Author Topic: Bought a dashcam for the car (Read 4969 times)

41magsnub · « **on:** September 16, 2015, 08:45:13 PM »

This: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Box-A118-Stealth-Dashboard/dp/B00NG84AT0

It is $68. It was super easy to mount and I had it done along with hiding cables in maybe 15 minutes. It is mounted up in front of the rear view mirror with the cable routed all the way around the windshield, down the driver's side pillar, over the steering wheel, and down into the console for the 12V Adapter. It helpfully included a bunch of little 3m stick on cable management deals for the the couple of spots I needed to cross that didn't have anywhere to stuff the cable.

Power is supplied by mini USB so if you had USB ports you could get the appropriate cable and power it that way. A good case would be you have multiple usb devices to charge (like a cell phone) so you get one of these dual usb 12V adapters. It includes a cigarette lighter adapter.

It requires up to a 32GB micro SD card.

Did a test run around the neighborhood and the video is pretty good for a $68 camera, more than usable for the intended purpose. I'll take another drive tonight to see how it does in the dark.

Issues so far (all pretty minor):
1. I saw this on other reviews, at some sun angles in when cloudy the video is very dark. Something about it fakes out the light sensor. You can see that very clearly in the first video. It's fine, but not ideal.
2. The SD card is kind of difficult to get in and out. It is the standard spring loaded slot, but it is inset so far you have to poke at it with a key to get it to eject, then it ejects with a lot of force so you need to be ready to catch it.
3. The mic is super sensitive. I was a little congested so you get to hear my nose breathing very clearly.

Videos (they are still uploading, give it a few minutes if they don't work):
https://youtu.be/5mhbSgl2ceU
https://youtu.be/Mo7MxQeSouY

Also note: youtube blows goats, the video quality is notably better than what youtube has it at. The artifacts in what you see are not in the video files.

The first test had me really questioning the video quality, then I realized there was protective plastic sticker over the lens.

All in all - think for $68 it is a good buy.

vaskidmark · « **Reply #1 on:** September 16, 2015, 10:11:02 PM »

I've been running one of the ~$25 dashcams with the musclebound windshield suction cup from hell (light film of water before activating the suction and it needs a crowbar to get off) for several years. 64 whatevers card and instead of overwriting every 15 minutes it sends the 15-minute file to the card. I've got tons of time/date stamped files. When the card fills up it starts overwriting from file #1. About once a month I pop the card out, hook it up to my computer and erase everything.

The only files I ever saved were the two of a State Trooper who pulled me over for having a radar detector and looked like a complete doofus when I showed him the tiny video screen.

It's got an IT emitter that gives nighttime illumination - not as clear & crisp as daytime but license plates from 3 car lengths away are readable after downloading and editing.

I put a second one in aimed at the driver and driver-side window. The problem is I have not had anything happen worth recording (unless you count the high drama of getting a diet soda, very little ice, from the drive-thru window).

Maybe I should take a drive thru Maryland and see if I get pulled, or down to Florida to go thru a DUI checkpoint?

stay safe.

Boomhauer · « **Reply #2 on:** September 16, 2015, 10:33:50 PM »

Looks pretty good. I'm probably going to get one of these units in the $70-100 range soon since I spend a LOT of time on the road.

Does it save the video after a high G impact? My main concern with getting one of these is I want it to save the video in a serious crash should I become incapacitated and can't shut it off. Obviously a more minor wreck I will be able to shut it off and save the video.

41magsnub · « **Reply #3 on:** September 16, 2015, 10:36:26 PM »

Quote from: Boomhauer on September 16, 2015, 10:33:50 PM

Looks pretty good. I'm probably going to get one of these units in the $70-100 range soon since I spend a LOT of time on the road.

Does it save the video after a high G impact? My main concern with getting one of these is I want it to save the video in a serious crash should I become incapacitated and can't shut it off. Obviously a more minor wreck I will be able to shut it off and save the video.

Yep, it moves anything immediately preceding and following an impact to a read only folder. There is also a button on the unit to manually kick that off if you witness an accident.

Boomhauer · « **Reply #4 on:** September 16, 2015, 10:57:18 PM »

Quote from: 41magsnub on September 16, 2015, 10:36:26 PM

Yep, it moves anything immediate preceding and following an impact to a read only folder. There is also a button on the unit to manually kick that off if you witness an accident.

Good. I will be seriously considering this unit. Give us a report in a month or so.

