Show your Octavia III Dashcam setups

[Dave77]

On 27/11/2017 at 08:45, Dave77 said:

I fitted the Anker Roav C1 at the weekend using the above converter and a piggyback fuse connecter. Using fuse slot 48 as it was empty. I exptected to only need 1 fuse for the new circuit but it would only work with 2 fuses in the piggyback plug. Is that because i plugged the piggyback connecter in the wrong way round?

 

On 27/11/2017 at 09:59, wyx087 said:

Yes.

 

If you turn the piggyback fuse around, you should only need to insert a fuse into the outer/top slot. The bottom slot is meant to be for the car's built-in stuff. In fuse 48's case, blind spot monitoring system.

 

On 27/11/2017 at 10:24, Dave77 said:

Thanks, it was a bit tricky with fuse 48 as there is a relay underneath so not as easy to put it in the other way around, i'll try harder! Most of the other posts with images seem to show the wire coming out of the top of the piggyback connecter, so maybe they're wrong too? Assuming all piggyback connecters are the same.

 

To confirm, i've just put the piggyback connecter facing downwards in slot 48 and now only need the 1 fuse at the top, lower slot is empty

Edited 6 December, 2017 by Dave77

[wyx087]

1 hour ago, spinifex said:

BUT:  in this scenario, the top piggyback circuit is DEPENDENT on the bottom circuit, and the two circuits are then connected in SERIES, which is not ideal.

The current flows in one direction through the bottom fuse, then in the opposite direction through the top fuse to the output wire.

This is why, if the bottom fuse blows, the top circuit also fails - and is why the current draw is increased through the original circuit, as it is also having the piggyback circuit current flowing through it as well.

Which in turn, will be more likely to blow the bottom fuse.

 

I could argue it's more ideal to install this way.

 

Say you originally have 20A fuse, when you install a fuse-tap correctly (A at the source, B at sink) with two 20A fuses, you are effectively possibly asking 40A from wiring inside A before fuse is blown. Are the wiring rated to take 40A?

 

So if you install in this SERIES connection. You can then install the same 20A bottom fuse for everything going through this, and then a 10A fuse for the dashcam on the top slot. This way the internal wiring never exceeds its rated current and it is wired the same as having a 12v splitter.

The stuff in bold never gets done, this is why people are saying series is not good, because they have not installed the correct rated fuse, causing bottom fuse to blow.

 

For an empty fuse location (like slot 48 for people without blind spot monitoring) the correct way is the only way. You don't want to put a fuse there to bridge the gap to something not installed on your vehicle.

[spinifex]

11 hours ago, wyx087 said:

 

I could argue it's more ideal to install this way.

 

Say you originally have 20A fuse, when you install a fuse-tap correctly (A at the source, B at sink) with two 20A fuses, you are effectively possibly asking 40A from wiring inside A before fuse is blown. Are the wiring rated to take 40A?

 

So if you install in this SERIES connection. You can then install the same 20A bottom fuse for everything going through this, and then a 10A fuse for the dashcam on the top slot. This way the internal wiring never exceeds its rated current and it is wired the same as having a 12v splitter.

The stuff in bold never gets done, this is why people are saying series is not good, because they have not installed the correct rated fuse, causing bottom fuse to blow.

 

For an empty fuse location (like slot 48 for people without blind spot monitoring) the correct way is the only way. You don't want to put a fuse there to bridge the gap to something not installed on your vehicle.

 

I can see what you're saying here, but in the event of a dashcam installation, where the current draw is something like 1Amp, then the chances of it over-powering the fusebox wiring is highly unlikely.
But yes, I agree that you COULD in theory run them in the series configuration, so I guess it still comes down to personal choice, and ease of fitment in the fusebox, without the casing fouling on surrounding fuses.

I think most people would prefer to run a new circuit as an independent circuit... ie, piggybacking off an existing power supply, rather than piggybacking off the existing circuit and in the case of a safety-related circuit, like blind spot monitoring, I wouldn't like to piggyback off that anyway.

 

[spinifex]

I made a post on several other sites, with lots of photos of my installation method (hardwired into fusebox with a Power Magic Pro battery-saver device.
It's going to take me a gazillion years to re-upload it all in here, over several posts.

Apologies if I'm not allowed to refer to offsite locations, but if anyone here is interested, you can check it out on either of the following:

VW Watercooled Forums:

 

or the Skoda Modderz facebook page.

Mods, please advise/delete if necessary

[JohnnyType2]

skoda modderz sounds interesting but the link seems to be dead?

[wg100]

9 hours ago, JohnnyType2 said:

skoda modderz sounds interesting but the link seems to be dead?

You need to be a member of the closed group on FB.

[JohnnyType2]

3 hours ago, wg100 said:

You need to be a member of the closed group on FB.

 

yes but the link didn't take me to the group i had to search for it. strange. got it now anyway thanks for the heads up

[spinifex]

Sorry guys - forgot that Modderz is a closed group.
I'm not sure how to join it, apart from requesting on the page.

The VW Watercooled forums should let you view though, but I'll post the thread here again anyway, so you don't have to go chasing.
(was just being lazy and trying to avoid posting to multiple sites, coz it took me ages to post each one)

 

[JohnnyType2]

the modderz group is really good i wouldnt have looked for it unless you had posted it thanks 

[KevC_Derby]

You put a Fuse in a circuit to protect the Wiring, not the device being powered. By wiring I mean the smallest CSA wire in the supply circuit being supplied.

 

If you for example use a 0.5 sq mm Wire (16/0.2) standard FLRY 105 Deg c PVC insulation it’s nominal capacity will be 7 Amps in free air at 20 Deg c. If you bundle it with other cables, in conduit or tape or alongside other heat sources or where the surface temperature of the insulation will rise above 20 Deg c you will need to derate the current and likewise the Fuse rating. As a quick rule of thumb I use 7A/sq mm as a derated figure (50%)

IIRC the core wires inside the USB connector cable is usually 28 AWG/0.08 sq mm so I’d protect this circuit with a 1A Fuse.

[181ce]

Motorola,Argos 65 euro.

Soldered two wires into its own power supply

Piggybacked from fuse 48 (lane departure).

Power supply fuse and excess cable all live behind dashboard end panel.

 

[sss555]

Regarding choosing the path of the power wire on the A-pillar some are advocating that it can tuck just tuck under the trim without removing it.  Having watched the deployment of the curtain airbags of a Octavia mk3 on youtube I would strongly recommend removing the trim completely and securely fastening the wire to the existing cable loom.  Any loose wire just tucked inside the trim or door seal may seriously impair the deployment of the airbags, perhaps slicing the bags as they expand at enormous speed.  Please do yourself a favour and watch this video (especially from 1m:35s).

 

It would seem that those pesky 2-stage clips used to hold the trim to the A-pillar are designed to release enough space for the airbag to pop out without the whole trim flying off with it.  It might be a good idea to replace these clips with new ones if you pull them out.

Edited 5 June, 2018 by sss555

[sss555]

Similarly for the Golf mk7 (from: 0:43min)