r/Dashcam Dec 15 '22

Discussion Choosing a Dash Cam 101: A Helpful Guide

189 Upvotes

We update this guide daily to give you a crash course on dash cams. If you have more questions, drop them in the comments!

2-Minute Product Recommendation Quiz

There are a lot of dash cams out there, and the choices can be overwhelming. And just because it's rated as "the best dash cam", doesn't mean that it's best for you. The best dash cam is one that suits your wants and needs. With your safety & convenience in mind, we've created a new product recommendation quiz that takes under 2 minutes to complete.

Use it as a starting point to finding the dash cam that's right for you.

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Choosing a Dash Cam 101

Hey guys, you might recognize us from various posts and threads, or maybe even from the Internets! We’ve been working on becoming more active on Reddit and answering as many questions as you can throw at us, and generally sharing our insights and expertise on dash cams too.

Throughout the years, we’ve often seen the same questions being asked from time to time, so we’ve compiled a Dash Cam 101 guide for you and other Redditors can easily find the answers you are looking for. We will be continually updating this guide to include all of the new questions and concerns that you may have too.

Full disclosure: We are from blackboxmycar.com, a dash cam retailer that’s been around since 2012. We’re writing this guide to help spread valuable knowledge as dash cams can be seen as technical, but it doesn’t have to be! We don’t want this to be salesy, and we do see the potential conflict of interest here. If we make any dash cam recommendations that we also happen to sell on our website, do know that it’s because these are products that we have tried and tested and are confident in its success for you. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. We’re always here to help.

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The Basics

What’s a dash cam and why do I need one?

A dash cam is a small video camera that mounts to the dashboard or windshield of your car and records the view of the road and traffic through the windshield. Dash cams are often used to provide video evidence in the event of an accident or other traffic incident, but they can also be used to record scenic drives or other interesting events that you see while driving too. Some dash cams even have additional features, such as GPS tracking and Wi-Fi, advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), lane departure warnings, and collision detection.

You need one because you never know what’s going to happen while you’re either on the road or away from your car! Accidents and hit-and-runs can happen anywhere, and you don’t want to be responsible for the deductibles when it’s not your fault.

Learn more: https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/dash-cam

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We'd recommend starting with at least 2 channels for optimal protection

How many channels do I need for my dash cam?

Channels correspond to the number of cameras you would like in your car. You can choose from:

Channels Description
1-Channel Front only (recommended for temporary cars)
2-Channels Front & Rear (recommended for most drivers)
2-Channels (IR) Front & Interior (recommended for rideshare drivers / Uber/Lyft)
3-Channels Front, Back & Interior (recommended for rideshare drivers / Uber/Lyft)
4- to 5-Channels Front, Back, Interior & Sides (recommended for diehard fans and car enthusiasts!)

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What is parking mode and do I need it?

One of the most important feature that dash cams have is called Parking Mode. Parking mode is a safety feature found on some dash cams that allows the camera to continue recording while the vehicle is parked. In parking mode, the dash cam typically remains in standby mode and will only start recording if it detects motion or a change in the surroundings, such as a car pulling up next to yours or someone walking by your vehicle. This helps to protect your car while it's parked and can provide valuable evidence in the event of a hit-and-run or other type of incident.

You don’t “need” parking mode per se, but that same train of thought can be applied to whether or not you need to own a dash cam in the first place. Accidents and hit-and-runs can happen anywhere, and you’re just as likely to be in an accident when your car is parked than when you’re driving on the road.

Not all dash cams have parking mode, but if it does, you need to make sure that it is installed either through a hardwire installation, OBD power cable or a dash cam battery pack - to ensure a constant power supply for the dash cam to run parking mode while the car ignition is off.

Learn more: https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/parking-mode

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Our Recommended Brands for Dash Cams for Beginners

I’m looking for a dash cam. What do you recommend?