41magsnub · « **Reply #5 on:** September 16, 2015, 10:58:57 PM »

Evening video. https://youtu.be/D8FiD39bSUw

It does not have night vision like some of the really fancy units, but it does alright with the headlights.

Oh yeah, on a 32GB SD card at 1080P it will hold approx 4.5 hours of video before it overwrites the oldest files.

Fitz · « **Reply #6 on:** September 16, 2015, 11:03:11 PM »

I will be getting one for my motorcycle very soon

Boomhauer · « **Reply #7 on:** September 16, 2015, 11:06:59 PM »

Looks like pretty much on par or better than LE dashcams in quality. Not bad. Let us know how it holds up.

I drive a lot in rural areas so I might have to look at an NV unit instead. I'll try one of these first and see if it's satisfactory.

41magsnub · « **Reply #8 on:** September 16, 2015, 11:20:16 PM »

Quote from: Boomhauer on September 16, 2015, 11:06:59 PM

Looks like pretty much on par or better than LE dashcams in quality. Not bad. Let us know how it holds up.

I drive a lot in rural areas so I might have to look at an NV unit instead. I'll try one of these first and see if it's satisfactory.

I'm going to rattle the hell out of it for the next 4 months.. bird season is starting up. Lots of gravel and washboard roads.

vaskidmark · « **Reply #9 on:** September 17, 2015, 01:02:42 AM »

What's the HUD-like roughly in the middle of the picture?

stay safe.

bedlamite · « **Reply #10 on:** September 17, 2015, 02:10:32 AM »

I had a LS300 a while back, died about 6 months in. I'm probably going to get a mini 805 this fall.

dashboardcamerareviews.com

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #11 on:** September 17, 2015, 08:36:17 AM »

That song is all over GTA games....

Oh and when you go to youtube, click on the little settings wheel on the video. Then under that it will say what quality the video is running at. Click on that and it will bring up the video's available quality levels. I just watched yours in 720p.

41magsnub · « **Reply #12 on:** September 17, 2015, 09:17:15 AM »

Quote from: jamisjockey on September 17, 2015, 08:36:17 AM

That song is all over GTA games....

Oh and when you go to youtube, click on the little settings wheel on the video. Then under that it will say what quality the video is running at. Click on that and it will bring up the video's available quality levels. I just watched yours in 720p.

Weird, it defaults to 1080P for me and the quality is still notably worse than the native video. When I get a few minutes I'll upload one to vimeo and see if that is better.

230RN · « **Reply #13 on:** September 18, 2015, 09:12:42 AM »

Coincidentally, just after reading this thread, lo ! I saw my very first commercial for one on TV.

Doesn't look like it's well adapted for stealth recording (per the OP) and they didn't give any real stats, but it outlines the advantages to them in general.

Not linking for commercial purposes, just FYI, but FWIW and to comment on the coincidence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6yJaECGWBiI

Kinda convinced me to maybe get one in lieu of that stupid nanny box from the insurance company that I disconnected in a blinding, mouth foaming, apoplectic, jaw-jutting, foul-language rage because the damned thing kept telling me I was driving too aggressively. Bullshit !

Terry

HeroHog · « **Reply #14 on:** September 18, 2015, 09:51:02 AM »

I bought an app for my iPhone that does very much the same thing and it works VERY well. It is iSymDVR 2:

Quote

iSymDVR 2 - professional video recorder utility for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad with advanced map supportFeatures: - Non-stop video recording - Still photos while recording the video - Recover video recording after returning from the background mode of after incoming call - Location, speed and altitude reading - GPX track writing - Customizable subtitles in SRT format - Portrait and landscape modes - Power saving mode - Favorites - Password protection - Built-in video/photo gallery - Simple user interface - Built-in Help - Black screen mode - Car mode (speedometer)- Export to Camera Roll with built in map and subtitles - Speed limit feature - HTTP server to view and transfer files to a computer via WiFi network - Frame rate adjusting - Capture Frames feature - Frame-by-Frame playback mode - G-Sensor - Video stabilization (4S and higher)- Four Map providers, layer switching, traffic layer- iPad supported - iOS 8 supportedWorks smoothly even on iPhone 4 IMPORTANT! The video recording loop is optimized as much as possible. Hints: - Viewing angle in 640x480 resolution is wider than in 1280x720 or 1920x1080 - Device less heated and drains the battery more slowly in case of using non HD resolution - 640x480 for example - When noticed something important - just tap the center of the screen. Current clip will be saved in the Favorites and will not be automatically deleted - To make recording start on app startup or wakeup - specify startup action in settings iSymDVR - Usage of power saving mode increases life of the battery - You can use WiFi connection, to transfer the files to your PC. Speed of copying is around of 1,2 megabytes per second - With WiFi connection you can copy not only iSymDVR files, but Camera Roll files also - It is possible to copy files to PC via iTunes and USB cable. Files can be found in "Apps" -> "File Sharing" section - Since Apple Maps can operate in background - you can use iSymDVR together with turn-by-turn navigation (iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 only with iOS 6.1 and higher).

