Mobius support thread and Tech Guide (post all problems/help requests here) Read posts #1-8 first

Bruce Wayne said:
So I have my Mobius attached to the car charger plugged into the power outlet. When I start the car it doesn't turn on (It's on external and power on manually to turn on camera mode setting already)... when I manually turn it on and press record, it goes for 30 seconds until it turns off again... why is it doing this?
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you havent told us much, no settings you have put, no light sequences its showing, no nothing, we wouldn't know unless you tell us some more basic info.
 
I know I may going against the crowd on this and want to say that I am in awe of all that the developers have done and don't mean to diminish anything that has be done to improve the Mobius nor anything said by @Isoprop. I am merely giving you my findings with my Mobius, trying to get it to fit my needs, not everyone's needs.

Last night I did my own informal test on the night time performance difference between v2.25 and v0.59 and while I will agree that of all the higher firmware versions, v2.25 has the best night performance, it's just still not better than v0.59. I know I don't have two cameras running simultaneously, so I drove the same course with both firmwares and hands down found v0.59 to still be much brighter and allowing you to see more detail than v2.25 on Low Light. I drove around town and with v0.59, I could see the houses clearly on either side, where on v2.25 they were hardly visible.

My question, is there a reason this firmware shouldn't be used, since it works so well? If I switch to 2.25, what is the daytime effect of using WDR Low Light? What are your findings with the different firmwares and night performance. I will also end by saying that I am not having any startup issues, no noticed black frames nor any color shifting problems.
 
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What else would you need to know? It worked perfectly before, standards are pretty standard... Motion detect at normal is on for 30seconds, everything else is the default.
 
I think I got yet ANOTHER faulty SANDISK card. 32gb class 4 card I don't remember where I got it from I have had it a while.
that is why i think I am having issues with the camera not recording some times. I have tried an 8GB class 4 card and it is working perfectly. I get my other sandisk card back from warranty next Monday its due so will try that one again.
ran test on it twice, twice failed.

Error reading file 'J:\2.h2w', offset 0x33700000.
(The system cannot find the file specified. Code 2)
Writing speed: 4.39 MByte/s
Reading speed: 20.1 MByte/s
H2testw v1.4

Error reading file 'J:\9.h2w', offset 0x14900000.
(The system cannot find the file specified. Code 2)
Reading speed: 20.1 MByte/s
H2testw v1.4
 
Thanks for all the replies guys,it seems a quick re-format of SD card did the trick and all is well again :)
BTW,is there a reason the card should fail like this all of a sudden?
I've had this card from day dot without any issues.
Thanks
 
A card writing and rewriting so much as in a dash cam needs to normally be formatted a few times year
 
I updated my front Mobius B from v1.20 to v2.18 over a month ago. Left the rear Mobius B on v1.20 for the time being.

With v2.18 I find that daylight video fluctuates from well exposed to dark & back to well exposed within seconds, despite no visible change in daylight or direction of travel. Mobius is angled to roughly 35% above horizon, 65% below. WDR enabled, not Low-Light.

I found this fluctuating tiresome, & intended to revert to v1.20, however, I've actually reverted to v0.59 in view of its cult status as (possibly) the Firmware best-suited to day & night DashCam use.

I made the change a few days before v2.25 was announced. I'll review my v0.59 footage for the next few weeks, then decide whether to try v2.25

There's a Firmware Poll at https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/which-mobius-firmware-version-are-you-using.8509/ to see which versions are the most popular with dashcam users.
 
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Hi All, Have just come across this forum whilst trying to fix my Mobius problem. Lots of good stuff on here (I’ve read all 48 pages, plus other threads), but nothing exactly like my problem.

Bit of background:
I put a Mobius (let’s call it #1) in my car as a dashcam, and it’s always worked great, I’m really pleased with it. I bought a second one for my Dad (let’s call it #2). Camera #2 is very problematic to autostart reliably. Here’s the symptoms:
  • First auto-start of the day, the red LED near the power socket flashes 3 times, but the camera does not start. Disconnecting & reapplying power has no effect. The camera seems oblivious to power being connected.
  • The camera will (very reluctantly) start on the button, then run as normal.
  • Subsequent auto-starts that day are OK.
The ebay seller (Eletoponline365 - great seller, very professional) has suggested a few obvious tweaks, which I’ve tried, but I thought I’d ask here to see if anyone has experienced (& fixed) symptoms like mine. Would far sooner fix it than send it all the way back to China, if at all possible.

Here’s what I’ve done so far:
  • Firmware is up to date – v 2.25 – installed via the tremendous GUI msetup program (massive respect to whoever wrote that little gem).
  • Camera has been reset with the little paperclip hole at the back.
  • SD card is formatted in camera. Have swapped cards with camera #1 to see if the problem moves with it – but both cards work fine in camera #1.
  • In my Dad’s car power is from a 3m USB cable bought from Eletoponline, via a £10 Veetop usb-to-cigarette adaptor from Amazon that has 1A & 2.1A outputs (I found the cheap Eletoponline ebay version creates too much FM static). The Amazon adaptor has an LED, so I can see it’s powered up. This is exactly the same setup as my own car.
  • Both cars are diesels – both have identical delay relays that only supply power to the Mobius after the car is running, to prevent the glow-plug warm-up 5-6 second delay problems that have been well documented. (I can write a how-to about this if anyone wants one…).
  • If I put camera #2 in my car, the problem with the camera remains. So camera #2 misbehaves in both cars.
  • Camera #1 works fine in both cars, autostart is no problem.
So I am pretty happy with my conclusion that it’s something about the individual camera, as opposed to the car setup or SD card. And it only seems to be the first start-up of the day.

