power bank when parked up...

[Dashmellow]

Thanks, I did see that one. Is it really worth trying to find lithium polymer for long term use in the car? That X7 is Li-ion

I've had good experience with both but the ones I've had in long term use so far in my vehicle are the Li-ion type. Most on the market are lithium-ion FWIW.

 

[DT MI]

When you get it, drain it down virtually all the way. Then fully charge. Slow, low amp charging is best (I usually use a 1 amp charger at first - later a 2 amp) Do that for the first two or three charges and you will find that the device will give you much better performance in the long run. I think that technique was in the manual that came with it but I've read that elsewhere too. I am convinced at this point after trying it with more than one new power bank that this technique is worthwhile. Sometimes I see customer reviews on Amazon where people complain that they don't get the performance, charge or claimed amperage from this or that power bank but when I've gone to the trouble of doing this I don't have that experience. One of the original generic banks I bought had what seemed like poor performance when I first started using it but after I did a full drain and charge two times in a row it improved things dramatically and that has been sustained ever since.

Same process I use for the battery packs for my dSLRs. Kind of like a new car - break it in right and it will serve you well for a long time.

 

[Dashmellow]

Need to watch the ports. That 12,000mAh one was apple lightning input only.

This one looks decent

Portable Charger RAVPower 22000mAh Power Bank 5.8A Output 3-Port External Battery Pack (2.4A Input, Triple iSmart 2.0 USB Ports, High-density Li-polymer Battery, Ace Series) For Phones Tablets and More - Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B01GJFNQYG

I've seen that one too. I have a RAVPower USB charger in my vehicle and it has been a quality product.

 

[Dashmellow]

Same process I use for the battery packs for my dSLRs. Kind of like a new car - break it in right and it will serve you well for a long time.

Yes, exactly! Batteries, especially Li-ions are like muscles; they need some exercise, especially after being dormant for a period of time.

 

[Dashmellow]

Thanks, I did see that one. Is it really worth trying to find lithium polymer for long term use in the car? That X7 is Li-ion

I'm thinking that if you choose any one of these power banks with sufficient capacity you wouldn't go wrong regardless of which type cell is inside. Remember, both the RAV and the PowerAdd come with excellent warranty policies which is more than I can say about the generic ones I bought that have performed so well.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

BTW, if anyone is in the market for a name brand high quality 20,000 mAh lithium-polymer power bank I just noticed that the PowerAdd Pilot Plus I mentioned a couple of posts back is currently offered on Amazon for $15.99 in white and $16.99 in black! That is a remarkable price and it comes with a 24 month warranty and unconditional 90 day refund policy. I paid about 23 bucks for mine quite some time ago.

The one thing to know about this power bank is that it has a weird design quirk. It feels like the top is the bottom and the bottom is the top, so that it can be a little confusing to get used to the orientation of the ports until you've used it a while.
The "top" has a basket weave texture and the "bottom" is smooth and has the kind of printing on it you would expect to see on the back of a power bank. If you look at the photo, you'll notice the plugs and writing over them seems like they are upside down and in a way I guess they are. It feels like it should be the other way around but just ignore this if you buy one. This is an amazing, powerful and very durable and long lasting power bank and it is safer than typical lithium-ion power banks that use 18650 cells since it is a lithium-polymer battery that has one big cell type battery inside like those used in quadcopters. For 16-17 dollars it is a true bargain which is why I'm posting about it.

