Viofo BP-100 & EP-100 Battery Testing

[Vortex Radar]

So I'm starting to work on some testing with the Viofo BP-100 battery pack and the EP-100 expansion battery.

I've just done one full charge/discharge cycle with the BP-100 by itself and with the A229 Pro 3CH connected in low bitrate parking mode with the IR LED off. Here's some numbers and findings as I test.

Starting off with a full recharge cycle from dead, the charge curve looks pretty linear as it recharges. The app shows it getting to 100% after about 63 min, but I don't think that's entirely accurate, as with most other dashcam battery pack apps.

If you look at the power draw on the power supply, I start seeing the power draw start to drop off closer to the 70 min mark which is what Viofo advertises for recharge times for a hardwired install. It sat pretty constant between 112-115W the whole time, usually around 113W while charging. I didn't start logging power draw numbers until after 1h which is why the curve looks perfectly flat until then. It sat pretty consistently at right around 113W so that's what I used.

Most other battery packs start to progressively dial back the input current as they approach 100% capacity, but if the Viofo battery app is to be trusted, this one looks to charge at full speed right up until the battery is fully charged.

Now as for the parking mode record times which are one of the most important metrics. Viofo advertises 32 hours of parking mode record time at 3W, but that varies greatly based on dashcam model, how many cameras you're running, and what parking mode you choose. According to their site, they listed 15h and 38min for an A229 Pro 3CH in low bitrate mode. I tested and I got 15h and 26min, so their estimates are virtually spot on.

Gonna try another full cycle with the BP-100 and EP-100 expansion next.

The battery itself otherwise seems pretty good. I like the 3-wire input cable so you can connect it directly to your battery for high current power draw and use a low current ACC trigger.

I also like the variety of output cables including a traditional 3-wire cable for any dashcam and a USB cable to go straight into a modern Viofo.

The output USB port unfortunately doesn't work for parking mode so it's mostly for things like charging a phone or something I guess.

The battery is silent so long as it has power inside, but if it's fully depleted, it does a double beep next time you start your car and it starts recharging. Also when the battery fully dies, it does another beep. I wish there was a way to disable that double beep at startup, but I haven't seen an option in the app or in the manual. Hopefully it exists.

Voltage info isn't passed over without the HK6, but that's fine given that I don't use that as a trigger for hybrid parking mode as to when to switch between regular and low power parking recording when connected to a dedicated dashcam battery pack.

I also like that the app has an option for OTA FW updates too which is convenient.

 

[mentadent]

I wonder how well it deals with the output from a Euro eco alternator. My Powercore doesn't do so well.

 

[Hack_man]

I've been MUCH more impressed with the Viofo BP100 than the Power Cell 8.
The BP100 does not discharge unloaded 8% per day like my PC8.
The bluetooth range on the BP100 is MUCH better, the range of the PC8 is poor in comparison.
I like that the BP100 updates FW OTA (as pointed out by Vortex)
Sometimes I wonder if I got a defective PC8. I should have returned it while it was still under warranty

 

[Vortex Radar]

I ran a test over the weekend with the expansion battery and record times were virtually exactly 2x. This makes sense given they're shown with identical capacities of 7650 mAh. (Sometimes expansion batteries have slightly larger capacities since they have more space for batteries once you remove some of the control circuitry.)

A229 Pro 3CH, Low Bitrate, IR LED Off
BP-100 Only: 15 hr, 26 min
BP-100 & EP-100: 30 hr, 55 min
Increased Record Time with Expansion: 2.003x

So far it seems pretty solid and straightforward. The only knock against it I have is the audible beep when it starts charging again after being fully depleted. I'd prefer it to remain totally silent regardless of initial charge level. Is that an option @VIOFO-Support?

 

[TonyM]

The only knock against it I have is the audible beep when it starts charging again after being fully depleted. I'd prefer it to remain totally silent regardless of initial charge level.

I like the idea of an alert to inform the driver that the battery ran out during the most recent parking mode session. However I always prefer the option of disabling beeps on dashcams and associated devices.

 

[Vortex Radar]

Written review is almost done. Here's some images I've been preparing for it.

