Smallest Ambarella Car DVR a.k.a. Mini 0801

Just to add another interesting observation I had earlier today. My model has GPS mount and internal 8Gb, was running FW 20130903 (stock form). Tested with my Samsung 32Gb class 10 card again. I had the the USB power cable plugged directly into the cam, not into the GPS mount. Drove for two short 10 minutes journeys, along during the second 10 minute journey, the cam auto shutdown once. I pressed the Power button and the cam restarted and resumed recording again. Later on I moved the USB power cable from the cam back to the GPS mount, this time every time I powered on the cam, it kept showing a tiny error message on the screen (couldn't read it properly as I was driving) and auto shutdown itself. I then moved the USB cable back to the cam and it was recording fine again.

This gave me the impression that by plugging the USB power cable into the GPS mount, maybe the power is not passing through effectively into the cam thus the cam auto shutdown? May be poor design in the GPS mount itself?

Another note is when I had the USB power cable plugged into the cam itself and not into the GPS mount, I can still obtain GPS recording in the video.

I have now upgraded the firmware to version 20130924 as provided by JazJon. I will do some more driving later this evening with the Samsung 32Gb class 10 card, with the USB power cable plugged into the cam itself. If auto shutdown happens again, I will try my Samsung 8Gb class 4 card again.
 
efoo said:
I have now upgraded the firmware to version 20130924 as provided by JazJon. I will do some more driving later this evening with the Samsung 32Gb class 10 card, with the USB power cable plugged into the cam itself. If auto shutdown happens again, I will try my Samsung 8Gb class 4 card again.
Click to expand...

Let us know if the G-SENSOR CALIBRATION completes or hangs with the hour glass (gear) animation. As I said mine won't complete but don't care since I'm happy the DVR recycles correctly finally.
 
hehe..Well, my first camera, which has been running great for 18days, has just stopped recording about 1 minute after powering it up, switched it off, waited few seconds before switching back on, the same thing happens.. tried it few times.. same thing. sound familiar...lol
Card is full and recycling. BTW this is a 32gb Samsung Class 6 card, mind you it has been running without any probs for quite a while. It's certainly not heat related, and having run for so long I think I can rule out firmware too, which leaves the usb power supply and card, as there is no doubt these cards take a lot of bashing when continually re-cycling, and this particular card has been continually running for a week. :-)

Now this is the first time I've ever seen this problem, so will be interesting to discover the cause, my money is on the card, I shall be very surprised if I dont find anything wrong with it.
 
Last edited:
Lunar said:
hehe..Well, my first camera, which has been running great for 18days, has just stopped recording about 1 minute after powering it up, switched it off, waited few seconds before switching back on, the same thing happens.. sound familiar...lol
Card is full and recycling. BTW this is a 32gb Samsung Class 6 card, mind you it has been running without any probs for quite a while. It's certainly not heat related, and having run for so long I think I can rule out firmware too, which leaves the usb power supply and card, as there is no doubt these cards take a lot of bashing when continually re-cycling, and this particular card has been continually running for a week. :)
Click to expand...

continually running for a week!? :eek:
I think you tested a bit too long, you're just asking to burn out your flash memory with over use. You know they have a finite life right? Let it rip on older cards, but not the precious Samsung Class 6 cream of the crop!
I don't think the mini 0801 was designed to operate in a 24/7 bus etc. :)

I forget have you or are you going to update to 20130924? (or hold off?)

I tested my new stable camera on multiple indoor and auto power supplies. It's still going strong, can't get it to trip up even once. I feel silly for ordering the Samsung class 6 card when the Sandisk Class 4 card is holding steady. Oh well since I have a new 0801 on way from e-prance I'll use/test it with that one.

Since my Front dashcam is now my new Vicovation Vico-WF1, that means I only need one 0801 as my rear dashcam. I'll probably sell the spare 0801 to my contractor friend that wants one in his truck. (assuming BOTH are stable)
I set both the WF1 and 0801 to use 3 Minute clips so they match up.
 
Well a bit of a surprise, first thing I tried was to swap the card for 16gb class 6 card, and exactly the same thing happened, then I found It would'nt switch on at all when power was applied, but would if I turned it on manually. I had been using my TomTom satnav 1-amp usb charger, so I changed the cable and charger, for my Nexus 7 usb charger, and it now powers up and starts recording as it should, it's been running for about 25mins now, and I've switched off and back on twice. So it appears as though it was a power issue, wierd though as it's been working fine all the week on other charger... So all well again.

