Dash Cam's

Has anyone ever used a mirror mounted dash cam ?
I want a dash cam for my new car and like the idea of it mounted on the
rear view mirror to save clutter on the screen.
Are they any good and is a £100+ version from Amaz.. any better than
a £20 unit from China.
GS

PS - It's snowing up here in Scotland, come up and try your AllGrip.

Been thinking about this myself.

I had intended to fit a front and rear set, permanently installed to one of the ignition-linked fuses. Though, I need to work out the ease of removing internal panelling to run the cables!

Attaching it to the back of the mirror may not be a great idea if you have multiple drivers using the same car (as the camera will need readjusting every time someone moves the mirror) or if you use the anti-dazzle angler.

Regarding price, I get the impression that you pay for more advanced features, wifi/bt functionality, app integration, bigger capacity, better video quality and (sometimes) smaller units.

I've been watching this guy on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Techmoan/featured

He covers dashcams pretty extensively.

I had assumed the OP was referring to the type of dashcam that is integrated into a replacement mirror that just clips over the existing interior mirror? I looked at these and dismissed them as being too big and clumsy.

I looked long and hard before making up my mind, and took advice from the following forum which IMHO is one of the best:

http://www.dashcamtalk.com/forum/

The "techmoan" videos as mentioned above are also very good .

Installation can be virtually invisible with voltage converters and wiring hidden behind trim panels and headlining. Both the cameras shown below will fit neatly behind the rear view mirror and be virtually invisible to the driver if attached to the passenger side of the mount mount. The first one below is my current camera. With this there are two connecting wires if the GPS option is purchased. The second one has only one wire as the GPS is built into the window mount (if wanted) and one wire powers the whole thing - mine was faulty so returned and I chose my other preference for its replacement, mainly as I wanted to see which one actually suited best. As it happens I have no preference.

One further word of advice - buy a capacitor version, NOT one with an internal battery. I won't bore you all with an explanation as there is plenty of advice available on the forums.

Hope this helps



Edited to add that both these can be found at around the £50.00 mark without GPS, or a few pounds more for the GPS versions. I think the GPS is well worth having considering the cost, and the playback software "Registrator Viewer" for use om PCs is free and very good. There's a (not very good) video here that show the software in action. There is one Chinese site I would stay away from for the hardware, despite it being recommended on some forums - I'll PM anyone that wants the name - might not be a good idea to badmouth the in public!

I have installed one Ambarella mini 0806
This cam costs about 120 euros including cpl filter and extra power supply (i have connected it directly to the fuses under the driver's wheel and it auto starts when the engine is on)
It is able to capture better than the fhd mode i am using, it has gps and a lot of other features.
Mind to order the 0806 model with gps, all the others like 0805, 0803, 0801 are inferior.
You also need a fast-branded micro sd to avoid problems.
This is my installation (even the cable holders are included).
If you install something like this staff, avoid to stick it in the black net cause when removing you might destroy it!

Here is a video

Sticking to the "net" is not a problem as long as you are careful with the removal. I had to remove my original Mini 0805 as it was faulty, and followed the recommended procedure of removing the mount by using a length of dental floss to gently saw between the screen and the mount until they part company. Once removed clean up is easy with some isopropyl alcohol or similar. Absolutely no damage . My B40/A118 actually came with a length of removal string in the package!

I am thinking about getting & installing a hard-wired dash cam in my vehicle, and the one at the top of my wish list is the A119.
Can anyone recommend a suitable fuse to piggy back the wiring into so that the camera is live only when the ignition is on?

Has anyone fitted a dash cam? Is it easy to tuck the cable away inside the lining?