There are a lot of options out there - we get it. You’re not alone - we get asked this question on a daily basis. Unfortunately, it’s hard for us to answer you without getting additional information, like what your car model is, what your budget is, how you’re thinking of using it, etc.

  • Budget
  • Video Quality
  • Form Factor
  • Cloud
  • Wi-Fi/GPS
  • App
  • Battery/Supercapacitor
  • Parking Mode
  • Brands

Learn more: https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/basic-features

But of course, there’s always a starting point, the bare minimum you should look for. We’d recommend spending at least $100 on a dash cam. While there is no shortage of thrifty dash cams on the market, at the $100 price point, you can buy a good dash cam from a trusted brand, built with reliable components and covered by a warranty. A good dash cam can last you several years.

You’ll find a lot of brands mentioned here, including but not limited to, VIOFO, Thinkware, BlackVue, FineVu, Wolfbox, Garmin, and more. In our experience, VIOFO, Thinkware, and BlackVue have been the most reliable.

Insurance companies may ding you if your footage doesn't have GPS (time & date matters!) because there have been instances where when the date is off, they wouldn't process it as video evidence (and you end up having to pay a deductible).

Choose a dash cam with a supercapacitor. Supercapacitors can stand up to the heat compared to batteries, and are generally way more reliable, especially if you live in warmer climates.

Video quality can only get you so far, but at a minimum, choose one with at least Full HD 1080P.

In general, this is how we make recommendations when it comes to deciding between brands. Base this off of what you personally prioritize/value.

Criteria Brands
Best Price-to-Value Ratio VIOFO
Best Safety Features Thinkware
Best Smartphone App/Desktop Viewer BlackVue
Best Extreme Temperature Protection Thinkware
Best Cloud Features BlackVue
Best Wi-Fi & GPS BlackVue / Thinkware
Best 3-Channel Options VIOFO

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So wait… it’s not all about video quality?

Yes, video quality is important because you do want decent footage that can help you identity any incidents and culprits. But there’s much more to dash cams than just video quality, and there’s a lot that goes into determining the video quality that a dash cam outputs, including the image sensor, processor, bitrate, HDR, etc.

Bit rate is an indicator of how much data is transferred in a given time period (BPS = bits per second). Higher bit rates transfer more data and will give better video quality and larger files.

General rule of thumb - as long as the dash cam can capture the accident and the other party’s license plate (or even parts of it), you’ll be fine.

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What about license plates?

This may not be the most desirable answer that you're looking for, but no dashcam can reliably capture license plates. It's just not possible. License plates are hard to capture reliably with stationary cameras and tight lenses. It usually takes IR emitters and a camera that blocks visible light and only captures reflected IR light. Dash cams are moving cameras with wide angle lenses designed to capture as much of the scene as possible, not very fine details of everything in the scene.

On top of this, you typically only need a dash cam to read a license plate when the person/car is close to you (like how rear ends or hit-and-runs happen), not when a car is driving in the opposite direction from you.

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But what about that Linus Tech Tips video?

You’ve probably watched this video (we can't share YouTube links, but you can Google it!). Here’s the thing, we have nothing against Linus. In fact, we largely agree with a lot of things that he says in his video, but we don’t like agree with the obsession over image sensors and ultra-high resolutions.

While you might think you’re buying a dash cam just for the video quality, there’s so much more to a dash cam than just that. Features like accident file locking, parking mode, WI-FI, and Cloud among others that you can rely on to protect you and your drive.

Recently, there’s also been new advances like energy saving parking mode / power saving parking mode, AI damage detection, AI temperature monitoring, and more safety features that have been introduced specifically for those who live in extreme climates or for those who don't drive too often and wants to keep their vehicles protected while they're away for a week or more at a time. These features are meant to help keep the dash cam from shutting down while protecting your car battery.

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Installations

How do I install my dash cam and how do I get parking mode?

Let’s break the misconception that dash cams are hard to install.

