Powerbank Dashcams

[PeteTheGreek]

Hi. Anyone else got any experience of using powerbanks for powering dashcams. Any interesting projects ongoing? Just laying in bed at moment recovering from ANOTHER bout of Covid. I was told you can only get it once and here I am again, with Covid. Great forum for distracting my attention from the chest hurting cough! ALL opinions welcome!
Thank You.

 

[StrayCam]

I'm afraid I don't know much about this subject, but like many DCT members I am interested in learning more.

Here's a short thread on this topic from a brand new member about a year ago. How nice it is to see that the original poster/new member was treated so positively and so politely!

Hardwiring dashcam using battery bank

Hi everyone, I wanted to hard wire my dash cam using a power bank. I have a Poweradd Pilot X7 power bank which allows for charging passthrough, meaning it can power devices whilst being charged itself. It uses Lithium Polymer batteries inside and has a capacity of 20,000mAh. I have attached a...

dashcamtalk.com

I'm not sure if the above-copied thread adds much to what @PeteTheGreek is doing with his dashcam and batteries.

Btw, for those who do not know what @PeteTheGreek has done with his dashcam, here's a link to a thread that he had started very recently. Unfortunately that thread was closed down. - - But @PeteTheGreek 's information is all there. Hopefully it helps other DCT members!

Best Idea Yet

OK so I decided against hardwiring my front and rear dashcam. I got two Nextbase 522GW Dashcams. I then installed a standard 20,000AH Powerbank such as those for charging mobile phones I connected both dashcams to the Powerbank and I now have 24/7 recordings without worrying about flat car...

dashcamtalk.com

And best wishes to you @PeteTheGreek for a speedy recovery!

 

[PeteTheGreek]

Hi. Anyone else got any experience of using powerbanks for powering dashcams. Any interesting projects ongoing? Just laying in bed at moment recovering from ANOTHER bout of Covid. I was told you can only get it once and here I am again, with Covid. Great forum for distracting my attention from the chest hurting cough!

I'm afraid I don't know much about this subject, but like many DCT members I am interested in learning more.

Here's a short thread on this topic from a brand new member about a year ago. How nice it is to see that the original poster/new member was treated so positively and so politely!

Hardwiring dashcam using battery bank

Hi everyone, I wanted to hard wire my dash cam using a power bank. I have a Poweradd Pilot X7 power bank which allows for charging passthrough, meaning it can power devices whilst being charged itself. It uses Lithium Polymer batteries inside and has a capacity of 20,000mAh. I have attached a...

dashcamtalk.com

I'm not sure if the above-copied thread adds much to what @PeteTheGreek is doing with his dashcam and batteries.

Btw, for those who do not know what @PeteTheGreek has done with his dashcam, here's a link to a thread that he had started very recently. Unfortunately that thread was closed down. - - But @PeteTheGreek 's information is all there. Hopefully it helps other DCT members!

Best Idea Yet

OK so I decided against hardwiring my front and rear dashcam. I got two Nextbase 522GW Dashcams. I then installed a standard 20,000AH Powerbank such as those for charging mobile phones I connected both dashcams to the Powerbank and I now have 24/7 recordings without worrying about flat car...

dashcamtalk.com

And best wishes to you @PeteTheGreek for a speedy recovery!

Hi @StrayCam
Here is some interesting info regarding using powerbanks. Mobile phones use the same type of battery used in a good quality Powerbank such as RAVpower.
Presuming your Powerbank has pass through as mine have, then this is what mobile phone makers say about using your mobile while simultaneously charging. (This in effect is what you are doing with my set up. Using the dascams whilst simultaneously charging the Powerbank. Charge and discharge.) My wife sits the whole day with her phone on charge while answering calls. I can't ever recall her phone exploding.

"The phone may become warmer causing a small deterioration in the battery life over time".

Here's the info-

Actually it is all about the current flow. there are three possible condition that can occur:

1. The input supply current to the the system is greater than the required by the load: In this case the current required by the load is taken by the source itself and the rest will be being use to charge the battery or you can say it will charge the battery.
2. The input supply current to the the system is less than the required by the load: In this case the current required by the load is taken by the source(total available) as well as the battery itself(rest) so now your battery will be in discharging mode.
3. The input supply current to the the system is equal to the current required by the load: In this case the total current will be supplied directly to the load itself. Now your battery is neither charging nor discharging.

Now on your problem So how are mobile devices able to operate while being charged? : Since the the total current supplied by the mobile charger is greater than the total current required by the mobile system so it will follow the point no. 1.

I hope this helps!!!

***ALSO***
There was a question about the Dashcam overcharging or ravpower getting hot.
An earlier point by a member was that the dashcam would be overcharged by the Powerbank.
This is incorrect. Circuitry in the Powerbank prevents overcharging, unlike a raw car battery.