Fitted a NextBase dash cam to my nieces Swift a week or two ago, Halfords did offer a free fitting service but when they said
"but if we break anything trim wise we cant be responsible" my niece declined

The next base comes with the usual power lead which plugs into the cigarette lighter but also an optional hard wire kit which is what I fitted

http://www.halfords.com/technology/dash-cams/dash-cam-accessories/nextbase-dash-cam-hardwire-kit?cm_mmc=Google+PLA-_-Dash+Cams-_-Dash+Cam+Accessories-_-155360&_$ja=tsid:60494%7Ccgn:GoogleShopping%7Ckw:155360&istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istItemId=mmrmiirit&istBid=tztx&_$ja=tsid:35522|cid:344535124|agid:25438436524|tid:aud-80976661069:pla-264980352213|crid:89806882564|nw:g|rnd:2042484837872370725|dvc:c|adp:1o1&gclid=Cj0KEQjwtu3GBRDY6ZLY1erL44EBEiQAAKIcvjTkn_bnvB3UyzidqMP4W5nCrlhM2K_94RQasvD8lgYaAojh8P8HAQ

Tricky part is removing the interior A pillar trim which I believe is the same fixing as the vitara, this picture is an S-Cross that again I believe is the same and give you an idea of retaining clip placement...

http://img.euroauto.ru/photo/parts/used/1039/81/28/6812810/2.jpg

Leaving 10cm clear from the power plug I then covered the first 30-40cm of the power cable with some single sided foam tape, this first 30-40cm of power lead was then fed behind the head lining, the foam tape would then hold the cable in place and prevent any rattling

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Single-Sided-Foam-Tape-PE-Self-Adhesive-Closed-Cell-Weatherproof-Door-Window-Car/251329506251?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40656%26meid%3D86d98b28b97d46ada651e4ad20993d6a%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D270700587334

On the A pillar behind the plastic trim is the antenna wiring as well as various side curtain air bag fixtures. The antenna wiring is clipped to the A pillar and ideal to tape or zip tie the camera power lead to
Once the cable is secured in the head lining and A pillar the cable is fed down the side of the dash board and can be fixed to the brace tube behind the glove box.

Your choice of power supply is then either the supplied piggy back fuse but due to size the fuse cover cannot be then re-fitted....



(Please note 2 piggy backs are supplied standard/mini but both are incorrect, the vitara uses micro fuses. The mini will fit but not 100%)

.....or as I do create a switched 12v power feed using the patch lead between the main loom and cigarette lighter like below...



Karl

I fitted my Blackvue DR650 dashcam to my S Cross GripAll the other day.
It had previously been in my Swift & Alto before that.
Mounted behind mirror just below the black dotted stuff on screen.
Tucked cable under head liner toward passenger side, then headed straight for the door poking it under the door pillar cover then under the black door rubber down as far as the next join in plastic parts that was conveniently level with bottom of glove box. Under the glove box then under the centre console as far as gear lever. It is exposed from there to the 12v plug under heater.

Took about 5 minutes to fit at most.

It does have a rear camera too but I have never fitted it, still in the box.

You mean you pushed it under door pillar? Windscreen side or door side?

Thank you for all info by the way, very helpful all.

Be aware just pushing the wire behind any plastic trim or headlining may
A:rattle like a money box
B:interfere with the side curtain air bag if not routed/retained correctly

Vickers fitted a windscreen mounted DAB antenna to the Nieces Swift from new and the wire was just pushed behind the plastic A pillar trim and the rattle drove her mad

Karl

mrgrimsby wrote:You mean you pushed it under door pillar? Windscreen side or door side?

Top edge of plastic A pillar cover, where roof lining starts, poked power cable under a few mm to get from windscreen to door rubber.
(yes it could interfere slightly with airbag but it is not on my side so Pffft)

I see where you mean, I think just tucking in top of door pillar to hide cable would not interfere with much and would not move about, the rubber edging that runs down door frame kind of peels back a bit, I'm assuming you tucked it under that until the joint further down?

Bought a transcend pro 200 dash cam for £50 from curry's (ahem), looks good.

mrgrimsby wrote:I see where you mean, I think just tucking in top of door pillar to hide cable would not interfere with much and would not move about, the rubber edging that runs down door frame kind of peels back a bit, I'm assuming you tucked it under that until the joint further down?

Yes, just lift door rubber with finger nail and hide power cable behind it.

