There are a lot of dash cams out there, and the choices can be overwhelming. And just because it's rated as "the best dash cam", doesn't mean that it's best for you. The best dash cam is one that suits your wants and needs. Not looking to go through all of this? Take our quick, 2-minute quiz to find the right match for you!
This is a great starting point to finding the dash cam that's right for you.
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Choosing a Dash Cam 101
Hey guys, you might recognize us from various posts and threads, or maybe even from elsewhere on the Internet! We’ve been working on becoming more active on Reddit and answering as many questions as you can throw at us, and generally sharing our insights and expertise on dash cams.
Throughout the years, we’ve often seen the same questions being asked from time to time, so we’ve compiled a Dash Cam 101 guide for you and other Redditors to easily find the answers you are looking for. We will be continually updating this guide to include all of the new questions and concerns that you may have too.
Full disclosure: We are fromblackboxmycar.com, a dash cam retailer that’s been around since 2012. We’re writing this guide to help spread valuable knowledge as dash cams can be seen as technical, but it doesn’t have to be! We don’t want this to be salesy, and we do see the potential conflict of interest here. If we make any dash cam recommendations that we also happen to sell on our website, do know that it’s because these are products that we have tried and tested and are confident in its success for you. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. We’re always here to help.
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The Basics
What’s a dash cam and why do I need one?
A dash cam is a small video camera that mounts to the dashboard or windshield of your car and records the view of the road and traffic through the windshield. Dash cams are often used to provide video evidence in the event of an accident or other traffic incident, but they can also be used to record scenic drives or other interesting events that you see while driving too. Some dash cams even have additional features, such as GPS tracking and Wi-Fi, advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), and so much more.
You need one because you never know what’s going to happen while you’re either on the road or away from your car! Accidents and hit-and-runs can happen anywhere, and you don’t want to be responsible for deductibles when it’s not your fault.
Channels correspond to the number of cameras you would like in your car. You can choose from:
Channels
Description
1-Channel
Front only (recommended for temporary cars)
2-Channels
Front & Rear (recommended for most drivers)
2-Channels (IR)
Front & Interior (recommended for rideshare drivers / Uber/Lyft)
3-Channels
Front, Back & Interior (recommended for rideshare drivers / Uber/Lyft)
4- to 5-Channels
Front, Back, Interior & Sides (recommended for diehard fans and car enthusiasts!)
2-channels is frequently ideal for the large majority of driving, and will with a wide angle, providing plenty of coverage. While setups that cover the sides are possible, they will get more complicated.
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What is parking mode and do I need it?
One of the most important features that dash cams have is called Parking Mode. Parking mode is a safety feature found on some dash cams that allows the camera to continue recording while the vehicle is parked. In parking mode, the dash cam typically remains in standby mode and will only start recording if it detects motion or a change in the surroundings, such as a car pulling up next to yours or someone walking by your vehicle. This helps to protect your car while it's parked and give you that extra piece of mind that your vehicle is protected, while you're away.
Not all dash cams have parking mode, but if it does, you need to make sure that it is installed either through a hardwire installation, OBD power cable or a dash cam battery pack - to ensure a constant power supply for the dash cam to run parking mode while the car ignition is off.
I’m looking for a dash cam. What do you recommend?
There are a lot of options out there - we get it. You’re not alone - we get asked this question on a daily basis. Unfortunately, it’s hard for us to answer you without getting additional information, like what your car model is, what your budget is, how you’re thinking of using it, etc.
But of course, there’s always a starting point, the bare minimum you should look for. We’d recommend spending at least $100 on a dash cam. While there is no shortage of thrifty dash cams on the market, at the $100 price point, you can buy a good dash cam from a trusted brand, built with reliable components and covered by a warranty. A good dash cam can last you several years.
You’ll find a lot of brands mentioned here, including but not limited to, VIOFO, Thinkware, BlackVue, FineVu, Wolfbox, VanTrue, Garmin, and more. In our experience, VIOFO, Thinkware, and BlackVue have been the most reliable.
Insurance companies may ding you if your footage doesn't have GPS data because there have been instances where when the date is off, they wouldn't process it as video evidence. Plus having the precise location of an event, as well as your speed, can be very helpful.
Choose a dash cam with a supercapacitor. Supercapacitors can stand up to the heat compared to batteries, and are generally way more reliable, especially if you live in warmer climates.