Maybe it’s physically faulty… but can anyone think if I’m missing anything..?

Thanks for any suggestions & sorry for the very long first post!
 
anthillmob said:
Maybe it’s physically faulty… but can anyone think if I’m missing anything..?
Click to expand...

One of my Mobius cameras had a somewhat similar problem. Sometimes it worked fine and sometimes it would not power up. It might or might not show three red flashes and would or wouldn't record. Other times it would be working fine but then stop recording for no apparent reason. After trying every conceivable trouble-shooting rule of thumb I finally discovered a hairline crack in the mini-USB port on the back of the camera. I don't know if the camera was shipped to me with the problem or whether it was self-inflicted by unintentionally yanking on the cable but there was no easy way to repair it.

One of the great things about Mobius cameras is the availability of replacement parts and I was able to purchase a new circuit board from Banggood and rebuild the camera for much less than the cost of buying a new one. I used the opportunity to install a super-capacitor at that time (and later a "B" lens module) and the camera has performed flawlessly now for nearly a year in all kinds of hot and cold conditions. It is the most set-and-forget dash cam I own.

I don't know if this is actually what is wrong with your camera but it would at least be worth checking. Does the camera work properly off the internal battery and not from the cable?
 
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Dashmellow said:
...I finally discovered a hairline crack in the mini-USB port on the back of the camera. ...Does the camera work properly off the internal battery and not from the cable?
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Hi Dashmellow, thanks for your reply. It works fine on the battery (it's running on my desk right now). I can't see any flaws on the mini-USB connector (this inspection required a comedy combination of glasses, jeweller's loupe and a torch held in my mouth...). Was your USB flaw visible from the outside, or did you open up the camera? I just opened up the camera for the first time (didn't want to earlier, from worrying about any warranty from the supplier) but don't see anything out of the ordinary.

It's the way it refuses the first start of the day that really baffles me. Once you've persuaded it into life, subsequent auto-starts seem pretty reliable. That's behaviour I'd expect from something mechanical, not electronic...
 
anthillmob said:
Hi Dashmellow, thanks for your reply. It works fine on the battery (it's running on my desk right now). I can't see any flaws on the mini-USB connector (this inspection required a comedy combination of glasses, jeweller's loupe and a torch held in my mouth...). Was your USB flaw visible from the outside, or did you open up the camera? I just opened up the camera for the first time (didn't want to earlier, from worrying about any warranty from the supplier) but don't see anything out of the ordinary.

It's the way it refuses the first start of the day that really baffles me. Once you've persuaded it into life, subsequent auto-starts seem pretty reliable. That's behaviour I'd expect from something mechanical, not electronic...
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The hairline crack wasn't easy to find but didn't take heroic magnification efforts to see.

Not sure what to suggest other than to return it for a replacement. Nevertheless, the fact that the camera works with the internal battery suggests that it is a power supply issue. It wouldn't hurt to try flashing the firmware again (or even a different version) and resetting all the options from scratch. Make sure you set the camera to "Power ON - Auto Record to "external only" or "both", "Power OFF - Standby to "Off", Power Off - Disconnect to "Immediate". I set "Power ON - Delay to "Fast" using a super-cap. (Not sure how this setting works in a diesel vehicle.)
 
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Dashmellow said:
Make sure you set the camera to "Power ON - Auto Record to "external only" or "both", "Power OFF - Standby to "Off", Power Off - Disconnect to "Immediate". I set "Power ON - Delay to "Fast" using a super-cap. (Not sure how this setting works in a diesel vehicle.)
Click to expand...

Thanks, I've reflashed the firmware and reset the parameters & we'll see how we get on with tomorrow's cold start (I've done this before with the troublesome camera #2, but it's worth another go).. The only difference between the settings you listed and what I have been using in the past (in both cameras) is 'Power Off - Disconnect': I've been using '10 seconds'. Have changed to 'Immediate' as per your post. More news as it breaks!
 
Power OFF - Disconnect "Immediate" is really more important with a super-capacitor. Thinking about it, I suggested it from force of habit as a super-cap guy. Still, it couldn't hurt to try something else. Sounds like start-up settings are more important here.
 
anthillmob said:
Hi All, Have just come across this forum whilst trying to fix my Mobius problem. Lots of good stuff on here (I’ve read all 48 pages, plus other threads), but nothing exactly like my problem.

