Dash Cam for Safety

I will get another gps with dash cam.

...there was a thread on The Trucker's Report about a dash cam. The semi truck driver got cut off on purpose by a pickup, the pickup driver was trying to pull a scam and intentionally hit his brakes so the semi would bang into him. Had it not been for the dash cam (he posted the video on YouTube) the semi driver for sure would have been ticketed; instead he's turned it around and is suing the pickup driver.

They are worth every dollar and I'm going to get one soon. As far as being a "matured market" I think they have come into their own. I just can't suggest what brand/model to get at this time.

Dash cams (or windshield cams) have been around for years. A lot of commercial companies use DriveCam which can be triggered in several ways such as hard braking or going over a speed bump too fast. Most are constantly recording but only save a short clip when triggered, usually the 10 seconds before and after they trigger.

I've been wanting one for a while now, there are so many out there, and with different features, most of the reviews I read weren't good enough for me to say "Yea, that's the one I want" so I'll follow this thread and see if I get nudged one way or another.

It can not only be used for a dash cam, but for many other things as well.

Dash cams are very popular in Eastern Europe and some Asian countries. Lots of videos on You Tube.

I've subscribed to this YouTube channel for awhile. Never seem to tire of watching crashes.

http://youtube.com/user/CarCrashCompilation?&desktop_uri=%2F...

Way overpriced for the most recent edition.

I'd like a dedicated dash cam that prints the date and time in the corner as well as recycling space after a certain amount of time. Trouble with most I've read reviews for is the lack a quality at night and most are not high def enough to even read license plate numbers.

That SUV driver in NY that was harassed by the motorcycle mob should have had one and he could show that the biker pulled in front of him and stopped causing the initial accident.

True, however it would also show how he didn't stop and kept driving after running him over. I don't believe fleeing the scene of an accident would be evidence you'd like to collect on yourself. Not saying the bikers were in the right to block the road, and they should have been punished for that. I don't believe he is innocent either.

I don't want another thing stuck to my windshield. And I have not yet seen one of the rear view mirror replacements that I like. What I would like to find is a small car cam that I could mount in the car grill, where it would be much less obvious to thieves and not get my window broken.

Of course, it would have to start recording whenever power was applied and cycle over recorded files when the memory is full. And mounting it in the grill implies that it needs to be waterproof. However, it does not need a screen and it really shouldn't light up at all when operating.

GPS logging would be a nice plus but not required. And, of course, price is a consideration.

I've looked around for some type of car cam, and there are tons of options at very wild prices. Not sure which one I would choose if I were to purchase today.

This is pretty much how I would have felt if my wife and infant child was in the car. http://bit.ly/1buNYaz

In S. Korea, it's widely used since there are so many insurance scams / vandalism. They are known as black box for vehicles. They all use SD cards for recording 24/7.

http://www.amazon.com/Camera-System-Vehicles-Commercial-vehi...

[rant] The luxury truck driver didn't strike the idiot and run over him. The idiot on the bike slowed down in front of the luxury truck driver trying to slow him down so that the rest of the pack could go by, but failed to remember (or realize) that a 500 pound motorcycle + rider with its brakes, slows down MUCH faster then a 1 1/2 Ton luxury truck only a couple of feet away from its bumper, which is what caused the initial accident.

It was AFTER that accident, that the pack surrounded the luxury truck and started menacing the driver (striking the vehicle and attempting to slash his tires), at which point the driver decided to flee, which any sane person would have done in that situation. The rider who was ran over wasn't even part of the initial altercation or subsequent menacing.

Btw, I'm an avid two wheel rider myself (almost 2 decades under my belt), but I sure as hell do not support, condone, or defend those idiot squids who think they somehow own the road and can do whatever they want simply because they run in a large pack. They get ZERO sympathy from me. [/rant]

Back on topic; Check out Techmoans YouTube video reviews of dashcams: http://www.youtube.com/user/Techmoan/videos

His latest review, personal favorite, and now my personal favorite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdPHXv8Hzj8

Thanks for the link. I just looked at Techmoan's review on the 0801. It's definitely a start in the right direction for me to research more about it. Techmoan's review was pretty thorough, I wish more youtube reviews in general were like that.

Well I finally bought one.