Dash cams can be installed very easily via plug-and-play with the cigarette lighter socket in your car. Just plug in the 12V power cable, and run it to your front camera. If you don’t want loose cables in your car, you can hide excess cables by pushing them into your roof panel and headliner.

This plug-and-play setup is practically foolproof, but the downside is, you won’t be able to run parking mode on your dash cam. In order to have parking mode, dash cams need to have access to power when the car ignition is off. Your vehicles may have a constant cigarette lighter socket (one that still works even when your car is powered off) - DO NOT use it to run parking mode - it will drain your car battery.

The most popular way to run parking mode is a hardwire installation using a hardwiring kit. The hardwiring kit gives the dash cam a safe way to access the car’s battery for power. Hardwiring kits are often included with the dash cam that you purchase (Thinkware and BlackVue dash cams for example includes it when you purchase the dual channel version), or with VIOFO, it’s purchased separately using the HK3 or HK4 hardwiring kit (based on the model you choose).

Various Ways to Install: We Recommend the Hardwire Method

Learn more: https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/dash-cam-installation-guide

Can I do the hardwire installation myself?

You sure can! We have a series of installation videos on our YouTube channel that will show you step-by-step how to properly hardwire one yourself.

Alternatively, if you’re not as comfortable (and that’s ok too), you can visit any 12V car stereo shop or Best Buy for a professional installation for your car. If you’re in the Vancouver, BC area, we also offer installations at our office so you’re welcome to reach out to us to schedule an appointment.

/u/Rick91981 also posted a tutorial on how he hardwired his dash cam here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dashcam/comments/z76d9z/tutorial_how_to_hardwire_a_dashcam_and_hide_the/

Learn more: https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/hardwiring-fusebox

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What fuse rating should I be using for my hardwire installation?

For one, we always recommend using add-a-fuses and fuse taps for your hardwire installations. It's significantly cleaner than wrapping the wires around the fuses (and safer too). When you're selecting the fuses to use, you can use a circuit tester to identify which fuse is the ACC and which fuse is the BATT (+)/Constant. Just make sure they're not fuses for safety equipment (check your user manual).

For the fuse slots from your fusebox:

We always recommend selecting fuse slots that are rated between 10A-30A in order to properly provide enough power to your dash cam. Always refer to the vehicle’s owner’s manual to avoid fuse slots that could pertain to certain safety features within your vehicle.

For the fuse taps for your hardwiring kits:- For dash cams: At least 5A- For dash cam battery packs: At least 10A

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Does hardwiring a dash cam hurt my car battery?

A dash cam is designed to draw a very small amount of power from the car battery and a hardwire installation should not affect the battery significantly. But of course, it also depends on the overall health and condition of your car battery and the workload (for instance, if you already have other devices hardwired to it).

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What about OBD installation? Isn’t that easier?

Yes, it definitely is. With an OBD installation, you just need to connect the dash cam’s OBD power cable to the OBD-II port in your car. While an OBD installation is a much easier way to run parking mode…not all manufacturers offer an OBD installation option for their dash cams, and not all cars have an OBD port. One other thing to consider is that OBD cables tend to offer a lower power consumption, so you’ll need to charge your dash cam for longer to have parking mode.

OBD ports are found in vehicles manufactured from 1996 and onwards, and each car will only have one OBD port. OBD ports are typically used for diagnostic and telematics purposes. For instance, your mechanic will connect an OBD scanner to your car’s OBD port to run diagnostic tests to check on the health of your car. Some insurance companies like StateFarm and AllState offer an OBD auto tracking device to help you monitor your driving to qualify for additional discounts and coverage. In order to run the diagnostic scanner or the auto telematics devices, your OBD port needs to be free.

And, not all dash cam manufacturers offer an OBD installation option. We carry OBD power cables from IROAD and Apeman on BlackboxMyCar. The IROAD OBD cable is compatible with IROAD, and Thinkware dash cams.

Learn more: https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/installation-OBD

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Should I use a dash cam battery pack like the BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8?

