Power failing to camera when using GPS mount

[OCD Tronic]

That's pretty thin, how well do they work?

It's just right. Any more would be too thick I think.

 

[clicketyclack]

I just reinstalled both my cameras with a small black ziptie stuck behind each (not along the side like in this video, but actually behind on the side opposite the gold contacts.) They seem pretty solid now. I should have taken a picture before I installed them. I cut the ziptie connector ends off and sized them so they aren't visible and added a sliver of double sitck scotch tape so they would stay attached to the cam. I'll see how these hold up.

 

[GTA Driver]

I just reinstalled both my cameras with a small black ziptie stuck behind each (not along the side like in this video, but actually behind on the side opposite the gold contacts.) They seem pretty solid now. I should have taken a picture before I installed them. I cut the ziptie connector ends off and sized them so they aren't visible and added a sliver of double sitck scotch tape so they would stay attached to the cam. I'll see how these hold up.

I never saw the video before making my order to Amazon. I tried it, using the same direction as the video clip as i find this is where the widest gap between the gps mount and my camera is. I have some short black zipties, but they must be thicker the ones in the video as I had a little bit of trouble getting it in. My camera is much more secure. Dropped a family member to church and came back, and there was no cases of camera flicker or shutdown. Even hitting the emergency (I call it event) button resulted in the camera remaining secure and no shutdown. The test drive was a very short drive on a road without numerous potholes unlike the drive to work. Tomorrow, I will know for sure how good a solution.

Edit: Looking at the whole thread top to where we are now, I can't see the zipties falling out. I gave the emergency button some pretty hard jabs and the camera remained secure.

 

[CaptureYourAction]

That's pretty thin, how well do they work?

For keeping the camera secure, they work great. Whether they are the solution for the connection issue, I think we need to wait for more feedback. I have at least one customer where it did not help with the issue he was currently having. He is currently using it with a new GPS mount (it's working great now), so we shall see if maybe it will help prevent the issue from occurring over time. I think the best solution will still be to power the camera directly on the V1 models.

 

[OCD Tronic]

Powering V1 models directly on the side of the camera seems to be very stable so far. (and GPS still functions this way)
If any A119/A119S V1 OCD Tronic customer wants to swap for a V2 it's no problem. (just let me know)

 

[Duracell]

@viofo I bought A119 with GPS from @spytec 10/2016, everything seems working fine, until recently, the dashcam will sometimes lose power while driving, it won't do so if the car is parked with ignition on, is it possible I can get a pair of the foam free of charge?

 

[GTA Driver]

Drove about 170 Kms, perhaps a little more between yeterday and today with the ziptie solution. Camera is much more secure on the GPS base now and I never lost power.

I have small ties just a little longer than the camera. Hardly visible unless you look at from the side

 

[mealto]

Hey @GTA Driver, I noticed you are not using 1440 30p. Any specific reason why you have gone to a lower resolution?

 

[GTA Driver]

I have it at 1296 p 30 as I assume the file size of the videos will be smaller and I will get more per SD card.

average size 453,100
time 3 min
units per second 2.516 kb\


3 min=453 meg
1hr = 9060 meg or 9 gb
64 gb card = 7.11 hours

With a 64 gb card, I get 7 hours. However SD cards always a little less that what it is rated for. I find the video clips at 1296 30p are good enough. I will experiment with the higher resolution once I feel the power failure matter is totally resolved. The foam arrived on Monday, and I am going to test the zip tie c solution for a few more days. So far so good with the zip tie solution.

 

[GTA Driver]

Here is a video I shot last week ... before @clicketyclack posted with a link to the ziptie video.

4 seconds, press the emergency button camera moves
Some time before 17 seconds, I can see the video begin to flicker when driving, meaning it will power off
18 seconds, I move the camera into GPS base.

With the ziptie solution, there is no more camera movement. Its firmly secured.

 

[OCD Tronic]

For best V1 long term results, you're better off plugging power into the side of the camera by passing the GPS power pass through. (GPS will still function this way)

 

[GTA Driver]

For best V1 long term results, you're better off plugging power into the side of the camera by passing the GPS power pass through. (GPS will still function this way)

And I will try that too, as I have a little bit of with the cable.

 

[clicketyclack]

Well, following up with my custom felt cutout experience and more problems with my A119.

First, the front dash cam mount came unstuck from the window and fell off. This is the second time this has happened, but last time it was my rear cam on my rear windshield (I have a cam on the front and back). I did clean the window before putting them on, and they both fell off weeks later after installation. Since I'm now out of window stickers I'm going to buy some black double-sided foam tape for the next time it falls off.

Second, after reinstalling the cam, it now flickers again and restarts. I don't think it fell too hard and broke anything, it otherwise operates fine. I had the zip-tie stuck behind it in the same place as before but that no longer works. I even made my own felt cutout with sticky-backed felt, and it still flickers. If I twist the cam in the mount and rotate it slightly, the flickering stops, but as soon as I let go it starts flickering again. For now, I'm just leaving the power cord plugged into the camera's side USB port. Luckily, it's behind the mirror so I don't have to see the cable sticking out all the time. I could replace it with a right angle mini USB cable if I really wanted to make it look nice, but I'm kind of tired of wasting time and money with this dash cam.

