The main recording unit is about the size of a pack of cards and has 5 cable connectors at one end, each with a labelled plug to receive a longer cable:
6m remote camera
4m remote camera
3m remote recording indicator / event button / microphone
~1m remote GPS
~6m hardwire kit to fuse box
I spent a few days experimenting with various locations for the main unit until I settled on this location, mounted on a side panel in the boot (trunk) of my car. I still have a bit of cable management to do.
My reasons for choosing this location were:
- Main unit and cables are out of sight when driving & parked
- Easy access to the main unit, to set/check settings and to remove/insert the microSD card
- Main unit remains out of sunlight, keeping the operating temperature low
The weight of the 5No cables exiting the unit tends to pull it down on one side, so I used the 5No supplied self-adhesive cable clips to secure each cable to the side panel.
The remote recording indicator is just long enough to reach the centre console between my front seats, where a quick glance down at the LED confirms that the DR is recording. The cables on the left come from a USB-hub within my armrest that supply power to other dashcams in my car.
The indicator is multi-functional, containing an LED, the microphone and a button. A short press of the button triggers an event recording, a long press turns WiFi on/off, so it was important to me that I could see it and reach it from the driver's seat.
The remote cameras are a tube-style, unlike SG's previous rear cameras on models like the SG9663DCPRO. The camera rotates within a fixed collar on the mount. The remote camera cables connect with a 90-degree plug that fits into a recessed socket in the end of the camera. My previous dashcams have mostly been wedge-style cameras that I installed to the passenger side of the rain & light sensor housing behind the rear view mirror. The tube format of the DR front camera forced me to re-think the ideal camera position. I tried both driver and passenger-side of the sensor housing but was never completely happy with how it looked. Then I realised that the tube shape allowed the camera to be placed in front of the sensor housing, almost central to the windscreen with the cable tucked along the edge of the housing.
The rear camera is in the same tube format. Here, I was able to position the camera at the top of the rear window, with the cable tucked neatly under the plastic trim around the tailgate.
Installing the DR posed quite a few challenges, mostly around where to place the recording unit that was both out of sight and easily accessible, whilst also finding a way to keep the cable routes tidy. Although the UK does not experience really hot weather like some other parts of the world, it is reassuring to know that the recording unit containing the processor and memory card is kept out of direct sunlight. The cameras themselves generate very little heat.
The audible beep on the DR is noticeably quieter than on some other dashcams I have used. Combined with installing the recording unit behind the rear seats I have to listen hard to hear the beeps, which is one reason I wanted the remote LED to be visible at a glance.