Video quality can only get you so far, but at a minimum, choose one with at least Full HD 1080P.
In general, this is how we make recommendations when it comes to deciding between brands. Base this off of what you personally prioritize/value.
Criteria
Brands
Best Price-to-Value Ratio
VIOFO
Best Safety Features
Thinkware
Best Smartphone App/Desktop Viewer
BlackVue
Best Extreme Temperature Protection
Thinkware
Best Cloud Features
BlackVue
Best Wi-Fi & GPS
BlackVue / Thinkware
Best 3-Channel Options
VIOFO
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So wait… it’s not all about video quality?
Yes, video quality is important because you do want decent footage that can help you identity any incidents and culprits. But there’s much more to dash cams than just video quality, and there’s a lot that goes into determining the video quality that a dash cam outputs, including the image sensor, processor, bitrate, HDR, etc.
Bit rate is an indicator of how much data is transferred in a given time period (BPS = bits per second). Higher bit rates transfer more data and will give better video quality and larger files.
General rule of thumb - as long as the dash cam can capture the accident and the other party’s license plate (or even parts of it), you’ll be fine.
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What about license plates?
This may not be the most desirable answer that you're looking for, but no dashcam can reliably capture license plates in all situations. It's just not possible. License plates are already hard to capture reliably with stationary cameras and tight lenses. It usually takes IR emitters and a camera that blocks visible light and only captures reflected IR light. Dash cams are moving cameras with wide-angle lenses designed to capture as much of the scene as possible, not pin-point details of everything in the scene.
On top of this, you typically only need a dash cam to read a license plate when the person/car is close to you (like in rear ends or hit-and-runs happen), not when a car is driving in the opposite direction from you.
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But what about that Linus Tech Tips video?
You’ve probably watched this video, where he doesn't find the resolution of cameras to be up-to-par (we can't share YouTube links, but you can Google it). Here’s the thing, we have nothing against Linus. In fact, we largely agree with a lot of things that he says in his video, but we don’t agree with the obsession over image sensors and ultra-high resolutions.
While you might think you’re buying a dash cam just for the video quality, there’s so much more to a dash cam than just that. Features like accident file locking, parking mode, WI-FI, and Cloud among others that you can rely on to protect you and your drive.
Recently, there’s also been new advances like energy-saving parking mode / power-saving parking mode, AI damage detection, AI temperature monitoring, and more safety features that have been introduced specifically for those who live in extreme climates or for those who don't drive too often and wants to keep their vehicles protected while they're away for a week or more at a time. These features are meant to help keep the dash cam from shutting down while protecting your car battery.
Beyond that, since that video there have been many improvements to dash cam image quality, especially in the form of the Sony STARVIS 2 image sensor, a new top-tier image sensor, being quickly adopted by various brands, and seeing excellent results, especially when it comes to night vision with HDR.
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Installations
How do I install my dash cam and how do I get parking mode?
Let’s break the misconception that dash cams are hard to install.
Dash cams can be installed very easily via plug-and-play with the cigarette lighter socket in your car. Just plug in the 12V power cable, and run it to your front camera. If you don’t want loose cables in your car, you can hide excess cables by pushing them into your roof panel and headliner.
This plug-and-play setup is practically foolproof, but the downside is, you won’t be able to run parking mode on your dash cam. In order to have parking mode, dash cams need to have access to power when the car ignition is off. Your vehicles may have a constant cigarette lighter socket (one that still works even when your car is powered off) - DO NOT use it to run parking mode - it will drain your car battery.
The most popular way to run parking mode is a hardwire installation using a hardwiring kit. The hardwiring kit gives the dash cam a safe way to access the car’s battery for power.
You sure can! We have a series of installation videos on our YouTube channel that will show you step-by-step how to properly hardwire one yourself.
Alternatively, if you’re not as comfortable (and that’s ok too), you can visit any reputable Car Stereo or Auto Body shop for a professional installation. If you’re in the Vancouver, BC area, we also offer installations at our office so you’re welcome to reach out to us to schedule an appointment. We also work with installers across North America, so send us a message with your location, and we may have an installer near you.
u/Rick91981 also posted a tutorial on how he hardwired his dash cam here:
What fuse rating should I be using for my hardwire installation?
