New to external batteries, looking for some advice/suggestions.

[AJdarkfire]

Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone has looked into this. I just purchased a Viofo A229 Pro with a hardwire kit and was wondering more about the parking mode feature. I've heard from multiple sources that the Prius batteries are generally small which can equate to very little parking mode recording time. I'm also worried about draining the battery in the small instance it drains my battery and can't turn the vehicle on. Has anybody had experience in this area? Wondering if I should move over to an external battery pack instead. I usually park pretty far away from cars to try and stay away from hit/runs. I will be working soon in a busier parking lot leaving me the chance that nobody will hit my car. First time looking into a battery pack, any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[Panzer Platform]

1-3 Hours Parking Mode: Vehicle starter battery should be just fine
24+ Hours Parking Mode: Seek other options
My top 3 favorite Dash Cam Battery Pack reviews;

Worst battery review ever;

If you’re not a “video” person here’s the testing threads;

7500 mAh / 96 Wh - BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8 / BlackVue B-130X / Thinkware iVolt Xtra BAB-95

Like @Vortex Radar and @Panzer Platform , I've been testing some dash camera battery packs. Last year I purchased a BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8. I observed some charging amp draws by that first PowerCell 8 I received that were well above the stated charging amps (low = 5 amps and high = up to...

dashcamtalk.com

Thinkware IVOLT XTRA vs Blackvue B-130X Review

@Panzer Platform sent me his Blackvue B-130X a few months back and I have been procrastinating on testing both of these battery packs. A couple things I noticed Thinkware IVOLT XTRA says 8500 mah in screenshot. Yet it is rated at 7500mah. After having both of them charged I did some...

dashcamtalk.com

BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8 Test & Review PP

Hey guys once again I’m late to the party, but it still feels good to be invited. For the past couple months I’ve been begging Joseph from @BlackboxMyCar to send me a PowerCell 8 for test & review. I think I finally wore him down. Lol What can I say about the PC8 that’s already been reviewed...

dashcamtalk.com

BlackboxMyCar Home Charger For Dash Cam Battery Packs

Broseph from @BlackboxMyCar sent me their newest 14.6 Volt / 8 Amp AC/DC Power Inverter for test & review. These are marketed toward folks who may not drive long enough, or often enough to fully charge their battery pack to 100% to utilize the full capacity for operating their dash cam in...

dashcamtalk.com

 

[Nigel]

1-3 Hours Parking Mode: Vehicle starter battery should be just fine

In case you haven't worked it out, you have a Parking Duration Timer setting to limit the recording time to whatever is necessary.

 

[AJdarkfire]

1-3 Hours Parking Mode: Vehicle starter battery should be just fine
24+ Hours Parking Mode: Seek other options
My top 3 favorite Dash Cam Battery Pack reviews;

Worst battery review ever;

If you’re not a “video” person here’s the testing threads;

7500 mAh / 96 Wh - BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8 / BlackVue B-130X / Thinkware iVolt Xtra BAB-95

Like @Vortex Radar and @Panzer Platform , I've been testing some dash camera battery packs. Last year I purchased a BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8. I observed some charging amp draws by that first PowerCell 8 I received that were well above the stated charging amps (low = 5 amps and high = up to...

dashcamtalk.com

Thinkware IVOLT XTRA vs Blackvue B-130X Review

@Panzer Platform sent me his Blackvue B-130X a few months back and I have been procrastinating on testing both of these battery packs. A couple things I noticed Thinkware IVOLT XTRA says 8500 mah in screenshot. Yet it is rated at 7500mah. After having both of them charged I did some...

dashcamtalk.com

BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8 Test & Review PP

Hey guys once again I’m late to the party, but it still feels good to be invited. For the past couple months I’ve been begging Joseph from @BlackboxMyCar to send me a PowerCell 8 for test & review. I think I finally wore him down. Lol What can I say about the PC8 that’s already been reviewed...

dashcamtalk.com

BlackboxMyCar Home Charger For Dash Cam Battery Packs

Broseph from @BlackboxMyCar sent me their newest 14.6 Volt / 8 Amp AC/DC Power Inverter for test & review. These are marketed toward folks who may not drive long enough, or often enough to fully charge their battery pack to 100% to utilize the full capacity for operating their dash cam in...

dashcamtalk.com

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Thanks for all of this valuable information. What's to say I go for a Lifepo4 Battery pack off of Amazon and plug it in whenever I park for extended amounts of time? Seems there are multiple power banks that are almost half the price with around 3x-4x more battery life out there that utilize Lifepo4. I don't have a problem continously having to charge the power bank if I can save some money. While the hardwire is more useful and more practical, I find it hard to spend almost $250-$380 for something that seems way overpriced like dashcam branded MicroSD cards.

I also forgot to mention that I drive a 2023 Prius Limited. If that matters at all.