We typically recommend a dash cam battery pack for situations where you want parking mode protection that's longer than 6-8 hours. If you're parked in one spot for a long time or you don't drive that often, then definitely get a dash cam battery pack.

You can either use a battery pack as a standalone, or hardwire it using a hardwiring kit (you'll need additional spliced cables). Reach out to us if you're looking for clarifications and we're happy to help!

Learn more: https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/dash-cam-battery-packs

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Why can't I just use a 10,000 mAh power bank instead of a battery pack? It's much cheaper.

You certainly could, and it's definitely a viable temporary solution. However, something to consider: dash cam battery packs are made out of LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate), which is much safer and durable under hot climates. When lithium batteries from power banks overheat, they can explode.

The metal casing and ventilation design of dash cam battery packs are designed to be durable, and safe to be used in all vehicles over a long period of time.

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Storage

What kind of microSD card do I need and how much storage do I need?

Not all memory cards are compatible with dash cams. If you use any other cards, while it may work, problems may start to appear out of nowhere over time. Just watch out for footage not recording/saving on the card, and keep an eye (or ear) out on memory card failure alerts on your dash cam. The worst thing that could happen is you getting into an accident and not having footage for it because your SD card was not reliable.

In our experience, the best microSD card for dash cams are high-capacity cards that are Class 10 with MLC technology, or namely the SanDisk A1, which basically translates to fast download and upload with added durability. Don’t use cards that aren’t labelled “High Endurance” as they’re not designed for day-to-day usage, especially with a dash cam’s loop recording functionality, it’s constantly writing and overwriting the data that’s on the card

The amount of storage space is important and we recommend a 32GB microSD card at the very least. A 32GB card generally holds about 3-4 hours of 1080p Full HD recording, which is more than sufficient for most drivers.

If you are a rideshare driver or if you regularly use parking mode, a 128GB microSD card will improve durability and give you extra storage space for parking recording - because footage recorded during parking mode are stored in a separate folder and these files are typically locked and not to be overwritten.

Learn more: https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/sd-cards

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Can I use an SD card that’s larger than the max capacity noted by the dash cam?

You can, but just keep in mind that there’s a reason that the manufacturer set a max capacity for the dash cam. If you use one that’s higher, then you could risk voiding your dash cam’s warranty.

Over the years, we have seen problems like read/write errors and card failure warnings, and some users were only able to use the maximum capacity according to the specifications.

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How do I properly maintain my SD card?

We’d recommend reformatting your SD card every 3 months just to ensure that it’s working properly.

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How much recording time can I get on a 32/64/128/256GB SD card?

Refer to this calculator here from DashcamTalk:https://dashcamtalk.com/recording-time-calculator/

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Is there a way to have my dash cam automatically offload my footage everyday for me?

You can! While we haven’t fully tested this ourselves, it’s possible to do so with BlackVue dash cams using the BlackVue Synology Script. You can learn more about it here: https://www.rdforum.org/threads/86248/ or https://espenandersen.no/personal-dashcam-server-with-emby/

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Temperature & Climate

Is it normal that my dash cam becomes hot during recording? What can I do?

Yes, it’s normal for dash cams to become warm to the touch during recording. This is especially true for high-consumption dash cams like 4K dual channels and 3-channel systems.

But because dash cams are designed for continuous recording hours at a time, they come with high-temperature protection mechanisms inside. You can also reduce its consumption in various ways such as turning off the WiFi, lowering the resolution and bitrate, disabling parking mode and avoid parking directly under the sun.

Manufacturers always include the dash cam’s operating temperature range in the specs sheets, and some brands are known to fare better in warmer climates, such as Thinkware and BlackVue. However, if your dash cam overheats often and shut down, keep an eye on it because the more it happens, the more it wears down your dash cam. Over time, you’ll need to replace it.

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Warranty & Insurance

I hear dash cams are illegal. Is this true?