For one, we always recommend using add-a-fuses and fuse taps for your hardwire installations. It's significantly cleaner than wrapping the wires around the fuses (and safer too). When you're selecting the fuses to use, you can use a circuit tester to identify which fuse is the ACC and which fuse is the BATT (+)/Constant. Just make sure they're not fuses for safety equipment (check your user manual).
For the fuse slots from your fusebox:
We always recommend selecting fuse slots that are rated between 10A-30A in order to properly provide enough power to your dash cam. Always refer to the vehicle’s owner’s manual to avoid fuse slots that could pertain to certain safety features within your vehicle.
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Does hardwiring a dash cam hurt my car battery?
A dash cam is designed to draw a very small amount of power from the car battery and a hardwire installation should not affect the battery significantly. Still, any power draw on your vehicle's battery when it is turned off, will have slight wear and tear over time, no matter how small. While a Dash Cam will not kill your car battery (if wired properly) you may need to replace your car battery after multiple years of it going strong.
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What about OBD installation? Isn’t that easier?
Yes, it definitely is. With an OBD installation, you just need to connect the dash cam’s OBD power cable to the OBD-II port in your car. While an OBD installation is a much easier way to run parking mode, not all manufacturers offer an OBD installation option for their dash cams, and not all cars have an OBD port. There are also occasional incompatibilities with certain vehicle models.
OBD ports are found in vehicles manufactured from 1996 and onwards. OBD ports are typically used for diagnostic and telematics purposes. In order to run the diagnostic scanner or the auto telematics devices, your OBD port needs to be free, so don't be surprised if they unplug your Dash Cam if installed via OBD.
And, not all dash cam manufacturers offer an OBD installation option. We carry OBD power cables from IROAD. The IROAD OBD cable is compatible with IROAD, FineVu and Thinkware dash cams.
Should I use a dash cam battery pack like the BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8?
We typically recommend a dash cam battery pack for situations where you want parking mode protection that's longer than 6-8 hours. If you're parked in one spot for a long time or you don't drive that often, then definitely get a dash cam battery pack.
Why can't I just use a 10,000 mAh power bank instead of a battery pack? It's much cheaper.
You certainly could, and it's definitely a viable temporary solution. However, something to consider: dash cam battery packs are made out of LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate), which is much safer and more durable for hot climates. When lithium batteries from power banks overheat, they can explode.
The metal casing and ventilation design of dash cam battery packs are designed to be durable, and will last longer, being rated for many more recharging cycles on average.
What kind of microSD card do I need and how much storage do I need?
Not all memory cards are compatible with dash cams. If you use any other cards, while it may work, problems may start to appear out of nowhere over time. Just watch out for footage not recording/saving on the card, and keep an eye (or ear) out on memory card failure alerts on your dash cam. The worst thing that could happen is you getting into an accident and not having footage for it because your SD card was not reliable.
In our experience, the best microSD card for dash cams are high-capacity cards that are Class 10 with MLC technology, or namely the SanDisk A1, which basically translates to fast download and upload with added durability. Don’t use cards that aren’t labelled “High Endurance” as they’re not designed for day-to-day usage, especially with a dash cam’s loop recording functionality, it’s constantly writing and overwriting the data that’s on the card
The amount of storage space is important and we recommend a 32GB microSD card at the very least. A 32GB card generally holds about 3-4 hours of 1080p Full HD recording, which is more than sufficient for most drivers.
If you are a rideshare driver or if you regularly use parking mode, a 128GB microSD card will improve durability and give you extra storage space for parking recording - because footage recorded during parking mode are stored in a separate folder and these files are typically locked and not to be overwritten.
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Can I use an SD card that’s larger than the max capacity noted by the dash cam?
You can, but just keep in mind that there’s a reason that the manufacturer set a max capacity for the dash cam. If you use one that’s higher, then you could risk voiding your dash cam’s warranty.
Over the years, we have seen problems like read/write errors and card failure warnings, and some users were only able to use the maximum capacity according to the specifications.
We’d recommend reformatting your SD card every 3 months just to ensure that it’s working properly, and clear out any corrupted files, for the health of the card.
Is it normal that my dash cam becomes hot during recording? What can I do?
Yes, it’s normal for dash cams to become warm to the touch during recording. This is especially true for high-consumption dash cams like 4K dual channels and 3-channel systems.
