VIOFO BP100 Dash Cam Battery Pack - Test & Review PP

[rcg530]

The MR60 connector has three terminal connectors. The CLA cable only has [switched/accessory] charging power / ground wires while the hardwire cable has three wires charging power, accessory power, and ground.

A picture in Post 45 shows both cables. The presence of power on the middle connector [switched accessory power terminal pin] seems to allow the BP100 to go into full amp charging mode.

 

[Dashcam7588]

The MR60 connector has three terminal connectors. The CLA cable only has [switched/accessory] charging power / ground wires while the hardwire cable has three wires charging power, accessory power, and ground.

A picture in Post 45 shows both cables. The presence of power on the middle connector [switched accessory power terminal pin] seems to allow the BP100 to go into full amp charging mode.

hmm, not technical savvy enough to understand, from my limited knowledge, let's say the slot that i tap into is lower amp say 5, if the BP100 draw 10, wouldn't it blow that 5amp fuse?

 

[losang30]

The MR60 connector has three terminal connectors. The CLA cable only has [switched/accessory] charging power / ground wires while the hardwire cable has three wires charging power, accessory power, and ground.

A picture in Post 45 shows both cables. The presence of power on the middle connector [switched accessory power terminal pin] seems to allow the BP100 to go into full amp charging mode.

Hello, I know you are extremly knowledgabe and I was wondering if you could let me know if this is possible.

Would I be able to use this MR-60 extender for the BP100. I need to extend the wiring on the battery side. I was also wondering if I could use this same item to creat a splitter MR60 by splicing the wire so that I could possibly use the hardwire and Cigarette lighter just in case.

Amass MR60 Male to Female Adapter Connectors Converter Plugs with 12AWG Gauge Cable Wire High Current for RC Lipo Battery​

 

[Hack_man]

interested to buy a BP100 but needed some help, the biggest fuse in my fusebox is only 10amp, but the website saids 11A max, that looks like it'll blow my 10A fuse?
does anyone know can the input power be limited to say 5A only? how does it work? put a 5amp fuse on the fuse tap for the battery?

So the answer to the question is you have to use the CLA adapter cable rather than the Hardwire cable to charge the BP100 at less than 6A.
I would NOT use a 10A fuse to power the high current charging cable. A better plan is to use RCG's idea of installing a relay and pull power directly from the car's battery terminal.
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...24-subaru-crosstrek-premium.51130/post-618519

 

[losang30]

Hello, I know you are extremely knowledgeable and I was wondering if you could let me know if this is possible.

Would I be able to use this MR-60 extender for the BP100. I need to extend the wiring on the battery side. I was also wondering if I could use this same item to creat a splitter MR60 by splicing the wire so that I could possibly use the hardwire and Cigarette lighter just in case.

Amass MR60 Male to Female Adapter Connectors Converter Plugs with 12AWG Gauge Cable Wire High Current for RC Lipo Battery​

View attachment 88937

or anyone who may know the answer. I think it just extending wires so it should not be an issue but I am not sure.

 

[rcg530]

Hello, I know you are extremly knowledgabe and I was wondering if you could let me know if this is possible.

Would I be able to use this MR-60 extender for the BP100. I need to extend the wiring on the battery side. I was also wondering if I could use this same item to creat a splitter MR60 by splicing the wire so that I could possibly use the hardwire and Cigarette lighter just in case.

Amass MR60 Male to Female Adapter Connectors Converter Plugs with 12AWG Gauge Cable Wire High Current for RC Lipo Battery​

or anyone who may know the answer. I think it just extending wires so it should not be an issue but I am not sure.

Those cables have 12 AWG wires, so yes you can use them to extend the charging cable(s). Splicing them together may have some complications on the BP100 end of things. I'm not exactly sure how the BP100's internal BMS figures out that it went from a 3-wire charging cable to a 2-wire CLA charging cable without a power cycling of the BP100 using the On/Off button.

So the answer to the question is you have to use the CLA adapter cable rather than the Hardwire cable to charge
the BP100 at less than 6A.
I would NOT use a 10A fuse to power the high current charging cable. A better plan is to use RCG's idea of installing a relay and pull power directly from the car's battery terminal.
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...24-subaru-crosstrek-premium.51130/post-618519

A refinement to using the relay approach is to make sure the relay has a flyback diode in the relay to avoid voltage spikes on the accessory power wire that is used to control relay. I learned that lesson when the three relays [without flyback diodes] that were controling the charging power for three different dash camera battery packs were causing a spike on the accessory power wire when the accessory power was turned off. The spike was getting to the fourth battery pack [Thinkware iVolt Xtra BAB-95] resulting in an eventual failure of the iVolt Xtra battery pack. Once I added flyback diodes to eliminate the voltage spikes from the three relays, the most recent iVolt Xtra has been working well for quite some time now.

