Viofo A329S Review

Accomplished_Arm_447 said:
A list of pros and cons of each mode and which situations they are best and worst suitable for would be nice.

Eg.
1fps Time Lapse with night vision
Pros
Works in dimly lit night parking
Sharp picture in daylight
Reduces file size by 97%
Continuous recording catches incidents that wouldn't trigger G sensor such as vandalism - keying or graffiti, paint scrapes
Lower power consumption, less wear on battery, allows longer parking mode before voltage cutoff.

Cons
Each locked file covers at least 30 minutes, making it harder to find when the incident occurred.
No sound, which might be important for hearing scrapes or voices.
Might miss chances to see faces or number plates that are only visible between the 1-second frames

Best if surveillance needed while car is parked in poorly lit locations.

Low Bit Rate
Pros
Sound
Natural looking video
Full frame rate
Continuous recording
4 Mbps per channel rate reduces file by at least 60 percent vs Low or even 93 percent vs Max bitrate
Shorter files easier to transfer

Cons
Moving objects are blurred but ok for parking situation
Video is totally black if parked in a dark location

Best when parked in daylight, well lit street or car park, if looking for vandalism or scrapes as opposed to collisions.

Auto Event Detection
Pros
Avoids recording when nothing is moving
Full frame rate, sharp capture of fast moving objects.
Files short 45 seconds

Cons
Might miss some events
Video is completely black in poorly lit areas

Best when always parked in lit streets or garages and not needing to watch continuously, mainly looking out for collisions
Click to expand...

great description for beginners like me. Thanks
 
SafeDriveSolutions said:
you do not drive a whole lot. Are you mainly concerned about driving? Or also concerned about while parked? There are various parking modes offered.

For instance

Keep in mind that your car battery can only support so much recording which is why battery packs are recommended.
Viofo



Low Bitrate Recording
View attachment 80503

View attachment 80505

View attachment 80506
Click to expand...
Yes, I don't drive much, in a year I drive about 13000 km (8100 miles). I'm mostly interested when I'm driving, but also when I park in public places to go around the city center to do some shopping to check for any damage.
 
How does Viofo's parking mode get determined/initiated?

I have a separate battery pack that I connect my dashcams to.
BlackVue for example, automatically goes into 'parking mode' after around 5 minutes of the vehicle not moving.
Does Viofo have a similar parking mode initiation, or is it based purely on battery voltage?

I want to set up my upcoming Viofo with my dedicated battery, but concerned it would potentially remain on full recording mode until the battery pack drops to a certain voltage.



Their previous website FAQs suggest I would still need a Viofo hardwire kit to link with the external battery pack?
support.viofo.com

Can I use an external battery pack for parking mode ?

Drawing power from your car battery DIRECTLY with our hardwire kit is the best choice, as the camera switches between regular mode and parking mode automatically, and no concerns about battery drainages. If you must use an external battery as a ...
support.viofo.com support.viofo.com

Do that mean I'd have to re-wire my current battery pack to the car - or is this the connection between the battery and the camera?
 
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danlat1415 said:
How does Viofo's parking mode get determined/initiated?

I have a separate battery pack that I connect my dashcams to.
BlackVue for example, automatic goes into 'parking mode' after around 5 minutes of the vehicle not moving.
Does Viofo have a similar parking mode initiation, or is it based purely on battery voltage?

I want to set up my upcoming Viofo with my dedicated battery, but concerned it would potentially remain on full recording mode until the battery pack drops to a certain voltage.
Click to expand...
It starts up by using the parking mode cable. When the ignition loses power it goes into parking mode.
We have a video that explains this well.
 
So I potentially still need to get their hardwire kit/parking mode cable for it to register that the vehicle is parked when using a separate battery pack?

As the battery pack is hardwired to charge whilst ignition on, and run down when ignition off - so the camera won't know the difference if connected directly to the separate battery, as it's runs off that regardless of whether the ignition is on or not.
 
danlat1415 said:
So I potentially still need to get their hardwire kit/parking mode cable for it to register that the vehicle is parked when using a separate battery pack?

As the battery pack is hardwired to charge whilst ignition on, and run down when ignition off - so the camera won't know the difference if connected directly to the separate battery, as it's runs off that regardless of whether the ignition is on or not.
Click to expand...
 
SafeDriveSolutions said:
Click to expand...
Excellent - thanks.

I currently have BlackVue DR970x Plus with B-130X battery pack.
Battery is hardwired to vehicle, and dashcam connected to battery using cigarette lighter adapter.
As it's BlackVue it automatically goes into parking mode based on movement rather than voltage.

So switching to Viofo, I'll need to get the Viofo hardwire kit to connect between the dashcam and the battery pack before it will register the camera into parking mode.

Good to know, so it's just just a straight swap out.
 
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As i recall at least for car audio hookup the red wire is ACC and the yellow constant 12 V
But i have also seen cases where the red wire is for a constant supply, but then ar are off car centric stuff.

