NextBase 622GW Freezing and battery not charging? marketing scam?

[donvdp]

Hi there Fellow Dashcammers,


A few days ago, I received my NextBase 622GW dashcam. Together with my newly purchased 128GB SanDisk sdcard.

I have a few issues that i would like your opinion about:
1: Camera freezing on startup due to incorrect SD card?
2: Battery not charging?

--------------------------------
1) Camera freezing on startup due to incorrect SD card?
--------------------------------

After the unboxing, charging, configuring and installation of the dashcam I’ve noticed that the dashcam keeps freezing when recording should start (when i unlock my car and the cigarette charger gets powered up). Instead of normal operations the camera shows me 1 or 2 frames and then freezes. In order to get the dashcam working again i have to manually press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds, then the dashcam powers off. after placing it back in the window mount (where the dashcam gets its power from) it starts up again and then it will work fine for that ride. and this goes on and on for every ride so far.

I’ve contacted NextBase support to ask them if this could be a hardware failure, they say its due to my SanDisk SD card. They claim my SD card is only rated for 30MB/s write speed and it should at minimum have a write speed of 48MB/sec. According to the lady at the support desk I should only be using one of their own NextBase SD cards (ofcourse…). Now this stings a little, because I’ve provided them with my read/write speed benchmarks of the SanDisk SDcard and my test results show that the write speed is more than sufficient (~115Mb/sec). Take a look at my screenshots below.



Even reverse calculating the files that get generated by the dashcam, I can only conclude that my sd card is MORE than sufficient. are my calculations wrong? For the reverse calculations I took the largest file on the SD card (shown below) the file is 419.430.400 bytes in size. This is a file for a 1-minute recording. So: 419.430.400 / 60 = 6.990.507 bytes per second --> 6.990.507 / 1000 = 6.990,51 KiloBytes (KB) per second --> 6.990,51 / 1000 = 6,99 MegaBytes (MB) per second or 6.99 x 8 = 55,92 Megabits (Mb) per seconds. it’s as easy as this right?



So the SD card is tested at ~115 Mb/sec and the dashcam is recording at ~56 Mb/sec... Am I wrong to assume that this should not be the cause for the dashcam to freeze up?

And even if the card is the reason why the dashcam freezes, why does it only happen when the dashcam gets turned on at the beginning of each ride? because this does not happen when I’ve done the hard reset and the dashcam is powered up for the 2nd time.

What do you guys think, is this a hardware failure?

To be complete i have submitted my dashcam settings in the attachment of this post.


--------------------------------
2) Battery not charging?
--------------------------------

Out of the box the manual stated that the dashcam needs to be charge for at least 2 hours before first use. I had enough time and charged it for about 5 hours. then i went for my first drive with the dashcam installed in the car. even after 5 hours charging the battery icon still appears transparent, as if not holding and charge at all. if compared to let’s say my phone icon, it looks to me that this means that the battery is 'empty' don’t know how else to say it, usually a battery icon turns to green when the battery has some charge in it. Could this be a faulty battery? or is this battery icon 'by design' always transparent?




--------------------------------
--------------------------------

What do you think, might both problems be connected to each other? I have limited time before I have to make the decision to return this product and i am not interested in keeping fault and continuously freezing equipment.

 

[Paul Iddon]

Your graphic shows just 15MB/Sec doesn't it - when you need 48MB/sec?

 

[donvdp]

please dont confuse megabite (Mb) with megabyte (MB), ive tested the card for 15MB and thats about 115Mb.. when they say i need 48Mb

 

[SawMaster]

Regardless of specs and test results indicating adequate card speeds, some cards just do not work well with some cams. The general advice on cards has always been to use one which other owners of that cam are having good results with. Even then once in a while someone will find one of the cards others have success with doesn't work for them. I've never found an explanation for this odd behavior but I've seen many dozens of times it happened in the 5+ years I've been involved with dahscams.

Some manufacturers will not warranty malfunctions unless you use their self-branded cards, notably Blackvue and Thinkware (and now Nextbase) but other cards will work- you just have to find which ones.

Phil

 

[donvdp]

According to there website the sandisk SD card would be sufficiënt. I am not accepting an awnser which states "use my own brand's sd card with the same class rating". because thats Bs.

622GW Dash Cam Support

622gw Dash Cam Support. Below you'll find everything from instruction manuals and firmware upgrades to FAQs and tutorials. Find out more with NextBase today.

www.nextbase.com

Today i have been experimenting with camera settings. ive set the resolution to 1080p 30FPS. (lowest settings). the same error continues to persist. im RMAing the nextbase unit.

topic can be closed.

 

[Paul Iddon]

It's your card.

But you've made your mind up.

 

[donvdp]

Hi there Paul, I’ve not made up my mind, I am open to explanations, so far no one has made the effort to explain what’s wrong with my card. if you can, please do so! but just writing "It's your card." its insufficient explaining for me to understand what’s wrong with the card that I have.

If you can and want to help me please do, because I’m struggling here.

 

[SawMaster]

There isn't always a clear reason why some cards just do not work well with some cams. With the older SanDisk cards the reason was found to be in their non-standard file structure, but since they changed that their cards do tend to be one of the better ones for dashcams now.

