Dashcam recommendations

[cptfrederickson]

Looking for some recommendations for a dash cam for my Auris HSD, as I'm about to start a new job as a district nurse and will be spending a lot more time on the road.

Ideally I'd like a front and rear setup, hardwired. If any with experience can share how they got on with hardwiring their own setups that would be great too.

[furtula]

Plenty of topics on that subject, please use forum search function.

[Guest]

Depends on your budget. I personally have a Blackvue DR750 2 CH (front and rear) set up which is excellent and has been very reliable. I had another Blackvue model prior to that. They are far from cheap though.

Another good alternarive is a Viofo A129 Duo, about £130.

I prefer a camera which doesn't have a built in Battery but a super capacitor instead. Both the above use a capacitor to store files on shutdown.

As for installation in a hybrid I'd rather leave that to someone else to advise!

Why do I only have 9 posts and a "New Member"? That's not correct! I first registered in 2010.😲

[cptfrederickson]

17 minutes ago, mrpj1 said:

Depends on your budget. I personally have a Blackvue DR750 2 CH (front and rear) set up which is excellent and has been very reliable. I had another Blackvue model prior to that. They are far from cheap though.

Another good alternarive is a Viofo A129 Duo, about £130.

I prefer a camera which doesn't have a built in battery but a super capacitor instead. Both the above use a capacitor to store files on shutdown.

As for installation in a hybrid I'd rather leave that to someone else to advise!

Why do I only have 9 posts and a "New Member"? That's not correct! I first registered in 2010.😲

Thanks bud, the Blackvue looks like a good shout, even though its pricey. I was looking at a few similar ones, always useful to get some real world feedback as online reviews can be misleading.

[FROSTYBALLS]

27 minutes ago, mrpj1 said:

Why do I only have 9 posts and a "New Member"? That's not correct! I first registered in 2010.

Looks like you re-registered in January - so you have two memberships running 'mrpj' and 'mrpj1'.

[Heidfirst]

9 hours ago, cptfrederickson said:

Looking for some recommendations for a dash cam for my Auris HSD, as I'm about to start a new job as a district nurse and will be spending a lot more time on the road.

Ideally I'd like a front and rear setup, hardwired. If any with experience can share how they got on with hardwiring their own setups that would be great too.

i have a Thinkware F800 Pro front+rear setup fitted that I am very happy with although again not cheap. Primarily chosen because it had the best parking mode at the time which is/was very important for me. If your budget doesn't run to that then perhaps Aukey DR02 D https://www.amazon.co.uk/AUKEY-Wide-Angle-Supercapacitor-Recording-Dual-Port-Black/dp/B075T8H9XJ 

Sometimes dashcams (particularly  rears) can cause issues with DAB radio reception but your 2010 may well not have DAB?

[Bernard Foy]

Got mine in Halfords, hard wired and installed very professionally by their expert who did a great job. I would recommend them 👍

[Heidfirst]

Halford's install seem to be very variable depending upon location (saw an example recently where they have agreed to pay over £1000 to get a dealer to fix the damage that they caused ...)

rear cameras involve a lot more trim removal/cable routing etc.

[cptfrederickson]

3 hours ago, Heidfirst said:

Halford's install seem to be very variable depending upon location (saw an example recently where they have agreed to pay over £1000 to get a dealer to fix the damage that they caused ...)

rear cameras involve a lot more trim removal/cable routing etc.

That was one of my concerns to be honest, wouldn't want to go through all the hassle of that. Seriously considering a blackvue with an OBD cable as that's a much easier install by the looks of things.

[furtula]

It might be possible to use the boot light to power the rear camera, that is, the switch which i guess is in the boot that gives it power, or the sensor that detects when it's opened. Another possibility would be the boot lock itself, which is electronic.

You could splice the wire, and put a special fuse on that wire in case of issues with camera. 

Just an idea anyway, to avoid dragging the wires from the front, maybe someone can clear up how plausible it would be.

