Dash cams - which is best?

[cherry evo]

Okay guys, trawled through the dash cam installation thread, good stuff.

 

However, what do people have & recommend? Looking for front & rear cover.......

Edited 10 April, 2016 by cherry evo

[VeedubyaGTi]

Seen this recommended on the Briskoda FB page the other day, looks a steal for this price!  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281903204584?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[FlyingGecko]

Did you really miss all the recommendations in the several threads?

[cherry evo]

Did you really miss all the recommendations in the several threads?

 

Only seen the installation thread......

[AlleyCat`]

Only seen the installation thread......

 

We run these in our various cars:-

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151071891306?clk_rvr_id=1012985339819&rmvSB=true

 

Took a punt on the original one based on this:-

 

http://www.techmoan.com/blog/2013/7/8/the-mobius-camera-the-do-it-all-mount-anywhere-1080p-micro-c.html

 

The others that have come after it are just as reliable as the first (which is still going strong).

[toni8b]

Seen this recommended on the Briskoda FB page the other day, looks a steal for this price!  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281903204584?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

How much footage can this record on the camera battery alone?

[Prog]

I can't fault my Mini 0806, nor the one in my wife's car, but a lot of people seem to have no end of problems with theirs.

[jobsworth]

Have a look here, some good reviews, but not every camera.

 

http://www.techmoan.com/guide-to-dashcams/

 

I've just installed a Transcend DrivePro 220

[jonro2009]

I have a DP220 front and DP200 rear, can't fault them but they don't run on battery alone.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[AirborneVRS]

I am also considering installing a dual dash cam and been wondering the same.

I've gone thru the techmoan site, forum pages etc.

I've come to the conclusion the Koonlung K1S is tops, followed by the Blackview and then the Mobius.

I want a discreet camera, good resolution and works easily and well.

Blackview seem very expensive but I like how they look especially the 650. The K1S looks very discreet so as not to attract unwanted attention. The Mobius is cheap and small.

All can be hardwired, which is a must.

Any advice or opinions welcome? Hopefully this will help others decide as well.

[fgaffney]

I can't fault my Mini 0806, nor the one in my wife's car, but a lot of people seem to have no end of problems with theirs.

 

I really liked the Mini 806 however I had reliability 'issues' and went through 2 of them until I jumped to a Nextbase 402G (same camera as the DOD LS430W - different name). I was lucky and managed to pick one up for under £90.00 using a 25% Halfords voucher and by ordering online. It's not as discreet as the 806 but it's never skipped a beat and benefits from a suction mount so I can easily move it between vehicles (unlike the 806). I also tried and tested a couple of E-Prance offerings but didn't like them at all as the quality of the footage was sub standard.

 

A polariser filter makes a notable difference to the footage so I would consider a camera that can either take one or be adapted to take one. The Mini 806 is magnetic at the front and accepts a filter no problem and I was able to glue a filter to the front of my Nextbase.

[ExSEAT]

I originally purchased a Mio MiVue 518 but I was disappointed with its performance both during the day and at night so I've sold it on. I've taken a punt on an 0806 but I won't be hardwiring it until it's proven itself! Should be here in the next couple of day so fingers crossed its up to the job, will get the filter later on top hopefully

[EoinM]

Picked up a relatively cheap nextbase 312GW last weekend. Reason I went with one is that there was a ready to go wiring kit available for it. The wiring kit was expensive for what it is but for someone like me that can barely change a light bulb it made life easier.

The quality has actually surprised me so far. Small enough to be hidden by the read view mirror too.

[AirborneVRS]

This looks like a good 3 channel alternative.

https://www.blackboxmycar.com/collections/blacksys/products/blacksys-ch-100b

[TheWanderer]

This looks like a good 3 channel alternative.

https://www.blackboxmycar.com/collections/blacksys/products/blacksys-ch-100b

 

From the USA, so will attract VAT & Customs Duty, so £223 + 20% VAT = £267.60 + Import Duty ?% and it's expensive and what about after sales support.

 

If you want to spend that sort of money then you might want to look at some of the UK sourced dash-cams, so at least you can get after sales support and returns protection etc.

[themanwithnoaim]

The only 1 I'd recommend would be the 1 with the fast delete button as the "ole bill" love taking the recorded data as evidence !

Regards

T

[AirborneVRS]

From the USA, so will attract VAT & Customs Duty, so £223 + 20% VAT = £267.60 + Import Duty ?% and it's expensive and what about after sales support.

 

If you want to spend that sort of money then you might want to look at some of the UK sourced dash-cams, so at least you can get after sales support and returns protection etc.