Have been using this Dashcam for a few years and it did come in handy once. A copper was sitting in his car on main road hoping to catch someone speeding. He observed me coming out of my side street a few hundred metres away and noticed that I did not indicate ($150 fine) so pulled me over.
I told him there was no one to indicate to and that I would take Dashcam footage to court to illustrate that the only car in the vicinity was his, parked further up the road. He not amused and suggested I should indicate even if there is no one to indicate to.

Not many people have fitted dash cams on vitara by the looks? I have to say living on the Isle of Wight there would be some epic footage available every day!

A couple of days ago I at last decided to get a dash cam for my S. I have studied loads of reviews of various makes, but finally settled on a Nextbase 312GW. I arrived at this choice for 3 main reasons; - 1) I had a Nextbase cam on a previous vehicle which proved reliable, 2) it offers a good specification for a reasonable cost, & 3) it has been a Which "Best Buy" for nearly two years. I ordered the unit plus fitting from my local Halfords at a cost of £129 (£99 for the cam & £30 fitting including a hard wire kit).
It took the fitter only 30 minutes to fit the device, and have to say he made a very neat and professional job of it. I watched closely while he fitted it, carefully routing & securing the cable from the mount to the fuse box. One small problem was that the fuse box cover could not be replaced with the piggy-back fuse inserted in fuse No. 29. It is however shielded when the trim is refitted.
I use a 32GB SD card in it which allows nearly 4 hours recording (1080 @30 fps). I am very satisfied with the results.

What I do like about the device:
The power cable connects to the mount, to which the cam is attached magnetically. Removal of the camera is therefore quick and simple.
The unit has GPS for recording speed & location etc, and Wi-fi  so footage can easily be viewed and downloaded to your mobile phone.

What I don't like about the device:
The GPS displays the current time as GMT. There are means in settings to change this by +1 hour for BST, but when the  unit switches off it defaults back to GMT. Bit of a pain to have to change this for every new journey.

When I have something interesting recorded, I will post up some sample footage.

Got this exact camera installed in my S. I decided to fit it myself and found it very easy (although I do have plastic pry tools for the bodywork).

It's been a great cam so far, haven't caught anything interesting yet but I enjoy the peace of mind it brings me. I have parking mode turned on too, so it should catch someone if they bump me in a car park - at least if the front can see them...

Being a total newb to the subject, can you please explain:

a) how the parking mode works on these car cams (do they use power all the time or do they have some kind of Gandalf-like sensors to tell them when to turn on?)
b) did you have to cut the car's installation to get it wired?

The camera will have a certain amount of built in battery time. For example, one fully charged, it may record up to 30 minutes footage off of the internal battery (not an actual quoted time as I can't recall the real figures). What happens is the camera is turned off, g sensor feels a bump, switches on and starts recording.

No need to splice into any wiring. You get a piggy back fuse which allows you to use two fuses from one fuse socket (excuse me for probably butchering that, I'm not sure of the exact terminology).

I piggybacked of of the fuse that is used for the cigarette lighter. This means any time that would normally be powered, the camera is powered. This also means it won't drain the battery as it's not on all of the time - it's not permanently live.

I ran the wire down the A pillar under the plastic trim so the only piece of wire that is visible is the short space between where the camera is, into the headliner.

Thanks!

I fitted an Aukey DR02D Dual Dash Cam it was quite easy to install and took less than 30 mins. I ran the power cable across the headlining down behind the pillar then threaded it behind behind the glove box and into the 12v socket the only visible wire about 1ft. I wont bother with fuse box fitting.

I wasn't sure how to fit the rear cam so I came up with using some strong magnets glued to the mount to hold it onto the headlining. The cable ran easily under the headlining to the front cam.

Can anyone remember which fuse you piggybacked when you wired in your dash cams? I saw there are a couple of 'accessory' fuses which I assume are for the usb and sig lighter, but would rather avoid trial and error if I can...

I believe I used Fuse 29 (Accessory socket 3) 10 amp. I had to snip a small portion of the fuse cover away to accomodate it.