Where did you mount the camera? Post your pictures

[Blackbeard]

I plan to try putting a small folded paper box in each position to see how they each are

Even a cut out piece of paper of the relevant dimensions is useful for this initial planning. May help rule out some designs and shapes as not suitable for your Picasso.
M

 

[Slicer]

The Xsara Picasso People Carrier has a very large sloping windscreen and virtually no bonnet/hood I did see one yesterday and he had his mounted very high up the screen and I did wonder what the results would be on a really dirty screen or a rain soaked night..

 

[DashCamMk2.]

Anyone had any experience fitting a front dashcam to a Xsara Picasso please?

View attachment 11860

Because the car has 'opposed' wipers, if I placed the cam behind the rear view mirror (out of my view), the cam would not be in within the area covered by the wipers. If I tried placing it so it was, it'd be below the mirror, obstruct my view and make the cam a very obvious target for thieves.

Any opinions on whether I should just place it behind the mirror any way, or place it in the top corner on the passenger side (it would still be about 5-6 inches below the top of the window)?

I plan to try putting a small folded paper box in each position to see how they each are.

Thanks

Glad someone else is in the same boat... I'm fitting one with opposing wipers too, and it's proving a bit of a challenge in terms of where to put the camera.

I've left the camera running whilst I move it to different positions on the windscreen, then played the video back on my computer, screenshotted each position, and I'm looking at which has the best overall view.

I'm thinking of going about an inch to the left of the left edge of my rear view mirror, and far enough down that it's in the wiper's path.

 

[being.me]

Thanks, I'll attach it temporarily on the passenger side for a few days first. If that's too irritating then I'll try behind the mirror and look in to getting some Gtechniq G5 or G1

 

[being.me]

I've got an A118c on order (2 to 4ish weeks delivery)

 

[DashCamMk2.]

Thanks, I'll attach it temporarily on the passenger side for a few days first. If that's too irritating then I'll try behind the mirror and look in to getting some Gtechniq G5 or G1

I can't see my A118-C from the driver's side. It's hidden by the mirror, so I'm happy with that!

I have G1 on my window funnily enough, but if it hammers it down the video will still be rubbish, so I opted to make sure the wipers were in front of it to be safe.

 

[C.O]

I should've though this through.... Subaru spoiler problems lol

 

[Sunny]

Dashcam mount and size comparison:
FRONT: Rexing F9, G90 7S, Lukas LK-7950WD with CPL filter
View attachment 12052

-->Nothing discrete about none of those, although G90 seems much smaller than others.

REAR: G1WH, Lukas LK-7950WD:
View attachment 12053

Lukas rear camera is very small and discrete.

 

[being.me]

I can't see my A118-C from the driver's side. It's hidden by the mirror, so I'm happy with that!

I have G1 on my window funnily enough, but if it hammers it down the video will still be rubbish, so I opted to make sure the wipers were in front of it to be safe.

My a118c arrived on Saturday (only 8 days after ordering it from Foxoffer on eBay).
Before mounting permanently, I'm trying it on the drivers side of my Picasso using 3m command strips. It's only an inch or so from the top of the windscreen and I've set the screen to go blank after only one minute. I may try it on the passenger side, but it'll be a couple of inches lower and will be closer to the kerb and thus more likely to be noticed (theft wise).
I've disregarded placing it in the middle 1) if behind the mirror, then the wipers don't clean 2) if within the wiper sweep, then it's almost half way down the screen, below the mirror and therefore becomes a direct obstruction.

 

[Bungus]

My a118c arrived on Saturday (only 8 days after ordering it from Foxoffer on eBay).
Before mounting permanently, I'm trying it on the drivers side of my Picasso using 3m command strips. It's only an inch or so from the top of the windscreen and I've set the screen to go blank after only one minute. I may try it on the passenger side, but it'll be a couple of inches lower and will be closer to the kerb and thus more likely to be noticed (theft wise).
I've disregarded placing it in the middle 1) if behind the mirror, then the wipers don't clean 2) if within the wiper sweep, then it's almost half way down the screen, below the mirror and therefore becomes a direct obstruction.

If screen is curved, you may have to add shim to make camera see straight ahead.

 

[Dashmellow]

If screen is curved, you may have to add shim to make camera see straight ahead.

Several layers of 3M VHB tape along one side of the back of the A118 mounting plate can work well for this depending on how many degrees of lateral angle you need to adjust the camera.

 

[unni]

Here is my setup. Thanks to members of this forum for giving me ideas and suggestions.

