what model a118 did I get

[theroot]

Hello,

I hope I have a simple question that hasn't been answered to death previously.

I bought what I was told was a capacitor model of the A118. However when I got it I don't believe it is.. It seems to stay powered for a long time after removing the USB cables, far longer then I'd expect any capacitors that fit in it to.

The "Version" is "B40S.20150316.001". From what I can tell there is no 0316 capacitor build, and maybe it should say B40C instead?

I don't want to break the sticker covering the screw hole to open it up and check but when looking in the vents on the bottom it looks almost like theres a flat silver battery in there. IDK.

I don't want to return it if I don't have to, also because I may have to fight the ebay seller to pay for shipping back. Theres no other external markings/print on the camera, the manual is generic, and the box was generic brown. Is there any way I can confirm its not the capacitor model?

Thanks

 

[jokiin]

capacitor version shuts down within 3 seconds, it won't run longer than that, the battery version can be powered on by itself also, capacitor version can't do that

cap version if you look through the vents you'll see the green caps, battery version you'll see silver

 

[DT MI]

A capacitor version will shut down very quickly when power is removed (5 seconds or so, maybe less). If it stays on longer than that it's a battery.

 

[theroot]

capacitor version shuts down within 3 seconds, it won't run longer than that, the battery version can be powered on by itself also, capacitor version can't do that

cap version if you look through the vents you'll see the green caps, battery version you'll see silver

A capacitor version will shut down very quickly when power is removed (5 seconds or so, maybe less). If it stays on longer than that it's a battery.

Thanks for the quick response. I figured as much. Sigh. Maybe I'll give it to the wife and get the capacitor version for myself. Is operating temperature range the only real advantage of the Capacitor model? That is why I got it - we do see temps down to -30c in the winter here.

 

[jokiin]

you could probably cut your losses and resell it without too much trouble

 

[Gibson99]

Thanks for the quick response. I figured as much. Sigh. Maybe I'll give it to the wife and get the capacitor version for myself. Is operating temperature range the only real advantage of the Capacitor model? That is why I got it - we do see temps down to -30c in the winter here.

Watch the comparison video in my signature. Somewhere around the 5 minute mark I do a side by side power up and down comparison of battery and capacitor versions.

 

[Street Guardian USA]

Thanks for the quick response. I figured as much. Sigh. Maybe I'll give it to the wife and get the capacitor version for myself. Is operating temperature range the only real advantage of the Capacitor model? That is why I got it - we do see temps down to -30c in the winter here.

I wouldn't depend on the battery version long term, especially through the summer.

P.S.
If you love the A118 and you're ready to take things to the next level, be sure to check out the SG9665GC as well. (not sure you know about it so thought I'd post a quickie)

 

[theroot]

Watch the comparison video in my signature. Somewhere around the 5 minute mark I do a side by side power up and down comparison of battery and capacitor versions.

Thanks Gibson, good video review.

I wouldn't depend on the battery version long term, especially through the summer.

P.S.
If you love the A118 and you're ready to take things to the next level, be sure to check out the SG9665GC as well. (not sure you know about it so thought I'd post a quickie)

I've actually already contacted you . I'm not sure how I didn't come across this model prior to ordering the a118 a few weeks ago.

 

[Gibson99]

just realized if you bought it thru ebay, you shouldn't have any trouble filing a dispute to get your money back.

btw, the cap version DOES have a small silver battery (like a watch battery) inside, used for storing time/date and settings. i think the battery version does not have that silver battery. poke around in this forum and find the threads about the sd card not staying in, or the one for focusing the lens, and you'll see plenty of pictures of the guts.

 

[theroot]

just realized if you bought it thru ebay, you shouldn't have any trouble filing a dispute to get your money back.

btw, the cap version DOES have a small silver battery (like a watch battery) inside, used for storing time/date and settings. i think the battery version does not have that silver battery. poke around in this forum and find the threads about the sd card not staying in, or the one for focusing the lens, and you'll see plenty of pictures of the guts.

