New cam advice please

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Steve698

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Hi All,
New here - I have a cheap cam fitted at present which has been ok but doesn't have GPS or many other features for that matter. I am looking for a new cam but the information out there is confusing and somewhat overwhelming.
I need both forward and rear facing, I would like them to be unobtrusive, I intend to hardwire (the same as present), they need to have GPS for date, position and time stamp. I would also like speed camera detection, which again has mixed info around it, would like fixed camera detection as well as mobile, laser, digital and radar. Not sure if it's best to get all the above incorporated or separate the speed detection element. Would prefer the dash cams were separate units (one for windscreen, one for rear window). Hope this is possible, my budget would be £250, if not possible at this price point what would be the closest I could get.
Advice so far has suggested the Drivesmart Elite 2 ( https://www.radar-detectors.co.uk/product/drivesmart-dual-speed-camera-and-dvr ) but although this has all the features I would like, at the right pricepoint It is far too bulky for my liking. I am more drawn towards the screenless types like the Thinkware F770. Advice appreciated.
P.S. almost forgot parking mode needed as well.
 
That monster are probably bad at all the things it can do.
If you want 2 channels and not pay over the top, the viofo A129 duo are a thing to look out for.
 
kamkar1 said:
That monster are probably bad at all the things it can do.
If you want 2 channels and not pay over the top, the viofo A129 duo are a thing to look out for.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply - is there anything without the screen ?
 
There are a few like the thinkware you mentioned.
But why the screen phobia ? it have nothing to do with the size of the dashcam, and it can be set to go dark in seconds after start,,,,, cuz you do of course not want more lights in the car that is already there.
 
kamkar1 said:
There are a few like the thinkware you mentioned.
But why the screen phobia ? it have nothing to do with the size of the dashcam, and it can be set to go dark in seconds after start,,,,, cuz you do of course not want more lights in the car that is already there.
Click to expand...
Just find the screenless less bulky - our current cam is only cheap as stated and the screen stays on all the time, which is distracting when driving so I have been forced to hide it right in behind the rearview mirror which is ok but you still know it's on when driving at night. So although it's not a phobia and the newer cams can be set to turn off I just prefer the look of the screenless models.
 
After yet more reading there seems to be a compelling argument for 2 x single channel cams rather than a 2 channel setup - any thoughts ? and if I were persuaded in this direction what options would that open up for me ?
I find myself being pushed towards 2 x single channel, screen-less with WiFi to access the footage ( head is rattling like a box of tools ).
 
Steve698 said:
Just find the screenless less bulky - our current cam is only cheap as stated and the screen stays on all the time, which is distracting when driving so I have been forced to hide it right in behind the rearview mirror which is ok but you still know it's on when driving at night. So although it's not a phobia and the newer cams can be set to turn off I just prefer the look of the screenless models.
Click to expand...
The Viofo A129 Kamkar mentioned is not bulky, you need to look at the measurements, not the misleading images! And it does turn the screen off quickly if unused. It should be mounted behind the rearview mirror anyway to be legal, there is an optional remote control if you want easy access to lock files/take snapshots.

You haven't given your reasons for wanting 2x separate cameras, generally people like to have 1 lock button and all the files on a single memory card with the start of the front+rear pair of files frame synchronised. Also, if you want decent quality front + rear then the dual cameras tend to be cheaper than 2x separate cameras.
 
I have been running +2 cameras for years, probably more like +4 cameras to be honest, and it is annoying to have to go to every single camera to get the memory card off them.
So when i got the SG9663DC it was a relief i could feel when i had captured some idiots in traffic i wanted to share on youtube.
In the older days 2 single cameras was often recommended over a dual system, for the redundancy and at the time better IQ of those, but i don't feel thats the same now with more modern hardware.
New cameras will beep / alarm if the for some reason are not able to record, so to me now it make more sense to have a spare memory card lying in the car, which i have, actually 2 of them as i at the moment run 7 cameras in my car ( 2 of them dual channel systems )

The wifi cameras get more and more abundant, several of mine also support it, but i only use it right after a firmware update so i can do settings on my phone as my tired old eyes don't do so well with the small letters on the small screens.
But i would never use wifi for file transfer, first of all it is pretty slow transfer speeds, so just one 3 minute file are slow, and i am not even sure how it would be browsing filed on the camera to find the one you need are as i have never tried that.
Some argue what if you have had a event and want to share footage with a police officer or something, and to that i say i would never share anything on site, i wouldn't even say i have cameras as i want the other part to lie and cheat all he / she can.
And then i give my insurance company my footage and then its their and the opposing insurance company jobs to duke it out and maybe file with the police for false statements and document fraud.

One problem with going to several cameras for a memory card in each, is the little memory cards are spring loaded, and me + several others in here have tried to launch one, and then have to crawl on hands and knees for a long time and maybe even then not being able to find it again.

Also the wifi camera you cant have that on all the time, so you will have to turn that on / off to get to use it.
Personally i also feel like i am dying a little every time i touch my phone, so outside of the 10 minutes every week i do touch it, then i really don't want to make that number higher.
 
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Thank you for all your advice so far, am edging towards the Viofo A129 with remote and hardwire kit, think it has everything else i require.
Any thoughts on speed camera detection ?
 
I use a app for that on my phone, but only on long drives otherwise i keep to the limit.
Denmark only have 20 fixed speed cameras, and around 100 mobile speed traps in a van, so live update are needed here and the app do that just fine ( if you are not the first person there and speeding )
Speed don't worry me, never gotten a speeding ticket, not even in the 90ties when i was a monumental idiot in a car and speeding was the least of what i did all the time.
 