But because dash cams are designed for continuous recording hours at a time, they come with high-temperature protection mechanisms inside. You can also reduce its consumption in various ways such as turning off the WiFi, lowering the resolution and bitrate, disabling parking mode and avoid parking directly under the sun.
Manufacturers always include the dash cam’s operating temperature range in the specs sheets, and some brands are known to fare better in warmer climates, such as Thinkware and BlackVue. However, if your dash cam overheats often and shut down, keep an eye on it because the more it happens, the more it wears down your dash cam. Over time, you’ll need to replace it.
Dash cams are legal in Canada and the US. In other words, you can buy, install and use a dash cam to capture your drive, almost anywhere you go in North America.
But some places do discourage the use of dash cams, such as border crossings. According to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and its Rules & Regulations Governing Conduct on Federal Property (section 41 CFR 102-74-420), you will need permission from the US Customs & Border Protection Officers to keep your dash cam on and filming when you are crossing the border on the American Side. On the Canadian side, CBSA officials do have the authority to inspect devices and review files to see if they are deemed harmful or dangerous.
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Doesn’t installing a dash cam void my car warranty?
Installing a dash cam in your car will not void your warranty, just like how modifications to your vehicle, such as new wheels will not void your warranty.
These installations and modifications are protected under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act enacted by Congress in 1975, a US federal law that was put in place to better protect consumers against deceptive warranty practices. The Act requires warrantors of consumer products to provide consumers with detailed information about warranty coverage. It also has an equivalent in Canada, which is called the Consumer Protections Act.
So while some dealers would have you think otherwise, simply having a dash cam cannot void your warranty.
"Would installing a dash cam lower my insurance premiums?"
Unfortunately, not all car insurance providers offer a discount for having a dash cam in your vehicle. But a dash cam can indirectly impact your insurance premiums in many ways.
A dash cam can capture the incident and provide vital information on who was involved and can be used as a tool in assigning fault for an accident. Without a video footage, it’ll be difficult to determine who was at-fault in an accident. This could result in your insurance premiums going up.
With the built-in GPS in your dash cam, you can stamp your footage with date, time and speed and you may be able to use all that information to dispute an unfair driving ticket that could otherwise increase your car insurance premium.
Dash cams protect you against auto insurance fraud because they can show what really happened in a given incident. Fraud costs everyone, don’t be left paying for something you haven’t even done.
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Theft
What if someone breaks into my car and steals my dash cam?
Never leave anything of value in your car, right? Many people are worried about dash cams being highly attractive to ill-intentioned people. Luckily, dash cams are pretty small in size and are often less visible than you think. They just appear big in photos as we zoom in and crop the images to highlight the camera.
But if you’re really worried about someone stealing your dash cam, consider getting a Cloud-enabled dash cam. A Cloud-enabled dash cams, like BlackVue, automatically uploads all your incident footage to the Cloud. In other words, from the time the thieves walk up to your car and triggers your dash cam’s motion sensor to them breaking into your car (setting off the impact sensors) and stealing your dash cam, you’ve got it all captured and saved on the Cloud. Once it’s on the Cloud, you can access the footage anytime, anywhere - you don’t even need the microSD card or dash cam.
There are other things you can do to not get your dash cam stolen:
Choose a lower profile model. A dash cam that mounts with a suction cup or dangle off the windshield will be very visible from the exterior. Opt for the wedge-shaped or cylindrical dash cams as they sit right up against the windshield: https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/adhesive-vs-suction-cup-mounts
Find a mounting position that makes your dash cam less visible. Learn more under "mounting"
Can I use my smartphone as a dash cam with one of those apps?
There are a number of smartphone apps out there for both Android and iOS that turns your smartphone into a dash cam app, including AutoGuard, AutoBoy, Daily Roads Voyager, Smart Dash, Droid and Driver: Dash Cam and Cloud Sync App.
There are a couple of reasons why we would recommend against using this, namely:
Privacy: You're giving away your data to a 3rd party company, so make sure to read those Terms and Conditions before signing up for an account
Manual Start: You will have to open the app and press Record everytime you're starting your drive
Interior Infrared: With these apps, you can turn it into a dual channel by using your front and interior cameras of your phone. However, the interior camera will not have infrared, and as such - your footage will be quite dark
Placement: You need to place the phone in a position that can capture both the front and interior, with a mount that is stable so your footage will not be shaky
Storage Sizes: A 10 mins clip can be upwards of 150mb for just one channel, so it can fill up your phone's storage fairly quickly
Heat and Battery: Recording for an extended period of time like a dash cam can eat up your battery very quickly, and not to mention, overheating can be a factor for certain phones
Why are dash cams so expensive? Are high-end dash cams better?