Dash cams are legal in Canada and the US. In other words, you can buy, install and use a dash cam to capture your drive, almost anywhere you go in North America.

But some places do discourage the use of dash cams, such as border crossings. According to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and its Rules & Regulations Governing Conduct on Federal Property (section 41 CFR 102-74-420), you will need permission from the US Customs & Border Protection Officers to keep your dash cam on and filming when you are crossing the border on the American Side. On the Canadian side, CBSA officials do have the authority to inspect devices and review files to see if they are deemed harmful or dangerous.

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Doesn’t installing a dash cam void my car warranty?

Installing a dash cam in your car will not void your warranty, just like how extensive modifications to your vehicle, such as a lift kit, new wheels, or bigger tires, will not void your warranty.

These installations and modifications are protected under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act enacted by Congress in 1975, a US federal law that was put in place to better protect consumers against deceptive warranty practices. The Act requires warrantors of consumer products to provide consumers with detailed information about warranty coverage. It also has an equivalent in Canada, which is called the Consumer Protections Act.

So while some dealers would have you think otherwise, simply having a dash cam cannot void your warranty.

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"Would installing a dash cam lower my insurance premiums?"

Unfortunately, not all car insurance providers offer a discount for having a dash cam in your vehicle. But a dash cam can indirectly impact your insurance premiums in many ways.

A dash cam can capture the incident and provide vital information on who was involved and can be used as a tool in assigning fault for an accident. Without a video footage, it’ll be difficult to determine who was at-fault in an accident. This could result in your insurance premiums going up.

With the built-in GPS in your dash cam, you can stamp your footage with date, time and speed and you may be able to use all that information to dispute an unfair driving ticket that could otherwise increase your car insurance premium.

Dash cams protect you against auto insurance fraud because they can show what really happened in a given incident. Fraud costs everyone, don’t be left paying for something you haven’t even done.

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Theft

What if someone breaks into my car and steals my dash cam?

Never leave anything of value in your car, right? Many people are worried about dash cams being highly attractive to ill-intentioned people. Luckily, dash cams are pretty small in size and are often less visible than you think. They just appear big in photos as we zoom in and crop the images to highlight the camera.

But if you’re really worried about someone stealing your dash cam, consider getting a Cloud-enabled dash cam. A Cloud-enabled dash cams, like BlackVue, automatically uploads all your incident footage to the Cloud. In other words, from the time the thieves walk up to your car and triggers your dash cam’s motion sensor to them breaking into your car (setting off the impact sensors) and stealing your dash cam, you’ve got it all captured and saved on the Cloud. Once it’s on the Cloud, you can access the footage anytime, anywhere - you don’t even need the microSD card or dash cam.

There are other things you can do to not get your dash cam stolen:

  1. Choose a lower profile model. A dash cam that mounts with a suction cup or dangle off the windshield will be very visible from the exterior. Opt for the wedge-shaped or cylindrical dash cams as they sit right up against the windshield.
  2. Find a mounting position that makes your dash cam less visible.
  3. Take the time to properly hide all wires. A clean and discreet installation is less likely to catch the attention of thieves than a dash cam with dangling wires in plain sight.

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Miscellaneous

Can I use my smartphone as a dash cam with one of those apps?

There are a number of smartphone apps out there for both Android and iOS that turns your smartphone into a dash cam app, including AutoGuard, AutoBoy, Daily Roads Voyager, Smart Dash, Droid and Driver: Dash Cam and Cloud Sync App.

There are a couple of reasons why we would recommend against using this, namely:

  • Privacy: You're giving away your data to a 3rd party company, so make sure to read those Terms and Conditions before signing up for an account
  • Manual Start: You will have to open the app and press Record everytime you're starting your drive
  • Interior Infrared: With these apps, you can turn it into a dual channel by using your front and interior cameras of your phone. However, the interior camera will not have infrared, and as such - your footage will be quite dark
  • Placement: You need to place the phone in a position that can capture both the front and interior, with a mount that is stable so your footage will not be shaky
  • Storage Sizes: A 10 mins clip can be upwards of 150mb for just one channel, so it can fill up your phone's storage fairly quickly
  • Heat and Battery: Recording for an extended period of time like a dash cam can eat up your battery very quickly, and not to mention, overheating can be a factor for certain phones

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Why are dash cams so expensive? Are high-end dash cams better?

