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Been thinking about installing front and rear dash cams. Anyone done something that looks discrete?
Do an eBay search on "A118 dashcam" and "A119 dashcam". I use them and they are very discrete behind the rear view mirror when sitting in the car and looking at if from the front of the car. I always review my recordings after taking it into the shop and have seen/heard some interesting things the techs talk about, sing about or complain about including one I could hear rummaging in my car looking for money.
Make sure you put a little notification in each door (I do on the window frame of the door stating that video and audio recording in progress in and around the car to cover yourself legally in States which require dual consent or notification.
I have the blackvue DR650s-2ch in my GS and I dont think its way to obvious. I like the thought of the notification on the door frame. where I live its a one way state but it would be nice to do it just to cover my butt.
one I could hear rummaging in my car looking for money.
Make sure you put a little notification in each door (I do on the window frame of the door stating that video and audio recording in progress in and around the car to cover yourself legally in States which require dual consent or notification.
I checked it out and it looks good for a road cam but it does not have a park mode so that you can record your surroundings while parked. Does anyone know of any that will work this way?
I installed a Black Box G1W from Amazon and have it in front of the rear view mirror on the passenger side. It may not be discrete but that could be the way the camera is mounted. I'm thinking once i upgrade to a different system it will sit more flush with the windshield.
i have it powered from the fuse box next to the OBD port on the drivers side.
The A118C or B40C fit discretely in the GS. Hardly noticeable from the inside or out which I like. Mine is plugged into the 12v outlet in the centre console running the wire across the & under the roof lining down behind the door trim. The picture quality is pretty good to.
I'm with bigblack. BlackVue for the win! You can check out video in my build threads
I checked out the BlackVues and they are nice. I want both front and rear with park mode and they have both. Now I just need to save up so I can purchase it.
Anyone with a dash cam -- how did you install it? I want to get one and hardwire it in (either do it myself or pay someone to do it), but I have concerns with warranty coverage in the future. Feel like with any electrical issues they're gonna point to the dash cam install and try to deny coverage.
As far as front and rear dashcams go, there are a number of choices.
Presently, Taiwan's Dod and Vicovation have the top two video quality, esp in low light, however their traditional ball joint mounts and styling aren't too popular.
For a more modern direct windscreen mount, you can go for two single channel but tiny Street Guardian SG9665GC V2 or V3's.
They have very good video quality day and night, however the rear dashcam will impede your motorised rear sunshade.
Last year's V2 has a much more attractively styled circular polarising lens filter than the recently released V3 update which is more of a cost cutting exercise; video quality of the two versions is the same. https://www.amazon.com/Street-Guardian-SG9665GC-microSD-Supercapacitor/dp/B00U0OJMYG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481928066&sr=8-2&keywords=SG9665GC+V3
In the past, because the microprocessors were slow, the early twin channel systems were compromised for video quality.
Nowadays, microprocessors are getting quicker and quicker, to allow the processing of twin channel signals from the front and rear windscreen.
However, a single microprocessor processing signals from only one dashcam, will still outperform a single microprocessor that must process signals from two dash cameras.
Presently, a Korean Thinkware F770 twin channel system has a rather large/bulky unit attached to the front windscreen, but provides very good video quality, while the rear dashcam is very compact, and may not impede the rear sunshade too much.
The Korean Lukas 7950 twin channel sytem has lovely video quality, though not as good as those listed above, however its mount and styling hasn't attacted a lot of sales.
The Korean Blackvue DR-650 Series twin channel systems were favorites in the past, however have now been overtaken by both 2x single channel Street Guardian SG9665GC's and Thinkware F770 twin channel systems, esp in video quality under low light.
Here is a comparison to show how far the Blackvue DR-650's have been left behind.
The DR-650S is only a minor update of the original DR-650GW's, with no improvement in video quality. https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/thread...0gw-1ch.21701/
Street Guardian is releasing an all new twin channel system late December or early January.
By around April 2017, Street Guardian will release a second twin channel remote lens/sensor system, where only the lens and sensor is attached to the windscreen, while the actual box containing the microprocessor and memory card is stored in the glove box, under the front seats, or in the trunk etc, to avoid solar thermal overheating from the sun.
Mounting the dashcam's PC unit somewhere other than the windscreen will also allow for a much bigger box, with bigger faster microprocessor, for superior video quality.
Here is a photo of the current model single channel remote lens SGZC12RC V2 sporting a resistive LCD touch screen.
If you have experience with surveillance cameras, don't worry too much about parking modes.
The best parking mode is to do a FULL video recording!
Time lapse photography at 1 frame per second has no audio, and misses a lot.
While pre-buffered motion activated recording often does NOT activate the recording when you want it to, though it does save considerable memory space, however with 256 GB memory cards and automatic overwriting these days, memory is not a problem, eg the SG9665GC V2 with a 256 GB memory card can record a full 36 hours at full hi def @ 1920 x 1080, and 30 frames per second.
I find it best to position the dash cam directly BELOW the rear vision mirror right in the center line of the front windscreen.
Then use your fingers to tuck the cable under the leading edge of the headlining to the front left pillar.
Continue to tuck the cable beneath the lining of the front left pillar down to the dash board.
Again using your fingers, tuck the cable under the rubber front left door seal, down between the dashboard and the front left door.
Go under the floor mat, and make your way to the 12 V cigarette lighter inside the front center arm rest bin.
It will not void your car warranty.
If you want to record while parking, you must purchase the Vicovation Vico Power Plus.
This will allow the dashcam to be powered by your motor vehicle's battery when the car is parked.
There are programmable recording time limits, and car battery voltage drop limits, plus cabin overheating temperature cut offs.
For those who park and record for hours and hours day to day, best to purchase a separate dash cam battery, so that the car's main battery is not damaged due to continuous long term car park recording.
QUOTE=Warchant;9709104]Anyone with a dash cam -- how did you install it? I want to get one and hardwire it in (either do it myself or pay someone to do it), but I have concerns with warranty coverage in the future. Feel like with any electrical issues they're gonna point to the dash cam install and try to deny coverage.[/QUOTE]
I ran mine to the drivers side fuse box next to the OBD connection. If you get under there, you will see this tiny box that holds all the interior fuses. Wire the end of the dashcam to fuseand wrap the exposed wire around the plug. Done.
I cant remember which one I used but follow this guide: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...neone-4gs.html. Go to step 5 and you will find which one he used to power his valentine. Your dash cam will use the same. Snaking it up to the rear view mirror is the easy part I believe DallasGuy on here wrote up a pretty good guide on wiring it up but i can't find it right now. Route the wires up the a piller BEHIND the airbag so it was not snagging on anything, and to the rear view mirror. (this guy went to the Right fuse box but similar idea)
Last edited by k0kong; 12-16-16 at 04:50 PM.
Reason: edited to correct fuse box
12-09-16, 08:59 AM
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