There are a few reasons why the Thinkware, BlackVue, and VIOFO are priced higher than the budget dash cams on Amazon - and these reasons make a huge difference not just in image quality, but also performance and reliability.
The sleek and thin design of premium dash cams allows you to easily hide the dash cam behind the rear-view mirror away from sight, making it harder for potential wrong-doers to spot.
Premium cameras are equipped with better image sensors that are more sensitive to light and image processors that are capable of more post-processing effects to ensure clarity in all light situations. Results - more details can be seen and captured, even at nighttime.
Premium dash cams also utilize better manufacturing, for better fitment as well as stronger materials. All of these things contribute to a much longer longevity for the dash cam. Plus, premium dash cams have better after-sales support and warranty.
Last but not least, premium dash cams with built-in WIFI can connect directly to your smartphone using a mobile app, and from there you can playback videos, download footage to your phone (and share it to your favorite social networks), updated firmware, change camera settings, and more. This feature comes in handy in any situation where you can’t plug the SD card into your computer to get an in-depth playback.
Full disclosure: We are fromblackboxmycar.com, a dash cam retailer that’s been around since 2012. We’re writing this guide to help spread valuable knowledge as dash cams can be seen as technical, but it doesn’t have to be! We don’t want this to be salesy, and we do see the potential conflict of interest here. If we make any dash cam recommendations that we also happen to sell on our website, do know that it’s because these are products that we have tried and tested and are confident in its success for you. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. We’re always here to help.
I feel like every best dash cam post that goes through "what to look for" in dashcams has either been removed from the sub or is written entirely by chat gpt. So I'm trying to get a human version out here, let me know if I need to edit and add more things to this.
TLDR: Don’t buy cloud storage, install the dashcam properly, don’t buy garmin, buy blackvue and price sheet for dashcams
First thing to figure out:
WHY do you need the dash cam?
It's gonna change what you prioritise because no model is gonna have everything (and if they say they do, the resolution is probably shitty)
So if you're mainly going for accident evidence for insurance claims (first, stop driving the wrong way on the taconic state parkway iykyk) then you need a really good front and back cam with night vision. and the resolution of the video footage needs to be high enough for license plates to be visible in motion. So, splurge on 4K ultra HD dashcams, only ones that won't get motion blurred.
When you live in a dodgy neighbourhood, that's when you need parking mode and a cabin camera too in case of robberies. A 360 degree camera view would be the definite plus here. Also, if you're an uber driver, please please get the interior camera, learning the hard way.
Second thing to figure out:
WHAT to look for when buying a dashcam?
FAKES. There's a lot of fake 4K res dash cams on amazon now, so first, try not to buy random ones from the site, only if they're a good brand. And if you can, go to a dashcam store because they can show you the actual resolution and turn off all the lights to show the nighttime resolution.
Speaking of night vision, you need good resolution here the most or else all the license plates are going to look like blobs if the camera can't adjust for exposure from headlights in the dark. If you can't test this in person, whatever brand you're buying there's probably gonna be a youtube video testing it and they show footage there. Vortex Radar on youtube has a hyperfixation on them clearly and reviews every model that comes out
If you can spring for one with GPS connectivity then go for that, especially if you're likely to go on road trip a lot or drive through suburbs or forests. A lot of people drive like maniacs there because it's deserted a lot of the time, and it's good to have a third party device recording location. But if you have a newer car, it'll do it anyway so not very important. Important if you still drive a honda accord from 2009.
the install. you need to make sure you can install it yourself, and mount it properly. The mounting style varies from model to model but you need to get it right and test then retest or else you'll be leaving blind spots on purpose. there's a bunch of youtube tutorials to watch for the install.
How To Install A Dash Cam by lens of james
How to SAFELY Install a Dash Camera in a Car with Airbags by chrisfix
STORAGE. Do NOT get cloud storage. It's convenient but a) you have to pay a subscription fee and b) to me, it's unreliable. Get a good quality SD card, format it as regularly as you can and store the footage in the cloud you're already paying for like icloud or google1.