View attachment 30033


https://www.ipoweradd.com/collectio...ne-ipad-samsung-galaxy-note-and-tablets-white

https://www.amazon.com/gp/B00NGJK6NI

I have been using one of these for awhile and it works great. Originally recommended by @Dashmellow as a bargain, and now even a better one

 

[Dashmellow]

Just have to remember that all cams are not created equal Some will shut down, lock up, or do other strange things when recording continuously for extended periods of time And a few seem to not mind such usage at all

I've had both kinds and still do; for normal usage those 'lesser' cams still work fine in the roles I use them in so they're not bad, only different

Phil

I re-read this post of yours from yesterday and want to offer a reply. The only times I ever experienced spontaneous shutdowns or odd behavior from running a camera for an extended period of time as been with the G1W series of cameras. I have a hunch your comments along those lines are based on the same camera series. Am I right? Pretty much every other camera I've owned or tested has held up quite well to extended running, from power banks or otherwise. My very first dash cam, an A-20 Chinese generic was eventually re-purposed as a home security camera running off a USB wall charger for 6-8 hours a day and it worked perfectly for over a year that way. It eventually died of old age and it's own battery failure but it never shut down from running continuously.

So, I think that shutting down spontaneously, locking up, or doing other strange things when recording continuously is more likely the exception than the rule. I don't think anyone would have any trouble running a camera for a long period of time on a power bank, say for example, during their 8 hour workday while their car is parked. Any problems to be concerned about might be more related to the high heat in the car than to the camera/battery interaction itself and that is where caution would be advised.

The most significant issue I've encountered with power banks is that in some instances, the "smart" features on some of these banks can fool dash cameras into going into standby or mass storage mode because the USB ports on some of these batteries are sending a data connection to the camera that makes it think it is connected to a computer. As I've mentioned elsewhere many times, this is a problem that can be remedied by modifying the USB cable to eliminate the data wire connection.

 

[kamkar]

So finally I find out that's his name.

They also call him Ricky - Dicky after his days as a Richard Nixon impersonator

 

[bronze84]

Would a power bank not over power the dash cam then, or does the cam have a step down voltage system built in?

Also, is there any way to force the cam into parking mode when connected to a power bank?

 

[Dashmellow]

Would a power bank not over power the dash cam then, or does the cam have a step down voltage system built in?

Also, is there any way to force the cam into parking mode when connected to a power bank?

The dash cam will only take the amount of current (amperage) it needs from the power bank. The voltage put out by the power bank is approximately 5V DC which is just about right for the typical dash cam.

Most power banks will automatically start putting out power as soon as you plug in your dash cam and then the dash cam will start recording just the way it would if plugged into the cigarette lighter 5V power adapter in a car.

 

[bronze84]

Thanks Dashmellow

Anyone know the answer to the other part of my question?

 

[Dashmellow]

Thanks Dashmellow

Anyone know the answer to the other part of my question?

Check my previous post that I just edited.

 

[bronze84]

Thanks again Dashmellow.

My dash cam goes into parking mode when the ignition is turned off as it is hard wired, can it still go into parking mode with a power bank or does the cam see it as a regular power source?

 

[Dashmellow]

Thanks again Dashmellow.

My dash cam goes into parking mode when the ignition is turned off as it is hard wired, can it still go into parking mode with a power bank or does the cam see it as a regular power source?

I'm a little confused since you have a bike. It sounds like it may be slightly more challenging to use a power bank based on what you are saying. What kind of camera do you have? Do you want a power bank to save your bike battery from running low?

Sorry, I kind of need to go offline just now but maybe someone else will jump in here who can offer some feedback. I expect I'll be back later in the evening.

 

[bronze84]

I'm a little confused since you have a bike. It sounds like it may be slightly more challenging to use a power bank based on what you are saying. What kind of camera do you have? Do you want a power bank to save your bike battery from running low?

Sorry, I kind of need to go offline just now but maybe someone else will jump in here who can offer some feedback. I expect I'll be back later in the evening.

Lol I have two bikes and two cars. Maybe i should have explained a bit better. It's for my F750 dual which I have set up in one of my cars. I plan to buy another F750 dual and use the main units for the front/rear windows and the two rear cams for the side windows. Currently it is hard wired to my car and when I turn off the ignition the cam enters parking mode. If I used a power bank then I want to know if it would enter parking mode when i connected it up OR whether it would just turn the camera on and start loop recording as normal?

