Mobius Super Capacitor.

[sanchaz12]

A few days ago I ordered a replacement 12v plug /w on/off button from Dealextreme. My - although fake, but usable - DVR207 is now mounted as a rear facing camera. This camera is powered by a 3-way 12v splitter which also powers the Mobius. Due to this camera freezing while power is applied at the shutdown process, I really needed some way of controlling the power to this camera. That's where the 12v plug comes into action. I will replace the factory plug of the splitter with this switcable plug, eliminating not only the rear facing camera's power problem, but also solves my potential issue with the Mobius. Maybe a bit off-topic, but I thought I'd let you know.

 

[sanchaz12]

sanchaz12, this will be helpful:
(removed link for readability)

he uses the same size capacitor like the "original" mobius super capacitor.

I forgot to say thank you! This is what I was looking for.

 

[Rexy03]

Dont forget the mobius is powered by 5 volt not 12 volt

 

[russ331]

Hey @russ331, thanks for updating. What do you think of v2.18?

I'm still using v1.20. I've recently returned from a 3 week USA fly-drive holiday & I'm around 4 weeks out of date in relation to Mobius developments. I will read-up on v2.18 soon.

 

[sanchaz12]

Dont forget the mobius is powered by 5 volt not 12 volt

I know , I use 12v to 5v USB power adapters with this splitter. One that came with the DVR-207 and a high quality 3100 mA dual USB adapter for the Mobius.

The splitter is mounted below the steering cover, behind a panel (panel removed for photo).

 

[liveinxs]

I dont think its down to the supplier and some @Dashmellow has been fine with his. My Mobius must have some kind of fault.

Very weird as it always saves the last file when switching off but no luck with the time stamp. I'd rather it be that way round though

Did you ever find out what was draining the cap, probably, also the battery.

 

[russ331]

Update. I installed capacitors in my two Mobius cams 9 months & 6 months ago, respectively. Both cams start recording every time the engine is started. Both hold date & time correctly, & save the last file after the engine is switched off. No problems to report.

The capacitor kit is available for as little as $6 (from Banggood).

 

[sanchaz12]

Update. I installed capacitors in my two Mobius cams 9 months & 6 months ago, respectively. Both cams start recording every time the engine is started. Both hold date & time correctly, & save the last file after the engine is switched off. No problems to report.

The capacitor kit is available for as little as $6 (from Banggood).

Same here... No problems at all using the capacitor. The temperature here in the Netherlands is getting close to 0C/32F at night these days, but the capacitor is not affected by that. It still keeps the time and date for at least 5 days as I can tell.

I did add a switch to the 12v lighter socket adapter to prevent the Mobius from turning off when the engine is cranked.

 

[AllThumbs]

The capacitors that Mtz and I have measure exactly 8.25 mm x 24.85 mm. The length is the length of the body. Allowing for the connection to the battery lead it's about 32 mm.
I don't have the time right now, but someone could cut some balsa wood or any similar easy-to-cut material and find by trial-and-error the max. height available in the Mobius shell when closed.

Take some water and some flour and make a dough. Roll it to an approximate size, measure it and place it in the box, on a piece of waxed paper. NO foil please. Put the lid on, give it a squeeze. Take the lid off, look for any dents or deformations. Measure and see if you need more or less.
When done roll it out as long as you can, paint on some colored stripes and put it in the toilet. Have fun.

 

[AllThumbs]

The capacitor kit is available for as little as $6 (from Banggood).

Do you have a part number, please.
tnx

 

[russ331]

Do you have a part number, please.
tnx

SKU121971

 

[russ331]

Update. I installed capacitors in my two Mobius cams 10 months & 7 months ago, respectively. Both cams start recording every time the engine is started. Both hold date & time correctly, & save the last file after the engine is switched off. No problems to report.

 

[tinstar]

Hi, just fitted a capacitor but now when power is administered to the Mobius it won't record. Tried replacing with original battery and it works fine.

With capacitor in again and supplied with power the blue light flashes on for a half second followed by 3 rear LED red flashes and then a brief orange flash of the main LED with a series of rapid orange blinks (approx 15 times). Then nothing bar a steady orange light only (i.e. no blinking on and off) accompanied by a steady red rear LED which remain on thereafter.

The power button is the only one that responds when on, switching the Mobius off with 3 rapid flashes of the main LED. The Mode and Shutter buttons don't respond whatsoever.

Does anybody know if this is a known issue (I've looked on the forum but can't see this particular sequence/diagnostic)?

Any advice appreciated.
Thanks.

(P.S. I also swapped out the B lens with the 8" extension if that helps. But as this seems to work fine with the original battery I doubt that is the problem?)

 

[jokiin]

@Isoprop is the LED flash sequence guru, I'm sure once he sees your post he'll be able to give you an accurate diagnosis

 

[Isoprop]

Hi, just fitted a capacitor but now when power is administered to the Mobius it won't record. Tried replacing with original battery and it works fine.

With capacitor in again and supplied with power the blue light flashes on for a half second followed by 3 rear LED red flashes and then a brief orange flash of the main LED with a series of rapid orange blinks (approx 15 times). Then nothing bar a steady orange light only (i.e. no blinking on and off) accompanied by a steady red rear LED which remain on thereafter.

The power button is the only one that responds when on, switching the Mobius off with 3 rapid flashes of the main LED. The Mode and Shutter buttons don't respond whatsoever.

