Mobius Maxi Support Thread

@country_hick Thanks for posting the link to the timer/relay, did you install this in your vehicle ?
 
@country_hick Thanks for posting the link to the timer/relay, did you install this in your vehicle ?
I only found those products within the last 3 days. The time delay relay is available allowing you to set the desired time in seconds or minutes but not (that I could find) for hours. I was looking for a solution to record for 1/2 hour or so after shutting the key off. The time delay relay looks like the simplest solution. I am strongly considering installing 4 dash cams. Having an extended recording time available after shutting down the engine is a necessary part of this setup. For my purposes I want to ensure that the micro-sd card is not overwritten accidentally when recording after the engine shuts off. I know, a larger (more expensive) card records longer but I am not quite ready to spend that much more money for a larger card just yet. In time prices will drop and a larger card will be the better option.
 
Hello,

Dashcam has been working until I decided to add the 6inch lens extension to the camera. Following this the camera doesn't record and isn't recognized by my computer and just lights up green - it doesn't respond to switching modes, with or without an SD card in.

I have tried resetting and checked inside to see if the cable was sat correctly.

Does anyone have any tips for what I may have done wrong?

Thanks.
 
Hello,

Dashcam has been working until I decided to add the 6inch lens extension to the camera. Following this the camera doesn't record and isn't recognized by my computer and just lights up green - it doesn't respond to switching modes, with or without an SD card in.

I have tried resetting and checked inside to see if the cable was sat correctly.

Does anyone have any tips for what I may have done wrong?

Thanks.

Have you checked whether you connected the ribbon cable (where it joins the extension) is the right way around? I made the same mistake, thinking the copper pads should face UP with the connector. However, they need to face DOWN instead. The camera won't be responsive without a lens connected correctly and the behaviour you're describing matches that.

If you're unsure of what I mean then just try different orientations until it works.
 
I only found those products within the last 3 days. The time delay relay is available allowing you to set the desired time in seconds or minutes but not (that I could find) for hours. I was looking for a solution to record for 1/2 hour or so after shutting the key off. The time delay relay looks like the simplest solution. I am strongly considering installing 4 dash cams. Having an extended recording time available after shutting down the engine is a necessary part of this setup. For my purposes I want to ensure that the micro-sd card is not overwritten accidentally when recording after the engine shuts off. I know, a larger (more expensive) card records longer but I am not quite ready to spend that much more money for a larger card just yet. In time prices will drop and a larger card will be the better option.

I've attached my Maxi to the power feed for the overhead console/dome lights/courtesy lights/map lights or whatever you call them. Conveniently, the body controller switches the live on as soon as I unlock my car, and doesn't switch off until about 10 minutes after I've locked the car. The 10 minutes varies from car to car, so you might find yours stays on for longer (or shorter).

It's a rather convenient by-product of tapping from the closest (semi-)ignition live feed. This also means short cable runs and no worries about running it past the curtain airbags to get to the fuse box.

Downside is that the noisy converter I use interferes with my DAB and GPS signals, but a bit of rummaging around seems to fix that. Wondering if I should switch to a linear converter instead, but concerned about the heat output.
 
Downside is that the noisy converter I use interferes with my DAB and GPS signals, but a bit of rummaging around seems to fix that. Wondering if I should switch to a linear converter instead, but concerned about the heat output.

You have to be careful with some of the 12V to 5V converters on the market. Some of them have poor regulation that can cause voltage spikes which have the nasty habit of frying cameras. (Mobius has built-in protection fortunately.)
Your noise issue with DAB and GPS "may" be a sign of a bad converter so you may want to keep an eye on it or look for a higher quality converter. Often the cheap, crappy converters look identical to the better ones.
 
You have to be careful with some of the 12V to 5V converters on the market. Some of them have poor regulation that can cause voltage spikes which have the nasty habit of frying cameras. (Mobius has built-in protection fortunately.)
Your noise issue with DAB and GPS "may" be a sign of a bad converter so you may want to keep an eye on it or look for a higher quality converter. Often the cheap, crappy converters look identical to the better ones.

You're absolutely right. However, I'm not sure if there are any switching DC/DC converters out there, however good quality, that don't create noise. Doesn't take away from the danger of frying my cam though.

Any recommendations? I was hoping to spend less than £10 really, given how cheap even the high quality components are on places like Farnell etc.
 
You're absolutely right. However, I'm not sure if there are any switching DC/DC converters out there, however good quality, that don't create noise. Doesn't take away from the danger of frying my cam though.

Any recommendations? I was hoping to spend less than £10 really, given how cheap even the high quality components are on places like Farnell etc.

