VIOFO A129 Pro Duo: Buffered Parking Mode Good as Anti-Prowling Method?

On the SG9663DR i used 12.2 V cur off, which i never hit with a 1 hour timer, but then it is there should i want to up the timer some day for longer coverage, and i wouldn't go under 12.2 volts.

TBH the 12.4 V i use on the A139 system are probably not lasting long, looking forward to see the memory card tomorrow.
 
As it would seem, the lower the voltage cut-off the longer a cam will run. 12V Lead-acid car batteries do better if they never go below 12.2V. At that level you may lose a little battery life, maybe a few months. 12.4V should hardly be noticeable, but with an old battery it might also give you little recording time. 12.0V will cost you maybe 10% - 20% battery life. You can find what the battery for your car costs and use that (and the recording times you get) to decide what is acceptable to you. Never go below 12.0V cutoff or you'll need a new battery soon ;)

AGM car batteries, which some cars come with, can generally be safely discharged 0.2V lower than lead-acid types.

The better HWK's such as Viofo's will be accurate to + or - 0.1V which is close enough. Cheap HWK's may vary as much as 0.2V, and the cheapest ones have no adjustment and usually cut off far too low like 11.6V to 11.8V :eek: Those are to be avoided completely.

Phil
I believe this is my battery:


I will keep the battery at 12.4V for safety. Is a five year old battery considered old? How little recording time do you get for 12.4V as opposed to some other voltage cutoff?
 
I just tested 12.4 V cut off, granted with the more power hungry A139 camera, it gave me 3 hours 20 minutes or so of low bitrate recording in parking mode.


I replaced my original battery last summer, it is still a small one just 50 - 55 AH or something.
 
5 years are not bad, for battery age, though with these too some times you run into a bad batch or a batch that should never have left the factory as it is that bad.
The batteru i replaced was the original in my 2012 car, so it lasted about 110.000 KM, it was not really showing any signs of aging, but putting in a new battery did end some issues i had with a dashcam last summer.

The camera would sit 17 hours in my car just fine ( doing parking guard only the first 1 hour ), but let it sit 20 hours and the time / date would reset when i started my car.
After i put in the new battery that have not happened, which i still think is a bit strange, but thats how it is, and the new battery wasent that expensive even on a Danish pension.
 
Just looking at the top of the fuses you can see subtle differences.
thedashcamstore.com-how-to-identify-fuse-type-blog-image6.jpg


The low profiles have two thin slits that go to the very end - the mini and micro 2 you can also tell apart looking at the 2 slits on the top surface, one have wider slits VS the other, the regular ATO do look much like the mini fuse, but it is a much larger fuse about a inch wide where as the mini are only 1/2 inch wide or so.

It is probably the mini ones your car use, at least they seem to be very popular

If you pull one out for sure the shape of its legs will let you know, as you can see in the picture they are all different in shape.

You can also call the dealer and say " hey i want to put some spare fuses in my car in case one blow, what kind must i get"
I have multiple sizes of fuses in the vehicle. Not especially car savvy, but I don't suppose I should be afraid of just removing the fuses if the car is off?
 

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Look like micro 2 fuses to me.

True. my car also have a few regular ATO fuses

I found a spare mini ATO fuse, the holes while i am zoomed in ( macro ) here seem smaller than what you have, making me think yours are mini 2 type.

miniATO.jpg

I would still call your dealer and say you want to get some spare fuses for your car just dont know what kind to get, just to be absolutely sure even if a fuse adapter are not a momentous write off
 
In reality best action against car prowling is: Don't lock your car and remove anything of value.
 
Anything above 12.4V is skin voltage. Ok a new battery MIGHT hold 12.5V given time to idle after a 100% charge. But that is measured directly at the battery terminals. So 12.4V measured across 2 thin wires connected to the fusebox is 100% battery.
 
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I believe this is my battery:


I will keep the battery at 12.4V for safety. Is a five year old battery considered old? How little recording time do you get for 12.4V as opposed to some other voltage cutoff?
Age tells very little about the condition of a battery. A new battery can be ruined in less than a week if you leave it completely discharged. So drain you battery a few times (maybe forget to turn off the light or something) and your battery no longer holds the stated energy charge.
 
I believe this is my battery:


I will keep the battery at 12.4V for safety. Is a five year old battery considered old? How little recording time do you get for 12.4V as opposed to some other voltage cutoff?
That battery sure looks crappy. They don't even list the Amp. Hours.
If power limits your parking mode, open the hood and measure the maximum space available for the battery. Then purchase an agm or gel (gel batteries are rather expensive but supposedly great for long term modest power draw like a dashcam) from a reputable brand with the biggest Amperage hour rating you can fit. Please also pay attention to the orientation and physical size of the battery terminals.
 
Look like micro 2 fuses to me.

True. my car also have a few regular ATO fuses

I found a spare mini ATO fuse, the holes while i am zoomed in ( macro ) here seem smaller than what you have, making me think yours are mini 2 type.