The A129 Duo is IMHO the best value in a very good 2-channel dashcam today. Advanced features, well-developed, very good factory support (Viofo is an active member here on DCT), very good vids day and night, multiple firmwares to choose from to fine-tune images, and several parking modes as well. Plus it alerts for SD card problems whereas most cams don't. Spending more money on something else will only get more you features, not better video quality.

There will soon be a couple "Dual-Remote" cams on the market where the main "box" can be stahsed away with only two small cam modules in view. No timeframe on them but my guess is at least one will be here in 2-3 months. Read about the SG9663DR and the K2S on their respective threads here. There are other cylindrical cams from Thinkware and Blackvue but I feel those are overpriced and they have CS issues with those companies. On Street Guardian cams, you can't go wrong with them, tops in everything and a good value plus near-instant CS from their manufacturer and dealers here.

For a 2 cam system I like the B1W for a rear cam, very discreet and sleek, reliable with good vids at night, good customer support from estore009 (the manufacturer and a member here too) and a bargain price for it's quality. The IMX 323 sensor limits the vid quality somewhat but it's still good and it excels at night where lesser cams and sensors fall down. Also Nextbase is a common brand in the UK and they're bringing out improved cam models as we speak. Good CS from their manufacturer here but some models seem to have some issues so research well.

It's never been a better time for dashcam customers than today; much has been improved since I came onboard around 5 years ago and there are now more good cams and choices than ever before so I'm sure you'll find something to like!

Phil
 
kamkar1 said:
I use a app for that on my phone, but only on long drives otherwise i keep to the limit.
Denmark only have 20 fixed speed cameras, and around 100 mobile speed traps in a van, so live update are needed here and the app do that just fine ( if you are not the first person there and speeding )
Speed don't worry me, never gotten a speeding ticket, not even in the 90ties when i was a monumental idiot in a car and speeding was the least of what i did all the time.
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You must either be a saint or extremely lucky, I'm 56 now so no boy racer but sometimes you drift off and do 40 in 30 or just creep over a bit, certainly on motorways nowadays must cars don't complain when doing 80, my son has recently been fined for 36 in a 30 and 79 on a motorway, sister-in-law camera caught at 34 in 30 not condoning it but it so easy to do unless you spend your time fixated on the speedo, which is worse because your not watching the road IMO. I like to have a voice to remind me just in case. What app do you use ? is it reliable ? does it only cover fixed cameras ? is it on iphone ?
 
I spent my whole luck account in my younger years, and so me playing the lotto now are pretty much a waster of money.
But back then my driving and at the time criminal career took a big bite out of the luck account and multiplied it all by 2 and then deposited it on my bad karma account.
So now well into my 50ties i do all i can to offset that before i kick the bucket, but sadly it take 2 good karma points to offset 1 bad one, so only + is my career back then lasted only a short while.

I do also speed now, but its in general when i have "zombied" it a little while driving, so 90 in a 80 zone that do happen now and then, not least as it is also rare i go under the posted max speed.

It is of course also a big + at the moment that Denmark are suffering a severe cop shortage, as no one reacted to the retirement of several large generations of cops, so we are pretty much down to 50 % of what we was, and 25% of what is generally needed factoring the general moral decline of Danish society.

I favor do your best, and if thats not enough pay what it cost and try to do better in the future.

My friends last speeding ticket was 81 in a 80 zone, he was measured to do 85 but they they have to deduct 4km/h to account for measuring equipment inaccuracies.
So that 1 km/h cost my friend 170 pounds / 1500 DKkr,,,,, which are pretty lucky cuz really my friend should not have a license the way he drive very often, one little beguine thing in traffic and he explode and floor it.
 
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Steve698 said:
You must either be a saint or extremely lucky, I'm 56 now so no boy racer but sometimes you drift off and do 40 in 30 or just creep over a bit, certainly on motorways nowadays must cars don't complain when doing 80, my son has recently been fined for 36 in a 30 and 79 on a motorway, sister-in-law camera caught at 34 in 30 not condoning it but it so easy to do unless you spend your time fixated on the speedo, which is worse because your not watching the road IMO. I like to have a voice to remind me just in case. What app do you use ? is it reliable ? does it only cover fixed cameras ? is it on iphone ?
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If you want to stick to the limits, most phone satnav apps will have a speed limit warning which will tell you if you go over the real limit (not that indicated by inaccurate speedometers), based on your GPS position, and which will be regularly updated with the latest speed limit database. You don't need to set a destination, just run the app before setting out.

I don't think there is much point having an actual camera detector in the UK these days, the days of police radar guns are long gone, and those average speed cameras don't emit anything to be detected. Only way to do it now is optically, but then you can get false alerts:

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(A bird nesting box!)
 
Danish cops do some times grab a laser gun and go do old style speed traps, but to do this you need at least 2 cops so not that often they do that nowadays.
The mobile ATM speed trap vans are now manned by civilians as it is pretty much automated aside for moving the van.

And yes using the overspeed warning on modern satnav apps are a good idea, i have long been contemplating getting one such app, only minus is the speed trap app i use are free and work fine with its just about 400.000 daily users.
 
So is there an app for iphone that works for speed cameras and mobile traps in the UK, just want a advance warning and the set limit, my in car sat-nav tells me the road speed limit just not camera locations.
 
You don't need a speed trap app if you stick to the speed limits, which is easy to do if you have an overspeed warning!

I don't think any speed trap app guarantees a warning, the police can always set up a new one without warning.
 
As a Dane i would not know, the APP i use are only for use here in DK
You could try and search in the APP store or what ever it is called on a fruit phone. fixed speed cameras i am surprised don't even figure on regular NAV apps.
 
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