dashcam

[DaHen]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
I just bought (on Sunday) and received this one


That's the one I got looking out the rear window with a Mini0801 watching out the front.

 

[Nate1979]

What is the power source of the dash cams?

 

[SHOZ]

Mine had a lighter plug adapter but I cut it off and just wired it to 12v hot in run/accessory.

 

[HangFire]

Originally Posted By: EvanD
Please stop commenting about why you need a dashcam.
I am asking about models and reviews where they were purchased. I will post my review and pics once it arrives.


I have an Amberella 0803 that I got from SpyTec with a Class 6 Samsung card in it (that's important). It is the first dashcam I've tried that just plugged in and worked. It's been running for about 3 weeks now. While it claims to be 1280p everyone turns it down to 1080p to save SD card space and the pic looks the same anyway.

My first dashcam was the $22 (now $16) DVR-207 clone from Amazon. It was still operational when I removed it this morning. It is 640x480 despite the 720p HD claims and only 90 degree field of view despite other claims on Amazon. This is not enough really for auto use, but it actually worked fine for a year and a half before it burned out its first Transcend 16GB SD card. It has good performance going into the Sun and is near useless at night. I have a new SanDisk in it and it will soon be my rear-facing dashcam.

Before I got the 0803 I tried two other cams, a Mini 0801 and a genuine DVR-207GS. The GS was useless going into the Sun and then would stay useless for the rest of the trip. It went back. The 0801 would err out on full card errors and fail to re-cycle files (delete/over-write old files). I got that from a China vendor eprance and it took forever and a day to get a refund. Emails usually took 36 hours for response, and each one started the same script over again.

For the poster who thinks they can use a smart phone as a viable dashcam, you have a world of hurt coming to you. The FOV is wrong, the resolution is NOT as good as an 0803, the sunward performance is bad, and just when you think you've got your NFC auto-on and your sunshades and external polarized lens mounting worked out, you'll find you've worn out your NAND memory.

Clones are rampant and quality is highly variable in this field. Buy from an American vendor to facilitate returns, and sign up on the dashcamtalk forum for setup help.

 

[Nick1994]

Got my $5.99 mount from Amazon yesterday. Here's my footage of using my iPhone and the free dashcam app with the quality setting turned down a notch to save space on my phone. The cheap mount shakes around a lot, but it's good enough for me.

http://youtu.be/JEx8ac9DXTU

 

[EvanD]

I like that from an iphone better than expected.

 

[punisher]

Originally Posted By: HangFire


My first dashcam was the $22 (now $16) DVR-207 clone from Amazon.

Clones are rampant and quality is highly variable in this field. Buy from an American vendor to facilitate returns, and sign up on the dashcamtalk forum for setup help.



Over the span of a few months I ordered 3 of those DVR 207 clones from Amazon. First one was OK. Actually had a wide angle FOV, acceptable 640X480. For ~$20, I wasn't complaining. Months later I ordered 2 more for family members that decided they liked mine. Oh boy. They came in, and both had the same external case, but were obviously different. Neither had a wide angle lens, LEDs on one were blue, LEDs on the other were red. Different firmware and boot screens. Best part, one used a standard SD card, the other used a micro SD card. Looking at the outside, it was hard to tell them apart. Both had lousy video quality.

Finally got a G1W last year, and it has worked great. Pretty good for the price. The mount is not as tight as I would like, but for the price, it will do. http://dashboardcamerareviews.com/g1w-gs108/

 

[TiredTrucker]

Anyone have any experience with the Zetronix 2K dash cam?

http://www.zetronix.com/Car-Cameras/c59/2K-HD-Wide-Angle-Nightvision-GPS-Car/Truck-DVR-Dash-Camera(275)/product_info.html

 

[Errtt]

Almost considered the PAPAGO dash cam when I was in Frys as it was on sale (under 100) and the continuous recording loop, but didn't know dit about it so I passed.

 

[stephen9666]

I've been thinking about this, but I haven't done much research beyond this thread. There are some decent recommendations here.

But here's a question, are there windshield mounted models that have a second cam that points out the back? I don't think I'd need nearly as good of video out the back, but it would be nice to just install one that can also see out the back for cases where you get rear ended.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
I've been thinking about this, but I haven't done much research beyond this thread. There are some decent recommendations here.

But here's a question, are there windshield mounted models that have a second cam that points out the back? I don't think I'd need nearly as good of video out the back, but it would be nice to just install one that can also see out the back for cases where you get rear ended.
I don't see the purpose of a dashcam in the back. 99.999% of the time you get rear-ended the blame is on the other guy.

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
99.999% of the time you get rear-ended the blame is on the other guy.


That's exactly right, and I'm interested in a cam to prove it was their fault and have a record of it. I had an insurance company weasel out of paying for a minor rear-end collision once, and a dash cam may have prevented it.

If they try to lie and say you were backing up or something, then you're covered.

They're the exact same reasons you'd want a front-facing dash cam.

 

[Bladecutter]

Originally Posted By: EvanD
Any users here. What and where did you get?? any reviews?


I have two:

DV-207GS, which is in my Mazda CX-5
Mobius Actioncam, which is in my wife's Fiat 500 Abarth.

The DV-207GS was actually first purchased for the wife's Fiat, and was in there until the windshield mount melted in the summer heat, and it fell to the floor. So I bought the smaller lighter Mobius to replace it for her, bought a spare Mobius windshield mount, and used that to install the DV-207GS into my car

In my opinion, the Mobius has better picture quality, and is a much smaller package, so works better if you have a small car with valuable windshield real estate.

I would buy another Mobius today, if I had to replace one of the units we currently have, or if we purchased an additional vehicle.

As to why, as indicated by other posters already, people suck at driving, and those same people who suck at driving tend to suck even more at telling the truth if they get into an accident.

My wife specifically wanted to have something that record if someone hits her, so that someone would know why she decided to beat someone to death on the side of the road when the rage takes over.

She's constantly complaining that people are trying to run her over in the Fiat, and force their way into her space, because their vehicle is larger than hers is. So I bought her the first camera, and she was happy. When it fell off the windshield after nearly a year, and wouldn't go back up, she wanted it replaced immediately, as she felt safer with it in the car.

BC.