There are a few reasons why the Thinkware, BlackVue, and VIOFO are priced higher than the budget dash cams on Amazon - and these reasons make a huge difference not just in image quality, but also performance and reliability.

First of all, the sleek and thin design of premium dash cams allows you to easily hide the dash cam behind the rear-view mirror away from sight, making it harder for potential wrong-doers to spot.

Then, premium cameras are equipped with better image sensors that are more sensitive to light and image processors that are capable of more post-processing effects to ensure clarity in all light situations. Results - more details can be seen and captured, even at nighttime.

Premium dash cams also utilize better manufacturing, for better fitment as well as stronger materials. All of these things contribute to a much longer longevity for the dash cam. Plus, premium dash cams have better after-sales support and warranty.

Last but not least, premium dash cams with built-in WIFI can connect directly to your smartphone using a mobile app, and from there you can playback videos, download footage to your phone (and share it to your favorite social networks), updated firmware, change camera settings, and more. This feature comes in handy in any situation where you can’t plug the SD card into your computer to get an in-depth playback.

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Which dash cam do you recommend for under $200?

If your budget is around $150 to $200, we'd recommend looking into VIOFO's dash cams (VIOFO A119 V3 or the VIOFO A129 Plus) as they offer excellent value in video quality for the price. We'd also throw in Thinkware (Thinkware F200PRO). Thinkware is known for their parking mode protection (very reliable over the years).

Now if your budget is $300+, then you can consider Thinkware and BlackVue. Thinkware (Q1000 or U1000) or the BlackVue (DR750X Plus or the DR900X Plus) are very solid dash cams and offer video quality in 2K or 4K. But they charge a premium in pricing because they also carry additional features like buffered parking mode and Cloud features. Cloud features allow you to get notified of an accident anywhere through your phone by connecting your dash cam to a mobile hotspot. This can be very helpful, but it's not for everyone.

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What if a dash cam capture my bad driving? What if a dash cam implicates me in an accident?

Unfortunately, just as your dash cam footage can be used for you, it can also be used against you, especially if it shows your doing something illegal or behaving in a way that led to an accident.

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Full disclosure: We are from blackboxmycar.com, a dash cam retailer that’s been around since 2012. We’re writing this guide to help spread valuable knowledge as dash cams can be seen as technical, but it doesn’t have to be! We don’t want this to be salesy, and we do see the potential conflict of interest here. If we make any dash cam recommendations that we also happen to sell on our website, do know that it’s because these are products that we have tried and tested and are confident in its success for you. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. We’re always here to help.

Thank you for reading. Like we said, we'll be keeping this thread alive and updated over time! We're happy to answer any questions that you may have in the future. If you have more questions or need troubleshooting help, you can also start from our Support Centre which dives into questions that a lot of our customers ask us often too.


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r/Dashcam 2h ago

Question Garmin dash cam mini 2 straight into usb port instead of cig lighter/adapter.

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r/Dashcam 1d ago

Video [Garmin DC47] Atlanta drivers—same sh*t, different day. I was also towing a 9000lb trailer.

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664 Upvotes

r/Dashcam 2h ago

Question Why does my VIOFO129 Plus Duo keep beeping and stopping and starting the recording?