Pyle Sports #PSCHD60

Got it from Woot for $60, it was missing the car charger so they refunded $10. It did come with a USB which I can charge it with, my Jeep has a USB port, so it cost me $50.

It's supposed to be 1080p resolution but that's questionable.

It came with accessories similar to the GoPro cameras, a windsheild suction cup mount, a waterproof case to put it in for wet and underwater shots, a belt clip, a handlebar mount and a helmet strap/clip.

It has 3 modes.

A video mode where it takes video like a normal camera.

A car mode, which cuts the video into 3 minute segments. In this mode the date and time are printed on the video. If you put all the 3 minute videos on a playlist it will play them seamlessly.

And a snap shot mode.

It claims:

12 MP camera
120/60/30 FPS
1920X1080 pixels
4x zoom

It has an HDMI and USB slot. It also has an infrared remote which is useless when on the windshield unless you ride on the hood of the car.

It also has 4 resolution settings which will increase the record time as you drop in quality. It takes up to a 32 GB MicroSDHC C10 Memory Card which at the best resolution will give me roughly 6 hours of recording time, the battery on the other hand won't last that long. I got about 4 hours of off and on recording.

It's fairly decent in the daylight, although reading license plates only happens within a few feet of the car directly in front of you. It sucks in the dark and is so-so in a lit up area.

Here's a few videos I shot with it. (make sure to change the quality setting to 1080 on the youtube setting)

Well lit night shot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0ppVk3yY4Q&

Dark night shot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k45Hx-IFA1U

Day shot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdDFdz0Y-7U

Day shot sort of into the sun, (it changes focus a lot):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXD2dcxcitw

So for now it satisfy's my want of a dash cam.

Yeah, that's my problem as well and none of the ones I looked combined decent quality video with a decent price. I'm still looking, tho.

Pretty good. Now I am jealous.

Just barely made that first yellow light, didn't you?

What were the double dongs for?

John

Yes watching the videos later I can see just how many "orange" lights I've encountered, oops.

The dongs are the built in navigation my Jeep has, a Garmin product,RLC alerts. In the one video you can make out the RLC on the right as I go by it at around the 2:30 mark.

I get the dong on a expressway I take each day because the road goes under another that has a RLC at that point.

When we travel my husband never gets to look at the scenery. With one of these he could see it all after we get home.
I was just looking for a GoPro Hero3+ for a camera that would not be too big for a purse. This would be another point to use to my husband for the camera.
Thanks. Loved the videos

I use my old IPhone as a dash cam. I purchased a mount on ebay for $5. They have dash cam apps for the Iphone. Works Great.

I was told that, in Russia, anyone with car insurance has to have a dash cam.

There are MANY videos floating around with footage of them.

Sounds like a good idea?

Any recommendations on an app?

I wonder how many rolling stops, leaving/weaving marked lanes, and seat belt violations a dash cam might capture.
Of law enforcement vehicles.

I like the app by Appannex called Car Camera DVR

I am in a couple of car clubs and bought a Genius DVR-530 vehicle cam last year. I got it from 1-Sale-a-Day for about $40. I think that the newer versions go for close to $100 now at Amazon. It's 720P and takes an SD Card (I've got a 16GB in it). It records approx 3 minute clips continuously and will record for several hours.

It's not the best, but records our drives so I can remember what we saw. The quality isn't really that bad.

Just my 2 cents worth!

and

So what you're saying is... if that was you, you would willingly stop and get out of your vehicle (fully knowing that the probability would be that you would end up getting the "Snot" kicked out of you by the wild uncontrolled "Hells Angles" type acting bikers)..!!..?

Yeah... Right! OK, I'll believe that.

Nuvi1300WTGPS

Great info about vehicle cameras. Thanks. I guess I can see one in my future.

Fred

My hobby right now is building a 5 foot 9 inch long RC model of the Delta Queen river boat and one of my ideas was to put a camera in the pilot house and record the boat ride. I have put out feelers to my kids of what I want for Christmas and I have included several cameras that will fit in the pilot house

Been shopping for a while-

Here is one of the best that I have seen:

http://www.amazon.com/Timetec-Windshield-Dashboard-Camcorder...