Battery with both input cables, hardwire and cig. lighter:

There's 3 different output cable options including the USB C cable straight to Viofo cams, a universal 3-wire hardwire for any brand of dashcams, and a cig. lighter outlet that provides power for just driving recording.

Here's the battery with the expansion:

Here's the Viofo battery app showing charging and discharging, with just the single BP100 or also with the EP100 expansion:

and here's the process for updating the battery firmware via the app:

 

[Augustus]

Written review is almost done. Here's some images I've been preparing for it.

Battery with both input cables, hardwire and cig. lighter:

View attachment 91400

There's 3 different output cable options including the USB C cable straight to Viofo cams, a universal 3-wire hardwire for any brand of dashcams, and a cig. lighter outlet that provides power for just driving recording.

View attachment 91401

Here's the battery with the expansion:

View attachment 91402

Here's the Viofo battery app showing charging and discharging, with just the single BP100 or also with the EP100 expansion:

View attachment 91403

and here's the process for updating the battery firmware via the app:

View attachment 91404

Do you find the Bluetooth a necessity?

I always wondered this because I have the 70mai battery pack , but don't actually miss the lack of app. If the battery is just about to run out, it does let me know in the standard 70mai app that the voltage has dropped - so battery is just about flat.

 

[Vortex Radar]

Do you find the Bluetooth a necessity?

I always wondered this because I have the 70mai battery pack , but don't actually miss the lack of app. If the battery is just about to run out, it does let me know in the standard 70mai app that the voltage has dropped - so battery is just about flat.

I'd imagine most people wouldn't really need it. Just have it run in the background and move on with your life. Personally I do use mine pretty often. I've got a B-124, B-130A, and PC8 in the Audi and I flip between apps to check power levels out of idle curiosity or before leaving my car for a trip and wanting a rough estimate for parking record time, especially since I add and remove dashcams for testing and my power draw levels can vary.

How does the 70mai app let you know? via the cloud?

 

[Vortex Radar]

Written review is done. I'm gonna work on the video version next week.

Viofo BP100 Dash Cam Battery Review - Vortex Radar

Viofo BP100 test and review. Best dashcam battery pack at $279: 7,650mAh LiFePO4, expansion battery support, USB-C output, and Bluetooth app.

www.vortexradar.com

 

[Augustus]

I'd imagine most people wouldn't really need it. Just have it run in the background and move on with your life. Personally I do use mine pretty often. I've got a B-124, B-130A, and PC8 in the Audi and I flip between apps to check power levels out of idle curiosity or before leaving my car for a trip and wanting a rough estimate for parking record time, especially since I add and remove dashcams for testing and my power draw levels can vary.

How does the 70mai app let you know? via the cloud?

Makes total sense for folks like us that are testing, but you're right, most consumers wouldn't have a use for it.

The 70mai app does it via cloud for sure. Linked to UP04/UP05, so obviously if someone didn't have it then they wouldn't know the battery level outside of looking at the indicator lights on the side of the battery itself.

You can't check the battery level specifically but you can hazard a guess by the battery voltage screen, so that's more than enough for most folks I'd say.

 

[TonyM]

@Vortex Radar I believe the BP-100 might support hybrid parking mode with compatible Viofo dashcams in a future firmware update. Have you heard anything about this?

 

[Augustus]

@Vortex Radar I believe the BP-100 might support hybrid parking mode with compatible Viofo dashcams in a future firmware update. Have you heard anything about this?

Another niggling question is that I see there are lithium iron phosphate battery packs that are for 4WD camping, that have two or three times the capacity (but same thickness as Viofo or 70mai or sometimes double thickness) , for a fraction of the price.

Apparently folks have tried making them work with dashcams but doesn't quite work, so would love to see the dashcam companies come out with much higher capacity batteries in the near future.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

Written review is done. I'm gonna work on the video version next week.

What are your top 5 "cons"?
What improvements would you like to see for the next model?

