Parking Mode Using 12V Port?

[Alex Mermelstein]

I'm 99% sure the 12V port under my radio is always on. Can parking mode be used with this, or do all cameras NEED to be hardwired for parking mode to work?

 

[thancam]

I'm 99% sure the 12V port under my radio is always on. Can parking mode be used with this, or do all cameras NEED to be hardwired for parking mode to work?

what dashcam do you have ?

 

[Alex Mermelstein]

Still shopping...open to suggestions. See my other forum post here:

https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/title-says-it-all-what-should-i-buy.20570/

 

[dash riposki]

You'll want some sort of low voltage disconnect, so the camera shuts off before draining the battery. Some cars the cigarette lighter is equipped with that. In my old GMC pickup, one lighter socket is on the low voltage cutoff circuit, the other is not.
(Found out the hard way)
Most of the 'hardwire' packages should have this feature. Dash cams don't draw much, but if the car sits a day or so.......

 

[Alex Mermelstein]

My car won't sit. I seldom go more than 18 hours between driving, even on weekends. My owner manual isn't too specific on the power ports, so is there any way I can find out without actually draining the battery? Can the low voltage cutoff be used with the cigarette adapter?

In my old Pontiac, the cigarette port was in the overhead console, so I wouldn't have had to run any wires at all, but not so with my new one.

 

[randy]

I'm 99% sure the 12V port under my radio is always on. Can parking mode be used with this, or do all cameras NEED to be hardwired for parking mode to work?

I don't have an exact answer but maybe my experience will help. I have a 2016 grand Cherokee and I have two Lukas cameras...they are hard wired with no cut off feature. The amperage they draw is relatively high...however, I don't leave mine on for a real long time....just while out shopping or getting it serviced. I was told theoretically and mathematically speaking, my NEW battery wouldn't be wounded until the 25 hour mark...and 20 or so minutes of highway driving would patch that back up. I understand my jeep is new but I have had no issue at all so far. You could also get one of those portable car battery chargers just in case.

 

[dash riposki]

Google?

If you're going with a more discrete cam set up, you'd probably be better off with a hardwire kit that includes one, anyway.

My experience cam from leaving an external sat radio receiver turned on while the car was parked for two days. (Twice)

(the downside of living in an area I could walk to most of the shopping I needed to do, and I had a rule no ice cream came in the house unless I walked for it......no much of a goal. 7 minutes each way. )

 

[Ralph2]

I'm 99% sure the 12V port under my radio is always on. Can parking mode be used with this, or do all cameras NEED to be hardwired for parking mode to work?

If.. your 12v port "is" on all the time there is no reason why your camera will not go into park mode.. and run until the battery is dead. No cameras that I am aware of have a low voltage shutoff / battery saver built in.
Most.. 12v ports (used to be called the cigarette lighter plugin) shut off with the key.. or shut off after a timed interval. I am sure there exceptions though.

 

[abarth]

my previous Lukas 7200 was hard wired and had built in battery discharge prevention. it monitors the available battery power and will shutoff when it hit your chosen voltage.