I think its a great idea

I just purchased a Genius DVR 590 from Staples and it works quite well it has still picture HD1080p video motion detection and emergency impact camera start up.So far it has a good picture ,i think 170deg.Check out there web site,Genius.com

Thanks for the sight. checking out my options.

More things for a potential breakin

Why not take it to the next level and get a camera that transmits a live video feed. Then you can steer the boat like a real captain.

I use my motorola droid with a window mount and one of the many apps for this purpose

I do not think my kids love me that much to spend that kind of money. Just kidding.
The camera has to fit in a 3 by 4 inch area for right behind the pilot house is the steam generator.
If I took the unit apart and removed the lens and placed it in the pilot house with the rest of the unit below the house. I would feel better taking apart a cheap unit than an expensive unit and finding out not having it work.

for Russia accidents caught be video cams.
I've been thinking of buying a rear view camera after I almost struck a person in an electric wheelchair. I was backing out of a diagonal parking spot at the grocery store. Using mirrors and actually looking over my shoulder, the person was below the bottom of my rear window.

I have a Sony HD Action Cam (AS15), which I bought to use for biking and sports (and on my dog with a harness...lol), but it works very well too as a Dash Cam in my SUV. Being HD (1080P) the video quality is excellent and it also takes a 64G SD memory card, which means you can record a lot of footage. I find it very useful in the winter, when road conditions are bad and drivers are more accident prone and on long trips when I am not familiar with the roads...

"AutoBoy" gives a good video resolution on my Galaxy Ace. It's my favorite price too, FREE

Just brought a "Mini 0801 Ambarella A2S60" off ebay, waiting for it to arrive from the USA.

Last weekend I was out and at 3 different spots I got passed on no passing lines while traveling at the speed limit. So I thought it was time to buy a camera.

Here's are some websites that compare different models of dashcams and have user discussion forums:

dashcamtalk.com
dashboardcamerareviews.com
carcamcentral.com

There are no doubt others as well, but these seem like a good place to start.

I have been testing a app for Android now called "AutoGuard" Seems to be nice.. you can use the free verision but there is a pro ver too.

I just did a quick Google search for "best dash cam". Lots of info out there. This one has a good review and isn't expensive:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-dash-cam/

Before they get the kinks out. Also if you have one be sure to know how to erase and wipe clean any memory as it can also be used against you. As they become more popular I see the opposing attorney subpoenaing you vid info to use as evidence against you.

Has anyone seen any good dash-cam info on Consumer Reports?

The first one we had was the Lorex, which no longer is sold. I posted here in POI Factory when we got it back in 2010:
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/30472

We recently got the GoPro hero3+ Silver Edition and love it. It's not cheap, but what is 'too expensive' (as someone posted)? If a $300 (less 10%) camera saves you thousands in a law suit, is it still 'too expensive'? If one can distinguish something in a GoPro video that can't be made out in a cheapo's video, is it still 'too expensive'? This GoPro has much better video than any other dash-cam I've tried.

The GoPro does have some disadvantage compared to the Lorex:
1. No GPS; but most modern vehicles have data recorders that will give you most all the information you'll need ... except for the badly needed video.
2. Doesn't have a reverse-camera; but don't really have any need for one.

The GoPro also has several advantages:
1. Much, much better quality video, both day and night.
2. As one POI Factory member said, can also be used for many other purposes.
3. Much more rugged.
4. Has terrific customer support.
5. Easily attaches to windshield with several sturdy mounts which are included with the camera.
6. Has a resale value second to none.

Everyone to their own; but I'd select the GoPro Hero3+ anytime.

RT

Do you use this black box? Does it work well?

Mini 0801 Ambarella A2S60.

First impressions are really good, spent ages updating the firmware, There is an excellent review at the following address, and this guy has keep one on his windshield and to me that has said volumes.

http://www.techmoan.com/blog/2013/8/31/the-mini-0801-tiny-10...

With the following viewer software you can zoom in and read about 80% of the number plates which are on the other side of the road as you pass them, it will be the same with most HD cameras. The camera also has it's own viewer, but I think this one is better.

http://www.registratorviewer.com/index_en.html

And brought it from fonestop on eBay USA, he turned out to very helpful when I had a firmware problem, really good customer service. He also has a web site,

http://www.ojocam.com/

I love the camera, it looks good, and like everything it wont be perfect just like Garmin, I love Garmin too.