 

[Nigel]

I don't have a problem continously having to charge the power bank

It normally takes quite a long time to charge those power banks, so you need work out what is practical for what you want to do. If you only use parking mode while shopping once per week then yes, using a normal power bank is definitely practical.

that are almost half the price with around 3x-4x more battery life

If you are looking on Amazon or ebay then a lot of capacity claims are fraudulent!

I suggest you try a normal USB powerbank and find out what you actually need before investing a significant amount, it may turn out that the car battery is sufficient.

I just purchased a Viofo A229 Pro with a hardwire kit

If you want to do the maths on battery requirement, ask @Panzer Platform how many Watts your camera uses in parking mode, then look at the battery specification for capacity in Wh, then just divide the Wh by the Watts and you will get the record time in hours.

If the battery pack specification does not give the Wh and only gives mAh, then reject the battery pack since it is likely an inaccurate claim anyway!

 

[Panzer Platform]

What's to say I go for a Lifepo4 Battery pack off of Amazon and plug it in whenever I park for extended amounts of time? Seems there are multiple power banks that are almost half the price with around 3x-4x more battery life out there that utilize Lifepo4.

Correct.

I don't have a problem continously having to charge the power bank if I can save some money.

Correct.

While the hardwire is more useful and more practical, I find it hard to spend almost $250-$380 for something that seems way overpriced like dashcam branded MicroSD cards.

Correct.



Things to consider;
1.) HK4 hardwire kit is required for “reliable” operation.
Yes, it’s possible to use the included USB power cable with a power bank, and wait for 5 minutes of “no activity” for the camera to trigger parking mode, but it is not “reliable”.




2.) The reason dedicated dash cam battery packs are so expensive is you are paying for integration & convenience.
Once connected they function in the background automatically with no further user attention.

3.) We will be getting a new dedicated dash cam battery pack from a new manufacturer, (not EGEN Korea) 4/1/24.
It will be 100Wh, LiFePO4, and most importantly $160, (half of PC8 & B-130X).
This will open the door for folks who previously considered battery packs, but declined due to the high cost.

 

[AJdarkfire]

It normally takes quite a long time to charge those power banks, so you need work out what is practical for what you want to do. If you only use parking mode while shopping once per week then yes, using a normal power bank is definitely practical.


If you are looking on Amazon or ebay then a lot of capacity claims are fraudulent!

I suggest you try a normal USB powerbank and find out what you actually need before investing a significant amount, it may turn out that the car battery is sufficient.


If you want to do the maths on battery requirement, ask @Panzer Platform how many Watts your camera uses in parking mode, then look at the battery specification for capacity in Wh, then just divide the Wh by the Watts and you will get the record time in hours.

If the battery pack specification does not give the Wh and only gives mAh, then reject the battery pack since it is likely an inaccurate claim anyway!

Sounds good. I did the math of 45Ah x 12v to come up to 540Wh on my 12v battery in my car. Looking online, the amount of wattage the camera uses in parking mode can be anywhere to 3-5 Watts depending on mode. I should be alright then right? Not very savvy when it comes to the math. Am I doing this calculation right?

 

[Nigel]

Am I doing this calculation right?

Almost right, I assume it is a lead acid battery, so the nominal voltage (average between full and empty voltages) will be a little higher, maybe 12.35V, depending on type of lead acid battery.

However, lead acid batteries are highly inefficient when discharging small amounts of power, so it is not worth correcting the maths.

Realistically, I would guess that you can safely take around 130Wh out of it, and I wouldn't recommend taking more than 100Wh regularly.
Yes, that is a lot different to your calculation, but only because it is a lead acid battery. If it is actually a lithium battery of some sort then your maths would be correct (if using the right nominal voltage), but then Toyota would probably have fitted a battery with a quarter that capacity!

 

[AJdarkfire]

Almost right, I assume it is a lead acid battery, so the nominal voltage (average between full and empty voltages) will be a little higher, maybe 12.35V, depending on type of lead acid battery.

However, lead acid batteries are highly inefficient when discharging small amounts of power, so it is not worth correcting the maths.

Realistically, I would guess that you can safely take around 130Wh out of it, and I wouldn't recommend taking more than 100Wh regularly.
Yes, that is a lot different to your calculation, but only because it is a lead acid battery. If it is actually a lithium battery of some sort then your maths would be correct (if using the right nominal voltage), but then Toyota would probably have fitted a battery with a quarter that capacity!

I'm only going to utilize parking mode when I'm out at work which would be 8 hours a day 5 days a week or during quick pit stops. I have cameras set up at home so I'd have no need to utilize the parking mode while at home.

 

[Nigel]

I'm only going to utilize parking mode when I'm out at work which would be 8 hours a day 5 days a week or during quick pit stops. I have cameras set up at home so I'd have no need to utilize the parking mode while at home.