2 Upvotes

Hello, I recently bought a Viofo 129 Plus Duo camera and had it professionally installed by a shop. For some reason, every couple seconds, it starts beeping and stops the recording then starts again while on (driving and idle). I have updated firmware and even got a new SD card (Sandisk High Endurance). Currently, I am waiting for SDCARDFORMATTER to finish o writing the SD card. What can be the issue? I am getting annoyed that this dash cam is not reliably recording every time.


r/Dashcam 3h ago

Question Turn off Note: When Parking in Sun. Vantrue E1 Lite

2 Upvotes

Hello all,
I have a Vantrue dash camera that I got as a gift. I don’t know why but quite often after I’m driving for a while this persistent pop up that says “Note: When parking in full sun set parking mode”. I don’t have it fully wired in so my parking mode is off.
What annoys me is how it stops recording when it pops up.
Does anybody have a solution?


r/Dashcam 3h ago

Question Vantrue N4 can barley read license plates or street signs?

2 Upvotes

Has anyone else experienced anything similar? I thought when I bought the camera that the image was clearer but when cheeking some footage today I saw that I could barley make out the plate of the vehicle next to me at when moving roughly the same speed and that when stopped at a light the sign hanging from the traffic light was blurry as well. Lenses were clear and windshield was pretty clean.

My settings are front camera only 2592x1520p@30fps

Is this related to the camera aging or just being crap?


r/Dashcam 4h ago

Question Dr970x lte sim question

2 Upvotes

When the data runs out I learned the sim cloud connection stops until next data cycle. Today is the 1st and is the beginning of the new cycle. Is there a delay? It isn't connected to the cloud via LTE right now. It was a pain to get it setup in the first place and I fear that every time it runs out of data I'll have to reset things. Thoughts?


r/Dashcam 1d ago

Video [Vantrue N4 3 Channel Dashcam] CRV almost crashes into me

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100 Upvotes

r/Dashcam 8h ago

Question Transcend SD Cards

2 Upvotes

Hi all When I search the sub, I see alot of posts from 4-5 years ago saying Transcend High Endurance cards were the best. Did something change? I'm looking at getting a 128gb for a Thinkware F200 Pro.. The Samsung is a bit more expensive, so I thought I'd check

Thanks!


r/Dashcam 20h ago

Video [Garmin Mini 2] 2 for 1 deal!

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15 Upvotes

r/Dashcam 10h ago

Video [Kingslim D4] Nothing major but just wtf’s in the span of 5 minutes

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2 Upvotes

r/Dashcam 15h ago

Question Garmin Dashcam recording randomly at night in dark garage.

3 Upvotes

Hello, my Garmin 57 records at least one video a night from my garage with the lights out. It can happen at any time through the night. It is connected via the OBD2 cable and set to 10m timer to shutoff. I watch the videos and absolutely nothing happens that warrants the recording. No noise, no movement, nothing. I'm not walking near the car with keys in my pocket. I'm so boggled by this. Anyone have any ideas as to what is causing it? Thanks!


r/Dashcam 18h ago

Question A129 Plus Duo not activating parking mode

3 Upvotes

I paid a local stereo shop to install my dashcam the other day and today I noticed that there weren't any videos saved while my car was parked. I bought and gave them the HK3 hardwire kite and they installed it no problem. Today I took out the micro SD card and reformatted it on my PC. Is there anything I could be missing? How do I trouble shoot what the problem could be? I verified with the shop that everything is properly hardwired and the card is formatted correctly so not sure how to continue, any help is appreciated


r/Dashcam 23h ago

Question [Viofo A129 Plus Duo] Can polarizing filer/CPL filter fix this reflection issue?

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6 Upvotes

r/Dashcam 21h ago

Question Rear camera yeah? No?

2 Upvotes

Hello all!! Wondering whats the opinion here for rear cameras? They are just a pain to install IMO ( running wire from front of vehicle to back can be interesting, specially for big SUV like mine yukon)

Im planning on installing a front camera but wondering if I should suck it up and install rear as well? Thanks!


r/Dashcam 21h ago

Video [Garmin Mini 2] Someone passed me on a double yellow tonight and killed someone's cat. Is there any chance I could enhance this video to make out the license plate? I feel really bad and like I want to do something. I made sure the cat was dead and moved it out of the road.