RE. CARD: I agree, I've been expecting the card to fail myself, but it actually seems okay. It's pretty cool here at the moment, so barely warm at all, I did switch it off around 1am about 3 times, and back on in the morning. I'm not too concerned about it dying, but TBH I'm suspecting they don't die that easily. (I think it would, if it got too warm, but only 15c here at moment, and windows are pretty cool.. cold even..lol)

Re. firmware update. This one was from E-Prance, so may be subtle differences in hardware, as they may not be supplied by same factory as Givoe, and with it running perfectly since I've had it (except for that unsoldered switch) I'm fairly confident the 0913 firmware is fine. The one in the front of the car is still working okay too on 0913.

I may try that charger again later, but a different cable, as I know from experience, these cams can be a bit fussy with some usb cables. I recall when I first received this camera that it wouldn't always switch on with one particular usb cable, but worked fine on others.

While on the subject of USB cables, another observation, was that.. when I had just the camera only (off base) and I went into USB mode with the PC it would sometimes loose connection, moving the cable a little indicated it was not making a good usb connection, I tried sqeezing in the one side of the usb plug slightly to get a tighter fit in the socket, but it was still a bit iffy, btw that was the cable that came with the camera. Switching to another cable fixed it, suggesting the supplied cable could be better, and maybe the usb sockets themselves are not best quality.

EDIT:
Okay Ive switched back to the TomTom charger I've been using all the week, and all I've done is give the contacts a spray with isopropyl and squeeze the side in a little to make it a tighter fit, and its working perfectly okay again. :-)
 
Last edited:
Another newbie here...I've been browsing the forum for a while but never posted anything really. So I signed up the other day and I've been following this discussion for the past 40-45 pgs. roughly and wow.. :eek: this has been a really long thread. A LOT of info on here and some has been confusing, some has been helpful; definitely eye-opening. Before I found this forum I was browsing around different websites and youtube videos on a quest to find "the perfect dashcam" for me. It all started with some video reviews from Techmoan on YouTube, then back in beginning of September he reviewed this mini 0801 DVR and I was hooked. I convinced myself that I had to have this thing. I sent messages to Givoe (Aliexpress) and e-prance (eBay), but still waiting to hear back.

Lunar said:
hehe..Well, my first camera, which has been running great for 18days, has just stopped recording about 1 minute after powering it up, switched it off, waited few seconds before switching back on, the same thing happens.. tried it few times.. same thing. sound familiar...lol
Card is full and recycling. BTW this is a 32gb Samsung Class 6 card, mind you it has been running without any probs for quite a while. It's certainly not heat related, and having run for so long I think I can rule out firmware too, which leaves the usb power supply and card, as there is no doubt these cards take a lot of bashing when continually re-cycling, and this particular card has been continually running for a week. :)

Now this is the first time I've ever seen this problem, so will be interesting to discover the cause, my money is on the card, I shall be very surprised if I dont find anything wrong with it.
Click to expand...

just when I was about to order that "special" class 6 Samsung 32gb everyone mentioned. LOL! same card JazJon put the Amazon link for a few posts back. I thought to myself, it's good to have this one just in case whatever comes w/ that cam is garbage. Everytime I'm about to make a move towards this mini 0801, some other issue pops up that makes me skeptical/reconsider. :confused:

I'm still 95% sure I want the model with GPS and 8GB internal, plus the 32GB external. I'm stuck between Givoe and e-prance, and I even asked JazJon for his opinion on one of his videos. One thing that I noticed, and I don't think anybody has brought this up yet....e-prance states on their eBay listing that they sell class 6 Samsung (8gb,16gb,32gb) as an option if you want to buy the card from them when ordering the cam. Here's the link I'm referring to: https://www.ebay.com/itm/111171028773
 
JazJon said:
I tested my new stable camera on multiple indoor and auto power supplies. It's still going strong, can't get it to trip up even once. I feel silly for ordering the Samsung class 6 card when the Sandisk Class 4 card is holding steady. Oh well since I have a new 0801 on way from e-prance I'll use/test it with that one.
Click to expand...

