Odd SG9665GC V2 startup behavior

[Trick]

Hi,
I bought a SG9665GC V2 and polariser filter from @niko a few years ago, it's behaved well until recently. I've noticed it is starting in one of three states:
1) Normally, with everything functioning correctly.
2) The camera looks to be working, but the screen timeout never activates.
3) The camera powers up, the screen stays on, but the record LED stays off, the power and audio LEDs are on. The record timer stays at 00:00
If either 2 or 3 happens (about 50% of the time), then holding the power button down until the camera resets usually fixes the issue.
I've tried formatting the card in camera.

Is this something that can be fixed or is it a sign of a failing camera? I'm running ver: SG20180323.V4 software.
I've invested a fair amount of money into this camera, so i'd like to hope I can keep it alive for a little longer!

Many thanks

Lee

 

[jokiin]

Have you replaced the memory card?

 

[Trick]

Have you replaced the memory card?

No, I haven't. I will do that and see what happens.

Thanks

 

[niko]

What memory card brand / size are you using?
How often do you format it inside dashcam?

Sent from my VKY-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[Trick]

What memory card brand / size are you using?
How often do you format it inside dashcam?

Sent from my VKY-L29 using Tapatalk

Currently a Lexar 633x 64Gb. I hadn't formatted for a while but I have done a few times since I noticed this issue. I have a 128Gb Samsung Evo Plus to try.

 

[niko]

It is recommended to do card formatting inside dashcam at least once per month or every time after you use it to read / copy files on your PC or Mac. However 2y is quite a long time for memory card to be used in dashcam. With regular card formatting the quality memory cards can last much longer than 2y (depends on how intensively it has been used).
EVO Plus U3 Class is a good card.

Sent from my VKY-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[Trick]

It is recommended to do card formatting inside dashcam at least once per month or every time after you use it to read / copy files on your PC or Mac. However 2y is quite a long time for memory card to be used in dashcam. With regular card formatting the quality memory cards can last much longer than 2y (depends on how intensively it has been used).
EVO Plus U3 Class is a good card.

Sent from my VKY-L29 using Tapatalk

Old card out and new card in. I'll monitor the performance over the next few days. If it is just a card problem i'll be more than happy.
Thanks for the quick response guys and Happy New Year to you all.

Lee

 

[Dashmellow]

Hi,
I bought a SG9665GC V2 and polariser filter from @niko a few years ago, it's behaved well until recently. I've noticed it is starting in one of three states:
1) Normally, with everything functioning correctly.
2) The camera looks to be working, but the screen timeout never activates.
3) The camera powers up, the screen stays on, but the record LED stays off, the power and audio LEDs are on. The record timer stays at 00:00
If either 2 or 3 happens (about 50% of the time), then holding the power button down until the camera resets usually fixes the issue.
I've tried formatting the card in camera.

Is this something that can be fixed or is it a sign of a failing camera? I'm running ver: SG20180323.V4 software.
I've invested a fair amount of money into this camera, so i'd like to hope I can keep it alive for a little longer!

Many thanks

Lee

The problem you describe sounds quite similar to the issues I posted about a month ago (Failing SG9665GC V2?).
Although unexpected due to the symptoms that were manifesting the solution was traced to a damaged USB cable.

 

[Trick]

The new card seemed to be working, but unfortunately I noticed the problem again not long after. I've re-seated the power cable after @Dashmellow hinted that could be the issue, but it still hung this morning. I often move my car off the drive in a morning, turn the ignition off, then return to the car 10-15 minutes later to drive to work. It's after this initial power up and switch off and then back on again, that I seem to be seeing the startup issue the most.
Maybe the super capacitor is getting a little tired?

 

[jokiin]

The new card seemed to be working, but unfortunately I noticed the problem again not long after.

was the card you replaced it with new?

you're still using the included power supply?

what startup delay option have you selected in the menu?

could be a hardware problem, @niko can look at the camera for you if that's the case

 

[Dashmellow]

The new card seemed to be working, but unfortunately I noticed the problem again not long after. I've re-seated the power cable after @Dashmellow hinted that could be the issue, but it still hung this morning. I often move my car off the drive in a morning, turn the ignition off, then return to the car 10-15 minutes later to drive to work. It's after this initial power up and switch off and then back on again, that I seem to be seeing the startup issue the most.
Maybe the super capacitor is getting a little tired?

