The Mobius & Heat Issues

[DashCamMan]

There was a picture on RC Groups with a heat sink attached to the Mobius.

 

[BobDiaz]

Just by looking at the photo, you can see the surface area of the heatsink added to the Mobius is a lot more than just the heatsink on the Mobius.


Bob Diaz

 

[murcod]

Thanks for the info and pic. I might have to look into a similar modification.

Any idea on what the hole in the side is for- more air flow?

 

[Mtz]

I like the small size of the Mobius, BUT the heat issue worries me. Excessive heat shortens the life of electronics and is even harder on the life of the battery.

For a 1080p camera is normal to have some high temperatures. And is normal that heatsink to be hot because the chipset must to be cooled by something. But my heatsink is not so hot as expected based on users worries.
I think all the people are mounting the camera upside-down and using some mounting system. In all my posts regarding camera position I always said that any dashcam to be mounted in the most top position and many cars have some dots area around the mirror. Just fix the camera there and let is just few mm under direct sun.

Regarding battery life, the developer will sell some super-capacitors, made in Koreea for the people which want to have capacitors instead of battery.
But the battery position on the oposite part of the chipset will keep it protected in some way.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[BobDiaz]

California motor vehicle law forbids me from mounting anything on the windshield. I could do it anyway, but there's always a risk of a ticket. I plan on mounting the Mobius on the Dash to avoid any hassle. Right now I'm thinking that if the capacitor option does not exist in January when I get the camera, I could always install an external super capacitor once the battery dies.

The reason I'm waiting for January is that the Mobius came out in June 2012 and I just want to see how well it holds up after being out there for around 6 months.

 

[niko]

California motor vehicle law forbids me from mounting anything on the windshield. I could do it anyway, but there's always a risk of a ticket. I plan on mounting the Mobius on the Dash to avoid any hassle. Right now I'm thinking that if the capacitor option does not exist in January when I get the camera, I could always install an external super capacitor once the battery dies.

The reason I'm waiting for January is that the Mobius came out in June 2012 and I just want to see how well it holds up after being out there for around 6 months.

Thats why I want to see quality dash camera built into the rear-view mirror. This would be discrete and not against laws like in California and other states / countries. But till now the best Mirror-dash camera I ever came across is clip-on Korean HDVR-180. It's overall day / night video quality can be compared to 40-50usd dash cameras.

 

[jokiin]

Thats why I want to see quality dash camera built into the rear-view mirror. This would be discrete and not against laws like in California and other states / countries. But till now the best Mirror-dash camera I ever came across is clip-on Korean HDVR-180. It's overall day / night video quality can be compared to 40-50usd dash cameras.

We'll see this happen I'm sure, its not for everyone but for those where it suits it will be a good option I know

 

[Mtz]

California motor vehicle law forbids me from mounting anything on the windshield.

I don't know how exactly is your law, to not have a gadget on the windshield or in front of your eyes, or in the back of the windshield. But because you said you can mount it on the dashboard you I assume you just need to not stick something on the windshield, so, depending of your car, you can try to use the bike mount on your rearview mirror. Or you can stick the camera in the back of the rear mirror using some other solution.

But till now the best Mirror-dash camera I ever came across is clip-on Korean HDVR-180.

Is good to know that, at least, somebody made a quality mirror dashcam. That was needed in the market. I think is a little too big.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[jokiin]

Is good to know that, at least, somebody made a quality mirror dashcam. That was needed in the market. I think is a little too big.

enjoy,
Mtz

too large is a side effect of being an accessory mirror, a replacement mirror is a better option but doesn't work for all situations, if it suits the vehicle though it is a good way to go about it

 

[Mtz]

Is too large for only one reason: the display. Without display or display mounted in other way a mirror dashcam can be the most invisible dashcam.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[murcod]

I don't know how exactly is your law, to not have a gadget on the windshield or in front of your eyes, or in the back of the windshield. But because you said you can mount it on the dashboard you I assume you just need to not stick something on the windshield, so, depending of your car, you can try to use the bike mount on your rearview mirror. Or you can stick the camera in the back of the rear mirror using some other solution.
View attachment 1561


Is good to know that, at least, somebody made a quality mirror dashcam. That was needed in the market. I think is a little too big.

enjoy,
Mtz

The way I've mounted the Mobius' in the two vehicles we own, it is hidden behind the rear view mirror and doesn't obscure the vision at all. I've used a small piece of perspex (cut to the size of the Mobius mounting bracket), some velcro attached to the perspex and Mobius mounting bracket and a clip like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Triton-Pr...e-Dipped-Steel-Extended-Spring-Clips/25355899 to attach it to the rear view mirror arm. It mightn't work in all vehicles- depending on the style of rear view mirror- but is cheap, secure and easy to make. The bracket can be left permanently in the cars and the Mobius attached/ removed via the velcro. Velcro is plenty strong enough given the light weight of the Mobius.