I was wondering...during your tests do you plug the USB cable in the camera directly or in the base attached to it?
Also, do you power it with the USB cable plugged in the computer (as power source only, not sync) or directly into a USB charger in an electrical outlet socket. Im thinking that the USB cable or power source (or both) could be the reason for some of these issues.

JazJon said:
Since my Front dashcam is now my new Vicovation Vico-WF1, that means I only need one 0801 as my rear dashcam.
Click to expand...

I saw the link u posted earlier for that dashcam. Looks really nice, seems a little bulky especially with the suction cup mount, but maybe it's just the way it looks in the pictures. I didn't see a way to insert a TF card anywhere though. I just saw a USB and HDMI port. Maybe I missed it, but anyway, I'll be on the lookout for your detailed review video of it. :D
 
In addition to previous post. I copied most of the files from that original Samsung 32gb C6 card I was using onto my PC, and have re-inserted that same card without formating back into the camera again, and it too is now re-cycling again fine.

CONCLUSION. Poor USB connection to base, certainly proven in my case this morning. It's working okay again after spraying usb plug and base usb socket with isopropyl and squeezing in usb plug a little to make tighter fit. :-)
 
Last edited:
ikeepzitclean said:
Another newbie here...I've been browsing the forum for a while but never posted anything really. So I signed up the other day and I've been following this discussion for the past 40-45 pgs. roughly and wow.. :eek: this has been a really long thread. A LOT of info on here and some has been confusing, some has been helpful; definitely eye-opening. Before I found this forum I was browsing around different websites and youtube videos on a quest to find "the perfect dashcam" for me. It all started with some video reviews from Techmoan on YouTube, then back in beginning of September he reviewed this mini 0801 DVR and I was hooked. I convinced myself that I had to have this thing. I sent messages to Givoe (Aliexpress) and e-prance (eBay), but still waiting to hear back.

just when I was about to order that "special" class 6 Samsung 32gb everyone mentioned. LOL! same card JazJon put the Amazon link for a few posts back. I thought to myself, it's good to have this one just in case whatever comes w/ that cam is garbage. Everytime I'm about to make a move towards this mini 0801, some other issue pops up that makes me skeptical/reconsider. :confused:

I'm still 95% sure I want the model with GPS and 8GB internal, plus the 32GB external. I'm stuck between Givoe and e-prance, and I even asked JazJon for his opinion on one of his videos. One thing that I noticed, and I don't think anybody has brought this up yet....e-prance states on their eBay listing that they sell class 6 Samsung (8gb,16gb,32gb) as an option if you want to buy the card from them when ordering the cam. Here's the link I'm referring to: https://www.ebay.com/itm/111171028773
Click to expand...

I think a few of us purchased the mini 0801 after viewing techmoan's review, and TBH with you I also think it has everything you want in a discreet dashcam, I think it's so good I bought 3 of them..lol (must be mad..lol)
On the subject of cards, as long as that Samsung C6 E-Prance are selling is a genuine Samsung then it should be okay. Most GOOD class 4 cards will work perfectly okay too, the only reason I've now started buying the class 6 versions is to give that little extra headroom on write speed. The other reason I've stocked up on a few of the C6 cards is because they are becoming more scarce to find at a reasonable price on many sites such as Amazon etc, as most cards are now class 10/UHS-1 which are now often cheaper. The simple fact is C6 and C4 do tend to be more compatible with more devices as they still use the standard bus speed, where class 10 and UHS-1 & 2 standards use a faster bus speed. (a bit like overclocking your PC to make it faster) They are supposed to be backwards compatible, but some devices can be picky, so C6 offers the best of both worlds... plenty fast enough for full HD video while maintaining maximum compatibilty. Thats why I use them. :)

Oh BTW, E-Prance have got those speeds about the Samsung cards back to front. they should read 7MBps Write and 22MBps read. if you get a good one they can be slightly higher IME.

