New and in need of some advice :)

[DJRoomba]

Hello all,
I just took delivery of a dash cam from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/B00E9OGLGK
I sort of dove in head-first without doing much research. My camera's power terminates in three loose wires (a red, black, and yellow). I know you can use an add-a-circuit to wire it into the fuse box, but which wire should be put into the add-a-circuit?
If anyone has the slightest clue, I'd greatly appreciate the help!

 

[Hilts]

That, I'm sorry to say, appears to be a sort of 'Mini 0801' knock-off and not a very good one at that. With such a low price it will come with a very cheap chipset/sensor regardless of the sellers claims. Nearly half of those leaving feedback have given it 2 stars or less (10 out of 43 have given it 1 star).

Personally I wouldn't bother wiring it up, there's a very real chance you'll be wasting your time and money by doing that. I would, however, recommend you return it via Amazon for a refund & buy yourself something better. There are some good little budget cams out there - see the Dash Cam Comparison page for some Best Buys.

I sincerely apologise for being so negative on your first post on DCT. Hope you can find something better.

 

[Nigel]

Maybe read the instructions?

If it doesn't come with usable instructions then that should tell you to follow Hilts advice!

It's probably black to ground (0V) red to +V and yellow to video display. But that is a guess and +V could require 5volts or 12volts and giving it the wrong amount may blow it up!

 

[DJRoomba]

Thanks for the advice, even though it's not what I had hoped for! I'm looking into returning it now - looking forward to getting something reliable instead.

 

[DJRoomba]

Maybe read the instructions?

If it doesn't come with usable instructions then that should tell you to follow Hilts advice!

It's probably black to ground (0V) red to +V and yellow to video display. But that is a guess and +V could require 5volts or 12volts and giving it the wrong amount may blow it up!

The instructions were Chinese only, otherwise I wouldn't have taken to the internet
It comes with a yellow component cable, as well as the three wires. Someone else mentioned it might be black:ground; red:constant power; yellown/off power (like lights). Either way, hopefully the seller will take it back

 

[Hilts]

Thanks for the advice, even though it's not what I had hoped for! I'm looking into returning it now - looking forward to getting something reliable instead.

I suspect you would have been very disappointed if you'd installed it. Let us know what you decide to go for.

 

[CheckYourLights]

That looks like the old school Smallest HD 720p. I wouldn't even want a real one, much less a knock off. Also I wouldn't buy any of the Pattern names on that page either.

There are some sellers from Canada here you could probably get in touch with.

 

[DJRoomba]

Update: the Amazon seller has decided to refund my money, since the cables are supposed to terminate into something useful (not just hang loose). So, I have a free (terrible) camera to play with. Now off to peruse the forums and find a good one.

Update 2: Just bought a G1W from CalgaryDashCam.com