Thanks for the input

 

[Dashmellow]

Lol I have two bikes and two cars. Maybe i should have explained a bit better. It's for my F750 dual which I have set up in one of my cars. I plan to buy another F750 dual and use the main units for the front/rear windows and the two rear cams for the side windows. Currently it is hard wired to my car and when I turn off the ignition the cam enters parking mode. If I used a power bank then I want to know if it would enter parking mode when i connected it up OR whether it would just turn the camera on and start loop recording as normal?

Thanks for the input

Because you merely asked whether there was "any reason why I can't just plug my dash cam into a large power bank (c.20k mah) via usb" without bothering to provide any details at all about what kind of camera you were talking about, literally everyone who posted to this thread including me thought you were referring to the typical 5V output power banks that most of us use with our 5V USB powered dash cams. Had you mentioned that you were referring to a Thinkware F750 which runs on 12/24 volts and is not powered via USB you would have gotten a very different answer. Additionally, as you feature a motorcycle as your avatar you might have thought to specify what kind of vehicle you wanted the power bank for as well, since the impression your avatar creates is that you are a biker.

In any event, I'm not terribly familiar with the Thinkware F750 and its parking mode requirements but there do happen to be a number of 12V power banks on the market that are primarily used for operating laptop computers but that "should" do what you require so you may want to explore one of those.

Some examples are the MaxOak 50,00o mAh 6 Port(5V/12V/20V) portable charger, the MaxOak 36000mAh High Capacity 5V/12V/16V power bank and the PowerAdd Pilot Pro 23,000 mAh (9V/ 12V /16V /19V /20V) power bank.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B00YP823NAhttp://www.maxoak.net/laptop-power-bank/show/12.html
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B013HXKZYW
The MaxOak 50,000mAh 6 port


The PowerADD 23,000 mAh Multivoltage Power Bank

 

[old4570]

Some cams have motion detect ( Dome G90 ) and run only motion detect ( when mode is chosen )
I have to test my G90 and see how useful it is in this mode ..
The downside is it seems to pull 350mAh to 400mAh even in this mode ..
I would love a cam that could drop power consumption to say 100mAh whilst not recording .
Perhaps a few years from now the manufacturers might look at power consumption ..
Less power = less heat , longer run time on a (?) battery . ( Internal / external )

 

[Dashmellow]

Motion detect is generally useless for dash cams. Every passing cloud, pedestrian walking past, car driving by or tree blowing in the wind can false trigger the camera. The flip side is that you could easily fail to capture the event you want to record if sensitivity is set too low. A decent power bank will provide an entire day's worth of full time, full resolution coverage at 500mAh or more.

Power consumption is a function of how much work needs to be done. It's called physics.
Cameras without screens or a lot of other bells and whistles tend to consume less power.

 

[SawMaster]

. The only times I ever experienced spontaneous shutdowns or odd behavior from running a camera for an extended period of time as been with the G1W series of cameras. I have a hunch your comments along those lines are based on the same camera series. Am I right? .

Bullseye Most of my cams have been G1W-x types, and most are good enough considering the price. But of those I've forgetfully left on or intentionally tried it, usually around 12v hours run-time problems occurred with those. I have noted some comments from others here about similar experiences with other cams but since very few run cams actually recording 24 /7 the reports of problems are also very few. My Mobius hasn't let me down yet running 24/7

It is something worth monitoring closely with whatever cam you have until you are satisfied that it will be reliable used like this Even if others get wonderful results with a certain cam, you may be the poor slob who gets one that has a marginally good component which works well normally, then goes screwy under heavy stress It can and does happen with every cam type made. And it does happen more with some than others, plus as you've seen here might be inherent in the design as well.

Trust only when proven, and verify anyway
Phil

 

[Harsh]

Anyone heard of or used one of these -

http://www.amazon.in/Romoss-Li-Polymer-Polymos-10-Charging/dp/B017IUMJ6W

Looking to get one for iffy roadside parking times.