Otherwise all I can offer is empirical evidence- you can look back at these forums and others right from their start and see where incompatible cards that should work but don't has happened frequently to a vast number of users with every dashcam ever made. Nobody knows why- it just happens. Damned odd that it seems to happen only with dashcams but there you have it- enough of it has happened to prove it does happen and you can accept that reality or not. All we're trying to do here is help people avoid and solve dashcam problems in the ways which we have found that work best.

Phil

 

[Paul Iddon]

Can you borrow a card from somebody to try as an alternative Don, or maybe buy a smaller card to test instead?

Do you have Amazon Prime in the Netherlands? I would try if possible a Samsung EVO Plus (even a 64Gb one for lower price and testing?)

Paul.

 

[donvdp]

Actually i do have a few other micro SD cards laying arround. However, only 2 of them are a class 3 micro SD card.
Sadly only a 512gb Samsung Evo class 3 card.



A few moments ago, I received a package containing my new SD card reader (USB 3.1)

Do you have Amazon Prime in the Netherlands?

Yes we do, want me to order another card ?

 

[Paul Iddon]

Try the 512 EVO Plus - see if the dashcam "sees" it.

If it does, have a go with that one.

I don't want you to spend money willy-nilly looking for a solution (unless you're a much richer person than most of us, lol...)

Amazon own brand I think is just the same a a full Samsung brand and is way cheaper:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B085FGMQS6

 

[donvdp]

Yes, that card is being detected. looks like no problems so far.

not a rich person haha, wich i was

Doing a few speedtests with this card now

 

[donvdp]

The samsung evo is slightly slower then the sandisk, but its recording just fine.

 

[Kremmen]

I've used a 128Gb Samsung Evo Plus across 4 dashcams, 2 Nextbase, and it's still going strong since Oct 2018.

... and I rarely format it. I just Cut/Paste from card to PC after about 2 to 4 hours use and use my dashcam as a card reader to do it.

 

[Paul Iddon]

The EVO cards are popular with dashcammers.

 

[donvdp]

So, an update,

Yesterday and today, I went on a few drives for work. I keep on experiencing the same freezing issue. Even with the Samsung Evo card.

The weird thing is that it is only happening when I start my car.

Here is what happens::

When I start my car the dashcam turns on… show 1 or 2 frames and then freezes.

I then remove the dashcam from the window mount, preform a hard reset (keep the power button pressed for about 10 seconds) which then shuts down the dashcam. I then proceed to place the dashcam back into the window mount, the dashcam turns on again and starts recording without any issues for the entire ride.

How come it only freezes when I ignite the engine and the dashcam turns on for the first time and not right after a reset??

Could this possibly be related to the battery not having charge or something?

Hope to hear from you guys!

 

[Paul Iddon]

I think this is one for Millie to look into for you. I'll take her so she gets a notification m8.

@NextBase Support

 

[Nextbase Support]

Thanks Paul!

What firmware is the camera on please?
1) Turn the Dash Cam on
2) Ensure it is not recording (by pressing the red circle if required)
3) Go into Settings (the button in the top left)
4) Go into Setup settings
5) Scroll across to ‘System Info’
6) Look at the Firmware number RXX.XX.

Do you have a rear camera plugged in at all times?

Do you have Image Stabilisation or Extreme Weather Mode enabled please?

We only recommend using a Nextbase SD card in a Nextbase camera. I'll message you directly regarding this.

Thanks,
Millie

Nextbase Technical Support

 

[donvdp]

Yeah, I have already tried the Nextbase support via e-mail. unfortunately, that ended rather quickly since they were not willing to help me due to the fact that I do not have a Nextbase SD card. Sorry for being a bit salty in this regard, but I didn’t have a pleasant experience with the Nextbase support (e-mail) staff.

Via e-mail I’ve tried to get the specifications of a 'specialized' Nextbase SD card, but no one was willing to share those specifications with me, telling me that either:
1) Nextbase does not have them (unlikely)
2) the Nextbase SD card shares the same specs than any other brand of SD card.

Either way, after 12 e-mails exchanged with Michael, Laura and James (all from Nextbase support) I ended up concluding that they were never serious in helping me resolve my problem, they just wanted me to buy another Nextbase product.

Nextbase does not just recommend using a Nextbase brand SD card with ‘secret specs’, they won’t help you if you don’t have one. They will just tell you it’s the fault of my own SD card, not matter how much speed benchmarks I can provide. Pssst: that means that you making it mandatory Nextbase

I still have a few more days before my free trial period ends for this dashcam. Ill tinker around with some settings hoping I can get this to work properly, all I need to do is to find a fix for this initial freezing when starting my cars engine.

Ending on a positive note: that dashcam does make some nice recordings! I especially like the image stabilization tech. its next level

 

[Kremmen]

I think what I would do, as a test, is fire up the camera with a clean power source.

Give the HWK a clean 12v, outside of the ignition sequence. I'm still very suspicious of some HWK wiring that receives a make/break/make sequence within a few seconds when the car is started.

Also, what happens when you plug the unit into a mobile phone mains wall chsrger with the supplied USB lead. Does it fire up OK.