[Heidfirst]

13 hours ago, cptfrederickson said:

 Seriously considering a blackvue with an OBD cable as that's a much easier install by the looks of things.

Bear in mind that (unless latest models have changed) Blackvues require an additional unit for Battery protection in parking mode, Thinkware's have theirs integrated already.

 

[craggle]

I have a BlackVue as well. Very pleased with it although the three I have now installed seem to come with a blank SD card and you need to download the software and install it on the card before the camera will work. Why they don't do that for you I'll never know. 

My parents have a forward only Thinkware camera in their Range Rover and that is very good for the money. Seems to be a copy of the BlackVue but much more affordable.

I fit them all myself but not afraid to play with cars. The cameras only need a 12v supply which is fairly easy to find behind the dash.

Craig.

[Heidfirst]

the code DCT18 should get you ~12% off at https://thinkwaredashcam.store (the UK importer) but not on accessories.

[AL21784]

I've got this one https://amzn.to/2YYRIeF  in my Aygo, can't fault it tbh

 

Alan

[cptfrederickson]

So I went for the Blackvue as recommended by @mrpj1, getting it fitted on Monday morning. £300 fitted, and including the connector and an SD card. Fingers crossed it does the job!

[Bernard Foy]

On 5/29/2019 at 7:09 PM, Heidfirst said:

Halford's install seem to be very variable depending upon location (saw an example recently where they have agreed to pay over £1000 to get a dealer to fix the damage that they caused ...)

rear cameras involve a lot more trim removal/cable routing etc.

I suppose that’s true, mine is front & rear. Their technician did a great job, no wires to be seen. I assume that as they advertise fitting by the store they train up their staff to be efficient.

[kawasutra]

On 5/30/2019 at 2:57 PM, AL21784 said:

I've got this one https://amzn.to/2YYRIeF  in my Aygo, can't fault it tbh

 

Alan

Looks nice. 
How does the rear cam get powered please?

[AL21784]

3 minutes ago, kawasutra said:

Looks nice. 
How does the rear cam get powered please?

Hi mate, 

The rear camera is powered by the main camera itself, you just plug it in and run the camera cable to the rear of the car, I ran mine under the head liner. You don’t need any additional power, it’s video and power in one cable.

 

Alan

[DracarB]

On 5/29/2019 at 3:29 PM, mrpj1 said:

Another good alternarive is a Viofo A129 Duo, about £130.

I also recommend it. It doesn't use a Battery which it's a good thing. One of the reasons I recommend this camera is that it uses capacitors and not batteries. Here's a link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/VIOFO-Official-Channel-Wireless-Bluetooth/dp/B07F27F5CW/

[Bernard Foy]

Following my post on dash cams. As you may have read I’ve had my front and rear hard wired dash cams fitted with Halfords own brand by Halfords. Only lasted six months and Halfords immediately replaced it with a new unit but would not extend the warranty. The new unit lasted about 10 days so back to Halfords again, this time informed me that they would fit new Nexus units as their own brand gave them a lot of trouble. Made an appointment and they rewired and fitted new Nexus units which seem much clearer. Halfords staff were very apologetic and helpful at all times and I would have no hesitation in shopping there again. So the message is that Halfords own brand of dash cams are prone to giving bother.

[Guest]

On 5/29/2019 at 1:29 PM, mrpj1 said:

Depends on your budget. I personally have a Blackvue DR750 2 CH (front and rear) set up which is excellent and has been very reliable. I had another Blackvue model prior to that. They are far from cheap though.

Another good alternarive is a Viofo A129 Duo, about £130.

Thanks, the recommendations are appreciated. I wanted to note however that the Viofo A129 wasn't reviewed very well by which.co.uk. They said the image quality was possibly too poor to put to use in investigation of an incident. In fact, this was their conclusion for a wide range of the available products.

A Blackvue product, on the other hand, was well reviewed. I think they only marked it down for some nonfunctional things like price and lack of a display.