Your feedback please on my dashcam install

[jokiin]

In this country the warranty has legal protection, they would have to show that your modification contributed to any problem before they could even reduce a claim.

same here, doesn't stop the stealerships trying to bluff their way into accessory sales on new cars by putting the scare into people though

 

[Agie]

That is an OK range, as long as you don't leave it sitting in the sun!

In this country the warranty has legal protection, they would have to show that your modification contributed to any problem before they could even reduce a claim. If the powerbank works for you then it is a decent solution though, using the car battery will wear it out faster than normal so both approaches have a cost.

Very true haha, in summer I might just run it back off usb car charger and take the power bank out - will lose parking mode but that's ok for a little while during summer.

Having a look now at the a119 and whether time lapse or just full time recording is better. Bit of a new venture for me, but best to try out all the modes and see what works.

There is a cost for each method but the battery life is at least getting there when it comes to these giant power banks and fast charge capacity. Still not sure how it will go long term though with the car going over speed bumps in carparks etc, and whether that will stuff the powerrbank up. It isn't a rugged powerbank or has any shockproof rating unfortunately

 

[Nigel]

I think if it is cool enough for you to drive the car then the charging is OK, you will never be charging while parked in the sun. For long life, 45 degrees is the recommended limit, but 65 is not a safety issue, the battery pack will puff up if you try charging near 80C, safety should only be compromised below freezing.

For parking mode, audio can be very useful, especially with a single channel dashcam - audio will record the rear hit. Timelapse has no audio. Battery life is not much different between them, although a very low frame rate timelapse will have the lowest power use.

For the shockproofing, make sure the air can still get to it, they do generate a bit of heat at high charge rates. Durability seems to depend on how they connect their cells, used to be common to use silicone covered cables which were fine, these days many cheaper ones use welded metal strips that can fracture with continuous vibration, not much you can do about it, although if they fail it is worth attempting a fix with some nice flexible wire.

 

[Agie]

I think if it is cool enough for you to drive the car then the charging is OK, you will never be charging while parked in the sun. For long life, 45 degrees is the recommended limit, but 65 is not a safety issue, the battery pack will puff up if you try charging near 80C, safety should only be compromised below freezing.

For parking mode, audio can be very useful, especially with a single channel dashcam - audio will record the rear hit. Timelapse has no audio. Battery life is not much different between them, although a very low frame rate timelapse will have the lowest power use.

For the shockproofing, make sure the air can still get to it, they do generate a bit of heat at high charge rates. Durability seems to depend on how they connect their cells, used to be common to use silicone covered cables which were fine, these days many cheaper ones use welded metal strips that can fracture with continuous vibration, not much you can do about it, although if they fail it is worth attempting a fix with some nice flexible wire.

I think I will just stick with normal recording and not worry about any of the parking mode stuff. And leave the audio on as I need that. Also easier to scrub through the files to find an incident, as opposed to parking mode / timelapse mode.

Apparently these ZMI powerbanks use Samsung cells , their last generation ones used LG ones - so as it's a Xiaomi backed company I'm trusting they use reputable components at least. Will see how I go without a shockproof case I guess.

 

[Nigel]

The low bitrate parking mode will mean you get a decent amount of time on your card, and normally you do not lose significant detail, and it has audio; with normal mode you need very big memory cards.

 

[Agie]

The low bitrate parking mode will mean you get a decent amount of time on your card, and normally you do not lose significant detail, and it has audio; with normal mode you need very big memory cards.

running a 32GB Samsung Pro Endurance at the moment so might run out before the end of the day I suppose :/

I just did some rough calculations, and it's a 530MB file for three minutes normal recording at 2560x1440 resolution. By my estimations the parked recording will only last 3hrs before being overwritten.

 

[SawMaster]

3-4 hours for 32GB is about right for normal recording. Not sure what you get with low bitrate but it will be a LOT more.

Card prices are still pretty cheap so I'd recommend getting a larger card both to increase recording times and for longer card life. A few years ago a 64GB card cost more than what I paid recently for a 128GB card so buy while the market's good

Phil

 

[Nigel]

Not sure what you get with low bitrate but it will be a LOT more.

About 4x for 1080, 8x for a 2K camera like the A119 and 16x for a 4K camera like the A129 Pro.
(A lot of 4K cameras only run at 1080 bitrate anyway!)

 

[Agie]

3-4 hours for 32GB is about right for normal recording. Not sure what you get with low bitrate but it will be a LOT more.

Card prices are still pretty cheap so I'd recommend getting a larger card both to increase recording times and for longer card life. A few years ago a 64GB card cost more than what I paid recently for a 128GB card so buy while the market's good

Phil

Thanks guys will pick up a Samsung EVO Plus 128GB today methinks.

Used to get the Samsung Pro Endurance but with the memory card costs coming down every few years, probably is no point if I upgrade my dash cams as well every few years (which will therein be able to handle even higher capacity cards)

 

[HonestReview]

Thank you and some very good suggestions there, can't hardwire it without costing me an arm and a leg because it's a brand new car and will void warranty (I've checked). So only option was to go B-124 or Cellink Neo (both way out of my budget), or go powerbank.