**Here is the protective circuitry built into the RAVpower. You don't have this protection direct to your car battery, other than a dumb fuse****

• Over Current Protection: Stops the power bank from delivering a current that exceeds the amplitude of the connected device. Safety mechanisms like circuit breakers, over current relays, and fuses provide instantaneous protection.
• Over Charge Protection: Prevents the power bank from continuing to charge a device that is outside the protection range (3.00 V to 4.20 V). This will avoid thermal runaway.
• Short Circuit Protection: This is another type of over current protection. In this situation, the protection ensures that there is always a direct path for the current to travel. This prevents the cell from overheating which can cause a fire.
• Over Discharge Protection: Stops the discharge rate from falling below 2.7 V/cell to 3.00 V/cell. This reduces battery cell stress and allows some extra power to self-discharge down to 2.50 V/cell. When that happens, the lithium-ion battery will “sleep” to protect against itself.
• High Temperature Protection: Prevents the power bank from charging or discharging when battery temperature exceeds 60°/140F*.

 

[Kremmen]

I suppose the proof of the pudding is in a years time.

Is the method still working and is the dashcam battery still holding a charge when disconnected.

Also, is the powerbank still doing its job.

 

[PeteTheGreek]

Hi. Yes. It works great. I took both off yesterday to look at the footage and format the cards. No missed files.
Your right as a year is about right to know. To be honest I've had several dashcams In the past. Garmin, Halo and Nextbase. They have worked great for around a year and then missing footage or not activating in parking mode. I don't think the quality of mid range cams are the best to be honest.
The last straw for me was hitting a huge pothole and cracking my suspension
I was forty miles away and as soon as it happened I hit the lock button on dashcam.
Reported it a week or so later and was all happy thinking I had the proof on the dashcam.
I couldn't of been more wrong. Just four minutes were missing. The exact time I had started the car in a filling station and minutes later hit the pothole.
I think I know what happened tho. The bang of the car dropping must of disrupted power to the cam. The internal battery must of been depleted.
If I had the set up I had now at the time I would of been £900 better off
It's probably just my way of thinking but I feel a dashcam should be like the black box on a plane. Totally independent. Maybe I'm expecting too much from it.

I don't think there is any worse frustration than searching through files feeling all smug and then finding the file you want is missing. It's a horrible feeling but I bet it's happened to many.

 

[Kremmen]

My Viofo A119 V3 has been in operation since late 2018 and has never missed a beat, no missed footage. I've rarely formatted the card as I offload the footage via cut/paste and that clears the card for the next week.
I bought 2 Samsung Evo Plus 128Gb cards but I'm still using the first one, also problem free.

However, I don't use parking mode so it goes on and off with the ignition.

 

[PeteTheGreek]

My Viofo A119 V3 has been in operation since late 2018 and has never missed a beat, no missed footage. I've rarely formatted the card as I offload the footage via cut/paste and that clears the card for the next week.
I bought 2 Samsung Evo Plus 128Gb cards but I'm still using the first one, also problem free.

However, I don't use parking mode so it goes on and off with the ignition.

Hello @Kremmen
Thanks for the info.
I just had a peep at that on amazon. When you say no missed footage, can I ask, have you manually scanned through the filenames individually.
The reason I ask it that over the time it fills say a 32gb card (one of the smaller ones) there's many, many files.
What I found last year with the nextbase one was random files. You could have say one hundred files and just one four min clip is missing. I could never pinpoint the cause as it was so random
Even trying some of the best sd cards designed for dashcams did same.
Nextbase recommended their own sd but it still had missing footage.
If you look at the reviews on amazon for the viofo, although it's a high percentage positive, the negative ones all seem to be around missing footage.
I'm just wondering if this is an issue with all dashcams.
What I found last year (having the cam plugged into the lighter at the time) was that my wife would always knock it. On a Mercedes slk it is in the daftest place.
We would drive twenty or thirty miles only to find the cam battery is flat.

 

[Kremmen]

I drive the same return journey every week and I know to expect 37 x 3 minute clips for that journey. On occasions I've needed to check new, moved or removed speed cameras in the M4 roadworks for PGPSW so I've often played the whole motorway journey to double check and get the exact Lat/Long. Always there with no gaps.

In the past I've had 3 Nextbase dashcams. 402, 412 and 380. The 402 and 412 used to vibrate over less than perfect roads. That could be spotted by looking at the parked windscreen wipers. Then Nextbase released the 380 which had a solid mount, easy to lift on and off the mount without having to reangle it, it was discrete and had supercaps.

However, the resolution was poor and when I tried to send a clip off to the Police of a dangerous driver it was useless because even though this car was travelling in the same direction and maybe only 30mph faster, the number plate was illegible so it had to go.

The Viofo is a solid mount, 2560x1440 QuadHD and crystal clear. If you look in the Viofo area here there are loads of examples.