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4 Upvotes

r/Dashcam 23h ago

Question connector for Viofo A129 Pro Duo Ultra 4K rear camera connection?

2 Upvotes

I'm thinking of installing a Viofo A129 Pro Duo 4K Ultra into a Jeep Wrangler. The rear camera would mount on the rear window, which is part of a hard-shell roof structure that can be removed to go topless, or replaced with a soft-top convertible-style roof.

To that end, I'd like to break the cable between the front camera and rear camera in the back-end of the vehicle so that it can be connected when the roof is on, and easily disconnected to remove the roof.

Is the connection between the front and rear cameras in the Viofo system just a USB Micro connctor, as it appears? I'm worried it really isn't, but the only evidence I have is the cryptica statement on the Viofo Website:

This cable cannot be extended manually by connecting other USB cables.

What solutions are possible?


r/Dashcam 20h ago

Question BlackVue DR900X-2CH Plus vs DR970X-2CH

2 Upvotes

Hello all, looking to buy my first dash cams for both my wife and my car. Was looking at BlackVue I can get their older DR900X Plus for about $375 in Amazon, and the new DR970X for about $500. So I got a few question

1) Is the DR970X $125 better than the older DR900X Plus?

2) Is there another camera I should consider?

3) For installation is there something extra I need? or it comes with everything I need for install?


r/Dashcam 1d ago

Video [Blackvue 900x Plus] Bad Luck today.

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272 Upvotes

Got sideswiped by a guy backing out this morning. This afternoon I almost hit a guy. Luckily the truck behind me was paying attention or I would have got rear ended.


r/Dashcam 22h ago

Question Dashcam install - blown fuse

2 Upvotes

Dashcam was installed today, connected via the B-130X battery pack. The installation guide for the B-130x for hardwiring says to tap the fuse into a 'Switched' fuse of 10A or less.

We used the fuse in the passenger well (D-7), which is a 5A fuse that connects to 'Loads active when Starting' and 'BCM Rear'. Connected the original 5A and the 20A fuse that came with the B-130X in the order shown (20A furthest), booted up the battery and the dashcam, and all ran fine until we tried to start the car - dead as the 5A fuse had blown. Installer slotted in a 10A, and then called around and was told that the car has no accessory circuit powerful enough, so we need wire in a relay circuit off of the 20A power socket relay.

Has anyone installed a B-130X battery in a 718 - can you all tell me which fuse you used? Any thoughts on why a fuse was blown when we appeared to follow the installation guide appropriately? I'm not an electrical guy, so I took it to someone who is, but I'm uncomfortable swapping out and changing fuse sizes to sensitive car electronics (rear BCM), and the idea that we need a relay circuit when the manual seems to indicate we should need no such thing.


r/Dashcam 1d ago

Video [Vantrue X4S] Almost ran off the road by a truck today, who was tailgating me, and then went to the next car to just ram his trailer into them. Fortunately, there was a convenient cop available to hand signal.

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114 Upvotes

r/Dashcam 15h ago

Question What dash cam do I have?

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0 Upvotes

Does anyone recognize the manufacturer and model of my dash cam? I'd like to find the manual so I could determine how and if this cam works. The car is a 2018 model and the video file timestamp are from 2015 at earliest.

Most of the time the cam doesn't record anything but by randomly pressing the buttons I've managed to get it to record a clip or two. It has a 32 gb microSD card and no screen. Hence playing this version of "Mastermind" is not exactly fun. Especially when the cam's card slot is located in a bit of an awkward place behind the rear view mirror.

The cabin side: https://i.postimg.cc/kX1TDDT3/3642.jpg The outside: https://i.postimg.cc/XNx8DpSG/3643.jpg


r/Dashcam 1d ago

Pictures Is this a safe way to hide the extra length of cables/hardwire kit underneath the steering wheel/interior fusebox? Currently they are holding steady and not falling down.

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12 Upvotes