Does anybody know if this is a known issue (I've looked on the forum but can't see this particular sequence/diagnostic)?

Any advice appreciated.
Thanks.

(P.S. I also swapped out the B lens with the 8" extension if that helps. But as this seems to work fine with the original battery I doubt that is the problem?)

I don't understand how this can be related to the capacitor, but the 15 fast blinks are a sure indication that there's a problem with your SD card - no card inserted, card badly formatted, contacts dirty, etc.
The camera can't distinguish between a battery and a supercap so the only logical reason for the 15 blinks is a problem with the capacitor. However, I find this difficult to believe so don't think this is the cause of your problems.
You should also note that the camera will not work with the supercap installed if your power source can't supply a stable 5V and is specified for at least 1A current draw. Also, your power supply must not use the data wires (pin #2 and #3). If it does, the camera will think it's connected to a PC and the Mode and Shutter button won't work - just like you describe.
So, from your description - check your card and check your power supply.
Does your PC recognize your camera as an external drive?

 

[tinstar]

Does your PC recognize your camera as an external drive?

Hi, yes the SD card seems to work fine in that regard. I tried a different USB cable and reset, reformatted etc. to the point where the 15 blinks stopped, replaced by a steady orange light. However, auto-record stopped where it was working before... I don't know if I affected the PCB inside when changing the battery and lens somehow.

LIVE EDIT: I just retried after 2 days and it is now working perfectly... I didn't touch it! lol

Thanks isoprop and jokiin for your assistance, very much appreciated. Will be buying a second Mobius for the rear view no doubt, the support is clearly second to none.

Plus... what other camera has a mind of its own?

 

[avalon60]

I have noticed that with the super capacitor fitted that I have to connect my mobious camera to my PC, then run the msetup program and click on 'Apply Settings'. This is to keep the correct time and date on the recordings, but if I either don't or can't connect to my pc with msetup, and then start recording, the correct time and date are lost.

So, now I connect the mobious camera, run msetup, 'Apply Settings', each time prior to using the camera. It would seem that the capacitor looses the correct time and date, if not powered up briefly before recording.

 

[Isoprop]

I have noticed that with the super capacitor fitted that I have to connect my mobious camera to my PC, then run the msetup program and click on 'Apply Settings'. This is to keep the correct time and date on the recordings, but if I either don't or can't connect to my pc with msetup, and then start recording, the correct time and date are lost.

So, now I connect the mobious camera, run msetup, 'Apply Settings', each time prior to using the camera. It would seem that the capacitor looses the correct time and date, if not powered up briefly before recording.

The capacitor should keep the RTC (Real Time Clock) running for 10+ days if it was fully charged before removing external power. However, if you turn on the camera without external power the RTC will be reset in no time.
If your RTC resets after a day or two you may have a defective supercap or camera.

 

[avalon60]

I have just read that about keeping the RTC running for 10 days, well 7-10 it says in the paperwork I printed off the net some time ago.
When I connect the mobious camera to my PC the yellow led is fully on, so is on Standby, and the rear led is fully on, and again is in Standby according to the LED status indicators section of the said paperwork.

Given the above, how do I charge the super capacitor if it is not being charged while connected to a USB port on my PC?
Ok, to answer my own question: Connect the camera to a USB, 5v DC power source, and when the Yellow LED turns on, briefly press the power button to turn the camera OFF.
Now, there is no green LED to indicate if the camera is being charged, unless it already is charged??

One other thing is that I have recently purchased a TekNet USB 3.0 4 Port Hub + 5v Charge only port, and if I connect the camera to the said charging port on the Hub, the yellow led is still fully on as before and the red led is the also the same, fully on. In this situation the camera is not recognised by the PC.

 

[Isoprop]

I have just read that about keeping the RTC running for 10 days, well 7-10 it says in the paperwork I printed off the net some time ago.
When I connect the mobious camera to my PC the yellow led is fully on, so is on Standby, and the rear led is fully on, and again is in Standby according to the LED status indicators section of the said paperwork.

Given the above, how do I charge the super capacitor if it is not being charged while connected to a USB port on my PC?
Ok, to answer my own question: Connect the camera to a USB, 5v DC power source, and when the Yellow LED turns on, briefly press the power button to turn the camera OFF.
Now, there is no green LED to indicate if the camera is being charged, unless it already is charged??

One other thing is that I have recently purchased a TekNet USB 3.0 4 Port Hub + 5v Charge only port, and if I connect the camera to the said charging port on the Hub, the yellow led is still fully on as before and the red led is the also the same, fully on. In this situation the camera is not recognised by the PC.

You are doing everything correctly. When you connect the camera to external power it will always enter standby mode so you have to turn it off. The capacitor is charged very quickly, hence the green charging LED will be off. All the same, I would leave the camera connected to external power while turned off for about a minute. Maybe not necessary, but that's how I do it.

You may encounter all sorts of problems if you connect the Mobius to a hub. It is not recommended. On top of that, there have been many reports of the Mobius not working correctly with USB3.
Can your TekNet device supply 1A on it's charge-only port and are the data wires (pin #2 and #3) disconnected? External USB chargers must only use the 5V and ground wires and must supply a stable 5V with at least 1A. From your description I suspect the charge-only port uses the data wires, maybe to indicate the max. permissible current draw, so the Mobius thinks it's connected to a PC.