That's not necessarily true, as you own the vehicle, and are allowed to install 3rd party accessories. Now if at such time you develop a problem, and the dealer/manufacturer blames your hardwire setup, simply remove fusetaps from the fuse box. Have them check problem again and see if it is gone. If so, then great. If not, then the issue is a legitimate problem not caused by your 3rd party camera.

I've never once had an issue with my dealer blaming the camera.

 

[HonestReview]

same here, doesn't stop the stealerships trying to bluff their way into accessory sales on new cars by putting the scare into people though

This is a catch 22 issue.

On one hand, dealerships don't like having to troubleshoot problems with aftermarket installs. They never know the competency of the person doing the work, and improper installations can cause problems. So Dealerships are often quick to blame the consumer. That being said, hardwire is done via fuse taps. Takes all of two seconds to remove them from fuse box prior to going to dealer or if the dealer complains. And once fusetaps are removed, dealer can check to see if problem went away.

 

[jokiin]

to be fair I've seen some pretty bad installs, even from so called pros, so their response can be justified at times

 

[Agie]

Some extra notes. Have tried disconnecting and reconnecting the fast charging cable (only 18W until the 45W arrives), with the ignition half-on and then on completely by turning on and off the car engine.

Powerbank keeps going and the dashcam does as well, doesn't reset or anything so that's good news.

 

[HonestReview]

to be fair I've seen some pretty bad installs, even from so called pros, so their response can be justified at times

My point exactly. So the dealer rightfully takes the stance that 3rd party installs can cause problems. Not saying it's always a valid point, but it does remain a concern. To avoid these issues, unplugging fuse taps from fuse box is pretty easy. Only necessary of course if dealer tries to blame the 3rd party product. With fuse taps removed, dealer can then check to see if error has resolved or continues to persist.

 

[jokiin]

My point exactly. So the dealer rightfully takes the stance that 3rd party installs can cause problems.

don't assume dealers know what they're doing either, have seen some dodgy work come out of dealerships also

 

[HonestReview]

don't assume dealers know what they're doing either, have seen some dodgy work come out of dealerships also

I'm not making excuses for dealers. I've seen some hack job dealers. The only point I'm making is dealers will use 3rd party installs as an escape goat. Whether or not the issue is related to the item. So the way around this is being able to easily disconnect. I.E. before taking to deal unplug the fuse taps so they can't use camera as an excuse.

 

[SawMaster]

don't assume dealers know what they're doing either, have seen some dodgy work come out of dealerships also

I don't know about elsewhere, but here in the US most dealer mechanics operate under a "Team Approach" instead of as individuals now. This is supposed to allow the best techs to focus on complex jobs while letting the lesser ones do the simple jobs so as to increase dealer profitability, which will include dashcam installs. So having your dealer do your install here has only one merit, and that is to be able to have a more solid basis for any claims against your car warranty should their work be at fault. Having your US dealer do your cam install is not going to ensure that a good job is done, but actually the opposite will be the most likely outcome

Phil

 

[Casey]

I have a 2020 Kia Optima Hybrid (gas/elec.) and installed an iRoad x10 4K in it due to desert heat. Front and back cams.

Using the hookup wire set only (No powerbank.), I did the fuse tap for the hot and accessory line. The thing shutdown overnight as the battery drained too low (<12volts) and car also threw up a warning about the added accessory draining the battery.

Battery shop checked the stock 600 CCA OEM battery and it only had about 450 CCA even though it said 600 CCA on the side of it. Battery was only 4-5 months old but capacity was low - it was a cheap OEM sulfuric battery.

Guy pulled out a Northstar AGM which had 880 CCA printed on it and his meter showed it had ~905 CCA. Installed that (expensive!) along with a 4 year free replacement warranty.

Car has been off for two days now and the monitoring LEDS on front camera are still scanning on the front camera so all is well. Didn't need a powerbank, just a lot stronger car battery over the weaker stock one.

 

[HonestReview]

I have a 2020 Kia Optima Hybrid (gas/elec.) and installed an iRoad x10 4K in it due to desert heat. Front and back cams.

Using the hookup wire set only (No powerbank.), I did the fuse tap for the hot and accessory line. The thing shutdown overnight as the battery drained too low (<12volts) and car also threw up a warning about the added accessory draining the battery.

Battery shop checked the stock 600 CCA OEM battery and it only had about 450 CCA even though it said 600 CCA on the side of it. Battery was only 4-5 months old but capacity was low - it was a cheap OEM sulfuric battery.

Guy pulled out a Northstar AGM which had 880 CCA printed on it and his meter showed it had ~905 CCA. Installed that (expensive!) along with a 4 year free replacement warranty.

Car has been off for two days now and the monitoring LEDS on front camera are still scanning on the front camera so all is well. Didn't need a powerbank, just a lot stronger car battery over the weaker stock one.

You also need a voltage cutoff it sounds like. A properly installed Dash Camera should shut off when the battery reaches a certain threshold. I have mine set to 12.2 (50%). Never let your camera drain the battery completely!

 

[Agie]

so an update on battery situation.

lasted 2.5 days going 24hrs a day, and 18W pass-thru charging with about two hours of driving time in there.

Not bad, not great either.