Review: Vantrue T3 1520p Dashcam with parking monitor and OBD power

Sunny

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 31, 2014
Messages
5,095
Reaction score
1,739
Location
Colorado
Country
United States
Dash Cam
More than I can review. ;)
Thank you @JIVAN for sending Vantrue T3 dashcam for review.
For more details, visit product link: https://www.vantrue.net/Goods/detail/gid/79.html
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/B08CXKMNBY
****************************************
Summary: 2592x1520p resolution, OBD power.
-Parking mode and Time lapse. -Super Capacitor -Supports up to 256GB microSD cards
Pros: Great video quality.
Cons: Requires large size SD card due to high resolution video.
****************************************
Vantrue T3 1520p Dashcam with Day and Night Sample Videos:
Day videos @ 0:30, Night videos @ 1:55.

****************************************
Package contents:
  • 1x VANTRUE T3 Dash Cam
  • 1x Car Charger with Built-in Type-C USB Cable(11.4ft)
  • 1x Suction Cup Mount
  • 1x OBD Cable (11.4ft)
  • 1x Type-C Data Cable(3.28ft)
  • 1x User Manual
  • 1x Quick Start Guide
IMG_8223-vantrue-t3-s.jpg
****************************************
Vantrue T3 pictures:

Vantrue T3 image1.jpg

Vantrue T3 image2.jpg


****************************************
Vantrue T3 folders, files, bit rate:
Root has EVENT, PHOTO and VIDEO folders.
A 1 minute video is around 100 mb in size and a 3 minute video is around 340 mb in size at 2560x1440p resolution..
Overall bit rate range is from 13.7 to 14.9 mbps.

Vantrue T3 folders and bit rate.jpg
****************************************
Vantrue T3 from outside the vehicle:
The body is same size and shape as other Vantrue dashcams like N2 and N4.
IMG_20201004_090723925_HDR-vantrue T3.jpg


****************************************
continued...
****************************************
 
Last edited:
Reserved...
 
Nice one Sunny.

I could live in a uneven place like that.
 
One thing I like about this dashcam is the emergency button.
It's not on the top or on the side, it's a big button right on the back and it has a blue ring light for night.

IMG_20201011_190939947-vantrue-T3.jpg
 
Day videos:

1.

2.

3.

Night Videos:

1.

2.

3.

4.


Nice one Sunny.

I could live in a uneven place like that.
Yep, it's a nice location for outdoors. Foothills is just minutes from my home.

Above are few more videos of the drive near the foothills, first two.
 
How is the OBD II connector? I'm interested in picking up the connector for the Vantrue N4, but 11.6V cutoff seems a bit low.
 
A 1 minute video is around 100 mb in size and a 3 minute video is around 340 mb in size at 2560x1440p resolution..
Overall bit rate range is from 13.7 to 14.9 mbps.
It's worth noting that these values are for the T3 recording in HEVC / h265

Does it have an AVC / h264 option?
 
How is the OBD II connector? I'm interested in picking up the connector for the Vantrue N4, but 11.6V cutoff seems a bit low.
I don't use parking monitor as I'm not working so not going anywhere.
According to online articles, 11.6 volt is the cutoff voltage.

I usually carry a jump starter in my car just in case.
 
It is too bad someone can think a that low voltage for cut off is okay.
The ring light for the EMG button is not a bad idea i think, unless it is helluva bright, also love the light in the EMG button ( remote ) for the SG9663DR system, that one too are very easy to spot as the whole button surface are lit up.
 
11.6V is way too low, but a lot of non-adjustable HWK's use that setting anyway :cautious:

Phil
 
11.6V is way too low, but a lot of non-adjustable HWK's use that setting anyway :cautious:

Phil
Yup... That's what kept me away from buying the OBD connector for my Vantrue N4 in my parent's car. I don't want to hardwire, but I also want automatic shutoff since the Mazda cig outlets are constant on.
 
11.6V is way too low, but a lot of non-adjustable HWK's use that setting anyway :cautious:

Phil
Can't you buy a switch that has adjustable low voltage cutoff?
 
I don't use parking monitor as I'm not working so not going anywhere.
According to online articles, 11.6 volt is the cutoff voltage.

I usually carry a jump starter in my car just in case.
There are a few mistakes in that article, it was written by someone with experience rather than understanding.

They are saying that 11.6 volts is for AGM and Deep Cycle Batteries, which is reasonable.

They do not even mention a standard car battery, because that would be unsuitable for their Astro use, the cut off for a standard car battery must be higher.

They are using the power for motor drives, lens anti-dew heaters, etc. for their telescopes and will be drawing rather more power than a dashcam will, which will reduce the measured voltage for a given battery charge level, so their 11.6 volts is likely the same discharge state as our 11.8 volts.