IF ! you are going to use a old plug, at least verify that +/- are where they are supposed to be.
 
danlat1415 said:
BlackVue for example, automatically goes into 'parking mode' after around 5 minutes of the vehicle not moving.
Does Viofo have a similar parking mode initiation, or is it based purely on battery voltage?
Click to expand...
Yes, Viofo have a similar parking mode initiation, but using a hardwire kit has some advantages, such as it will immediately switch in and out of parking mode on "turning the key", it can monitor the battery voltage and turn off before the battery is empty (good if you are using the car battery), and if using the HK6 hardwire kit, the A329S can monitor the battery voltage and change to low power parking mode before the battery is empty so that the battery can last all weekend instead of just overnight. The low power mode will only start recording after detecting an impact, but it does give some protection, which can be much better than none.
 
SafeDriveSolutions said:
Click to expand...
Nice video, but it gave me the impression that hybrid parking mode is all about switching to Low Power on the Cut Off Timer, while being able to switch on the Cut Off Voltage, such as after you have used 10% of the battery capacity, is maybe the more important function? At least I think that was Viofo's original intent, so you have missed half the story and not mentioned that the other half is coming!

Switching on voltage is going to be less deterministic, if you haven't driven much recently then you will get a much shorter Low Bitrate period than if you have just made a 2 hour journey, but I'm sure that for some people, the Cut Off Voltage will be the more important switch. Personally I use Low Bitrate mainly for supermarket visits, so the Cut Off Timer is the more important function for me, as was the Parking Duration Timer.

You were always keen on the Parking Duration timer, but is it now obsolete, or should people still use it to turn the Hybrid-Low Power Impact Detection off after a few days?


Now, I have a 2560 Wh LiFePo4 battery, how many hours will that last on Low Current Draw Impact Protection?
2560 Wh / 30mA. 🤔
The answer is going to depend a lot on if my battery, when I enter Low Power Mode, is nearly full (29.2V), nominal (25.6V) or nearly empty (20.0V)!
How many Watts does it use?
 
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danlat1415 said:
Excellent - thanks.

I currently have BlackVue DR970x Plus with B-130X battery pack.
Battery is hardwired to vehicle, and dashcam connected to battery using cigarette lighter adapter.
As it's BlackVue it automatically goes into parking mode based on movement rather than voltage.

So switching to Viofo, I'll need to get the Viofo hardwire kit to connect between the dashcam and the battery pack before it will register the camera into parking mode.

Good to know, so it's just just a straight swap out.
Click to expand...

This is how my viofo is currently set up and it switches to parking mode after 5 mins.

But as Nigel mentions below you may as well get the viofo hardwire kit as it's 3 wire as opposed to blackvue's 2 wire setup, because it will switch based on ignition, and you can take advantage of the cut-off voltage.
 
Hi, everyone. Long-time lurker, first time commenting.
Thank you for all the useful info, test data, and analysis over the years!

Briseide said:
when installing it on an electric car which is known to have a 12V battery with a lower capacity than a thermal one, is it advisable to install it with an auxiliary power battery?
Click to expand...

Just wanted to chime in because as far as I can tell this particular subject of EV batteries isn't talked about often here and I find it relevant in the context of parking mode.

EVs tend to have higher power consumption while idle/parked than ICE cars, and yet the traditional battery (usually 12V unless you're Tesla) might be the same size or even smaller in EVs.
That's because, ideally, an EV should keep checking the voltage of the 12V battery regularly, even when parked, and topping it up accordingly using the high-voltage battery.

I know there have been some issues with some well-established car manufacturers (e.g. Mercedes-Benz's EQS) having launched their EVs programmed to only charge the 12V battery while driving.
In such cases, if left unused for many days, leading to the depletion of the 12V battery, the owner could find a dead car, even with plenty of juice left in the main battery.
But those issues have been mostly corrected with software/firmware updates by now.

Of course, it depends on the specific EV model, but I assume it should be possible to leave parking mode running for days in some of them without depleting the 12V battery, as long as the car keeps using the main battery to charge it often while parked.
 
Link said:
Hi, everyone. Long-time lurker, first time commenting.
Thank you for all the useful info, test data, and analysis over the years!



Just wanted to chime in because as far as I can tell this particular subject of EV batteries isn't talked about often here and I find it relevant in the context of parking mode.

EVs tend to have higher power consumption while idle/parked than ICE cars, and yet the traditional battery (usually 12V unless you're Tesla) might be the same size or even smaller in EVs.
That's because, ideally, an EV should keep checking the voltage of the 12V battery regularly, even when parked, and topping it up accordingly using the high-voltage battery.

I know there have been some issues with some well-established car manufacturers (e.g. Mercedes-Benz's EQS) having launched their EVs programmed to only charge the 12V battery while driving.
In such cases, if left unused for many days, leading to the depletion of the 12V battery, the owner could find a dead car, even with plenty of juice left in the main battery.
But those issues have been mostly corrected with software/firmware updates by now.

