Nearly victim of insurance scam

Lord Baddlesmere

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Hi,

I have just had a scary experience on the A34 in the UK. A car with four guys in executed a extreme stop on an empty dual carriageway. I very nearly hit it. I believe this was an insurance scam. When I tried to take photos with my phone they left at great speed.

I have been driving for business all my life and have never experienced anything like this before. It shook me up.

This experience has convinced me to invest in a dash cam. Having read some of the reviews I am considering the Viofo V3.

I drive a BMW 530D Touring F11. I am receiving some medical treatment so sometimes the car will stand for a week or two. Is hard wiring this car straight forward?

I note that the V3 does not have WIFI will I regret this? As my car is an estate (station wagon) and has a socket in the boot, I could conceivably mount another in the rear at a later date should I decide to. Generally my impression is that you get a better picture quality with the single view dashcams.

If I hardwire into my car is it up to me to set the cam so it doesn’t drain the battery or is there low volt protection in hardwire kit?

Any input gratefully received!
 
If you don't want it to record while parked then there should be no issues, just make sure it is connected to power that turns off when the ignition is off (and don't turn the ignition off in a situation like you discribe!), you can use either a 12v power (lighter/accessory) socket or hardwire it.

If you want parking mode then there are issues with BMWs monitoring power use, and not having one I don't know the details. The Viofo HK3 3-wire hardwire kit does have low voltage protection and can trigger parking mode (uses a lot less memory card space so can record for much longer).

Viofo A119 V3 is a good choice for a single camera, the Viofo A129 Pro will give a better front image + a rear image, with some extra installation effort since it needs a cable to the back. Two A119 V3 means the rear camera is a bit big and visible for the the rear window, and also is not so easy to access the memory card, the smaller rear cam of the A129 is preferable as is having synchronised recordings from front+rear. A129 Duo is lower resolution, definitely less chance of reading number plates than either A119 V3 or A129 Pro.

Wifi is not necessary, but it does enable you to check the videos while away from home which is nice, also to download them onto your phone for safe keeping or upload to elsewhere.
 
I have just had a scary experience on the A34 in the UK. A car with four guys in executed a extreme stop on an empty dual carriageway. I very nearly hit it. I believe this was an insurance scam. When I tried to take photos with my phone they left at great speed.
Don't hear of this happening very often these days, partly because of dashcams! Even if not your camera, someone else's camera can catch them, which is probably why they chose an empty road.

The dashcam will not stop it happening again, but when it comes to dealing with insurance, if you have video then things will be very simple instead of unbearable.
 
The A119 V3 is a great cam, so I'm sure you'll be pleased with it. The lack of wifi isn't really a problem for most folks. After the initial cam set-up, wifi mostly allows you to check or download a file or two that you want to save more conveniently than having to pull the card. With some cams and a seperate wifi hotspot you can also do real-time monitoring and downloads away from the car. It also allows for cams without LCD screens which can reduce the cam's size.

You are likely to have some issues with the BMW's computer controlled power scheme regardless of which cam you have if you want to hardwire it or use it in parking mode. The car's computer monitors all current being drawn after the engine is switched off, and if it senses anything unexpected it sets off a trouble code in the computer and the service light on the dashboard. There is no known simple solution for this issue which is affecting more and more cars these days. You can still use a dashcam with these cars if you use the supplied PS which plugs into a cigarette-lighter socket, but those sockets will lose power a short while after parking because of the car's computer going into 'sleep mode'. You can switch to using a powerbank for parking protection by either manually moving the power lead to the cam or by using a device like the Cellink which switches that automatically. I personally have no problems with plugging and unplugging things as needed- the habit develops quickly.

I personally will not be without a dashcam, even having a cheap sucker-mounted one which I can quickly fit to borrowed or rented cars, as I feel rather naked without one now. The value of the peace of mind a dashcam gives is immeasurable even if you never have a need for the footage it captures.

Phil
 
Thankyou for the prompt response! I appreciate your experience and comments Will review the two Viofo cams you mention - I thought I had picked up that the V3 had the best sensor/image?

One other question I forgot to ask, are these cameras sensitive regarding size and manufacturer of memory card?

If anyone has any BMW install experience I’m all ears !

Thanks again
 
I thought I had picked up that the V3 had the best sensor/image?
In evening light the A119 V3 is the best Viofo, and maybe the best dashcam.
In bright sunshine the A129 Pro has the best image quality of any dashcam.
At night, no dashcam can reliably read moving plates.

They are close enough to each other that the decision should be based on single/dual cam, wifi (A129 only), and remote control button (A129 only).

Or if you like recording your travels via road movies or photo albums, then the A129 Pro wins whatever:
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One other question I forgot to ask, are these cameras sensitive regarding size and manufacturer of memory card?
They can be, so use what everybody else is using successfully.

Samsung Evo/Select or Endurance seems most popular for Viofo cameras, or Viofo's own MLC cards which are very high quality and should last somewhat longer before wearing out so are good value.
 
Thank you so much, you've both been very helpful! And, clarified things very quickly.

I have decided not to hardwire thanks for the input Phil! - I already have a power bank so can use that.

The only thing I don't like with the 129 is the thickness of the rear cable WoW! Will have a look at the PRO which I guess will give a soupçon of rear vision!!

Once again thank you great forum!
 
Thanks again for reply Nigel,

just one query with the PRO. could I initially just fit the Front camera?
 
You can buy just the front camera on its own, then add a rear camera at a later date if you wish.
 
Thanks Tony, Where can I buy a A129 PRO front camera only with card and bluetooth button?
 
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