 

[PeteTheGreek]

Hi. Yes it looks solid. I like the way it can be hidden too.
I think nextbase has the name behind it, that's all. The biggest issue with dashcams is if you buy on amazon its a hassle to return.
I purchased my nextbase at a local Halfords so you get that peace of mind.
I have to say, I took some clips off a few days ago and I wasn't impressed but then realised it goes up to 60fps.
The biggest issue is downloading to mobile. The files are huge but watching on mobile is great.
So what I do now is use the free app screencam.
You can use screencam to record the screen of your mobile while you play the dashcam through it.
It takes just three minutes as opposed to a 590mb download.

 

[Kremmen]

60fps is false, the lenses and associated software are mostly 30fps and the dashcam adds an extra pseudo frame in. This looks fine in video mode but if you try to grab a screenshot it's often blurry. This can be the same with increasing the resolution beyond the lens native.

Of course you need to try it for yourself and see what suits you.

 

[PeteTheGreek]

I actually heard this to be honest. So it's best leave it on 30fps?
I'm a photographer so I understand what your saying.
It's a little like using optical zoom and digital zoom.
Is that correct?

 

[StrayCam]

Is there any merit to using a "non passthrough" portable battery for our dashcams? Could it make sense to use such a battery and rotate it with another identical "non passthrough" battery?

Or are "passthrough batteries" the way to go?

 

[thomas-dash]

Any interesting projects ongoing?

Not really a power bank, but I installed a 100Ah LiFePO4 battery in my trunk with a Victron DC/DC charger to recharge it while I'm driving. You may have already seen the thread:

Do you think this could be made to work as a battery pack?

I think I’m going to buy a battery pack to get it off the main car battery and hopefully get additional parking mode coverage since I’m not driving my car as much. Additionally, I’m planning on adding a second 2-channel dash cam. With Cellink NEO I would need to buy two of them to get around...

dashcamtalk.com

 

[Kremmen]

Just to add to my choice to switch from Nextbase to Viofo, I know which mount looks best to me :

No contest

and .... download this 3 minute clip for an example of quality :

https://www.dropbox.com/s/44iyveup4pnotlh/Krem%20Viofo%20A119%20V3%20Sample.MP4?dl=1

 

[PeteTheGreek]

Well, it's been 5+ Weeks since I powered my dashcams via RAVpower Powerbanks.
I've just got over covid with wife so sorry for delay coming back.
Checked the Powerbanks today and both on 67% ish, despite being on 24/7.
At this rate I would estimate that a full charge should give about three months use before doing a full charge at home.
As for the dashcams. Not a single clip is missing.
The £70 I would of paid for hardwiring will go towards fresh powerbanks as we need more for home use.
The dashcams work brilliantly in parking mode so I know I won't miss crucial footage or return to a dead car battery when leaving the car at the airport.
It's early days yet, but so far so good.
If anyone else has tried this, please share your experience.
Also, please don't use cheap powerbanks. The RAVpower has a ton of safety devices built in, including being able to determine when your dashcam is fully charged to prevent overcharging.

 

[StrayCam]

First off, congratulations on getting through covid! I know you were very sick...I hope your wife is also doing well!

So, I wonder if the RAVpower power banks you're using are available in the States. I looked on Amazon and I don't see any. That seems strange that they don't have any. I do see Anker battery products.

 

[SawMaster]

RavPower was one of the brands of a company who got banned from Amazon over 'paid' reviews some time back. Most of the companies banned like this returned under a similar name so maybe that's happened here too. Very good products and one of the few who has some powerbanks with real pass-through charging. Maybe someone else can provide a link to where RavPower can be found now. And glad you're recovering from the Covid; who could have imagined how much of a mess it has been?

Phil

 

[PeteTheGreek]

Hi @StrayCam
Thank you
Yes, we are definitely on the mend. Just that dreaded cough.
I saw some on Amazon UK. I'm amazed you can't get them in the states.
Have you tried Ebay?

 

[PeteTheGreek]

RavPower was one of the brands of a company who got banned from Amazon over 'paid' reviews some time back. Most of the companies banned like this returned under a similar name so maybe that's happened here too. Very good products and one of the few who has some powerbanks with real pass-through charging. Maybe someone else can provide a link to where RavPower can be found now. And glad you're recovering from the Covid; who could have imagined how much of a mess it has been?

Phil

Hi Phil.
Thank You
We have a friend fully vaccinated with all boosters done. She's had it four times and the last time she was very, very ill.
I'm not sure about RAVpower. I'm shocked at the paid reviews you mention.
They are a great product.
Let's hope someone puts a link up Phil.

Peter

 

[StrayCam]

Hi @StrayCam
Thank you
Yes, we are definitely on the mend. Just that dreaded cough.
I saw some on Amazon UK. I'm amazed you can't get them in the states.
Have you tried Ebay?

I see Ebay indeed sells RAVpower. I hope they're all legit there and not counterfeit.

Attached are a couple of pics of one particular model on eBay that has 26,800 mAh. Is this the type of powerbank you're recommending? I'm not sure if it's provides pass-through charging. Is that feature important?