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[FUBAR]

They all take the same power connector.

But the mounts are different.

Thank you for the thanks yous, but I didn't want to spam up the thread by replying individually.

I am assuming mine has arrived today but I collected it on my way out and didn't have any tools to open it from the now famous packaging It has been in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany today in its box though

Cheers again Richard

[Sandy.Rogers]

Just a quick one to the Yeti owners - are you putting the camera on the spotted shaded bit behind the mirror or just below it - my main concern (which I never thought of till I read the instructions) is I have a heated front screen and am now wondering if once it's on it's gonna have to stay in case I damage the heater elements.

[Gizmo]

The elements are between the layers of glass, so it will be fine.

[BossFox]

I have the heated screen, it's been there over six months without issue.

[BossFox]

I am assuming mine has arrived today but I collected it on my way out and didn't have any tools to open it from the now famous packaging It has been in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany today in its box though

Are you suggesting I wrapped them well?

[FUBAR]

Are you suggesting I wrapped them well?

You did indeed giid sir, much appreciated. I now have the box open and as far as I can get tonight is to just put a sticky pad on the mount ready for tomorrows fitting. At least the wifi bit can be used when mounting to help me get it just how I want it and mess with settings Will be using my tablet for that I think. I really want one on rear window too but my current GS600 is on a suction mount and would looks massive on rear screen......... I might end up investing in another of these 500's.

Initial impression of the DR500GW-HD unit itself is it is nice and light zero worries of it possibly falling off due to its weight in blazing summer heat. And the finish in black is perfect to blend in nicely with back of rear view mirror. Little lens cover is very good as I could just slide it to one side

Also I booked my car in for its first service this morning for early March. I am going to be ready for them

[Sandy.Rogers]

The elements are between the layers of glass, so it will be fine.

Cheers Gizmo, that's just the answer I wanted to hear - I already have a dead one from new!

Are you suggesting I wrapped them well?

Richard, talk about pass the flipping parcel!! It was well worth the suspense.

Now I have a couple of questions that may or may not have been answered previously but I'm gonna throw them in anyway based on the 400HD v2 with 16Gb miniSD:

1. It says update your firmware but I cannot find it anywhere on the blackvue website, but I can find it for the 400v1 on the blackvuehd website (late edit: I was looking at .co.uk instead of .com) - any advice please? (another late edit: I've been going backwards and forwards while typing this and found this link www.blackvue.com/en/contents/sub3.asp?serboardsort=29 [sorry, I'm using a new laptop with Windows 7 combined with Firefox and it appears I have no longer the ability to add links, emoticons, etc while on the forum!] - is this the right firmware to install?)

2. On the blackvue website it indicates on the left side under "Who's Online" that there are so many visitors and so members online - is there a forum and/or how do you become a member? (yet another late edit: this was based on the .co.uk site)

3. When viewing the blackvue software to see the clips there is a G-sensor Pane (top right on mine) which has a blue line & yellow line & purple line and the letters TB FB LR - I get the gist of the sensor (ish), but there's no mention of the letters - LR = Left/Right? FB = Forward/Back? TB = Tuberculosis?

4. MyWay Viewer - it has a symbol for 'locate the vehicle' or 'find my car' - I click on it and is does nothing and I cannot find any further reference to it!

5. Knowing no different, I have opted for High Compression, HD & 30 frames - I welcome pros and cons of my option please.

[kris1]

I've installed mine and taken it for a spin. First thing I've noticed is these units still seem to get very hot. If this is an improvement over the old one then the old ones must have been really really hot!

[Can]

Fitted mine and taken the car out for a spin looking good so far.

Made a bit of a school boy error fitting the rear one as its upside down

Also found the cable pads won't stick to dash trim.

[FUBAR]

The DR500GW-HD is now installed and have had a play with it. It has pros and cons over my old DoD GS600 but the wifi bit is fantastic in use with mobile/tablet.

In comparison to the GS600

Cons

It's more of a fish eye lens view and more distant as a result, at 1080p 30fps recording quality seems very similar but when pausing passing cars etc cannot read number plates like I could on old one, mic is distorted by music at about 2/3 the level where it would do the same on GS600. Permanent fixed mount, larger in size, white balance does not adjust smoothly/gradually, model number on recordings at bottom right.

