Dash Cam Thread

[winmutt]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hovans.autoguard&hl=en

FTW.

[mach4]

Originally Posted by zu!

So about dashcams...does that stealthy one you posted catch as good details as the mobius? The only thing I don't like about the mobius is the cable routing. It has to come from the back, so I've got so ugly wiring going on in my W123.

Image quality is probably just as good, but the Mobius is not designed as a dash cam. The stock Mobius has an 86 degree lens while the B40/A118 has a 170 degree lens (measured diagonal). So for those situations where you've got someone hitting you from the side, the Mobius will likely miss the important data. There are aux lenses for the Mobius however that can address this potential shortcoming.

Everything is a trade-off - price, stealth form factor, mount, lens, video chip, firmware, software features, channels, and on and on... and things are changing rapidly

[Benzasaurus]

Wish I had one today. Went to pick Mr. Benzasaurus up for lunch out front of where he works. Two lanes, no shoulder, just a high curb. A row of cars parked by the curb in the right of the two lanes. I am in that lane. I signal and look behind me. A dark blue Nissan Versa lane splits all the parked cars, me, looking right at the driver, and the row of cars starting to move forward in the left of the two lanes. They lane split a good 10 cars. No one honked. I think we were all just amazed someone could be that stupid.

...So is it hard to install dash cams on a w123?

[zu!]

Originally Posted by Benzasaurus

Wish I had one today. Went to pick Mr. Benzasaurus up for lunch out front of where he works. Two lanes, no shoulder, just a high curb. A row of cars parked by the curb in the right of the two lanes. I am in that lane. I signal and look behind me. A dark blue Nissan Versa lane splits all the parked cars, me, looking right at the driver, and the row of cars starting to move forward in the left of the two lanes. They lane split a good 10 cars. No one honked. I think we were all just amazed someone could be that stupid.

...So is it hard to install dash cams on a w123?

The videos that you see on my link in the earlier post were all taken with a very small camera called Mobius. It was originally designed as a First Person View (FPV) camera for those who like to fly their model planes / helos like as if they were up in the air.

As mach14 said, it wasn't designed as a dash cam, and thus if someone were to hit you from an extreme side angle, the camera won't record it.

But for a cheap, stick it under the mirror kind of thing, it works. I like the size of the mobius and wish I could find a real dash cam in that size. Just with the power cable plugging in from the top or something so that I could hide the cable better.

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by dkr

The real issue on dash cams is capturing license plate numbers. Many of the high-quality cameras are excellent, but still lacking in fully reading plate numbers.

Dkr.

Here is a frame grab from my $60 G1WC. I was going 45mph past the stopped black SL waiting to turn right. The LIC place is clearly legible.

[Benzasaurus]

Thanks for the info!

I think I'd like to get two per car eventually. In the meanwhile it looks like I've got some research to do in order to figure out what I need in a dash cam. I think wide-angle coverage of the car is most important to me.

I watched a friend get t-boned turning into my driveway a few years ago in her brand new Hyundai sub-compact by a drunk guy in a F-150. She wasn't at fault because he was speeding but according to the insurance company you are always at fault if you are making a left hand turn. They told me that on the phone when they called for my statement before discrediting it because we're friends. A year before that, my boyfriend's colleague was waiting for his wife where they worked. She was t-boned in the intersection a block away by a cop who ran the light. You can guess how that turned out. The city ended up suing them. I guess the best defense is a good offense?

So something that catches people at fault when they t-bone you is something I think I would like in a dash cam.

Jalopnik had a link to a good dash cam on sale yesterday or the day before but it sold out before I got to it. Apparently it had a feature where if the camera sensed a change in g-forces, like heavy brakes or being hit, it would mark that section of recording so it wouldn't be deleted or overwritten. Sounds like a useful feature.

Edited to add: favorite amazon question for this camera: "Does this dvr have russian menu?"

[zu!]

