Dash cams

This delivered yesterday. Not a dash cam per se, but will do that and much more. Has the OBD dongle to overlay vehicle telemetry on the video.

 

That looks like it will be awesome!!! Would love to see some video from that thing posted when you have it running.

 

Here is a minute long test. Straight out of the camera, 1080p 30fps. That telemetry is direct from the cam. There is no data from the OBD port- this was in my company van going to gas up- I didn't plug the dongle in.
https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/3ML9I9YTrlJIBCWzqNHHOvbhOJUukAYIZFn2dwoLK1c

 

The info on the right is great. I wish I had that on my cam! Great clarity too. Will be cool to see what the obd dingle puts in that screen for you.

 

It's pretty easy to put overlays on just about any video, check out a program called Dashware sometime. I use Dashware to lay flight telemetry on my drone videos. Having it sync'd with the video right in this cam is kinda neat though. Supposedly the OBD dongle will get me data like throttle position and engine load and RPM etc. Too cold for a few days to go out and pair it with the cam. Maybe next week when it gets back up to 30°F...

 

Looks pretty amazing, does it have auto off / auto on, or do you manually turn it on? I wouldn't want to leave that in a vehicle though, for fear of theft. I guess depending on the area, even the el cheapo cams could become a target though.

 

It can go into sleep mode, wake up by remote or from my phone, or the manual switch on top. Since it isn't a dash cam by usual definition I wouldn't think it should be left in plain view screaming "steal me!" ;-)

 

Is it still water proof with the charging cable connected? If so, you could make a sweet mount behind the grille and leave it there.

 

Yes, according to the documentation the unit is waterproof to 50M without adding a case. The funky charge cable kinda snaps to the outside of the case, no plug in port.
I got the OBD dongle paired today. Should be interesting to see what I get when I go out fooling around in the snow tonight/tomorrow. The document for the dongle says speed, RPM, throttle, torque, engine load, MAF rate, fuel rate, intake temp, coolant temp. I guess the g-load sensor in the cam will display "snow donut" forces ;-)

 

This video is all the motivation I need to buy one for each vehicle. I'm so glad you are doing better.

 

Still having some upper back issues as a result over 6 months later, but it could have ended up much, much worse, and I am very thankful for that. Made me decide to buy one for the wife's car and one for my mom too. Each camera is a small fraction of an insurance deductible.

 

<iframe width="280" height="157" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9wqn8ns9ftQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

You're speeding lol

 

I have a thinkware F750 pretty sweet. Has lots of options and the software management system is easy to handle aswell. You should definitely check it out. Its also really compact and doesn't obstruct the view for driving I have it mounted right behind the rearview mirror you can barely notice it.

http://www.thinkware.com/Products/Dashcam/F750

 

I love these Blackvue's At bit pricy but worth every penny.

https://www.amazon.com/BlackVue-DR650S-2CH-Recorder-Included-Support/dp/B00MC56AXM

 

Now that it's been a while, just curious if you are still liking those dash cams?

 

Thanks for the update!

 

I have been researching dash cams for my new Tundra for a while. I wanted it subtle and not overly noticable if at all and I also didn't want to have to take it down and put it back up constantly. The blackvue seemed like the best off the shelf unit but it sticks out noticable. Also the rear camera isn't going to work for a power rear window not to mention with limo tint on the back window makes the rear camera useless. Now to the solution, at least for me. There is a company called "rear view safety". I am going to get a small camera that will mount flush in the center of the grill at the top of the grill just below hood. I am mounting a rear camera in the back also flush mounted right through the center of my license plate where there are no license plate numbers. Those will go to a mobile DVR that will mount inside the cab behind the verticle portion of the back seat. The DVR supports up to a 2gb HD or SSD and is wifi capable so when I need to pull footage, I can use my cell phone or hit the remote start and be sitting at my desk in my house and retrieve the footage from there. Anyways, long winded response but while it's more expensive than some $150 unit off Amazon, but in the end you get what you pay for.

 

Seems like a cool setup, however I'd be concerned about the height of the mounting points. Doesn't seem to be high enough to get a good view.

 

Jim,
Will this cam run after you turn off ignition? Say 20-30 min? Also are you happy with night footage? Still looking for a decent dash cam.
Thanks!

 

Can't wait to hear how you like it!

 

Yes it will. I set up to get some sample still photos and it was great in the front. The rear, while I would have liked it better at the third brake light housing, it just wasn't feasible. For my needs it will be fine plus the fact it is very hard to notice unless you are really looking for it or literally right on top of it.

 

@AxelsHumanDad - do you have a pic of how you mounted this in your Tundra?
Thanks!

 

I either pinch it under the center headrest in the back looking forward(it doesn't stay stuck to the back window due to the defroster elements) or a simple bean bag mount in the center of the dash. Nothing fancy really.

 

I work within the court system. Your dashcam would be recording in public. It would be completely admissible in a court or arbitration case. Most likely if used in an insurance claim that shows the other party at fault, it would never make it to a court case. That said, it could be a double edge sword if you as the recorder did anything wrong at the time or leading up to an incident.

 

I use the Vantrue N2 Pro. It records two separate video streams (front and rear) simultaneously at 1080p 30fps each, which is what I currently use. You can also select 1080p 60fps (front only) or 2k 30fps (front only). The interior cam has night vision using IR illumination. I purchased the GPS suction cup so I get GPS coordinates and speed. I really like this unit. I always document my Fiancé saying the dumbest things while she rides with me. We laugh about them. Here is a sample video I threw together. The first half is day and second half is at night. It says max size of memory card is 32gb but I use a 64gb card and it works fine. It has G sensors in case of a crash which automatically saves the video segment and starts recording in parking mode if it is tripped. I have the hardwire kit but haven't hooked it up yet so I don't use parking mode at the moment.



https://youtu.be/gN04D94Tt-k