If you read my last couple of posts, you will see the issue I had this morning was NOT a problem with the card, but merely a poor USB connection, so my advice when buying cards to get a class 6 still stands. if you already have some decent quality C4 cards they should work okay too. I've tried a few C4 and they were fine. :-)
 
Last edited:
Lunar said:
I think a few of us purchased the mini 0801 after viewing techmoan's review, and TBH with you I also think it has everything you want in a discreet dashcam, I think it's so good I bought 3 of them..lol (must be mad..lol)
On the subject of cards, as long as that Samsung C6 E-Prance are selling is a genuine Samsung then it should be okay. Most GOOD class 4 cards will work perfectly okay too, the only reason I've now started buying the class 6 versions is to give that little extra headroom on write speed. The other reason I've stocked up on a few of the C6 cards is because they are becoming more scarce to find at a reasonable price on many sites such as Amazon etc, as most cards are now class 10/UHS-1 which are now often cheaper. The simple fact is C6 and C4 do tend to be more compatible with more devices as they still use the standard bus speed, where class 10 and UHS-1 & 2 standards use a faster bus speed. (a bit like overclocking your PC to make it faster) They are supposed to be backwards compatible, but some devices can be picky, so C6 offers the best of both worlds... plenty fast enough for full HD video while maintaining maximum compatibilty. Thats why I use them. :)

Oh BTW, E-Prance have got those speeds about the Samsung cards back to front. they should read 7MBps Write and 22MBps read. if you get a good one they can be slightly higher IME.

If you read my last couple of posts, you will see the issue I had this morning was NOT a problem with the card, but merely a poor USB connection, so my advice when buying cards to get a class 6 still stands. if you already have some decent quality C4 cards they should work okay too. I've tried a few C4 and they were fine. :)
Click to expand...

yeah, to tell u the truth I'm a bit worried that I'll start buying dashcams now that I'm starting to get addicted to them, as I'd prefer one in each of my 4 cars. And if I decide to go w/ front and rear cams in each car, then that'll be truely insane, something like 8 cameras. LOL! o_O Never had a dashcam before, b/c whenever I wanted to capture something I'd just mount my HTC Rezound up and it records in Full HD (1920x1080). Plus I have 16gb internal and 16gb class 4 external, plenty of space.

And you're right, I realized their mbps #s were backwards on e-prance listing. I hope they really are genuine cards. That was one of my questions in the message I sent them last night. I have a few SD cards laying around that I never really used...C4 PNY 4gb (w/ matching microSD adapter), C4 Kingston 8gb, and a 2gb Samsung (idk what class it is, but it's genuine). BTW, I read the reviews on the link that JazJon posted for the C6 Samsung 32gb and the reviews are amazing. The mbps #s are impressive too for a C6. :) check out the pix of results on the listing here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/B009SK58IM
 
Lunar said:
CONCLUSION. Poor USB connection to base, certainly proven in my case this morning. It's working okay again after spraying usb plug and base usb socket with isopropyl and squeezing in usb plug a little to make tighter fit. :)
Click to expand...

Making me wonder if this could be the culprit and part of the reason for the issues mentioned so far in this thread. Wrong or defective cable and/or charger possibly not providing adequate power to the cam and causing to act up. hmmm... weird.
 
Be carefull, the 20130924 firmware not only have a problem with gsensor menu but also disable it.
If i upgrade to it , i only get zero's gsensor log....
 
I am running firmware 20130924 now. Have never used G-sensor as I don't find it useful because others have said if you hit a big pothole it might activate it, so no plan to experiment or use G-sensor.

Anyway I posted earlier that I was going to try recording my drive tonight with Samsung 32Gb class 10 card and the USB power cable plugged directly into the cam. I decided to plugged the cable into the mount instead. Drove a return trip, about half an hour each way. The cam worked flawlessly so far, no auto shutdown during the drive. Still too early to call, so I will give it at least one week trial.
 
cranky said:
Just a quick update, mine has been running without any issues for almost 2 weeks now, it's got to the point where i leave it in the car and forget it's there, i glance once in a while to check the recording indicator is blinking away.

I pulled the card out today to be sure and yup, it's overwriting old files nicely.

At last i'm really happy with my Mini 0801.
Click to expand...
Just FYI, mine has been working without any problems (0801 w/20130903 fw) since I received it. Also, from reading all these posts, it appears the best option, if the system is working is to leave it alone. Now, if is not working, it may be better to just return it to the vendor, if that is an option. PS: This is a great site for detailed info, I really appreciate all the valuable input from the major contributors. :)
 
