Need recommendation -- re GPS antenna

dgb

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I am relatively new to dashcams, and this site has been very helpful.

I need a recommendation of some cams to consider. Single lens, reasonable night image quality, and mostly the usual features.

My one unusual requirement is that I have a vertical windshield. Because of this I will almost certainly need an external GPS antenna.

Which dashcams of good quality offer / come with external GPS antenna capability.

Thanks in advance.

Dave
 
GPS reception may not be a problem. My cellphone GPS reception works fine when I hold my cellphone right in front of me, not close to any car window. If you have any GPS enabled device, you might try it holding it where you are considering mounting your dashcam, and note how it performs.
 
It has been a few years, but when I installed my current stand-alone GPS, the external antenna was required. Even if I held the unit next to the glass it would not work -- just couldn't see the satellites.

More-modern units may work better, but I would hate to invest in a dashcam and not be able to get it to work properly, and not be able to add an external antenna.
 
The GS8000 has the gps in the actual windscreen mount and so far it works very quickly and strongly in mine. However, I would wait until I have fully experimented and tested it as a dash cam before making a decision based on my experience.

David
 
Hi Dave,

For external GPS enabled devices, probably the best one is the FineVu CR-500HD but it is expensive. The GS6000 is another option that is similar to the "Orange Menu GS1000" but has external GPS and is larger. The GS8000 is a newer camera that appears to be based on the "Blue Menu GS1000".

It really depends on what you are looking for in a dash cam but one of those above may fit your requirements. Note that in the higher end Korean dash cams with integrated GPS (BlackVue, Itronics, etc.), I have not heard of any problems related to catching satellites.
 
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I guess I am not being clear...

My windshield is flat, and is only about 5 degrees off of vertical. Picture a metal garden shed with a window in one side. The theoretical maximum view of the sky is a bit under 50%, and most of that is not the desired overhead view. (And that is only if I put the antenna at the base of the windshield.) Most automobile windshields allow a much greater view of the sky, particularly overhead where it needs to be.

Both of the units mentioned in the previous post have external GPS units, but they are only external to the camera. They do not seem to allow positioning of the GPS antenna outside of the vehicle.

My current GPS setup uses an external antenna magnetically mounted to the roof with a wire run inside. Without this external (to the vehicle) antenna, the GPS could not track more than 1 or sometimes 2 satellites. Granted that it is an older model GPS, but if I set it on the dash (basically the same as a glass-mount GPS antenna) it will just not see much sky.

I am looking for a dashcam where I can mount the GPS antenna outside on the roof of my vehicle.

Any thoughts?
 
Hi Dave,

Oh now I understand. Unfortunately, I have not seen any of the popular dash cams with an external / outdoor ready GPS antenna. Perhaps there is a way to connect the GPS of a dash cam to your existing GPS antenna? I have not done anything like this but others may have some more knowledge.
 
I saw some pictures of the R310 dash cam on Amazon. It has an external antenna like I think I will need. Missing a lot of other features, however, so not suitable.

Anyone else have any ideas or thoughts?
 
Out of curiousity, I tried a few tests with my GS8000. The GPS flashy symbol normally turns from red to green within two or three flashes which I assume is when it has located a few satelites and locked on. I turned the dvr on in the house and watched it just flash red. I walked up to a window and held the base of the dvr (where the gps is located in the GS8000) up against the vertical glass window. It took about 15 sec before it turned green but it did lock on. I have no way of knowing how many satelites it was able to find.

The gps in the GS8000 locks on really well and the speed indication is exactly what the car speedo says, but as I've mentioned in another post, and DashCamMan has found in the GS5000, the co-ordinates or the software is way out. It puts me 20 k's from where I really am.

Gps's have improved and it may be worth while trying something new with your vertical windscreen.
 
Without knowing more about your house, I cannot say whether that is helpful or not.

My GPS unit works fine inside my home (wood frame and brick with asphalt shingles) as long as there is no snow on the roof. Proximity to windows not needed.

Another test, if you would be so kind... If your vehicle has a metal roof, see how close to a side window (usually nearly vertical) your antenna has to be to get a good signal.

Also, locations 20 k away from actual is a problem for my application. Can you tell me more about this?
 
DashCamMan said:
I have not done anything like this but others may have some more knowledge.

Well, every gps camera have external antenna inside. In this situation i would find gps antenna cable and cut it and connect longer cable to it or replace old antenna with new. It is quite safe to cut cable in the middle and make a new connection there, it's just a thin coaxial cable. Most probably every antenna in these camera's are basic 3-5 volt external gps antennas. I measured my GS5000 camera gps antenna connection (grey wire in image) and there was 3,3 volt.
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Is the small box on the right in the photo the lens? If so that gray cable is connecting the lens to the circuit board.
Also if the wire is shielded, then it would not be the antenna because that would defeat the purpose. You don't shield an antenna.
My guess is that the gray wire is not the antenna.
 
NVBob said:
Is the small box on the right in the photo the lens?


Trust me.
It is antenna.
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I never expected gps's to work inside a house. I thought the roof materials would have blocked the weak satelite signals.

The software that came with my gps puts me away from where I really am. DashCamMan has said this is a common problem with the blue menu 1000 & 5000's. Therefore ....no use to you at all. Do any other gps's have the external antenna connected via a mini plug ? This would make it easy to extend the length of the cable or plug in an external cable.

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Hi dgb,

If the R310 dash cam on Amazon has the type of external GPS you are looking for, perhaps consider the Lukas LK-7300G. It has a similar GPS module but the camera is much better.
 
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