Sounds like mine before I got a good soaking charge on it. It's in flawless daily service for 1-1/2 years.
Some stuff I learned on my own:
- Following instructions requires imagination, patience and trial & error.
- Needs a good overnight charge before it acts right.
- A bad connection is often the source of difficulty.
- My gps antenna worked with one side facing out, but not the other.
- First time GPS lock can take 15 minutes (from post here).
- G force set to light can lock it up (from a different model that drove me nuts for a few reasons).
- Some USA states require two person consent to record audio with legal and civil consequences. I don't record audio.
- 32gb will give you about a day at 1080P.
- Third party software is available via posts here to FAT32 format a micro sd card bigger than 32 gb. Bigger is better.
- If it works, upgrading to newer firmware won't make it better. (I matched my second GT680W to a GPS antenna on hand, but had to step back two firmware versions.)
- Third party 12V to USB converters may not be compatible. Some here cooked their dashcams with a cheap one.
- Cars now use both the hot and ground to control dome lights, etc. Thinking I could save some effort, this drove me nuts.
- A multi-meter is wiring's best friend.
I prefer hard wire. Makes for one less bother. I use an add-a-fuse or fuse tap and a loose 12V socket with ground screwed to chassis or similar ground. This replaces a fuse with two fuse slots, one for the original and another for your accessory. I feel using a loose 12 volt socket and the provided cord powers and protects the dashcam as intended by the manufacturer. Mine is tied into a circuit energized with ignition. With patience all wires can hide behind finishes. The add-a-fuse also lets you change your mind.
Hope this helps, good luck and keep us posted.
