No Name Chinese Dashcam

[progman]

Full disclosure, this is a bit embarrassing, but here goes...
I purchased an inexpensive, off brand dashcam on a discount site (see pics).
There, I said it. It's actually not that bad, pics & vids are of good, but not great, quality...
But of course no manual to speak of, no instructions for settings...I've searched online for more info, nothing even on YT...
Most of the settings are pretty self explanatory, however would appreciate help for the following (am not using rear camera or parking mode):
Interval recording (100,200,or500ms), high dynamic range (on/off), exposure compensation (plus 3,2,1,zero,minus 3,2,1), license plate (on/off), gravity sensor (off,low,int,high), screen protector (30s,1min,2min), fill light (on/off).
Am I correct these 2 are related to rear camera & parking mode, which not using? Two-way video (on/off), parking guard (on/off).
Appreciate any help..

 

[Nigel]

Interval recording (100,200,or500ms)

I guess that translates into: Timelapse video recording, 10fps | 5fps | 2fps. (Frames Per Second)

high dynamic range (on/off),

Probably reduces the image contrast, maybe good, maybe bad - try it and see!

exposure compensation (plus 3,2,1,zero,minus 3,2,1),

Adjusts the image brightness, probably best left untouched.

license plate (on/off),

Might display your license plate on the video, for proof of which car was recording. Probably you will need to tell it what the license plate is in another setting.

gravity sensor (off,low,int,high),

Sensitivity of the vibration sensor, which triggers write protection of the current video file on impact.
(Nothing at all to do with gravity!)

screen protector (30s,1min,2min),

Screen saver - blanks the screen after the specified time, so that it isn't distracting at night.

fill light (on/off).

No idea

Does it have one of those stupid LED lamps on the front that is supposed to illuminate the outside scenery at night, but which is one trillionth of the power of a headlamp, and most of the light just reflects back off the windshield anyway?

 

[Nigel]

Two-way video (on/off),

Maybe it turns the rear camera off?
Not sure why you would want to though...

parking guard (on/off).

Parking guard is when it wakes up and records something on impact while you are parked.

 

[progman]

thanks Nigel, that was fast!
-yes, that's the fill light, worthless
-so for timelapse, you recommend 10,5,or2?
-didn't mean to include license plate, allows you to input your plate into recordings...
-gravity sensor, so if senses an impact that video is saved, won't overwrite? what setting would you use?

 

[progman]

-Two-way video-that's what i assume it's for, will leave off as not using rear camera
-Parking guard-is that the motion sensor for when car is parked & not running, wakes up and records something on impact?
would love to use this option, but power supply auto turns off when ignition turns off...would have to use a separate power supply or other workaround so as not to drain battery...
do you know any other way to use this?

 

[Nigel]

-so for timelapse, you recommend 10,5,or2?

I never use timelapse, why would you want video with most of the frames missing, likely including the ones you really want?

-gravity sensor, so if senses an impact that video is saved, won't overwrite? what setting would you use?

I normally have it turned off, and use a large memory card so that it wont get overwritten for ages anyway, but for a cheap camera which cant use big cards you may want it on. Just remember to clean the card regularly so that it doesn't get jammed full of rubbish!

would love to use this option, but power supply auto turns off when ignition turns off.

Some cameras will work on an internal battery for impacts when the power is off, but I don't know about yours.

 

[progman]

agreed for timelapse...
unfortunately the max memory card for this camera is 32 Gb, so will leave gravity sensor on & clean card regularly...
unsure, but highly doubt will work off internal battery for impacts...
hey, thanks again, you've been a huge help!
all the best

 

[Nigel]

& clean card regularly...

That may not need doing frequently, regularly could be once per month or once per year, depending on how much the camera write protects, just make sure that it doesn't get forgotten about, otherwise you may not have the video you need when you do need it in a couple of years time.

Full disclosure, this is a bit embarrassing, but here goes...
I purchased an inexpensive, off brand dashcam on a discount site (see pics).
There, I said it. It's actually not that bad, pics & vids are of good, but not great, quality...

Any camera is better than nothing, as long as it is actually working. It doesn't take much of a camera to show who was at fault and get you out of trouble.

The cheap ones have a habit of stoping working without informing you, and yours is likely to last about 2 summers, then stop working about this time of year due to a failed battery that didn't like the summer heat, so do check up on the recordings reasonably frequently, especially as it has no known track record!