View attachment 56287

I would still call your dealer and say you want to get some spare fuses for your car just dont know what kind to get, just to be absolutely sure even if a fuse adapter are not a momentous write off
From what I can tell my car only has Low-Profile Mini fuses

IMG_20210506_165237.jpg

... I am not sure if any of the hardware kits that VIOFO provides for the A129 Pro Duo match this...

1620354446326.png

It seems that all the fuse options in their HK dropdown are for fuses with longer fins. I might be SOL on a dash cam with a hardware kit unless there is a way around?
 
Yeah thats low- profile mini fuses alright.

If They dont have the fuse adapters you can probably pick them up locally, thats what i do if i need one / some, they exist for sure.
Add-A-Circuit-Fuse-Tap-Piggy-Back-MICRO-Fuse-Holder-APS-ATT-mini-LOW-PROFILE-12v.jpg_Q90.jpg_.webp


https://www.amazon.com/gp/B072MFTK5P
 
The SG camera i first got to try parking guard with was supplied with fuse adapters with bullet connectors, so a tool less install.
The new HW kit i just installed for my Viofo A139 camera it came with bare ends on the two +12V wires ( meant to be crimped together with the add a circuit fuse adapter ) and then the GND wire did have a eye crimped on to it so easy to bolt to a ground connection.

In general i prefer to solder things together also what i did with the viofo HW kit as i just soldered the two 12 V wires to the corresponding ones on the taps i did the the SG camera last year.
So i am pulling a dual and a triple systems now on the 5A fuses i have on the two 12 V connections, but i do only use parking guard on the viofo camera at the moment, the SG camera will be relocated to side camera duty when summer show its face and i can work on my car in my friends field.
 
So i am pulling a dual and a triple systems now on the 5A fuses i have on the two 12 V connections, but i do only use parking guard on the viofo camera at the moment,
won't be an issue, I have 4 cameras wired to the same taps in one of my cars, 3 of them are running parking mode also
 
Yeah thats low- profile mini fuses alright.

If They dont have the fuse adapters you can probably pick them up locally, thats what i do if i need one / some, they exist for sure.
Add-A-Circuit-Fuse-Tap-Piggy-Back-MICRO-Fuse-Holder-APS-ATT-mini-LOW-PROFILE-12v.jpg_Q90.jpg_.webp


https://www.amazon.com/gp/B072MFTK5P
Are you saying there is a COTS cable that will plug into my low-profile mini fuse box and will allow me to plug in one of the four purchasable fuse type? Want to make sure I understand what I need to buy to allow the HK to work and to be able to use the Dash Cam in parking mode.
 
Not sure what a COTS cable is.
You just need the hardwire kit and then 2 of the add a circuit fuse adapters ( of the correct type for your car fuse type )
The pair ones i linked to have a crimp connector in the other end, so you just need to put the wire in there and crimp it in place.
These crimp connectors do require a crimp pliers for the job but a regular set of pliers can also do it.
The pliers just have to be large enough so you can flatten the metal tube inside the plastic insulator so it hold the wire in place.

651a6925c1df82530d004d3cebe23c56.jpg


Some times the extra wires mean you can not put the lid back over the fuses, when i installed the fuse taps in my car i dident even bother trying to put the lid back on, my fuse box are under the dashboard below the A pillar, damn hard to get at if you are not a contortionist, you can barely see it even if you have the head down where you knees would be and you have the plastic cover removed.
The fuse box in my car.

dc05dc682bee6a7b941c8fc4470c65e0d18e6122.jpg
 
You could use toolless wire connectors like this:
Constant 12V, ACC and are normally present in the connection to your cars radio, so you could just tap into the wires going to your radio.
 
Yeah the things we Danes call " a power thief" could also be used to connect two wires, or as most often used tap into a existing wire somewhere on the middle of it with no tool needed.
I must admit i have never used one of those, but i assume it is also a avenue for tapping into the end of a wire or in the middle of a wire.

stroemtyv-blaa-2_1-1.w610.h610.backdrop.wm.jpg
 
Never used the WAGO, but the blue one's shown should be avoided. If not sized properly for both wires they can be loose or cut wire strands, and the snap-over insulating cap can pop open over time and expose a potential short. Fuse taps are easier and better.

Phil
 
Never used the WAGO, but the blue one's shown should be avoided. If not sized properly for both wires they can be loose or cut wire strands, and the snap-over insulating cap can pop open over time and expose a potential short. Fuse taps are easier and better.

P

Never used the WAGO, but the blue one's shown should be avoided. If not sized properly for both wires they can be loose or cut wire strands, and the snap-over insulating cap can pop open over time and expose a potential short. Fuse taps are easier and better.

Phil
I tried the blue one once and it didn't work. But I use the wago several times each day at work and they are brilliant. For very thin wires I recommend twisting the wires together before inserting into the Wagon.
 
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