These actual A119 cameras work well, but their crappy mounts and the annoying problems to get them to just work normally make the whole A119 disappointing.

 

[OCD Tronic]

Well, following up with my custom felt cutout experience and more problems with my A119.

First, the front dash cam mount came unstuck from the window and fell off. This is the second time this has happened, but last time it was my rear cam on my rear windshield (I have a cam on the front and back). I did clean the window before putting them on, and they both fell off weeks later after installation. Since I'm now out of window stickers I'm going to buy some black double-sided foam tape for the next time it falls off.

Second, after reinstalling the cam, it now flickers again and restarts. I don't think it fell too hard and broke anything, it otherwise operates fine. I had the zip-tie stuck behind it in the same place as before but that no longer works. I even made my own felt cutout with sticky-backed felt, and it still flickers. If I twist the cam in the mount and rotate it slightly, the flickering stops, but as soon as I let go it starts flickering again. For now, I'm just leaving the power cord plugged into the camera's side USB port. Luckily, it's behind the mirror so I don't have to see the cable sticking out all the time. I could replace it with a right angle mini USB cable if I really wanted to make it look nice, but I'm kind of tired of wasting time and money with this dash cam.

These actual A119 cameras work well, but their crappy mounts and the annoying problems to get them to just work normally make the whole A119 disappointing.

Once it comes unstuck, you can't reuse 3m VHB tape. V1 units are better left powered from the side of the camera.

If you bought your A119 from OCD Tronic, we'll send you some replacement 3M VHB Adhesive tape (and official EVA Foam) VIOFO just sent me some updated spares a few days ago.

If the above isn't good enough (and you bought yours from OCD Tronic) We'll swap your V1 for a V2 camera no problem.

 

[5Cowbells]

Second, after reinstalling the cam, it now flickers again and restarts. I had the zip-tie stuck behind it in the same place as before but that no longer works. I even made my own felt cutout with sticky-backed felt, and it still flickers. If I twist the cam in the mount and rotate it slightly, the flickering stops, but as soon as I let go it starts flickering again.

Flicker is just an indication of marginal power. A119 power cycling on and off by itself is a definite indication of insufficient power getting to the camera. The GPS mount has been getting most of the blame lately, maybe rightly so, but it's certainly not the only component in the power circuitry that can cause power insufficiency. Particularly if it's intermittent, I'd have a hard look at the long USB cable. Cables problems usually occur at the connectors and tend to be intermittent. Holding the connector and A119 steady together in one hand, slowly wiggle the cable around at the connector with the other hand and watch for any changes on the screen like flickering or power recycling. If you see changes you may have a cable problem. If you are using a substitute cable for that supplied by Viofo, that might be a problem too, as some are more lossy than the Viofo cable. You can also try connecting a {Edit: +5Vdc USB} power bank using the Viofo supplied short cable and see how that performs through the GPS mount or directly to the camera, i.e., {Edit: eliminate, for test purposes,} the 12 to 5Vdc converter/adapter and the long USB cable.

 

[GTA Driver]

I have had little in the way of trouble since doing the ziptie or power to the side, directly to the unit as @OCD Tronic suggested. Only trouble I had is once, after being stopped for about 10 seconds under a bridge, is it registered 50 kmph. This is the only time I have witnessed GPS lag time. Also the direct to the side gives a little bit of camera shake when pressing the emergency button. For the last few weeks, I have been using the direct to unit method without the zip tie. Just as an experiment, I will try the zip tie or eva foam, but little in the way of trouble. I didn't have camera shake when using the ZIP tie.

 

[clicketyclack]

Once it comes unstuck, you can't reuse 3m VHB tape. V1 units are better left powered from the side of the camera.

If you bought your A119 from OCD Tronic, we'll send you some replacement 3M VHB Adhesive tape (and official EVA Foam) VIOFO just sent me some updated spares a few days ago.

If the above isn't good enough (and you bought yours from OCD Tronic) We'll swap your V1 for a V2 camera no problem.

I didn't reuse the tape. Thanks for the offer, but I bought my two A119s from from @BlackboxMyCar on Amazon.

Particularly if it's intermittent, I'd have a hard look at the long USB cable.

I'm using the USB cable that came with the cam and there are no problems with it plugged into the side USB port. I definitely played around with the cable and ruled it out, as that was an issue I had in the past with a different dash cam.

 

[Daemos]

I can say that the felt did nothing.

I will need to pull out the mount and replace it to allow the USB cable to connect to the side of the camera. It's disappointing that I even need to do this.

 

[CaptureYourAction]

I can say that the felt did nothing.

I will need to pull out the mount and replace it to allow the USB cable to connect to the side of the camera. It's disappointing that I even need to do this.

No need to remove the mount. Just plug into the camera and the GPS will still work.

 

[Daemos]

No need to remove the mount. Just plug into the camera and the GPS will still work.

That may be the case for some people. But in my case, where I've mounted the camera the mini USB port on the camera is not accessible. So I need to remove the mount and move it so the port is accessible.

I did not expect the mount to fail the way it has. Which is why it is mounted where it is in the first place.