After several weeks of believing I had completely resolved the issue with a new cable, the problem with my SG9665GC V2 has returned. All in all, it's the same start-up failure you are experiencing. At @jokiin's urging I'm still doing some testing with a different power supply but at this point, after dealing with the issue since last October I think the camera has a failed hardware component.

 

[niko]

The new card seemed to be working, but unfortunately I noticed the problem again not long after. I've re-seated the power cable after @Dashmellow hinted that could be the issue, but it still hung this morning. I often move my car off the drive in a morning, turn the ignition off, then return to the car 10-15 minutes later to drive to work. It's after this initial power up and switch off and then back on again, that I seem to be seeing the startup issue the most.
Maybe the super capacitor is getting a little tired?

You may send dascam back to me so I can look into the issue and will find the solution.
PM your order number.

 

[Trick]

Thanks for all the help. Apologies, it took me a while to get back online. To answer the questions asked by @jokiin :

The 128GB Toshiba card wasn't brand new, I bought it last May and used it in my GoPro for a few weeks while on holiday.
I've never actually used the included power supply, I bought a Nextbase 12V to 5V hardwire kit from my local car shop (Halfords) when I got the SG from @niko . I've only ever had this power cable.
Startup delay was set to minimum (3s?) but I've been experimenting with 15s without any success.

Thanks for the offer of the return/investigation @niko. I want to try and power the camera up with the official supplied cable and make sure the fault is repeatable. If it is i'll send you my order number and we'll go from there.

Lee

 

[jokiin]

you definitely should try the included power cable to at least rule that out, if still an issue @niko will sort it out for you

 

[Trick]

Thanks, I will.
I work in the electronics industry myself, so I can set the camera up on my bench and power cycle it as much as I want during the day.
I want the fault to be repeatable so Niko can see it, as I know from experience, there isn't anything more annoying than receiving a 'faulty' unit from a customer and then finding absolutely nothing wrong with it, even after extensive testing.

Lee

 

[jokiin]

what a world we would live in if everyone was that diligent, we get a bit of user error type problems where the basics just get totally overlooked

 

[Trick]

Ok, a bit of an update.

I wired the SG to my bench on Friday, using the supplied power cable.



After 50 odd power ups at random times/duration, the SG booted correctly with 100% success rate. This is after travelling to work with the camera not starting correctly at all.
I could have done some in depth testing vs the Nextbase power cable, with an oscilloscope etc, but I couldn't really be bothered.
So I removed the cigar lighter adaptor from the supplied cable, added some wires to make it into a hardwired cable, pulled out the Nextbase wiring and replaced it with the modified Street Guardian cable.
The camera has been OK since, and I've done quite a few trips in the car this weekend.
I guess it could have been a few things, noise, failing DC-DC supply, bad earth etc, but all seems well now.

Lee

 

[jokiin]

thanks for the update, if you do find that you have problems at any time just let us know

 

[Trick]

Well, after 10 days of thinking the problem had gone......it's back, with the same symptoms as before. Very confusing, I can't understand what the problem could be, or how to go about fault finding it. Exactly the same issue as @Dashmellow by the looks of things.

 

[Dashmellow]

QUOTE="Trick, post: 452564, member: 26021"]
Well, after 10 days of thinking the problem had gone......it's back, with the same symptoms as before. Very confusing, I can't understand what the problem could be, or how to go about fault finding it. Exactly the same issue as @Dashmellow by the looks of things.
[/QUOTE]

Yes, this is precisely what has been so vexing about this. The camera works fine for a period of time and then suddenly the problem returns. Actually, the symptoms on my unit have been changing slightly from time to time as the months of dealing with this have gone by. I'll describe this in greater detail when I have some more time, probably later today or this evening. I'll post over in my own thread on this subject for the sake of continuity reporting on my particular camera unit. The thing is, I still keep puzzling over why a new heavier AWG USB cable (with a ferrite bead on this one) would have completely cured this issue for nearly a month, only to have it return.