talking about fake cards had got me checking mine, i ordered a samsung 32gb class 6 ready for the 0801 off ebay and after reading this post i was worried it was a fake card , lucky i tested it on h2testw and it is genuine , so i thought i would test my other 32gb card also a samsung card on looking at the card i thought hang on the writing on this one is upside down , so i thought i would scrach the writing on it and it came off, the card was not a samsung class 10, the card had no name it does say 32gb but class 4. it has been in my dash cam ever since i brought it and aint been a problem tbh but im glad i read about this on here because it just shows , i cant think of the sellers name but i do no i got it from china on ebay, i will be checking all my cards from now on when i buy them
 
ikeepzitclean said:
I was wondering...during your tests do you plug the USB cable in the camera directly or in the base attached to it?
Also, do you power it with the USB cable plugged in the computer (as power source only, not sync) or directly into a USB charger in an electrical outlet socket. Im thinking that the USB cable or power source (or both) could be the reason for some of these issues.

I saw the link u posted earlier for that dashcam. Looks really nice, seems a little bulky especially with the suction cup mount, but maybe it's just the way it looks in the pictures. I didn't see a way to insert a TF card anywhere though. I just saw a USB and HDMI port. Maybe I missed it, but anyway, I'll be on the lookout for your detailed review video of it. :D
Click to expand...

When I'm testing I use a combination of power sources. I have a special USB cable that I cut the data wires on so my laptap will feed power only. (preventing the 0801's automatic mass storage mode from kicking in) I also powered it from an iPad USB power supply. (high amperage output) I've even tried powering it from a USB battery stick I have. In the car I powered it from the original cigarette power adapter, and the amazon mini-usb cigarette power adapter I bought. The 0801 is still going strong on the latest GPS+Internal-8GB specific flavor of 20130924. (has yet to trip up still)

Even though I don't need/use G-Sensor, I'd like to know my camera is 100% functional .
I sent a message to Lia/Givoe explaining how I was happy their new firmware made my camera stable for recordings.
I then asked she look into the G-Sensor issues with the factory. (so we can get a complete fix for everyone at some point)

-And about the new WF1 I'm using up front now, I didn't use the lame Suction cup mount. (you're right it's too bulky) It comes with a nice tiny short double stick tape mount. This mount surface is the same exact width as the black strip above my rear view mirror. From the outside it now looks like one continuous stock black continuous rectangle piece. The WF1 is mounted dead center now and blends in perfectly from the outside even better than the 0801. (looks like a rain sensor) Even the mini-USB wire is at a right angle so the wire is out of site. I can't see the mount or dashcam from the drivers seat. (it's completely out of site)
-The mini 0801 was out of site but the whole thing needed to be mounted to the lower right of the mirror. (or the dirt patch was in the way) It looked looked odd from the passengers point of view floating off center. (and didn't blend in nearly as well as the dead-center WF1 does) I'll explain all this in my future review I'm slowing putting together. The mini 0801 is the perfect rear camera, the wire follows along the same center break light wire. (on the fixed arm the pushes the whole window down. (it's a convertible) 0801 is out of the way even when everything folds up. (it's a hard glass window) It fills the GPS logging gap the WF1 doesn't have as well.
I'll take pix/videos in the near future = ) I'll probably put it on the Smart Car of America forum. I'm closer to the quest for full 365 degrees! My car is so short it's practically full coverage now. I'm excited to finally have WDR too.

Here's one WF1 mount example I googled up, but imagine it exactly center and my window is much steeper.
upload_2013-10-19_13-29-29.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Jon.. I'm now certain it was not a power supply issue this morning, it was defininately a bad connection on the mini usb end, made it a bit firmer by squeezing it in a little, seems to have done the trick, Weve been out all day, and it was still going strong when we returned 30mins ago, and it's got the same card and power supply I was using previously.. so all good again. :-)
 
So JazJon, your 0801 is still going strong with no errors on 20139024?

It's strange, because that's the firmware that mine came with and I get low speed and storage io errors when the card is full. I've also got the same memory card as you...

You reckon I should flash it with the 2019024 software that you've linked?
 
Jez said:
So JazJon, your 0801 is still going strong with no errors on 20139024?

It's strange, because that's the firmware that mine came with and I get low speed and storage io errors when the card is full. I've also got the same memory card as you...

You reckon I should flash it with the 2019024 software that you've linked?
Click to expand...

Still going, if you matched up the correct flavor of 20130924 it seems to be rock solid. There are multiple versions of 20130924 so the one you pre-loaded is not necessarily the same build I'm using. If you don't mind possibly losing G-Sensor give it a try!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top