Bit of background:
I put a Mobius (let’s call it #1) in my car as a dashcam, and it’s always worked great, I’m really pleased with it. I bought a second one for my Dad (let’s call it #2). Camera #2 is very problematic to autostart reliably. Here’s the symptoms:
Click to expand...
anthillmob said:
  • First auto-start of the day, the red LED near the power socket flashes 3 times, but the camera does not start. Disconnecting & reapplying power has no effect. The camera seems oblivious to power being connected.
  • The camera will (very reluctantly) start on the button, then run as normal.
  • Subsequent auto-starts that day are OK.
The ebay seller (Eletoponline365 - great seller, very professional) has suggested a few obvious tweaks, which I’ve tried, but I thought I’d ask here to see if anyone has experienced (& fixed) symptoms like mine. Would far sooner fix it than send it all the way back to China, if at all possible.

Here’s what I’ve done so far:
  • Firmware is up to date – v 2.25 – installed via the tremendous GUI msetup program (massive respect to whoever wrote that little gem).
  • Camera has been reset with the little paperclip hole at the back.
  • SD card is formatted in camera. Have swapped cards with camera #1 to see if the problem moves with it – but both cards work fine in camera #1.
  • In my Dad’s car power is from a 3m USB cable bought from Eletoponline, via a £10 Veetop usb-to-cigarette adaptor from Amazon that has 1A & 2.1A outputs (I found the cheap Eletoponline ebay version creates too much FM static). The Amazon adaptor has an LED, so I can see it’s powered up. This is exactly the same setup as my own car.
  • Both cars are diesels – both have identical delay relays that only supply power to the Mobius after the car is running, to prevent the glow-plug warm-up 5-6 second delay problems that have been well documented. (I can write a how-to about this if anyone wants one…).
  • If I put camera #2 in my car, the problem with the camera remains. So camera #2 misbehaves in both cars.
  • Camera #1 works fine in both cars, autostart is no problem.
So I am pretty happy with my conclusion that it’s something about the individual camera, as opposed to the car setup or SD card. And it only seems to be the first start-up of the day.

Maybe it’s physically faulty… but can anyone think if I’m missing anything..?

Thanks for any suggestions & sorry for the very long first post!
Click to expand...

From your post I assume you are powering both Mobii with an internal battery and #2 has an autostart problem. I also assume you are using the same configuration.
This is what I suggest:
  • Make sure both cameras are turned off and disconnected.
  • Open both cameras and swap the batteries. Be careful when pulling the plug. I always put slight pressure on the board using a plastic instrument. You can use a wooden toothpick instead but it may be a bit flimsy. Do not use anything metallic!
  • Re-assemble the cameras.
  • Connect #1 to your PC and fire up mSetup. Select the camera and click the Create Profile button. Name your profile anything you like, for example Config #1.
  • Click Set Parameters and disconnect the camera.
  • Now connect #2 and when it appears in mSetup select it.
  • In the Profile line, just before all the tabs, select the profile you saved for camera #1.
  • Click Set Parameters and disconnect the camera.
Both of your cameras now have the identical configuration and their clocks are synchronized with your PC's data and time.
Test them. If #2 still has autostart problems then there is a hardware problem, maybe due to a slightly off-spec component. If your camera is fairly new I would contact your vendor and tell him the steps you have taken.
 
Mobii! What a great term for two or more! I've been using an apostrophe after the proper noun Mobius to describe the plural form but I never liked the way Mobius' sounded or how it rolls (or doesn't) off my tongue. Thanks Isoprop!
 
Mobii does feel like Alan Partridge has entered the building :)
 
Isoprop said:
Open both cameras and swap the batteries... ...Both of your cameras now have the identical configuration and their clocks are synchronized with your PC's data and time.
Test them.
Click to expand...

Hi Isoprop, Thanks for your post, that's a good idea. Funnily enough, after my dialogue with Dashmellow earlier today, I came across this post: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/is-my-mobius-dead.7454/ which covered swapping the lens module. It occurred to me I have a totally working camera to cannibalise (assuming I can put it all back again afterwards) and maybe narrow the search down to a component.

It looks like these cameras boil down to lens module / board / battery? Anything smaller & I assume I'd have to break out the soldering iron, and I don't fancy that! I'll get the working camera from my Dad & have a play.

@Dashmellow: after your reflash + parameters suggestion, my camera #2 auto-started OK tonight when leaving work. But the acid test will be tomorrow's cold start: that's when it tends to fail.

I'll report back...
 
anthillmob said:
It's the way it refuses the first start of the day that really baffles me. Once you've persuaded it into life, subsequent auto-starts seem pretty reliable. That's behaviour I'd expect from something mechanical, not electronic...
Click to expand...
sound very similar to the issue I was battling with for a couple of weeks that turned out to be a dodgey SD card. maybe test it with h2testw even though it works in another camera, maybe border line in one camera and not work in the other.
 
wozzzzza said:
sound very similar to the issue I was battling with for a couple of weeks that turned out to be a dodgey SD card. maybe test it with h2testw even though it works in another camera, maybe border line in one camera and not work in the other.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll give that a try - nothing to lose. But I'm reasonably confident about the cards - both work fine in camera #1. Camera #2 is unreliable no matter which card I put in it.

I'll test both cards as you suggest & will try a 3rd card from my phone in the camera, just for good measure.
 
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