Agreed. Look for uk distributors or other UK cams.

It was more a suggestion on the standard I was looking at. Small, discreet and high quality recording.

I'm not an expert in this area. Suggestions welcome.

[TheWanderer]

Have a look at Techmoan, the bloke that does that site does some very comprehensive reviews of some dash-cams.

 

There's also the Mini 0806 (if you can find one), DOD-TECH, Roadhawk HD-2, Blackvue,

 

 

 

[AirborneVRS]

Ive looked over his site.

He really liked the Koonlung K1S dual camera.

I'm after a dual camera set up, discreet, good quality video, don't really need a screen on it, hardwire compatible and would like motion detection. Obviously after cheapest but for a quality product.

[AlleyCat`]

Ive looked over his site.

He really liked the Koonlung K1S dual camera.

I'm after a dual camera set up, discreet, good quality video, don't really need a screen on it, hardwire compatible and would like motion detection. Obviously after cheapest but for a quality product.

 

The problem with the motion detection is that, depending on how it's set up and local traffic/people/animal conditions, it either flattens the camera battery very quickly and/or it flattens the car battery pretty quickly.

It's nice in principle but can be a sod in practice.

 

I've got the mobius (based on the techmoan site) and it's a very good little bit of kit. It's not the best on the market but it does the job very well and is surprisingly good in the dark (much better than a roadhawk i have for the bike).

[fgaffney]

The wiring kit was expensive for what it is but for someone like me that can barely change a light bulb it made life easier.

 

 

 

This is my 'hardwire kit'... I simply used the power cable that came with the camera and piggy backed it to my rear wash wipe fuse.

 

Unfortunately my cigarette lighter provides a constant current even when the ignition is off, whereas the rear wash wipe only supplies a current when the ignition is on.

 

Cost me less than £5.00 buying from China and was an absolute doddle to wire up.

 

 

 

Edited 12 April, 2016 by fgaffney

[AirborneVRS]

I was thinking about the battery - does the power magic from blackvue help with this? Can other systems use it?

The motion detection would be useful in car parks, on the street. My road is very quite (the only motion would be the odd person walking or my wife driving here car on to our drive) and my work car park is very quite.

[fgaffney]

I was thinking about the battery - does the power magic from blackvue help with this? Can other systems use it?

The motion detection would be useful in car parks, on the street. My road is very quite (the only motion would be the odd person walking or my wife driving here car on to our drive) and my work car park is very quite.

 

 

My understanding is that motion detection activates when the vehicle moves (as a result of a bump or a knock) and not from external movement such as a pedestrian walking in front of the camera? You can tweak the sensitivity however I read problems were encoutered with some cameras when motion detection was activated as the cameras became confused when the vehicle was being driven and footage was lost or not recorded. In any case by the time the camera boots up and starts recording after a bump, the offending vehicle is likely to have already left the scene.

 

I've never activated this feature (or lane assistant) on any of my cameras as I found them a bit gimicky. 

Edited 12 April, 2016 by fgaffney

[ExSEAT]

Just a note for the mini 0806 that I didn't pick up from discussions on here. If You are sticking it to the screen next to the black plastic around the lane assist camera be sure to use one of the angled shins as it Will lean to one side and be off level! I now have a date with some dental floss to remove it.....

[Garnett]

A huge note of caution!

 

I have been having problems with my DAB in my 2014 Octavia Estate. Skoda discovered the problem and it turns out that it is a known VAG group issue. They don't recommend any camera but strongly pointed me at Halfords and their in house computer system. There are loads of cases on their of Chinese import cameras reducing the the DAB signal. It is a problem with Transporters as well I understand. They happened to have an demonstration Next View 512G reduced to £120. I installed it running the 12v cable up the left hand pillar to a USB converter above the courtesy light. I understand the DAB antenna is left hand side but goes along the sill rather than up the pillar.  It was better but I could receive or loose DAB signal in marginal conditions while stopped by turning the unit on and off. I switched over to the 12v Socket lead as a temporary solution. Better but I could still find places that the signal was dependant on the unit being turned off. Last weekend I bit the bullet and ran the cable the long way back across the car and up the drivers side pillar and back to the courtesy light converter again. I also grabbed the earth from the drivers side. It has done the trick and the camera and DAB now don't interfere with each other.

 

Happy to answers questions on this. I also wonder if one of the Admins could pin this as it is an issue with several VAG cars. Mine is an MIB1 Columbus.

 

Thanks

 

Garnett