Dashcam fitting - what fuse have you used?

[TerryMcK]

I have decided to make my Nextbase dashcam more permanent rather than plugging it into the always live 12v socket near the USB socket. I'm fed up of the cable hanging down now even though I have programmed the dashcam to switch itself off 5 minutes after there is no movement or vibration detected.

I have bought the Nextbase fitting kit which is a cable and a jumper that plugs into an existing fuse location in the fuse box. You then replace the original fuse in to the jumper carrier.

Ideally I want a location that only becomes live when the ignition is switched on as the camera will start recording as soon as external power is applied. Anybody have any suggestions as the best fuse location in the glove box to use?

Edited 2 February, 2018 by TerryMcK

[Jonnie5kelso]

My Thinkware has an ignition live and a permanent live. I tested for suitable fuse with a multi meter to find one to piggy back. I soon found that there’s a row of empty spaces on the bottom of the box that were permanently live to just plugged into one of them. 

[CheshireBumpkin]

23 minutes ago, TerryMcK said:

Ideally I want a location that only becomes live when the ignition is switched on as the camera will start recording as soon as external power is applied. Anybody have any suggestions as the best fuse location in the glove box to use?

 

Rear wiper fuse if you want it to be live with the ignition?

[Jonnie5kelso]

I don’t have a rear wiper. ☹️

[CoolC]

20 minutes ago, Jonnie5kelso said:

I don’t have a rear wiper. ☹️

There will be a nice convenient empty space where the fuse would be if the rear wiper was fitted then 

[Q102]

use the search function, there was a thread sometime last year about it

[jonesinamillion]

Got a cam but not installed yet, will be watching the thread with interest.

 

just going to plug it in for the time being.

 

Any links to vids / links to a fuse adapter thingy would be greatly appreciated. 

 

I'm also sruggling to find a suitable location for the cam (thinking LHS behind mirror so I cant see it)

[vfrvrs]

Yes I also used one on the bottom row.

Loads of room next to the fuses to store any extra cable etc.

Mine is a Toguard (without wifi) that sticks onto the screen, very neat and can hardly be seen from outside as it is stuck the black shade on the windscreen. 

The wire is then routed into the roof lining and down th pillar to the fuse box.

30-45 minutes should be all it takes.

 

[Jonnie5kelso]

Not sure what car or spec it is but it you have a heat reflecting and heated windshield the gps functions won’t work due to the copper oxide in the windshield. If this is the case I’d look for a camera without gps and save money. I was a little disappointed when I took mine out my Mercedes and fitted it to my Superb and now the gps has no signal. 

[MartiniB]

1 hour ago, Jonnie5kelso said:

but it you have a heat reflecting and heated windshield the gps functions won’t work due to the copper oxide in the windshield.

black dotted area behind mirror doesn't contain that metallised film,
but yes, in other area GPS reception is awful :(
https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/395894-what-exact-option-kills-gps-signal-reception-under-windscreen/

 

[Jonnie5kelso]

I fitted mine out of line of sight. I also have the rear one facing in in case I get a runner or worse. 

[vfrvrs]

13 hours ago, Jonnie5kelso said:

Not sure what car or spec it is but it you have a heat reflecting and heated windshield the gps functions won’t work due to the copper oxide in the windshield. If this is the case I’d look for a camera without gps and save money. I was a little disappointed when I took mine out my Mercedes and fitted it to my Superb and now the gps has no signal. 

No GPS or WiFi in my camera, just a generic photo. Saved the money already....

Nice little camera and good quality image.

I will try to get a couple of photos of the installation. 

[vfrvrs]

Here you go, the suppression thing is a bit too big to hide behind the roof lining. 

[nicklouse]

Revisiting this topic as currently trying to piggyback onto the fuse box for my dash cam...

 

1)  I've checked many fuses (all the ones I'm brave enough to pull out to put multimeter in) and so far the only fuse I can find that is switched with ignition is rear wiper.  Others that I expected to see switched included rear camera, heated seats , phonebox and trailer hitch but all seem to be live with ignition off.....  

2) The piggyback fuse adaptor that I have (which appears to be a standard size) doesn't fit flush into the rear wiper fuse because the electric seat fuse sits higher than a "standard" fuse and so I can get the piggyback adaptor in, but not convinced it won't work it's way out over time with vibrations as it's not fully seated

3) Other fuses for options I don't have (and so empty) that may be swtiched don't appear to have both live and return connections inside the fuse box so no point trying to tap in there...

 

Any ideas / suggestions??

Edited 6 March, 2018 by nicklouse
Submitted too soon..! :(

[flyingpigvrs]

I may be wrong here but there's a chance the switched live fuses that you are thinking of using, ie rear camera, heated seats etc, may well be switched. 

 

There's a chance they will stay live for a few minutes once the ignition is switched off but after a set time switch off and stay off until the next time the ignition is switched on. 

 

[nicklouse]

I did think that as well...  As I was convinced Phonebox was off till I turned ignition on to confirm voltage then turned off again and it was still live.  Thought maybe I'd just mismeasured it the first time and it was always live...  Tried locking car and going back later and it was still live so perhaps I didn't leave it long enough...  Some of them seem really odd ones to have live when ignition is off!  Will have to have another go later...

[nicklouse]

Tested again and they do appear to be live all the time...  Did some searching on this forum (should have tried harder first time at searching!)  and found someone else who used fuse 35 (diagnostic connector, camera, radar sensor, voltage stabiliser for taxi vehicles) is also switched and no interference with adapter so have used that and camera now working perfectly 

[IJWS15]

On 2/3/2018 at 08:26, Jonnie5kelso said:

Not sure what car or spec it is but it you have a heat reflecting and heated windshield the gps functions won’t work due to the copper oxide in the windshield. If this is the case I’d look for a camera without gps and save money. I was a little disappointed when I took mine out my Mercedes and fitted it to my Superb and now the gps has no signal. 

 

I have a nextbase 312 with GPS and a heated windscreen.  They both work, including the GPS.

 

 

[IulianE]

Just fitted the dashcam and found fuse 49 to have power when ingnition on

49 Coil on starter relay, clutch pedal switch.

Funny,I have a DSG and works as it shoud.

 

 

 

[ApertureS]

23 hours ago, IulianE said:

49 Coil on starter relay, clutch pedal switch.

Funny,I have a DSG and works as it shoud.

The fuse box has what are called busbars,

 

3 busbars - permenent 12v, ignition on 12v and ignition on (less cranking).

All fuses in that row will be on that bus bar whether populated with a fuse and a output terminal or not  

[Cattytown]

On 22/01/2023 at 19:03, ApertureS said:

The fuse box has what are called busbars,

 

3 busbars - permenent 12v, ignition on 12v and ignition on (less cranking).

All fuses in that row will be on that bus bar whether populated with a fuse and a output terminal or not  

 

Thanks, that's logical and useful to know. Is there any easy info on what rows are on which buses? 

I've just seen lots of discussion on switched, with 47 the hands down fave, but no clear choice for a permanent live.

Edited 3 February, 2023 by Cattytown
Typo