Pros

Mount system compact and secure of great quality, mount allows slightly more discrete mounting, wifi app integration allows 90% of settings to be controlled, playback of recordings on smartphone, transfer of recordings directly to smart phone, live view of camera to adjust its position with smart phone, compression of recordings allows approx 13 hours (32gb card at 29.2 post formatting), option of mph/kph/off, user upgradable firmware. Shuts down after turning car off and saves last video (GS600 lost all of last recording period on FW version I had)

Overview in comparison

I like the DR500GW-HD and will use it over my GS600 mainly due to the flexibility the wifi offers despite not initially seeing the point. I am pleased with the mount as it is very solid and allows for easy release. As this is in camera terms the same as the 400V2 I am glad I got the 500 as I would have just kept old one in windscreen and fired 400V2 it on rear window in a huff. The heat of the unit having used it to transfer a video to tablet while recording was quite warm but not worryingly so at all. (wifi set to default on now changed to off). The only thing that bugs me with it is the model number being displayed at bottom right of recordings appears its not possible to turn off, I don't like paying for something and then being forced to advertise it for the manufacturer on youtube (cheeky gits). When I bought GS600 2 years ago it was about the same price (now under half). Old camera was starting to show a lagg in its GPS speed shown on deceleration. Has been on windscreen permanently for just under 2 years and survived +40Deg C outside(so a lot more inside). The DoD GS600 has served me well and is now in comparison possibly a better value and better quality camera in a recording sense than anything BlackVue has on the market and its been out years! But they don't make them any more so harder to find them, they dropped as low as £59 from HK on Ebay but now around £110 as harder to get a hold of. Even at price difference I would still choose the DR500GW-HD.

Here are a few screenshots of the app in use

Home screen

Changing SSID and password for wifi

Files list

One of many settings screens (can change just about every setting I can on its program on computer)

Transferring a video from camera to tablet while its still recording

Camera looking at tablet while using live camera view mode

Speed confirmation v live kph radar safety sign

Test run clip (normal youtube slight drop in quality)

[io1901]

Mine's fitted now.

[jrp]

Mine was delivered on Thursday but I didn't have time to do anything with it. I've now unpacked it and tested that it works, which it does!

I might have time tomorrow to see about mounting it in the car.

Thanks to Richard for organising everything.

[TimDogg]

Has anyone used the parking button successfully yet? Mines in the lighter socket but the button does nothing with the keys out of the ignition?

[Sandy.Rogers]

Has anyone used the parking button successfully yet? Mines in the lighter socket but the button does nothing with the keys out of the ignition?

What've you got?

[BossFox]

Has anyone used the parking button successfully yet? Mines in the lighter socket but the button does nothing with the keys out of the ignition?

Is that because your live feed to the socket goes off with the ignition?

[TimDogg]

Yes, the socket is not live without switch live. I am under the impression that you can rig this into a live source with put the Power Magic pro but just with the camera alone it should shut down before the batteries get to Low. I guess I'm asking, do I need a Power magic Pro?

[TimDogg]

Right, that wasn't clear!!! The camera, if rigged to permanent live should be able to be put into'parking mode'. Do I need to but a Power Magic Pro to utilise the parking function?

[Can]

Short answer is no from my understanding the power Magic pro is to stop you ending up with a flat battery

Easiest way to test is to park the car with the ignition running and the voice conformations on and it should tell you after a couple of minutes its entered parking mode.

[TimDogg]

I'll have a look thanks. So if the unit was wired permanently live it would enter parking mode automatically and'could' or 'would' run the battery down? I thought the unit shut down of its own accord.

Anyone got a Power Magic Pro - is it worth it?

[TimDogg]

So by cutting the cigar cable reveals a white and a red cable - red to the piggyback fuse, white to the chassis. The thing is - the cables are very thin indeed, is this safe?

[BossFox]

If you mean the wire that came with the camera, the power draw is tiny.

It should take 3 days or more to flatten a battery.

I've left both mine running for a whole day and two nights before with no issue.

[TimDogg]

Thanks Boss

[Sandy.Rogers]

Richard, had a major 'senior moment' today!

Still not got the 400 hardwired - tried plugging it in the other day and it wouldn't work.

Today was the first chance I got to check it and this is how it went:

a. Plugged it in - wouldn't work!

b. Tried pressing the button several times briefly and then for 10 seconds - wouldn't work!

c. Plugged portable DAB radio in - worked!

(On the group purchase I bought a second power lead for the wife's car)

d. Plugged in 400 with other power lead - wouldn't work!

(Changed tack and got into wife's car)

e. Repeated serials a to c - didn't work!

f. Plugged in the second power lead - worked?

g. Plugged in first lead - worked??

(It was at this point a very big penny was starting a free fall descent in my head..... - went back to Yeti)

h. Plugged it in - worked!!

(Huston the penny has landed - and it was at that point I realized that all this time I'd been plugging the power lead into the video out socket!)

The moral of this story is nothing to do the merits of a methodical and meticulous process of elimination winning the day but just to get my bloody eyes tested!! :think:

[BossFox]

You can tell if you plug into the video socket as it goes all the way in, rather than stopping a mm or so before the black of the plug touches the unit.

For future reference.

[sworrall]

I've done that a couple of times now. Felt so dumb when I realised!

Anyone heard if the mac version of the 400 software is coming out?