Yeah but since his auction says "Buyer pays return shipping" that means I'd be out probably 10-15$ shipping it back. I would loose less money reselling it on ebay and paying the seller fees, but tbh I'll probably just give it to my wife/my other car. I did look at some of the internal pics, specifically of the cap version after posting that, as I was doing more general research. Kind of wish I had done more research prior (would've came across the SG9665GC). I've been using my GoPro hero as a dash cam for like 6months and it's such a PITA to take in/out of the car, format when full, recharge, etc, as soon as I saw my buddy with one of these I found the cheapest version available and ordered it immediately == mistake. It's definitely the battery version though, it recorded for over 5 minutes after unplugging it, and could power it on without the usb cord - no problem.

 

[jokiin]

got a link to where you bought from?

 

[Street Guardian USA]

Kind of wish I had done more research prior (would've came across the SG9665GC).

If anyone else runs across this thread, I can offer a buyers remorse/upgrade discount Just send me a PM.

 

[Gibson99]

Yeah but since his auction says "Buyer pays return shipping" that means I'd be out probably 10-15$ shipping it back.

that only applies if he had sent you the correct item. he didn't. so now since he's at fault you have all the leverage you need to get what you want. don't hesitate to get paypal and ebay involved if you need to.

 

[Street Guardian USA]

That's a good point, item is not as advertised. Full Buyer protection will be in play

 

[jokiin]

that only applies if he had sent you the correct item. he didn't. so now since he's at fault you have all the leverage you need to get what you want. don't hesitate to get paypal and ebay involved if you need to.

the bad part with these if they're offshore purchases even though you have protection the return shipping can be problematic

 

[Gibson99]

the bad part with these if they're offshore purchases even though you have protection the return shipping can be problematic

as a customer i shouldn't have to pay for a seller's mistake. seller needs to eat the cost of shipping and learn from the mistake so he doesn't do it again.

that said, there are certainly some shady characters on ebay who will bend the rules to the point of fatigue and try to drag their feet so you pass the time limits. get paypal involved early so that can't happen.

 

[jokiin]

PayPal gives 180 days now instead of the 45 they used to allow, I'm sure that must annoy some of the dodgy sellers

 

[Caerus]

Thanks for the quick response. I figured as much. Sigh. Maybe I'll give it to the wife and get the capacitor version for myself. Is operating temperature range the only real advantage of the Capacitor model? That is why I got it - we do see temps down to -30c in the winter here.

I live in Winnipeg, Canada and we got -50*C this winter and my A118(Bat) worked just fine through it. My car on the other hand took it's sweet time warming up though even with the block heater plugged in... Last summer we had close to +40*C a bunch of times, with my car sitting outside all day during work it operated just fine. In cabin car temp being higher than outside. Longevity wise you never know, but I haven't had any problems with operation in both extremes of weather for a year now. If I get 3 - 5 years out of it, it's been worth it for an $80 investment. In a couple years I'm definitely going to want an upgrade from the 96650/0330 processor combo. Even now it's showing its age, but with the firmware updates, still gets the job done nicely.

Personally I wouldn't worry about A118B vs A118C unless you leave your car out in the sun all day every day in a consistently hot climate. If you park your car in a garage or shaded area most of the time, it should be fine.

The only issue is not getting the camera you ordered.

 

[Street Guardian USA]

Personally I wouldn't worry about A118B vs A118C unless you leave your car out in the sun all day every day in a consistently hot climate.

The constant daily charge/discharge cycles will wear out the battery in the long run.

Now that summer time is in full swing, here's a recent example I ran across of what happens when a battery goes terribly wrong:

 

[Caerus]

The constant daily charge/discharge cycles will wear out the battery in the long run.

Yeah, them's the breaks on anything that runs on a battery though. Eventually the charge cycles run dry and the charge the battery can hold turns to garbage. Generally though, if it's a Lithium type battery it's usually around 500+ charge cycles before there's a noticeable difference in operating length. That's usually why most people see the battery on their smartphones running shorter after around 2 years. As long as I get a couple more years use out of my A118 that's good enough for me.

It hasn't exploded yet after a year so I'm pretty sure I'm in the clear!