Powering that dash cam

[Ralph2]

I am trying hard to come to grips with all the choices available when considering a dash camera. One that is confusing me is supplying power. I read about internal batteries.. capacitors.. super capacitors. Running off the cigaret lighter socket (which in my case is only on with the ignition) and hard wiring.

I take it the batteries (and capacitors) are to keep the camera running for a period of time.. How long?? Is this a variable that is important if you want a motion detection camera? I see there is a a gadget available to prevent the battery from running down too much... I take it this operates on a voltage basis.. is that a good option to consider? Is there a gadget that has a timed function.. set for say 3 hours and then shut the camera off?

The camera would normally come on when the car is started.. if it hard wired how does it differentiate between the two conditions? Do you need to supply two different sources.. one from the ignition.. one from the battery?

Thank you for your time
Ralph

 

[dash riposki]

A cam with a capacitor will only operate when there is power to the unit.
The capacitor is kind of like a power buffer. No power, no workie.

If the camera has a battery, it may operate after power is turned off, until the battery is dead.
(Depending on the camera)

Do you only want the camera to work/record when the car is running or moving?

Some cameras have a 'parking' mode, which means they operate at some level when the car is parked.
They need power all the time.

 

[Ralph2]

Thanks dash riposki
Battery: I am assuming it gets recharged while the unit is in "running mode" and lasts for a unknown length while the capacitor type is only to control the shutdown ??
Parking mode: is this a seamless transition? i.e.. You drive around.. video is recorded.. you park.. does this now need to be set to "I have parked"?
Power all the time: Is the transition from "parked" and monitoring for movement to driving and recording video seamless? Much like my previous concern only the other way?

Am I over worrying about the problem(s).. It all seems very confusing to me.. and I am hesitant to throw in ~$300 Cnd if in a month I know I made a bad choice.

 

[Dashmellow]

The battery or super-capacitor in a dash cam is for keeping the date and time settings and to insure that the last file being recorded is saved when the power to the camera is shut off.

A dash cam with a battery can be run for a period of time outside your car if you ever wanted to such as to film a damaged fender after an accident but most camera batteries will only last a few minutes or so.

The lithium-polymer batteries that come in dash cams can fail after awhile if subjected to high heat (and vibration) so they're not the best option in a hot climate or in the summertime.

Super-capacitors fare much better in hot environments and so people often choose super-capacitor cameras over battery powered ones. It used to be that super-capacitor cameras were fairly rare but now they have become much more common and there are more choices.

 

[Ralph2]

Thanks for advice / information.. I found a lot more by looking myself and have answered all of my own questions.. Except which model to purchase. I think the convenience of wireless has the Blackvue™ DR600GW-HD on my short list.