Question about hardwiring a dash cam

[speedster_chew]

It is acceptable to take a power cord with a cigarette lighter adapter and cut the adapter part off and use the two bare wires to connect into a fusebox using a piggyback (add-a-fuse)?

I don't want a wire hanging from my window so I'd like to run the power cord along the windshield and instead of plugging it into the accessory port I wanted to run it into the kick panel fuse box and use an add-a-fuse adapter and piggy back to an existing fuse. Power window fuse for example. I'd use the existing 10A fuse for the power window but install a 5A fuse in the piggyback spot for the camera?

Will this work or will the camera receive too much juice?

 

[TheRookie]

Depends on your camera really. All voltages in fuse box are 12V (or 24V if it is a lorry) so if your camera requires 12V it'll work.
If (as most cameras do) it takes 5V then you'll need a hardwire kit, something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B00XHYSQAC

 

[speedster_chew]

Depends on your camera really. All voltages in fuse box are 12V (or 24V if it is a lorry) so if your camera requires 12V it'll work.
If (as most cameras do) it takes 5V then you'll need a hardwire kit, something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B00XHYSQAC

Thanks. But I see no where in that link that mentions the voltage will be stepped down from 12v to 5v. Am I missing something? The piggy back fuse holder shown in your link is practically identical to the one I already have.

 

[Ralph2]

You need to hardwire a female cigarette plug into your fuse box, tuck it into some cranny and then plug your camera into that. Unless you "know" that your camera uses 12 volts. A lot use the cigarette plug as a transformer of sorts and the power coming out is stepped down to the required voltage the camera needs.

 

[TheRookie]

Thanks. But I see no where in that link that mentions the voltage will be stepped down from 12v to 5v. Am I missing something? The piggy back fuse holder shown in your link is practically identical to the one I already have.

Generally the power adapter should state something like "Input 12V output 5V", but Chinese not necessarily following this convention, unfortunately.

If you are proficient with multimeters, you can try to measure the output voltage on Mini USB power connector:
http://pinouts.ru/PortableDevices/mini-USB_pinout.shtml

The kit I provided link to also has DC-DC converter 12V to 5V.

 

[DT MI]

...
Will this work or will the camera receive too much juice?

What camera do you have? With that information I'm sure someone here can tell you if it's 12V or 5V.

 

[speedster_chew]

I did have a G1W but the battery finally crapped out. I went a month without having it hooked up and when I tried to use it again all I could get was a blue light. I powered it with the USB adapter. Now I have to decide on a replacement and was wanting to hard wire it rather than connecting to a console accessory port. Sounds like the female cigarette lighter is the way to go. I'll just add my piggy back fuse to it and connect in the kick panel. I did not realize that the power adapter had a resistor that stepped down the voltage. Hence the reason I can't just cut the wire.

Now for the bigger problem, what dash cam should I buy. Would like to keep it cheap. Was thinking of an A118C but they look like a big bulky brick. I'd jump on the mini 0805 as I really like the design but from what I've read sounds like they are very poorly made.

 

[DT MI]

...Was thinking of an A118C but they look like a big bulky brick.....

It's actually smaller than the G1W - just a different shape.

 

[speedster_chew]

Really. Must be an illusion.

How is the video quality of the a118c vs the g1w? Any other good options in the sub $100 range?

 

[jokiin]

Really. Must be an illusion.

could cover it with a credit card, looks bigger than it is, the front profile that you see from outside of the vehicle is even smaller

 

[mollydog]

I did as Ralph2 mentions as in one of my cars I have the DVR set to come on with lights and has nothing to do with the cig lighter or ignition on/off

 

[DT MI]

...How is the video quality of the a118c vs the g1w? Any other good options in the sub $100 range?

They are comparable for the most part - I have both so speak from experience. Daytime is good, night no so much so.

This is based on the 'original' G1W. There are reports in a different thread that the current G1W-x offerings are using a different sensor/processor combination and the video quality, especially at night, is lacking compared to the prior version.

 

[speedster_chew]

They are comparable for the most part - I have both so speak from experience. Daytime is good, night no so much so.

This is based on the 'original' G1W. There are reports in a different thread that the current G1W-x offerings are using a different sensor/processor combination and the video quality, especially at night, is lacking compared to the prior version.

How does the video on A118/g1w compare to video quality on the Mobius cameras?

 

[Ralph2]

I did as Ralph2 mentions as in one of my cars I have the DVR set to come on with lights and has nothing to do with the cig lighter or ignition on/off

I tapped into the brake and radio fuses. With those add a fuse things I did not think my cover would fit. So, I used a file to reduce the width of the cold side leg of each fuse and then soldered my wire directly to the fuse leg. Wasted a few sample fuses before I got the technique down. But it worked well and my fuse cover still fits.

 

[petepete]

How does the video on A118/g1w compare to video quality on the Mobius cameras?

the Mobius has infinite settings for enhancing the picture quality via red green and blue adjustment etc..that put it better than a yi that most seem satisfied with, is easier to tweak the lens and has a battery that will do over an hour in case you need to record outside the car..
Nigh time footage can be made great.

the a118 is just average (with only the lens and basic settings to adjust) - if that !

 

[Deleted member 46308]

the Mobius has infinite settings for enhancing the picture quality via red green and blue adjustment etc..that put it better than a yi that most seem satisfied with, is easier to tweak the lens and has a battery that will do over an hour in case you need to record outside the car..

the a118 is just average if that !

+1

 

[mollydog]

here's how I wired up both my fornt & rear faceing DVR's

 

[Searles Lewis]

I did have a G1W but the battery finally crapped out.

I have this same problem. I have a G1W-X. It has parking mode, and I got it for that reason.

My problem is that I turned in drug-dealing child molestor, and his druggie friends actually wait in the parking lot, and when I leave, spray the top of the roof with a cleaning combo of 2-butoxy ethanol, phosphoric acid and ammonium chloride. It causes migraines, and the 2-butoxy messes with the your inner ear fluid and bones, and can cause you to have auditory hallucinations (for example, sounds sound much closer and water sounds like people speaking).

The guy was a cop snitch, so the police are in on it, and get probation people to do it too.

The problem I am having is that I bought the G1W-X, and did not realize the battery does not last very long. I would like to hardwire it to the fuse box, but my car is a 2007 PT Cruiser, and the fuse box or TPIM is I nthe engine compartment. I would like to use this part from amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/B00U7BV8DK
and a blade fuse hookup as mentioned above to hook it up, but the fuses are in the engine compartment. Does anyone know how to do it? My cigar lighter shuts off after the car door is opened, if I hook it into the wires that go into it, will it still have that problem, or is there another hookup say to another wire set in the cab I could use?

 

[SawMaster]

Sometimes you have to get creative according to the vehicle involved. If you aren't sure that you can do that safely, any decent mechanic or stereo installer can do this for you at a reasonable price. Be certain because you can toast a lot of expensive stuff (up to the whole car!) if you get it wrong.

Phil

 

[Searles Lewis]

Sometimes you have to get creative according to the vehicle involved. If you aren't sure that you can do that safely, any decent mechanic or stereo installer can do this for you at a reasonable price. Be certain because you can toast a lot of expensive stuff (up to the whole car!) if you get it wrong.

Phil

I do not think I could afford that I am pretty handy tho, and am just wondering how I could find out where a live always on fuse/wire exists in the dash, or else how to drill or get into the engine compartment. I would think by removing the radio, I could expose an entry way in behind it, but wanted to know if anyone here had already done it, or how they found the way into the engine compartment-thru the heater core, for example?