I think you may need to spend more than £10 for a quality converter. Off hand, I would recommend the CELL POWER CPUSB01 12V/24V to 5V MiniUSB Power Adapter which you can purchase from hiniko.com. The fact that it is shielded will probably cure your noise issues and you can also be very confident it will not fry your camera. In fact, @niko, a longtime, very knowledgeable DCT member who is now a retailer in your neck of the woods would be a good person to consult with about these things and he will take good care of you if you decide to purchase from him.
 
@Dashmellow

Tempting. The cables are waaaay to long for my needs, but I might be able to make that work. Thanks for the link as I wasn't able to find any that were specifically shielded or made any attempt to do so!
 
All switching type PS's will generate RFI noise somewhere in the RF spectrum. It's inherent. What makes the difference is what frequency(s) it's happening at, how well-choked the PS is there, and how well shielded the unit is. On the PS's meant for radio work you often get a switch to allow you to move the interference to another frequency in case it's causing problem on the frequency you're using. That gets a bit complex to design, but it can be done and it works very well.

Shortening the cables will be no problem, either input or output, as long as you retain any chokes the manufacturer put on the cable, maintaining an unbroken cable to it's terminus from the choke and cutting it shorter elsewhere. And never loop or coil cabling.

I really wish someone would make a PS for us that didn't cut corners, but every one I've seen or heard of could be much improved with regards to interference. With a ciggie plug, such a PS might cost $30 but most of us would spend that happily knowing we were getting top quality that wouldn't cause problems instead of something just good enough to do the job with no other considerations.

Phil
 
@SawMaster

Re cable shortening - I understand what you're saying, but I don't think I'm comfortable shortening the USB cable. I'm not sure if I will be able to join the shielding correctly. The pigtail for the input I have no problems with.
 
@SawMaster

Re cable shortening - I understand what you're saying, but I don't think I'm comfortable shortening the USB cable. I'm not sure if I will be able to join the shielding correctly. The pigtail for the input I have no problems with.

I wonder if it is possible to open the case of the converter unit and shorten the USB cable directly at the PCB? Perhaps that way you could avoid violating the shielding? Maybe @jokiin knows?
 
sealed but it's an ultrasonic weld, not too hard to crack open without doing any damage

Was hoping to hear you say screws but that still works. :)

Some ultrasonically welded seams are a real bear to open though. A good weld can make it like there was never any seam there in the first place.
 
Was hoping to hear you say screws but that still works. :)

Some ultrasonically welded seams are a real bear to open though. A good weld can make it like there was never any seam there in the first place.

I haven't cracked one open for a long time but I don't recall it being too difficult to do
 
I haven't cracked one open for a long time but I don't recall it being too difficult to do

Depends on how it is welded. I learned about this when I was a kid. I remember standing with my dad at this giant injection molding machine as he showed me the process. At the time they had just introduced a new innovation where the ultrasonic welder was built right into the injection molder. Parts would come off the mold and immediately be welded together so that what you ended up with looked like it was molded as one piece to begin with. My dad was excited about this because as a toy manufacturer you could produce something where a small child could never break off a part of this particular object and put it in his mouth. One of the things he was showing me is how the ultrasonic welder could be tuned to control how strong a weld you would end up with. So years later I've come to understand why some housings can be popped right open and some require a hack-saw. My oldest power bank that I eventually cracked open was like that. It was welded together so well that the consumer can't get into it without practically destroying the thing.

Anyway, I imagine the voltage converter housing shouldn't be all that difficult, as you noted.
 
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If you are going to go through the trouble of DIYing then I recommend just getting a quality DC-DC converter such as this one with wide input voltage (7-36V) and 1.5 A output current @5V for< $5 USD:
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/580-OKI78SR51.5W36HC

Mount this close to the camera and there will be no voltage drop. That is how I have been powering all my cameras in both my cars, all hard wired to the fuse box. Been running for years no power issues. Obviously soldering is required with this approach but it's a skill that is very useful.

Buying cheap cigarette plug style DC-DC converters is a gamble, you don't know what quality components they have in there. Probably you get what you pay for.
 
If you are going to go through the trouble of DIYing then I recommend just getting a quality DC-DC converter such as this one with wide input voltage (7-36V) and 1.5 A output current @5V for< $5 USD:
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/580-OKI78SR51.5W36HC

Mount this close to the camera and there will be no voltage drop. That is how I have been powering all my cameras in both my cars, all hard wired to the fuse box. Been running for years no power issues. Obviously soldering is required with this approach but it's a skill that is very useful.

Buying cheap cigarette plug style DC-DC converters is a gamble, you don't know what quality components they have in there. Probably you get what you pay for.

See now that is very tempting. I was worried I was going to need to design input/output filters and such but that package seems to have all the protection included. All of that in a TO-220 sized package as well. I still wonder how that might affect my GPS module which is nearby, but for the price, it warrants experimentation.

I always like going the DIY route as it gives me more options.
 
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