We do not normally use Deep Cycle Batteries in cars because they don't fit and are expensive, our choice is normally a standard car battery or an AGM battery, for the AGM battery 11.8 volts is a good cutoff, for the standard car battery 12.2 is a good cutoff, maybe 12.0 for an older battery that doesn't hold charge at above 12.7 volts any more.

AGM batteries, as well as being able to cope with deeper discharge, have the advantage that they will charge much faster so
will normally have more power in the battery to start with, they are a good upgrade to a standard car battery, many cars already have them these days since they are required for stop-start systems.
 
Can't you buy a switch that has adjustable low voltage cutoff?

Yes, there are pre-made circuit boards you can buy to provide this function, and I'm sure some would have non-solder terminals too. But this isn't in the realm of "plug-and-play" where a user without electronics knowledge can have high confidence that they won't do something wrong and toast something. And in the case of OBD2 powering, if there's anything other than power terminals built into the plug it would be well beyond most people's abilities.

The real solution we need is for all dashcam HWK's to have adjustable voltage cut-off, and for the instructions to include info regards battery types and sizes versus voltage settings so that a 'noob' user won't unexpectedly discover that their car won't start. Almost all the premium cams have an adjustable cut-off and at manufacturing level it couldn't be more than a few bucks each.

On lead-acid batteries, the big difference between car starting batteries and deep-cycle types is in their construction. Starting batteries have thicker plates and seperators inside to handle the stresses of high current loads, so with less space for those and acid there is less total wattage availabble within the usable voltage range. Deep-cycle types have thinner plates and seperators, so there is more capacity in the usable voltage range as long as the wattage loads are kept low. If too higfh a load is applied to a deep-cycle the plates and seperators will degrade, warp, and fail earlier than they should, and a car starter exceeds those limits by a large margin. Only an AGM type should be considered for a better replacement of the car battery regards dashcam use. Otherwise a discrete power supply (powerbanks, Cellink, DIY RV-type systems) is the way to go.

Phil
 
I see.
Does 11.6 damage the battery or is it too low to start the car?
What's the safe low voltage cutoff for car batteries?
12v?
 
I would not go below 12.2 volts. as i recall that should be a 50% depleted battery.
Assuming it is a new / optimal functioning one, before i swapped battery in my car using 12.4 i just got a hour or so, using 12.2 gave me 4 hours or there about.
But that was also the 2012 battery ( small 44 Ah ) in my small car
 
I see.
Does 11.6 damage the battery or is it too low to start the car?
Depends on if the car has an AGM or a standard battery.

For a standard car lead acid battery, 11.6 is quite likely not to start, especially in cold weather or with a heavy engine. For an AGM battery, it will probably start fine at 11.6 even in the cold.

The battery doesn't really get damaged, it just gets worn out, and at 11.6v will wear out a lot faster than at higher voltages, the wear has an exponential curve once you drop below about half charge, which is about 12.2 volts. The car alternator can also get worn out if it is frequently having to charge the battery at a low voltage, alternators are designed to top up the batteries, not charge them from empty.

What's the safe low voltage cutoff for car batteries?
Safe for starting the car, or safe for not wearing the battery out fast?

The best recommendation is 12.2 volts for a standard battery and 11.8 volts for an AGM battery, but you can bring both down by 0.2 if you don't mind your battery wearing out a little faster. If it is near the end of its life and you are getting short record times then it is probably worth reducing it by 0.2 to use the battery up rather than discard it early.
 
Ideal for a L/A car battery is no lower than 12.4V but that gets you very little recording time. 12.2V isn't very detrimental to this kind of battery; you probably won't find any noticeable difference in it's service life at that level. 12.0V is pushing things some; you should be able to start a gasoline-engine car at that level under all but the worst conditions; but the high compression of a diesel may show problems here. 11.8V is going to show a somewhat to considerably shortened battery service life and likely a no-start in truly bad conditions.

All this is presuming that you're using a fairly good quality battery. The cheapest car batteries are notorious for short service life and an inability to handle the kind of low-current draw that running a dashcam brings to the table. The most expensive car batteries are usually not much better than the mid-level ones if better at all, but those usually have a longer warranty period so they might be something you want to have. I've found the best overall value is in mid-grade batteries.

AGM batteries are a whole different ball-game but they too have varying quality levels so no real 'across-the-board' statements can be made for them either, although even the least of those will be better than a L/A battery for our purposes. I've never used one of these in a car but I have experience with them in smaller sizes and other applications where they do represent good value and good service life, so that should transfer to the larger car sizes.

My take is that I want a cam to record regularly 24/7 and I'll be driving at least once every 24 hours to charge it up again, so if it can do that with the 15% or so loss of service life I see now, that's good enough for me. YMMV.

Phil
 
Well Phil, if you battery wear out, you have a good excuse to buy a new car :)
 
Back
Top