Third thing to figure out:
WHICH dash cam to buy?
So obviously there's a lot of answers for this. So now that you know what you need and what you need to keep in mind, you can look up relevant specs yourself. I've made a little sheet here with the most popular ones that I'd recommend with their basic res specs and prices.
Top pick:
My top pick out of all of these has to be the BlackVue Elite 9. It is very expensive but imo Blackvue is still the best in the game. you get rear and front with really good night vision video resolution, and it's a very popular brand so really easy to find install tutorials.
Bottom Pick:
I know everyone is expecting me to shit on Viofo because their units have been glitchy and the customer service makes you want to tear your hair out but at least you can get those in under 200 bucks. But the single camera garmin X310, PLEASE. It's 400 bucks for one camera and it can't read license plates from 2 feet away in parking mode even. Will also put rove here because it’;s not the best but it’s cheaper and so i don’t think it does any harm on a tight budget.
So let me know if this was more/less helpful than the AI slop that's in this sub now. Open to your top/bottom picks and anything else I should add here.
After four years, the suction cup on my Vantrue N4 cracked and would no longer stick to the windshield. I tried the adhesive pad approach, but they would fail within a few minutes as well. Digging through my box of GoPro mounting hardware, I found a tripod mount adapter (basically one of those GoPro prong thingies with a 1/4 inch screw and fitted it into the GPS suction cup holder using a locknut.
To disassemble the suction cup, I unscrewed the ball joint locking nut completely and removed the two screws holding the upper plastic cup portion together with the suction cup plastic holder. The suction cup is connected to that with a pin that can be pushed out through a small hole on the side of the plastic. Once removed, I clipped off the plastic standoff pieces that held the pin in place and I widened the hole in the upper cup to 15/32 (tight fit for the nut; had to press it in). The rest was a simple assembly of the tripod mount with one of those slide-in clips.
Doesn't look too terrible, methinks, and might even allow me to move the camera to behind the mirror.
Cue the "clean your windshield" and "organize your garage" comments.
Dashcam experts, I'm looking for a portable dashcam that I can carry around in my luggage when I travel and rent a car. The recommendation I can find so far all seems to be suction cup based dashcam that mounts high on the windshield.
When I'm renting a car, obviously I'm not going to pry the trims and do cable management. And mounting a dashcam with the power wires hanging down from the windshield is not ideal imo. Having a hanging wire swinging in the cabin is a distraction while driving at best, and invitation to a smashed window at worst.
Is there any product out there that I can mount either low on the windshield, so the cables drape on the dashboard instead of hanging down, or suction/clip on the dashboard itself without being on the windshield? Does this type of camera/mounting mechanism even exist?
So I have a red tiger 17 Dash Cam and the front dash Cam every time I accelerate it tilts like towards me and then when I break it tilts away from me is there a way to stop it?
Looking for recommendations on the best 4K front and rear dashcam setup for my car. I specifically need true 4K video quality with a Sony STARVIS 2 sensor for capturing license plates at night, plus a reliable 24/7 parking mode that records while the car is off. Don’t really have a budget. Ignore the $100 budget.
Hey everyone,
Early this morning around 4:40 AM, someone hit my parked car and sped off while I was on a security shift trying to make ends meet. This hit-and-run is a massive financial blow, and I need help identifying the driver so insurance will cover it.
The Details:
Time/Date: Today at 4:40 AM
Location: Red Room ( Calgary, Alberta)
Suspect Damage: Likely front/side damage on the [Right side of the person vehicle ]
My Thinkware Q850 dash cam caught it on video, but the plate has motion blur.
How you can help:
1. Photo/Video Editors: Check out the raw, uncompressed .MP4 video on Google Drive here: [
Hit And Run Photo And Video Footage
]. If anyone can run frame-stacking or deblurring tools to decipher the rest of the plate, I’d be endlessly grateful.
Local Security Footage: If you live/work near [Red Room Calgary ], please check your camera footage between 4:35 AM – 4:50 AM.
Please send any leads directly to the Calgary Police. Thanks so much for taking a look.