 

[Hack_man]

I think the need for an app that monitors battery level is more important for people who live in colder climates. The battery will not charge as efficiently when the car is parked in temperatures below freezing (it has to warm up first), and monitoring the charge level becomes more critical. I'm not sure where you would place the 70mai battery pack so the screen was conveniently visible yet the battery pack was not obtrusive.

 

[mentadent]

I'd expect the kind of fancy power user who paid extra for the parking battery, would appreciate the Bluetooth being another function.

 

[Vortex Radar]

@Vortex Radar I believe the BP-100 might support hybrid parking mode with compatible Viofo dashcams in a future firmware update. Have you heard anything about this?

How do you mean? Voltage based hybrid parking mode isn't really necessary with a dedicated battery pack. I use the timer-based options with all of my batteries and it works fine.

What are your top 5 "cons"?
What improvements would you like to see for the next model?

hm,

• Annoying double beep when you start your car and the battery resumes charging after being fully depleted, Viofo told me they'll consider adding an option to turn off the speaker
• Possibly how it handles cold weather? I haven't tested this
• Annoying app disconnection popup on iOS, same as other EGEN batteries
• USB C port doesn't work for parking modes, but not a huge deal in practice
• No USB C charging for easier at home recharging
• Automatically recognizes 1 expansion battery, but you have to manually tell the app if you have 2 expansions.. probably an inherent communication issue

Overall I'm pretty happy with it though. 3-wire hardwire input cable (which I'm sure @SafeDriveSolutions appreciates), expansion battery support like PC8 but native option and much more affordable than Cellink Neo expansion, USB C instead of USB A like PC8 / B-130A / iVolt Xtra, OTA FW updates, etc.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

hm,

This was my;

PROS & CONS

IMPROVEMENT WISHLIST

 

[GPak]

Do you find the Bluetooth a necessity?
I always wondered this because I have the 70mai battery pack , but don't actually miss the lack of app. If the battery is just about to run out, it does let me know in the standard 70mai app that the voltage has dropped - so battery is just about flat.

The App is a quite useful for at list two main reasons:
1. OTA updates - most (if not all) complex electronic devices are released with inevitable bugs and they also possess the potential for further improvement that can be fixed/implemented via app-OTA updates.
2. Settings and options - within the app, you can select the settings that best suit your specific needs.

There is no need to use the app constantly; However, once you appreciate the benefits of having it, you are unlikely to want to give it up.

In my view, the ability to remotely monitor battery status as needed, update firmware over the air to resolve known bugs and introduce new features, and select desired settings constitutes a highly valuable advantage.

 

[mikek753dct]

@Vortex Radar great info, thanks
I have a few questions if you can address and correct my assumptions:
1. What is required car running / driving time to fully charge both Camera pack and car battery?
I assume that hardwired kit for camera battery pack will draw alternator power and as result car battery will not get enough power to get recharged over normal 30 min trip

2. How this will work for normal daily commute of 30 min drive?
I don't see that camera pack will be able to recharge over 2 by 30 min a day, while it will deplete over a night to 0

3. what is max Camera Parking mode power draw? And what is max allowed to sustain on the battery pack over 24H?
So far many Cameras in Parking Mode with all time on buffered recording draws a lot of power. Sure there is Collision Save Mode, but wake up time is so long to be really useful.

Thanks

 

[Augustus]

The App is a quite useful for at list two main reasons:
1. OTA updates - most (if not all) complex electronic devices are released with inevitable bugs and they also possess the potential for further improvement that can be fixed/implemented via app-OTA updates.
2. Settings and options - within the app, you can select the settings that best suit your specific needs.

There is no need to use the app constantly; However, once you appreciate the benefits of having it, you are unlikely to want to give it up.

In my view, the ability to remotely monitor battery status as needed, update firmware over the air to resolve known bugs and introduce new features, and select desired settings constitutes a highly valuable advantage.

Yes about most if not all electronic devices, but you're talking about a battery here. What other functions does it need to possess? If BMS has show-stopping bugs then the battery shouldn't even be released.

If a vendor is charging more for their product just because it has firmware / app, and it's a battery, then I would think most people would believe that's a bit of a waste of money.

This won't be an issue in a year or two when battery back prices come down and all that functionality is baked in anyway..