 

[Hack_man]

Those cables have 12 AWG wires, so yes you can use them to extend the charging cable(s). Splicing them together may have some complications on the BP100 end of things. I'm not exactly sure how the BP100's internal BMS figures out that it went from a 3-wire charging cable to a 2-wire CLA charging cable without a power cycling of the BP100 using the On/Off button.


A refinement to using the relay approach is to make sure the relay has a flyback diode in the relay to avoid voltage spikes on the accessory power wire that is used to control relay. I learned that lesson when the three relays [without flyback diodes] that were controling the charging power for three different dash camera battery packs were causing a spike on the accessory power wire when the accessory power was turned off. The spike was getting to the fourth battery pack [Thinkware iVolt Xtra BAB-95] resulting in an eventual failure of the iVolt Xtra battery pack. Once I added flyback diodes to eliminate the voltage spikes from the three relays, the most recent iVolt Xtra has been working well for quite some time now.

The flyback diode is why some relays (which contain them) are polarity sensitive to hooking up the relay's two coil pins. You don't want to forward bias that diode! Good old Lenz's law.

 

[Dashcam7588]

Those cables have 12 AWG wires, so yes you can use them to extend the charging cable(s). Splicing them together may have some complications on the BP100 end of things. I'm not exactly sure how the BP100's internal BMS figures out that it went from a 3-wire charging cable to a 2-wire CLA charging cable without a power cycling of the BP100 using the On/Off button.


A refinement to using the relay approach is to make sure the relay has a flyback diode in the relay to avoid voltage spikes on the accessory power wire that is used to control relay. I learned that lesson when the three relays [without flyback diodes] that were controling the charging power for three different dash camera battery packs were causing a spike on the accessory power wire when the accessory power was turned off. The spike was getting to the fourth battery pack [Thinkware iVolt Xtra BAB-95] resulting in an eventual failure of the iVolt Xtra battery pack. Once I added flyback diodes to eliminate the voltage spikes from the three relays, the most recent iVolt Xtra has been working well for quite some time now.

sound pretty complicated and the video only mentioned via diagram, armatures like me need a step by step video guide :'(
not sure even if i followed that diagram i can do it or not.
guess i'll have to once again forget about adding a battery :/

 

[Hack_man]

sound pretty complicated and the video only mentioned via diagram, armatures like me need a step by step video guide :'(
not sure even if i followed that diagram i can do it or not.
guess i'll have to once again forget about adding a battery :/

Is a cigarette Lighter Adapter (CLA) which comes with all of the external batteries not an option for you?

 

[Dashcam7588]

Is a cigarette Lighter Adapter (CLA) which comes with all of the external batteries not an option for you?

ya but doesnt the CLA adapter cant make the parking mode work? at least previously when i tried with 70mai's battery, it cant, it will be always on and with normal mode the battery wouldnt last long.

 

[Hack_man]

ya but doesnt the CLA adapter cant make the parking mode work? at least previously when i tried with 70mai's battery, it cant, it will be always on and with normal mode the battery wouldnt last long.

Does your CLA socket power go off when the car is turned off? If not, that would explain why the camera would always be on when the battery is connected to the socket.
Some cars don't cut power to this port when the car is shut off.

 

[Dashcam7588]

Does your CLA socket power go off when the car is turned off? If not, that would explain why the camera would always be on when the battery is connected to the socket.
Some cars don't cut power to this port when the car is shut off.

nah, my socket is off when engine is off, maybe it's a thing for the 70mai battery? it did saids it needs hardwire kit for the parking mode to work, dont know about the bp100

 

[losang30]

nah, my socket is off when engine is off, maybe it's a thing for the 70mai battery? it did saids it needs hardwire kit for the parking mode to work, dont know about the bp100

I can confirm that the cigarette ligter socket to the B100 power input and using the provided hardwire output from BP100 to the dash cam does enable the 329s parking mode. Before I had mine hardwired I was using it that way for a few days. The parking mode worked without any issues. I do belive you need to use that hardwire output to the dashcam for it to work.

 

[Hack_man]

The 70mai manual states not to use the USB C output cable to the dashcam unless it's a 70mai dashcam.
Are you using the Type C to Type C cable with a Viofo A329?

 

[Dashcam7588]

The 70mai manual states not to use the USB C output cable to the dashcam unless it's a 70mai dashcam.
Are you using the Type C to Type C cable with a Viofo A329?

View attachment 88955


View attachment 88954

ya, I used it for my A329S lol
I guess that's why, but I dont understand what's parking surveillance adapter, the 4G cable that sold separately? but that one it does said only works for 70mai camera?

