X-Square Mirror Cam

[Onoff]

Hello, first post so please treat me gently!

I've just bought a mirror dash cam but am maybe wishing I'd found this forum pre purchasing.

It's this front/rear mirror cam:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133921332630
However, when I plug the rear camera in the screen will occasionally go fuzzy as below.



Pressing buttons and it reboots to seemingly normal but will do it again.

Is it faulty?

Many thanks.

 

[kamkar]

Welcome to the forum Onoff.

I think as long as it do not do that when it boot with the rear camera already connected.
But plugging something in or unplugging something while running might be a problem, just like you should always turn off a dashcam system before you pull out the memory card to review footage.

Since multi channel systems came about, it is a fact that it might cause erratic behaviour, and this are often the cable to the rear camera that have been compromised, so the #1 rule troubleshooting such systems with a problem is to try and unplug toe rear camera to see how the front camera do alone.
There have also been cases of a broken rear camera unit, but it is quite rare VS the broken wire / plug. It happen so often i am personally amazed it never happened to me,CUZ i have done many multi channel systems since they came about many years ago.

Some cameras have a GPS antenna on a wire, and often connecting with a little Jack plug, but these systems also often had a AV out plug which was also a mini jack plug, you will be amazed how many times people have plugged the GPS antenna into the AV out plug.

 

[Dashmellow]

Is it faulty?

I would contact the seller and send a copy of your photo to them immediately. That way, if you can't resolve the issue you've established that there is a problem.

I once had a camera (a Street Guardian) that manifested a problem that looked virtually identical to yours on screen when it arrived and it was indeed faulty.

 

[kamkar]

That too, better safe than sorry.
I dont think it is the LCD, the icons ASO are there just fine, but the input signal seem jammed up good

 

[Dashmellow]

That too, better safe than sorry.
I dont think it is the LCD, the icons ASO are there just fine, but the input signal seem jammed up good

Yes, you're right. In my case it was a bad component on the pcb, it wasn't the LCD screen and as you say, was just displaying the signal it was receiving. (As I recall, Jokiin said he thought it might be a bad a resistor)

 

[kamkar]

Yeah dont have to be the source itself, it could be anywhere in its path.
I am wondering if it also record this, or it is just what it display on the screen.

 

[Dashmellow]

When I experienced what looks to more or less be the same thing the camera was DOA. It would boot up but that was about it.

@Onoff may have a different experience. It's another time and a different camera.

 

[Onoff]

I have already contacted the seller who came straight back saying they'll in turn ask the manufacturer.

I'll also try it by plugging the rear camera in with it all switched off first.

Will report back here. Thanks.

 

[Onoff]

Update:

I made contact with the eBay seller back in July and said I'd persevere for a bit and get back to them. Life got in the way, I forgot and the return window is long closed.

Thus the rear camera still won't work properly. Plug it in and the mirror screen goes haywire, all fuzzy as above.

Could it the the camera? Thinking to try and get a replacement:

 

[LateralNW]

Update:

I made contact with the eBay seller back in July and said I'd persevere for a bit and get back to them. Life got in the way, I forgot and the return window is long closed.

Thus the rear camera still won't work properly. Plug it in and the mirror screen goes haywire, all fuzzy as above.

Could it the the camera? Thinking to try and get a replacement:

View attachment 69978

View attachment 69976

View attachment 69977

From your first post it looks like the system can't lock the signal.
A couple of things to look for
PAL/NTSC switch
Various versions of PAL

Poor connection
Damaged wire/s
High frequency interference.

Try testing it on the work bench without any car connections.
Cheers

 

[Onoff]

I've re-engaged with the dashcam seller. Even though the camera is outside the return window they are talking to me. Have sent them this video clip:

https://flic.kr/p/2pqSoi8

I've also noted a possible record issue, again a little video:

https://flic.kr/p/2prtQiv

Meanwhile I've bought what I hope is a rear dashcam that will work:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325572679298
Tbh I'll end up binging this I think and buying a Nextbase 622 Elite package like I've just bought my son.

 

[Onoff]

I meant to say, in the post above, that the record issue was that the red record indicator, top left of the screen, would change to yellow and footage would not be recorded. I spoke with the seller who said the G-sensor to Off or Low (sensitivity). That worked.

Still leaves the original dash cam not working.

I took a chance and bought an ebay rear dashcam. An AHD one like the original it had a yellow connector that looked like it should fit. This one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325572679298
Attached to the X-Square mirror cam in place of the original and it seemed to work fine. Means the one supplied with the mirror cam in the first place was duff.

I noticed with the new rear camera that it offers 720 or 1080p resolution. By default its 720p. To get 1080p you cut a white link wire. I cut the wire and the mirror cam went all fuzzy again! Got to solder it back together now to at least get 720p.