A couple of days ago, I had a Blackvue dashcam fitted.  It came with a fitting kit which wires it directly to the OBD2 port.  This allows the camera to record in parking mode (movement and motion) when the engine is switched off and it protects the battery from drain.  I bought the camera in an attempt to give me some protection as the car has been scratched 4 times in 4 years now (simply not coincidence) but I have noticed that the camera will not run for more than a couple of hours (if that) in parking mode.

 

Looking on the internet, I can get a Blackvue Power Magic Ultra but the cost is as much again as the camera cost me in the first place.  I believe this is a fast charge battery that will power the camera overnight once fully charged.

 

I can't help feeling this is an expensive piece of kit.  My questions are:

 

a  Can anyone recommend an alternative to the Blackvue Power Magic Ultra with similar charging and power supply specifications?

 

b  If so, how would I wire this device into the car?  I don't want to plug it into the cigar lighter socket as I will still need to use my sat nav from time to time.

 

Any help and advice is greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

I would be looking at the health of your battery.

 

I have run Blackvue’s 24/7 without issue, the latest one I fitted is now powered through their Power Magic Pro  as I had a couple spare from previous cameras I had bought (still got one available if interested) so it seemed silly not to use it.

 

These allow you to personalise how and when they turn off:

 

Description

OPTIONAL Electric power controller . This optional addition should be considered if the BlackVue is going to be operated when a vehicle is turned off and the BlackVue Drive Recorder is still going to operate from the vehicle battery. The Power Magic Pro is a device that automatically cuts the power to the BlackVue Drive Recorder according to the configured voltage – the power is cut if the voltage drops below the configured value, or the configured timer – the power is cut if the configured time has elapsed, to prevent the battery of the vehicle being discharged. This product can be self installed but we would recommend that it is fitted by a professional auto electrician

PRODUCT features

Electric power controller
• preventing car battery drain 
• power controller for all BlackVue Cameras  
• 12V and 24V Application
• Low Voltage cut-off mode : 11.6V/11.8V(12V) or 22.2V/22.8V(24V)
• Timer setting :  6hr to infinity
• Semi-Permanent Fuse Usage
• Cigar Jack Connection socket

43 minutes ago, nbramwel said:

b  If so, how would I wire this device into the car?  I don't want to plug it into the cigar lighter socket as I will still need to use my sat nav from time to time.

 

To power it go directly to the fusebox, not sure if the OBD port shuts down the power... this may be your problem.

Edited 8 February, 20197 yr by Gizmo