Hi, just got a Mini 0801 (GPS no int memory) from EPRANCE on Amazon.co.uk (One of the ones fulfilled by Amazon) and a 32GB Samsung Class 6 card. Have read through this thread (wow it's long, took me over a week dipping into it), and thought I would share my experience so far.
The cam came with firmware 20131024 (I think), and seeing that 20131202 was out (and with the issues people seem to me having) I decided to upgrade to that. Followed the instructions and all went ok.
Don't know if I have the "looping / recycling" issue yet, as haven't got the card full enough for that. However in recording out of my windows this morning (trying to fill the card up) I have experienced the "locking file" issue that someone else has reported.
As I say, card is 32GB, and when the cam is not recording, with an empty card, it shows that its got somewhere over 5 hours space (can't remember exact). I have file split set at 1 min, and currently the GPS unit isn't attached, so power lead is going direct into cam. Started recording about 8am this morning, and every now and then I would check it was still ok, and sometime press the button to "lock" the currently recorded file. This was ok until about 10:50 (so card probably over 1/2 full), but when I did the "lock" then soon after I heard the shutdown beep. So I started the cam back up, and within a few secs I pressed the "lock" button, at about 1 min 30 the cam stopped recording, and then shut down 10 secs later. Having seen some users mention about turning audio off, I restarted the cam, turned audio off, and pressed the "lock" button, and after the 1 min 30 mark it carried on recording. I switched the cam off and then on, let it record for about 2 mins (with audio off), and then pressed the "lock" button, and it carried on recording fine.
So:
1. Press "lock" button soon after powering on, stops recording at about 1 min 30.
2. Press the "lock" button some mins after powering on, stops recording about 1 min later.
3. Press "lock" button soon after powering on with audio off and all seems to carry on ok.
4. Press the "lock" button some mins after powering on with audio off and all seems to carry on ok.
I have also (after recording for about 16 mins) with audio on, pressed the button to switch audio off, pressed the "lock" button, and it carried on recording fine, and then turned audio back on once the lock icon had gone from the screen.
I have noticed that the red record light on the screen, and the blue flashing light both seem to stutter / stay on for a few secs when the "lock" button is pressed, and just after the lock icon disappears from the screen, it's almost as though the cam is struggling to keep up when a file is first locked, and when the lock file is "saved" to the card.
By the way, this is using the supplied USB cable plugged into the mains via a iPhone charger.
Ian.