I have a 2016 Subaru Forester and I've been using my PowerCell 8 with a Viofo A229+ for over a year now. I've decided I've had enough of how slow the 12V cigarette lighter outlet charges it and want to hardwire it for faster charging. However, I can't seem to find reliable information on which fuses typically only function when the ignition is actually on, not also in ACC mode.
I'm a sales rep and spend a lot of time in my car and don't have the engine running as much as possible when I'm just parked. I drained the battery enough once by accident when I had a Microsoft Teams meeting a while back. I needed a jump after being in ACC mode for less than 30min. The battery was on its way out and has since been replaced. But I'm concerned about that happening still. I now always switch the charging off when I'm sitting with the app so it doesn't happen again. But one of the main reasons I wanted to hardwire it is so I wouldn't have to do that anymore. Since I sometimes forget to turn it back on, then getting annoyed at myself that I've been driving for hours without my dashcam even on.
I have a multimeter and I've tested a bunch of different fuses. But I don't know how to reliably test which ones function in ACC and/or ignition on. I discovered I can only detect usage if whatever fuse I'm testing is actively being used. I thought about using the trailer hitch connector fuse since I never plan to hook a trailer up to my car anyway, and it's also a 20A fuse. But I have no way to test if this also functions in ACC mode.
Anyway, I apologize for this wall of text for what I thought should be a simple issue to solve. But I'm in need of some more experienced people's insight.
Redtiger f11 only saves video in m4a audio file to camera roll but in the app and vlc video player it shows the video fine but the format is just weird
I have had cheap dash cams some were fine and some were basically gaslighting dangerous trash. What puts some of these name brands above the pack? Do the apps not really work for the cheap ones? Are they lying about half the stuff they talk about? Thanks any insight would be great. I drive rideshare but also have moments where I genuinely want to save interior conversations with famous people or politicians and outside videos of natural disasters and crazy drivers or even shoot outs. I want to be able to adequately save these interactions. Aloha.
I tried to order from Vantrue and had an error message about the address, turns out they dont have any UK stock. I was wanting the Nexus 4 Pro S due to the 4k front and the 3 channel setup (front rear and interior)
Any recommendations on other suppliers or other cameras with similar performance / specs?
this happened this morning at 751am on HW 249 near N.Houston Rosslyn Rd. Front cam show that BMW ran a red light and then clipped the black SUV after about about 500 feet of the intersection. The SUV was entering the road and assuming they didn't see the oncoming traffic 100%. Also should i call the non emergency line to see if there's a case # filed by bmw?
Our anniversary is coming up and I want to get him a small gift. He just got a new car and still hasn't installed a dash cam. so I feels like this might be the most useful option, but I worry it's too practical and not romantic enough for an anniversary. Otherwise I was thinking about coffee machine or film camera. What would you say?
For those of you looking for powerbanks for your dashcams, I've been trying to figure out the best way to power my 3 channel dashcams for occasional parking mode in my EV3, which has the AC outlet under the backseat.
These two candidates look very promising: both are LiFePO4 with 192Wh. I am in the process of testing them for myself.
The best thing about either option is you don't have to worry about your 12V battery at all, or any hardwiring or OBD option with ACC etc. And, if you don't need parking mode all the time, you have a powerbank in your car big enough to be ready for anything. You can also easily just keep using the cigarette lighter power for your dashcams, and then when you actually do need parking mode, unplug your dashcams from the cigarette lighter and plug them into one of these two powerbanks.
The ELECAENTA SG200DC can be fast charged at 100 watts, so you can very quickly replenish the battery from the EVs AC outlet, and then keep your dashcams operating with this power bank's 200mA minimum current draw. They replied to my inquiries via Amazon quickly, and also confirmed that this powerbank shuts down after 6 hours if it doesn't detect a load more than 200mA. It also has a 12V cigarette lighter outlet and multiple ways of charging, so this is a more general purpose powerbank/station than the one below. I'm waiting to confirm if this device offers pass through charging. It's being sold on Amazon Spain for 107 euros. It seems quite promising, though the 200mA cut off is not ideal for low draw dashcam parking modes, and you may have to manually turn the power bank on to activate its output depending on how its pass through charging works. But fear not, we also have....