Wow! Now THAT's a pretty neat camera, plus a rear view one as well! As was evidenced in my near-miss with the angry lady at the 4-way stop, if I had one like that, I would've caught her plates, and then caught it again as she went by me. That one got me so mad, I would've taken it to the cop shop and pressed for prosecution. That very same junction last year, a lady rolling her stroller across the road got mowed down by someone not stopping at the 4-way...

The only thing that bothers me about all these is...a clean installation. I just have no idea how to hide these wires for a clean install. And being a TD, I think I need quite a few more feet of cable to make it to the rear!!!

[Benzasaurus]

I was just looking at this one too to see what the top of the market is like. It looks like dual cameras have a ways to go so far as angles go. Nothing covers the sides of your car, but I suppose most side collisions are going to be caught on either front or rear (showing you having a green light before being hit in the middle of an intersection, or showing a car speeding up when you start your turn because a person is drunk, or showing someone hitting your parked car and driving off).

At the moment the Lukas one is $280 on amazon. It seems a little high, but then it's about the cost of getting your windows tinted. Which is something I need to do as well since I am refinishing my console wood and need to prevent UV damage. So I dunno. Maybe I'll splurge for the peace of mind. The thing I like about the Lukas one is that it can be hardwired for a parking mode and has a built in feature to not run down the battery beyond a certain voltage.

I'm gonna give it a few days and think about what I want and need in a dash cam setup. But I feel like every time I'm on the road I see someone doing something dangerous or a near-miss accident. So I'm leaning toward the idea of self-defense through documentation.

[tbomachines]

I run a $60 Chinese dashcam in my rx8. It records in 1080p and has been very reliable with great picture and great sound. Took a bit of figuring out as the entire box and manual was only in Russian...go figure. I'm pretty happy with it, need to get ones for the other cars. I would 100% recommend one, itll be cheaper than any insurance claim.


Sent from an abacus

[mach4]

Sometimes you catch something humorous and ironic on the dash cam that happens so quick you can't get the camera out in time, like this morning...

https://youtu.be/D2gCPvDpVRY

frame grab

[nobby]

Originally Posted by nobby

My first go at a dash cam set up. I like the idea for road trips but the questionable driving habits of others can be documented, as well.

I am currently using a GoPro which takes outstanding vids but is not necessarily the best choice.

I've got it on a 5 minute loop and hardwired to keep the battery charged....which is kinda good because it will stay running if the car inadvertently shuts down....but then you also need to remember to turn it off!

So for day to day use....probably not a good choice....for road trips / vacations....pretty good....I can remove it from the car with a fully charged battery and film other stuff.....re-install it and drive to the next scenic spot and have a fully charged video camera again.

I actually have Paul on video as I used the big ass suction mount on my trunk lid pointing backwards.

So it's versatile but not necessarily practical for day to day use.

My first edited GoPro dash mount video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxoUl5vNbgo

[Air&Road]

Originally Posted by tbomachines

I run a $60 Chinese dashcam in my rx8. It records in 1080p and has been very reliable with great picture and great sound. Took a bit of figuring out as the entire box and manual was only in Russian...go figure. I'm pretty happy with it, need to get ones for the other cars. I would 100% recommend one, itll be cheaper than any insurance claim.


Sent from an abacus

TBO,

Can you tell us what brand and model this camera is? $60 sounds like money well spent.

[mach4]

A great resource is DashCam Talk

Check the forums for user experience and other good info.

[MTUpower]

yeah I'm in the market as well this year.
what's the best unit on Amazon?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012CKNZC0?keywords=dash%20cam&qid=1448655723&ref_=sr_1_22&s=electronics&sr=1-22
super cheap unit

[Mölyapina]

Originally Posted by tbomachines

I run a $60 Chinese dashcam in my rx8. It records in 1080p and has been very reliable with great picture and great sound. Took a bit of figuring out as the entire box and manual was only in Russian...go figure. I'm pretty happy with it, need to get ones for the other cars. I would 100% recommend one, itll be cheaper than any insurance claim.


Sent from an abacus

Originally Posted by Air&Road

TBO,

Can you tell us what brand and model this camera is? $60 sounds like money well spent.

I'd be interested, too.