dash camera

WZ JUNK · June 20, 2018, 08:56:09 PM

After my recent calamity with the gravel truck doing nearly $5,000 damage to my Chevy, I have decided to install dash cams in all my vehicles. Quick thinking and being able to take pictures and video with my cell phone made it easier to claim the damage, but the dash cameras are not expensive. I am looking at this model. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01CW4BEP6/?coliid=IM8B9AK6OMORW&colid=2LQJ8ML18P7L8&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Do any of you have and thoughts or advise on dash cameras ? As always I would appreciate any thoughts you have.

John

idrivejunk · June 20, 2018, 09:54:12 PM

I have a few that don't work. E-waste. My experience with them is that they can't be left in a hot car and that premature internal not relaceable battery failure from being on shelf too long, bad memory card right put of box, sloppily made connectors, and power button failure are all common problems which render them inoperable. My suggestion is to think in shotgun effect terms... they are throwaways and all have way more features than needed. Carry a spare, its that bad. Sufficient quality is unavailable regardless of cost. My brother trucks at night and has a couple Cobras ($) that have lasted awhile but mine did not. First they don't turn off then won't turn on, card goes had but only certain cards work, its fairly ridiculous. I do actually have one that still works around here somewhere (card went bad in 5 min, I swapped one) but I say brand doesn't matter because the one you buy now is not available in six months, its like buying veggies at a roadside stand. Just my .02, your mileage may vary.

Crosley.In.AZ · June 20, 2018, 11:44:24 PM

I would suggest 1 for front view and 1 for rear view

river1 · June 21, 2018, 05:10:35 AM

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dashcam/

Crosley.In.AZ · June 23, 2018, 11:27:26 AM

I was thinking about dash camera this morning... Out here in the Gilbert AZ area. Many bicyclists here. Certain percentage of them are bone heads. Ride against traffic lights, as they ride, they wonder out of the bike lanes unexpectedly in front of cars.

This morning the traffic light turns green. As I am in the middle of the intersection.. 2 bicyclists ride out into my path. They Look at me stunned. I had the green light. I stopped quickly, yet looked in my rear view mirror to see if I was about to be rear ended.

58 Yeoman · June 23, 2018, 11:49:52 AM

Yep...I've watched cyclists run red lights and not pay attention to larger vehicles around them.

WZ JUNK · July 06, 2018, 10:33:32 AM

I installed the cheap dash camera in my daily driver yesterday. The camera, mount, and micro memory chip was $63. The setup was easy. The picture is okay but not clear enough to read license plates. I am going to spend more on the next one and try to get better quality.

A view from the camera, looking out from my shop, across the backyard of my house.

John

idrivejunk · July 06, 2018, 05:28:48 PM

Nice. Hard to pick a winner with such a broad price range. If you can run it at 720 resolution, I found that to be a good balance if file size and playback are a factor. Thats old school TV resolution. 1080 res is for after the new gadget playtime wears off, tags read much better so the camera does its duty better. Which is just capturing the big wreck, thats it.

For fun rowdy stuff like documenting a fun run through the gears, I'll note that a more expensive camera does not mean better audio. Glasspacks overpower dash cam microphones and can sound awful. Even with tape over it.

Be sure to run a playback drill or two so you know its really working... so you can confidently tell the officer on scene "Here, plug this in your laptop and look at the last file."

One more thing... when I drive alone I don't watch my mouth. Consider carefully whether you want audio on or not, during the daily drive.