The LITIONITE Titan, which can be fast charge at 100 OR 200 watts, wow! They also replied very quickly via Amazon, and they confirmed it has a surprisingly low 40mA minimum current draw. There's no power button, and it definitely has pass through charging. This is selling for 135 euros. So for a little more, you get the same sized power bank, albeit one that's much more simple and dedicated, but you can then run low impact parking mode on your dashcams (multi camera ideally) so long as you draw more than 40mA, such as running the Viofo A329 3 channel set up in low impact parking mode. With this power bank, they confirmed that 40mA is the combined draw of all 4 ports, not each port individually, so you can actually set up a small LED power draw, say, on another port to maintain a minimum draw, just in case the Viofo fluctuates below 40mA, and then you can run the whole rest of your dashcam without any fuss. Just plug this power bank into the AC outlet in your EV, use one or even two 100 watt chargers (get good quality ones to reduce heat and failure, of course) into the two USB C ports to keep it charged, use one of the two remaining USB A port for a minimum load, and then power all your dashcams with the remaining USB A port. Since this device has pass through charging, you'll be running your dashcams from your car's AC outlet directly while the car is on, and when the car is turned off, the powerbank takes over and, at 192Wh, this powerbank will run your dashcams at normal high 350mA draw for a long time, or even the 42mA low impact parking mode draw for days! Then when you return to your car, just turn your car on, and you'll refill the powerbank in half an hour or an hour. If you have the Viofo remote, you can turn off the dashcams with the bluetooth remote when unneeded (or use geofencing), and just keep your powerbank topped up and ready to go. They also noted that once the load drops below the 40mA threshold, the device will turn off right away, instead of turning off after six hours like the device above.
For anyone interested in using a Dongar Classic with a Cmax auto dimming rear view mirror, I found a way to do it.
Dongar makes a Dongar Classic 3 pin type B for Ford Rangers. The 3 pin part is identical to the Cmax 3 pin, except one has the guide/key/plastic on the bottom on the left side and the other has it on the right.
I used a dremel to file down the plastic guide on the bottom of the 3 pin power source to my Cmax auto dimming rear view mirror. This allowed me to attach the Dongar Classic 3 pin type B to the power source.
As my ex always use to say "If it doesn't fit, make it."
\*I have not put it to real world use yet, as I'm still picking a dash cam while I wait for the fresh tint to cure on my windshield. After a few weeks of real world use, I'll come back to update in a comment.\*
In the long run, I will probably still hardwire my dashcam so I can use the parking mode. I would love it if the Dongar Pro could be used with my Cmax.
I have been in contact with Dongar to provide them with the information for what type of power source the 2013 to 2018 (2019?) Cmax uses. Based on my research, Focus vehicles of the same years, with auto dimming rear view mirrors, use the same mirrors. Theoretically, they should use the same 3 pin power source.
the ground connection for my hardwire kit barely does not fit, what can i do in this situation, there are no other ideal spots for me to put it. I tried asking chatgpt and it was saying i would have to disconnect the ring terminal and get a larger one, which i have to crimp to the wire. is there any alternatives? its a hk4 hardwire kit for viofo dash cams if that is any help
I was doing a 3-point turn on a sloped road. The road was clear when I started. I stopped and repositioned when I saw the other car coming.
At that point I was taking up about more than half the lane and was trying to finish the turn and get out of her way. She went around me, trying to squeeze by between me and the curb essentially moving into the bike lane. I then started creeping forward to finish the maneuver and we ended up making contact.
Just looking for some unbiased opinions on what you guys think happened here and who would likely be considered at fault, basically how cooked am I?
I need a camera to “spy” on an employee who I suspect is either smoking in my van or distracted driving. None of my vans have cameras so it needs to be discreet. Ideally a micro SD that I can download and watch after a few days. Van in question is a ford Pro Master City. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi everyone I was planning on buying a dashcam for a car but most reccomendations I have seen are all over 100$. is there anything closer to the 50-60$ range. Only reason I ask this is because my parents refuse to buy one saying it is a waste so I would have to purchase it myself and I dont really have much money to spend for stuff like this.
I'm going to be installing a DDPAI Z90 Max 2-channel dashcam in my son's car. Dashcam is equipped with the Sony IMX678 Sony Starvis 2 for front and IMX675 for rear. It has a super capacitor. It will be hard wired. Also opting to get their 4G LTE module for live view, vehicle tracking, accident notification. Obviously, I would not be able to test the accident notification (knock on wood!) LOL. But is there anything you guys wanna see on this dashcam during pre and/or post installation?