 

[Dashcam7588]

I can confirm that the cigarette ligter socket to the B100 power input and using the provided hardwire output from BP100 to the dash cam does enable the 329s parking mode. Before I had mine hardwired I was using it that way for a few days. The parking mode worked without any issues. I do belive you need to use that hardwire output to the dashcam for it to work.

what do you mean by hardwire output?
im currently hardwired to my fusebox and directly to my camera.

so if im going to switch to the bp100 battery, the battery usb c output is going to be connected to the usb c input on the camera right?
and if I dont use hardwire for the battery, and use the CLS for the power input for the battery
where do you connect the hardwire output kit ?

 

[Hack_man]

what do you mean by hardwire output?
im currently hardwired to my fusebox and directly to my camera.

so if im going to switch to the bp100 battery, the battery usb c output is going to be connected to the usb c input on the camera right?
and if I dont use hardwire for the battery, and use the CLS for the power input for the battery
where do you connect the hardwire output kit ?

Viofo calls one of their cables that connects the BP100 to the camera "Hardwire Output Cable". They also have another "Hardwire Power Cable" that connects the fuse block to the BP100.
Normally when people say "hardwire" they mean what you said, "hardwire to fuse box". I don't like that Viofo put the word "hardwire" into the output cable name, It's really not a hardwire unless it's missing connectors and is a more permanent installation like a fusetap or soldering.

I'm a little confused, you mention 70mai battery and BP100 battery. What battery and dashcam do you currently have?

 

[losang30]

Viofo calls one of their cables that connects the BP100 to the camera "Hardware Output Cable". They also have another "Hardware Power Cable" that connects the fuse block to the BP100.
Normally when people say "hardwire" they mean what you said, "hardwire to fuse box". I don't like that Viofo put the word "hardwire" into the output cable name, It's really not a hardwire unless it's missing connectors and is a more permanent installation like a fusetap or soldering.

I'm a little confused, you mention 70mai battery and BP100 battery. What battery and dashcam do you currently have?

View attachment 88960T

That is exactly the hardwire cable that I was talking about. This wire is used from the outgoing power of the battery pack to the dash cam and will enable parking mode for the viofo dash cam if using a viofo battery pack even if using the cigarette lighter attachment for the output cable to power the battery pack so long as the cigaret lighter turns off when the vehicle is off. I don't know about other battery packs.

 

[losang30]

what do you mean by hardwire output?
im currently hardwired to my fusebox and directly to my camera.

so if im going to switch to the bp100 battery, the battery usb c output is going to be connected to the usb c input on the camera right?
and if I dont use hardwire for the battery, and use the CLS for the power input for the battery
where do you connect the hardwire output kit ?

so if im going to switch to the bp100 battery, the battery usb c output is going to be connected to the usb c input on the camera right? No, even thought that seems logical that is not what you want to do as it will not provide you with parking mode. You have that option but will not give you parking mode. You just need to use the other hardwire output cable shown by Hack_man. Its easy. Instead of using the C wire connection you use the other end of the Output Hardwire to the battery pack and the other end is a USB-C connection to the dashcam.

 

[Dashcam7588]

Viofo calls one of their cables that connects the BP100 to the camera "Hardware Output Cable". They also have another "Hardware Power Cable" that connects the fuse block to the BP100.
Normally when people say "hardwire" they mean what you said, "hardwire to fuse box". I don't like that Viofo put the word "hardwire" into the output cable name, It's really not a hardwire unless it's missing connectors and is a more permanent installation like a fusetap or soldering.

I'm a little confused, you mention 70mai battery and BP100 battery. What battery and dashcam do you currently have?

View attachment 88960

Got it, thanks for the explanation, ya Viofo did made this confusing by using this name.

I currently using an a329s on vehicle A, an 229pro for vehicle B, I previously purchased a 70mai battery to try to run it on vehicle A, but the biggest fuse in my in cabin fuse box are 15A, I think the 70mai asked to be tap into a 20 or 25A fuse, I forgot which, so in the end I didn’t hardwire it, and use CLS, but then that way it doesn’t go into parking mode, so in the end i just returned the battery, and recently I saw Viofo has this battery, I’m just wondering will it had lower amp requirement(which seems to be also 11A max so 15A fuse will probably be too close to that line, it was for the Amplifier of the sound system and idk how many amps it draws)
And then you guys said I can use the CLS to power the camera and it will still has parking mode so I wondered, coz the 70mai battery doesn’t work that way. So if the BP100 does gives parking mode even on CLS, I guess my vehicle A will get this BP100.

My other vehicle has a 40amp fuse in cabin, so that won’t be the problem and I’ll probably get the battery hardwired, although in this case idk should I get 70mai on vehicle B or Viofo bp100, they do have a 100 usd price differences and I wonder what’s the advantage of the bp100 if it’s on Vehicle B