vaskidmark · « **Reply #15 on:** September 18, 2015, 01:26:28 PM »

Speedy -

What does the actual device look like? Don't send me to the iTunes store to look at it or I will come down there and discuss that with you in very unhappy terms.

stay safe.

HeroHog · « **Reply #16 on:** September 18, 2015, 09:25:37 PM »

Not a device, it is an App that runs on an iPhone. I bought a suction-cup bracket to hold my phone on the windshield and it works great!

bedlamite · « **Reply #17 on:** September 18, 2015, 09:43:08 PM »

There are a few that work on android phones too:

https://play.google.com/store/search?q=dash%20cam&c=apps&hl=en

HeroHog · « **Reply #18 on:** September 18, 2015, 11:19:42 PM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k72KOND4gUo
Video from the dashcam app I have.

HeroHog · « **Reply #19 on:** September 18, 2015, 11:23:09 PM »

Caught a real idiot with it one day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDX9Nz4F8F0

thebaldguy · « **Reply #20 on:** September 22, 2015, 10:03:46 PM »

My wife and I got one for a long road trip last spring to the mountains. We got one on ebay for under $25 with a suction cup mount. It was pretty boring except when we took the jeep out on a 4x4 trip. It works pretty good but the video is still not as clear as I had hoped. I may look for a better one and hook it up on a full time basis. I do think it would be a good idea for crash liability.

Boomhauer · « **Reply #21 on:** September 22, 2015, 10:45:49 PM »

Quote from: thebaldguy on September 22, 2015, 10:03:46 PM

My wife and I got one for a long road trip last spring to the mountains. We got one on ebay for under $25 with a suction cup mount. It was pretty boring except when we took the jeep out on a 4x4 trip. It works pretty good but the video is still not as clear as I had hoped. I may look for a better one and hook it up on a full time basis. I do think it would be a good idea for crash liability.

With the way things are going I think we are going to be moving towards insurance, if not requiring dashcams, to at least heavily encourage the use. CDL drivers are going to experience the push a lot sooner, in fact they already are seeing the start of it if I am not mistaken.

With the rampant insurance fraud (ranging from the chicken necked little shits who act like they've damn near been paralyzed after a fender bender) to people who will cut in front of a commercial truck or even another ordinary driver and slam on the brakes to cause an accident and get paid (my little sister was the victim of one of those *expletive deleted*ers last May) it would not surprise me to see a lot more cameras out there.

Doggy Daddy · « **Reply #22 on:** September 23, 2015, 01:22:18 AM »

Quote from: Boomhauer on September 22, 2015, 10:45:49 PM

With the way things are going I think we are going to be moving towards insurance, if not requiring dashcams, to at least heavily encourage the use. CDL drivers are going to experience the push a lot sooner, in fact they already are seeing the start of it if I am not mistaken.

We've had them for years. All events are automatically wirelessly downloaded when the coach gets to the yard. By the time we park the vehicle, post-trip it, and get into the training building, the video clips have been sent to an off-site location for analysis. I can review any events from the day with my student(s) almost immediately with a web browser.

Powerful tool!

Oh, and ours are tied into their own GPS system. Pins down the locale of the event for us. And graphs the g-forces over 3 axes. And speed. etc.

cassandra and sara's daddy · « **Reply #23 on:** September 23, 2015, 03:03:28 AM »

I see how it's a great tool. There was a metro bus crash in dc. 90 folks showed up at the hospital for a check...er I mean treatment. It was a training bus. Driver and instructor only

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

thebaldguy · « **Reply #24 on:** September 24, 2015, 06:45:50 PM »

They have been doing the dash cam thing in Russia for years. It's not only used for accidents, but also for protection from corrupt police. On Youtube they have some pretty wild dash cam videos from Russia.

News:

Author Topic: Bought a dashcam for the car (Read 4969 times)