I have just taken delivery of a new Octavia hatch SE.  The dashcam I have was used in my Saab and powered from the cigarette lighter. It automatically started recording when the ignition was switched on and stopped when the ignition was off.

 

In the Octavia I find that the lighter socket is powered even when the ignition is off, meaning I have to use the fiddly on/off switch on the camera manually at the beginning and end of every journey. A pain!

 

Connecting the camera to the USB socked powers it up, but it then thinks it is connected to the PC and starts looking for the software and not recording.

 

Has anyone come across/solved this problem? 

 

Any help would be appreciated, thanks

Edited 21 November, 201510 yr by philtre

You could use a charge only USB cable instead of a USB data cable?

 

Or, there are devices such as the PowerMagicPro from Blackvue

I plan to use a piggyback fuse and hard wire this with a 12v-5v converter

 

Some example links - (You can get them cheaper, just quick links from google)

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1550063146/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=569136327&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1550063227&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1GVM1NXRHR9YB3J59704

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CXK520I/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=569136327&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00E5VH1OI&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1XTMJ8Y1SKH59FBKJF6F

Edited 21 November, 201510 yr by chris4500uk

Wow, that was quick!  Thank you both.

 

I'll check your suggestions out

Anyone know if you can tap any of the mini fuses for switched live, already have a tab I bought for our mk5 golf but it's a mini one, was hoping to reuse on the Octy....?

I use the rear wiper fuse for the switched live and the 12v for the permanent live.

Power magic pro wired in to these powers my cameras.

I just pull the camera plug out of the socket to switch off the camera and plug it in when I want to switch on the camera. Takes less than a second and no fiddly switches.

I just pull the camera plug out of the socket to switch off the camera and plug it in when I want to switch on the camera. Takes less than a second and no fiddly switches.

That's the way I chose, but be careful the socket in mine held the plug tightly and a few weeks ago the plug came apart. I spoke to the supplier who kindly sent a replacement plus a note to say they are not designed to be constantly plugged in & out. They suggested leaving it plugged in constantly, but as it's a permanent live socket that's not an option.

I just pull the camera plug out of the socket to switch off the camera and plug it in when I want to switch on the camera. Takes less than a second and no fiddly switches.

 

But it does mean that you can forget to do it, and you have messy cables around.

It's pretty straightforward to hardwire a camera in with a piggyback fuse and solve both problems.

In my old car I used those piggy back fuses. Also I used a bit of electronics to keep the camera running for about 5 mins after switching the ignition off. My reason for this was I figured the first thing you do if you were in an accident would be to turn the ignition off, hence you could miss potential evidence. Paranoid maybe.

That's the way I chose, but be careful the socket in mine held the plug tightly and a few weeks ago the plug came apart. I spoke to the supplier who kindly sent a replacement plus a note to say they are not designed to be constantly plugged in & out. They suggested leaving it plugged in constantly, but as it's a permanent live socket that's not an option.

That's the reason I asked in the first place. I wouldn't be happy constantly stressing the socket like that.

I used a piggy back fuse holder picking up from one of the spare, ignition switched terminals available in the fuse box behind the glove box. This is connected to a cigarette lighter type socket into which the standard dash cam plug fits.  this means the camera comes on when the ignition is switched on, my camera turns itself off a couple of minutes after the ignition is switched off. Stop/start does not affect this/

I connected this camera in a similar way on previous SEAT Leon FR170

Route the cable down to behind the glovebox and use a piggy back as above. A guide here post 182:

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/311956-show-your-octavia-iii-dashcam-setups/page-7

Thanks all. Problem solved. I called into Maplin today and was served by a youngster who knew exactly what I was talking about and supplied me with a kit to connect piggy back and with a voltage converter and all the necessaries. That, with the excellent guide robs12 found gives the perfect solution.

But it does mean that you can forget to do it, and you have messy cables around.

It's pretty straightforward to hardwire a camera in with a piggyback fuse and solve both problems.

If you hardwire it, you can't use it in other cars. As for the cable, I run it along the top of the windscreen, supported by the rear-view mirror housing and passenger sun visor, over the front passenger door, supported by the grab handle, over the coat-hanger on the b-pillar, behind the front passenger seat (spare cable tucked neatly into the pocket on the seat back) and forward between the front seats into the socket - it sounds complicated, but only takes a minute to do, doesn't get in the way of any passengers and we can use the camera in my wife's car as well, when needed. Sometimes we overthink and overcomplicate fairly straightforward tasks.

You can. Have a payer cable hard wired in the main car, and use the loose cable for any others.