Regarding the heat issues, I've ordered some heat sinks to trial - http://dx.com/p/rhs-03-copper-memory-heatsink-pads-copper-8-pcs-202163 . They're lower profile than the previous posted solution, self adhesive, and two will fit (one on each heatsink) without obstructing the buttons or increasing the Mobius size too much. Copper is also a better heat conductor than aluminium (but heavier.)

 

[Mtz]

Please post some pictures in the thread about Mobius mounting solutions.
http://dashcamtalk.com/forum/index.php?threads/mobius-mounting-solutions.2654/

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[sludgeguts]

There was a picture on RC Groups with a heat sink attached to the Mobius.
View attachment 1547

A quick thought. with the heatsink orientated in this way, as the cam moves forward, the airflow 'slams' into the first/front fin which would then shield the rest from the airflow. Surely it would work better if the fins were aligned front to back, allowing equal airflow through, inbetween each fin ?

 

[Mtz]

Yeah, that is a good solution when using on an airplane...
I think some holes are better than that ugly heatsink. I will never put something like that on my (single) Mobius.

Look here some nice holes on another gadget (not a dashcam) but an Android TV stick called MK908II.

 

[sludgeguts]

"Yeah, that is a good solution when using on an airplane... "

Or a car.

But for in-car use as a dashcam it'd make no difference as there would be no discernable air 'flow'.
If the heat problem is as bad as is being said, I doubt even the vents on that tv stick would be adequate.

 

[murcod]

Please post some pictures in the thread about Mobius mounting solutions.
http://dashcamtalk.com/forum/index.php?threads/mobius-mounting-solutions.2654/

enjoy,
Mtz

Done. http://dashcamtalk.com/forum/index.php?threads/mobius-mounting-solutions.2654/

 

[Dashmellow]

"Yeah, that is a good solution when using on an airplane... "

Or a car.

But for in-car use as a dashcam it'd make no difference as there would be no discernable air 'flow'.
If the heat problem is as bad as is being said, I doubt even the vents on that tv stick would be adequate.

It's not entirely true that there is no discernible airflow on a dashcam; at least on my Toyota Tacoma truck.
I reached over to adjust my Mobius recently and felt a wash of air on my finger tips. Upon further examination I realized that there is a constant flow of air coming out of the defroster vent on the dash that comes up the windshield. This can be enhanced by turning the fan on or even just making sure the vent is set to allow outside air to circulate through the vehicle cab and is set to the defrost position. While the airflow isn't much compared to what would happen on an RC airplane, I felt reassured that "some" air is flowing past the camera. Obviously, this doesn't help when the vehicle is parked and the camera is baking in the sun.

For whatever it's worth my Mobius has performed perfectly so far despite the fact that it gets pretty hot in the summer sun. It will be interesting to see if these cameras continue to hold up over time.

 

[rmurphy]

California motor vehicle law forbids me from mounting anything on the windshield.

That is old and outdated information regarding California law. They changed that law quite some time ago. You *can* mount devices to your windshield (such as GPS or cams), but they must be within specified locations on the windshield (for obvious reasons). Google it and you will find the specifics.

 

[sludgeguts]

Glad to hear your Mobi

That is old and outdated information regarding California law. They changed that law quite some time ago. You *can* mount devices to your windshield (such as GPS or cams), but they must be within specified locations on the windshield (for obvious reasons). Google it and you will find the specifics.

If only the UK laws followed the same common sense.
Almost daily I see drivers with satnavs and mobile phones glued to their windscreens - slap bang in the middle, right in their line of sight - and often these are in cars with hardly any windscreen to begin with! I often wonder how the heck these people don't have an accident!

 

[BobDiaz]

That is old and outdated information regarding California law. They changed that law quite some time ago. You *can* mount devices to your windshield (such as GPS or cams), but they must be within specified locations on the windshield (for obvious reasons). Google it and you will find the specifics.

I didn't realize that the law had changed. In reading the changes...

V C Section 26708 Material Obstructing or Reducing Driver x2019 s View
...
(13) (A) A video event recorder with the capability of monitoring driver performance to improve driver safety, which may be mounted in a seven-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest removed from the driver, in a five-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield nearest to the driver and outside of an airbag deployment zone, or in a five-inch square mounted to the center uppermost portion of the interior of the windshield. As used in this section, “video event recorder” means a video recorder that continuously records in a digital loop, recording audio, video, and G-force levels, but saves video only when triggered by an unusual motion or crash or when operated by the driver to monitor driver performance.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc26708.htm

That opens up a lot more options for me.