Front

• Camera mount: Scosche MagicMount- Magnetic Dash Mount
  • Inside the camera, I have the smaller of the plates that comes with the mount (you can see the image here).
  • Thanks to MrM for his post here.
• USB Cable: Mobius 3 metre cable
  
• Mobius: v3 lens C
• Clips: Command Round Cord Clips

Rear

• Camera mount: Neodymium Magnets
  • These magnets are very powerful to the point of hurting you if you are not careful. I have two of these on either side of the headliner. This way, I can avoid any potential damage to the headliner.
  • I didn't notice any change any recording quality with these magnets. I did a couple of quick tests. While recording, I removed and attached the magnets several times. Didn't see any visual difference in recording quality.
    
  • Inside the camera, I have the same smaller plate as above.
• Cables:
  • USB Cable: 3 metre cable
  • Cigaretter lighter extension: Bestek 12V 24V Cigarette Lighter Plug Cigarette Lighter Socket 12-Foot Extension Cord
• Mobius: v2 lens B
• Clips: Command Round Cord Clips

 

[abarth]

that's nice and neat. will have to do something similar when I replace my rear cam with a mobius. I just don't like the idea of the camera popping off if an actual collision does occur.

 

[CheckYourLights]

I should've though this through.... Subaru spoiler problems

Try an Innovv C3 with the lens mounted under your rear bumper or under your wing

 

[unni]

I just don't like the idea of the camera popping off if an actual collision does occur.

That's a good point. I didn't think about that before.

The primary reason I went with magnets was so that I could remove it everyday when I park my car. I am a bit paranoid about people in my apartment noticing the camera, which most of the time would be pointing towards their windows when parked, and get suspicious.

 

[Bungus]

That's a good point. I didn't think about that before.

The primary reason I went with magnets was so that I could remove it everyday when I park my car. I am a bit paranoid about people in my apartment noticing the camera, which most of the time would be pointing towards their windows when parked, and get suspicious.

Great install.
You have neodymium installed inside the camera too? and you remove camera when you park?
I'm also using neodymium but stuck to camera's cradle and not inside camera. So when I remove the camera without the cradle in my pocket it will not ruin the magnetic strips of my credit cards.

 

[kamkar]

I have a metal frame taped to my mobius and a neodynium magnet grapping on to that, seem to have a really good grip, but since my camera is < 5 CM from the most rear part of my car it might go flying if i get rear ended.

If the magnetic bond is strong, it may be bettered with some form of material between the metal and magnet that will increase friction, it is easy to slide somthing off a neodynium magnet, but if you try to pull the 2 things strait apart it might even be impossible to do.
I plan on adding a 0.5 mm thick sheet of latex glued to the metal.

PS. the magnet i use is round 10 mm thick and around 15 mm in diameter, and 2 of those magnet i can not pull strait apart, but a single magnet on metal should be possible for me to handle

 

[unni]

Great install.
You have neodymium installed inside the camera too?

No. I am using the magnets on either side of the headliner. I have two of the same magnets on the other side. They are very powerful and strongly hold on to each other.
Inside the camera, I put smaller of the metallic plates that comes with the Scosche Magic Mount between the battery and the camera body (image of the plate here, thanks to MrM for his post here).

Great install.
and you remove camera when you park?

I have been using the Scosche mount arrangement for the front camera for the last 7-8 months I think. I remove the front camera every day. I just installed the rear one one week back. I will probably leave that one there full time.

 

[Toyotaisme]

I was able to zip tie it to the rear mirror. out of the way

 

[Schnickelfritz]

I have two dash cams that are fairly discreet:

• One faces forward and is wedged between the headrest and the passenger seat (of course, when no one is seated there).
  
• The other faces the rear and sits in the fold-down eyeglass thingy-whatsits that is above the rear-view mirror.

To keep both in place, I use pipe insulation tubes, which you can buy at most any hardware store. (These resemble foam play tubes--aka funnoodles--that are used for playing in swimming pools.) The foam tubes are easy to cut and shape.

To power each camera, I use external rechargeable batteries that are connected via the USB cable. The external batteries were designed to power or recharge cell phones, etc, and are available everywhere. Whereas the smaller external charging devices might might power a dashcam about 4-6 hours between charges, the larger ones can last 2 or 3 days.

The inside of my car is mostly a very dark charcoal or black leather, thus, to properly expose much brighter outside views, I set the forward-facing camera to -2EV and the rear-facing camera to -3EV.

Also, I use a linear polarizing filter for the front-facing camera to reduce reflections. The polarizing material is from a relatively inexpensive, flexible 4x5 inch sheet of polarizing material that I bought through amazon. I cut the polarizing filter to the size of a quarter to fit the lens bezel. (Look for science and education supplies on amazon or elsewhere.)

(I'm not aware of any benefit to using circular polarizing filters (CPL) with fixed-focus cameras.)