and ideas.

Ah ha! So that's the answer; it just don't do dat. Anyway, I've ordered a supercap from JooVuu and I'll try using my Mobius in MD mode as a continuously powered camera. When I drive it'll record and when I don't, it should hopefully watch the car for any chimps bumping into it. As I park the car on my drive, it should also pick up any people mooching about at night too, which might be revealing.

I'll see how I get on, but it looks like what I actually want (drive mode and park mode) really isn't possible with the current firmware. Which is what Gurkha9 said in his response in post #26.

 

[Gurkha9]

How can you be sure? If there is motion just for 1 second (even a change of light in the scene) the recording will start for the time-out period and you will not see anything in the movie.

Of course I can't be sure. All I was trying to say is that for parking mode 'High' setting in MD will trigger a lot of false recordings.
I have not tried the other 2 settings yet. It works ok though for normal driving mode and does not shut off when stopped at traffic lights, but that depends on your MD timeout as well I suppose.