That should be OK for the car battery, as long as you drive for 30+ minutes per day for charging the battery, reliably turn the camera off the rest of the time, and occasionally make a drive of 2+ hours to get the battery properly full (cleans the battery plates), or fully charge the battery with a charger.

I'm basing that on a conventional car, not a Prius, which I don't know much about, but it is probably still valid.

Alternatively, a conventional USB lithium powerbank of around 75Wh/20,000mAh would handle the parking mode conveniently. Be careful not to leave it in the sun, and don't charge it below zero °C.

If that doesn't work out convenient, then try:

3.) We will be getting a new dedicated dash cam battery pack from a new manufacturer, (not EGEN Korea) 4/1/24.
It will be 100Wh, LiFePO4, and most importantly $160, (half of PC8 & B-130X).
This will open the door for folks who previously considered battery packs, but declined due to the high cost.

 

[AJdarkfire]

That should be OK for the car battery, as long as you drive for 30+ minutes per day for charging the battery, reliably turn the camera off the rest of the time, and occasionally make a drive of 2+ hours to get the battery properly full (cleans the battery plates), or fully charge the battery with a charger.

I'm basing that on a conventional car, not a Prius, which I don't know much about, but it is probably still valid.

Alternatively, a conventional USB lithium powerbank of around 75Wh/20,000mAh would handle the parking mode conveniently. Be careful not to leave it in the sun, and don't charge it below zero °C.

If that doesn't work out convenient, then try:

Thanks for the help! Luckily, I drive interstates daily for about 23-26 miles one way, so I'll be driving around 46 miles daily. I'll stick to hard wire and see how it goes for the time being and see how market fares with new dashcam batteries on the way.

 

[Panzer Platform]

I'll stick to hard wire and see how it goes for the time being

What if you set the Low Voltage Cutoff incorrectly, and you come back after work do a dead starter battery, and you can’t start the engine?
What will you do?

 

[kamkar]

call AAA

 

[Panzer Platform]

call AAA

AAA Operator: Thank you for calling AAA roadside assistance, are you in a safe location?
Excellent, we have dispatched the tow truck driver to jump start your car, due to increased service calls he's scheduled to arrive in 3 hours.

AJdarkfire: But it's snowing, and I'm freezing my balls off, and I'm late for dinner with my wife, it's our anniversary, she's going to be mad if I miss another dinner.
Ahhhhhhhh!
This is all Nigel's fault from the bad advice he gave on DCT.
Curse you Nigel!

Chuck: Buy cheap, pay twice. Follow Nigel's advice, be ready with divorce lawyer. lol

 

[Nigel]

What if you set the Low Voltage Cutoff incorrectly, and you come back after work do a dead starter battery, and you can’t start the engine?
What will you do?

AAA Operator: You have a Prius?
AJdarkfire: Yes.
AAA Operator: That's OK, you don't have a starter, so it doesn't matter - just drive normally!

 

[AJdarkfire]

AAA Operator: You have a Prius?
AJdarkfire: Yes.
AAA Operator: That's OK, you don't have a starter, so it doesn't matter - just drive normally!

Yall are too funny.
I needed that laugh.


I can find a Used Blackvue B-124X for about $175 that was just opened and returned. Would that be a decent one? Whats the difference between the Blackvue B-124X and Blackvue B-130X?

 

[Panzer Platform]

Whats the difference between the Blackvue B-124X and Blackvue B-130X?

How many channels you will be running the A229 Pro in parking mode?
6 Watts 2-CH
8 Watts 3-CH

100Wh New Model 4/1/24 ($160)
96Wh PC8 $350 (Refurbished $250)
96Wh B-130X $360
96Wh BAB-95 $370
76Wh B-124X

Example:
PC8 96Wh ÷ 8 Watts (3-CH) = 12 Hours Parking Mode Operation

 

[AJdarkfire]

How many channels you will be running the A229 Pro in parking mode?
6 Watts 2-CH
8 Watts 3-CH

100Wh New Model 4/1/24 ($160)
96Wh PC8 $350 (Refurbished $250)
96Wh B-130X $360
96Wh BAB-95 $370
76Wh B-124X

Example:
PC8 96Wh ÷ 8 Watts (3-CH) = 12 Hours Parking Mode Operation

View attachment 70767

I'll be running 3-channel so It'd be right around my 8-hour mark with some to spare. A 9.5-hour recording sounds reasonable enough for me if I go for the B-124X.

 

[Panzer Platform]

B-124X

Check the reviews of the BlackVue smartphone APP for this battery.
That may dissuade your purchase.

 

[AJdarkfire]

Check the reviews of the BlackVue smartphone APP for this battery.
That may dissuade your purchase.

You mean the magic jumping from 70 to 100% and inaccuracies? I don't really care about the app just as long as the battery works.