Of course, it depends on the specific EV model, but I assume it should be possible to leave parking mode running for days in some of them without depleting the 12V battery, as long as the car keeps using the main battery to charge it often while parked.
Click to expand...
What you say is very interesting, unfortunately I don't read many experiences with electric cars. But how can you know if the traction battery charges the 12V battery when the car is off? The car manufacturer's support will hardly give you the answer, the only ones are the forum users. But asking costs nothing..... In my specific case, for example, in the Kia EV3 there is a function called Utility Mode that is useful in case you are stationary in the car for a long time and use the vehicle's electrical systems (such as air conditioning, interior lighting, audio system, power outlets, etc.) while the car is stationary, using the high voltage battery instead of the 12V auxiliary battery.
But you have to force it manually, so if the car is off I don't think it uses the traction battery, in fact after days of car downtime the battery percentage doesn't decrease
 
Briseide said:
But how can you know if the traction battery charges the 12V battery when the car is off?
Click to expand...

Good question. If you know how to access the 12V battery and have a way to measure its voltage (like with a digital multimeter), you can compare the readings before and after your car has been parked for a long time.
I know my EV is doing it, and it uses a lot of power while parked too, because even though the high-voltage battery is very healthy, it can easily drain 1-2% when I leave my car parked for a few days.
So that's the only logical explanation since healthy lithium batteries do not self-discharge so quickly.
Well, it has also been confirmed to me by the technicians.

Briseide said:
in fact after days of car downtime the battery percentage doesn't decrease
Click to expand...

Interesting. What's the longest you've left the car parked without it losing a single battery SoC percentage?
Might be worth testing to know for sure.
Maybe take a screenshot on the Kia app after you park so you know the exact battery SoC % it was at the next time you drive it.

Also, make sure your EV is running all the latest updates, as this is the kind of thing they fix with those.

And, of course, you can also test by using the VIOFO hardware kit, set a cutoff voltage for the 12V battery (e.g. 12.2V) and hope the car never lets it drain below that limit.
 
Link said:
Good question. If you know how to access the 12V battery and have a way to measure its voltage (like with a digital multimeter), you can compare the readings before and after your car has been parked for a long time.
I know my EV is doing it, and it uses a lot of power while parked too, because even though the high-voltage battery is very healthy, it can easily drain 1-2% when I leave my car parked for a few days.
So that's the only logical explanation since healthy lithium batteries do not self-discharge so quickly.
Well, it has also been confirmed to me by the technicians.



Interesting. What's the longest you've left the car parked without it losing a single battery SoC percentage?
Might be worth testing to know for sure.
Maybe take a screenshot on the Kia app after you park so you know the exact battery SoC % it was at the next time you drive it.

Also, make sure your EV is running all the latest updates, as this is the kind of thing they fix with those.

And, of course, you can also test by using the VIOFO hardware kit, set a cutoff voltage for the 12V battery (e.g. 12.2V) and hope the car never lets it drain below that limit.
Click to expand...
Hi, unfortunately I am not very good at electronics. However I have an ODBC dongle, I could use that with Carscanner to display the battery voltage.
I kept the car parked for 5 days and the traction battery has not decreased.
The car is new, it is 2 months old.
Currently I do not have any dashcam, I am following the forum to understand which one to buy (A329S 2 ch) and if it is necessary to also buy an auxiliary battery to avoid being left stranded.
 
Nigel said:
Nice video, but it gave me the impression that hybrid parking mode is all about switching to Low Power on the Cut Off Timer, while being able to switch on the Cut Off Voltage, such as after you have used 10% of the battery capacity, is maybe the more important function? At least I think that was Viofo's original intent, so you have missed half the story and not mentioned that the other half is coming!

Switching on voltage is going to be less deterministic, if you haven't driven much recently then you will get a much shorter Low Bitrate period than if you have just made a 2 hour journey, but I'm sure that for some people, the Cut Off Voltage will be the more important switch. Personally I use Low Bitrate mainly for supermarket visits, so the Cut Off Timer is the more important function for me, as was the Parking Duration Timer.

You were always keen on the Parking Duration timer, but is it now obsolete, or should people still use it to turn the Hybrid-Low Power Impact Detection off after a few days?


Now, I have a 2560 Wh LiFePo4 battery, how many hours will that last on Low Current Draw Impact Protection?
2560 Wh / 30mA. 🤔
The answer is going to depend a lot on if my battery, when I enter Low Power Mode, is nearly full (29.2V), nominal (25.6V) or nearly empty (20.0V)!
How many Watts does it use?
Click to expand...
I am not sure if you were asking a question or making a statement. Can you ask the specific question?
 
SafeDriveSolutions said:
Dont worry i dont need to tell people it is releasing tomorrow. Because its live right now

Click to expand...
From an Australian point of view, you did release it tomorrow! 😎
 
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