Dash cams, what to get and where to get it (Q&A only)

AndyBoBandy · 04-01-2018 2:12pm

Just received & installed a DDPai mini 2

Initial impressions are good. Good video quality (I've it set to 1080 and not the 2k). Its neat & tidy, and quite hard to spot from the outside unless you're looking for it. We'll see how it goes over the next few weeks.

Only issues (which I knew about before buying) is the SD card isn't readable on a mac, but I've found a way around this by using my 'spare' G1W as a card reader in Mass Storage mode, meaning I can access the card and pull files, as I like to store files & do videos with iMac/iMovie, it's odd that I can't use a standard SD card reader, or even the Nextbase 112 below, it only works with the G1W!

Also, the first video of the 2 journeys I made today had the sound & video off sync by about 10 seconds, this corrected though once onto the following video file. I'll keep an eye on this, but seem to remember the M6 Plus doing the same when I first got it.

(I've also just sent my DDPai M6 Plus (which bricked last week) back to China, they said they'd fix it for me and return it, and cover my postage cost, so we'll see how that turns out)

Also arrived in the same delivery was a Nextbase 112 (bought for my mothers car), and I have to say it's a really nice little unit, feels very well built, and it's nice and compact with not a huge suction cup mount. Being only 720p won't really be an issue, as I only want it to be reliable, and to record at a basic enough quality, which it seems to do.
I'll give it a week or 2, and if there are no issues, I might get another to replace the G1W I use when in rental cars, as it's been getting battered about for a good 18 months or so now, and its starting to show some wear & tear (there are cracks showing on the body of it where the mount clips on, so someday it'll break, and be un-mountable).

by8auj6csd3ioq · 04-01-2018 8:35pm

What does "only connect to a negative ground DC supply circuit" and "not for installation to positive" mean re hardwiring dashcam with nextbase kit?

qhe0i9zvfgdou8 · 04-01-2018 11:11pm

Greysen Abundant Terrapin wrote: »

What does "only connect to a negative ground DC supply circuit" and "not for installation to positive" mean re hardwiring dashcam with nextbase kit?

All cars in Ireland are negative earth so fire away

TheBody · 05-01-2018 3:46pm

A few days ago, I posted about an issue with my Nextbase 402G. The file containing the end of every journey would not open. To make matters worse, the same problem is happening with my wife's camera.

To make a long story short, the problem is the batteries in the cameras are dead.

The camera itself is just over two years old and out of warranty. However, I would expect to get longer out of a camera.

Got on to Nextbase and they admit the camera should last longer but they can't post me a replacement battery due the restrictions on posting batteries internationally.

In summary, I'm goosed. Even though I thought the 402G created excellent footage, I don't think I will get another one based on this experience.

I recommend if you are Nextbase 402G owner check your camera and see if the last file of each journey is corrupted.

TheBody · 05-01-2018 4:06pm

LIGHTNING wrote: »

What type of battery is in it? Can you bodge a fix?

The battery looks like this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-7V-250mAh-402035-Polymer-Li-Po-Rechargeable-Battery-For-Mp3-Bluetooth-GPS-PSP-/121826361964#shpCntId

but I don't know the exact spec of it.

OldMrBrennan83 · 05-01-2018 4:11pm

This post has been deleted.

AndyBoBandy · 05-01-2018 4:17pm

TheBody wrote: »

Got on to Nextbase and they admit the camera should last longer but they can't post me a replacement battery due the restrictions on posting batteries internationally.

Tell them you'll post the camera to them, and they can replace the battery and send it back to you.

It's gas that people won't ship batteries internationally, yet will happily ship you a dash cam with a battery inside it!!

TheBody · 05-01-2018 4:18pm

I know officially batteries are not allowed in the international postal system.
Is this enforced?

Is there somewhere in Ireland I can get them?

TheBody · 05-01-2018 4:21pm

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Tell them you'll post the camera to them, and they can replace the battery and send it back to you.

It's gas that people won't ship batteries internationally, yet will happily ship you a dash cam with a battery inside it!!

They said I can do that but it will cost me £31.20 per camera for repair. :eek:

billbond4 · 05-01-2018 4:24pm

How about using ParcelWizard, would nextbase send a replacement battery to the North?

TheBody · 05-01-2018 4:26pm

billbond4 wrote: »

How about using ParcelWizard, would nextbase send a replacement battery to the North?

I tried that too. They said they will only post to mainland uk.

Extremely disappointed with Nextbase.

by8auj6csd3ioq · 05-01-2018 4:45pm

@TheBody

An Post address pal will give you a uk address

TheBody · 05-01-2018 5:15pm

Greysen Abundant Terrapin wrote: »

@TheBody

An Post address pal will give you a uk address

Thanks for that suggestion. I called address pal and they said they problem is with the airline, not them. They said the post would be scanned at Heathrow Airport and if it was seen to be a battery, it would be returned to sender.

I've e-mailed a local electronics store to see if they can source one for me.

OldMrBrennan83 · 05-01-2018 5:33pm

This post has been deleted.

TheBody · 05-01-2018 5:41pm

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Thanks for the suggestion. It turns out they have a live chat on their website.

Sadly they do not have a battery to suit.

I'm going to send Maplin's an e-mail now.

Riva10 · 05-01-2018 5:44pm

I got a pair of replacement batteries from China fir a SMH10 Senna . No problem posted .

TheBody · 05-01-2018 5:46pm

Riva10 wrote: »

I got a pair of replacement batteries from China fir a SMH10 Senna . No problem posted .

I'm beginning to think it might be worth a punt to try that.

I hate the thought of throwing out a perfectly good camera over a battery I can get for £5 in China!

rocoma · 05-01-2018 11:10pm

http://www.adverts.ie/13413520

AutoMan79 · 06-01-2018 11:39am

Finally my Mobius cought careless neighbor ding my car with his door. Love that little thing

blade1 · 06-01-2018 1:31pm

AutoMan79 wrote: »

Finally my Mobius cought careless neighbor ding my car with his door. Love that little thing

Hey, you can't just finish the story there!:pac:

copacetic · 06-01-2018 11:14pm

Hebegeebee wrote: »

I got a Thinkware F100 camera for the wife's car. My first foray into dash cams and it's fine for what it is. They're a Korean brand and supposed to be good from what I've read.

I fitted it myself and it came with the connection kit that allows for recording while parked. It's capacitor based so no battery to blow up in our searing temperature summers. There's the option to connect a rear camera too, I haven't done that yet as I wanted to see what it was like first. I didn't bother with the GPS option on it.
Will probably look at their F800 for my own car.

I have the f800, seems decent enough.

DaveyDave · 07-01-2018 12:16am

AddressPal ships via boat, so they can ship batteries. At least that's how I got my Anker power bank from Amazon. Parcel Motel use airfreight so no go. Ridiculous that you literally cannot get LiPo batteries into the country. Perfectly safe to be carried onto the plane for travel across the world. I highly doubt all the airsoft, RC car and drone batteries are ferried into Ireland.

On that subject, my 402G also doesn't hold a charge and it's only a year old. On top of the recent "insert SD card error". My GoPro 4 has been charged twice a day for a year and still does me over an hour. Have 3 spare batteries though, wish that had some sort of dashcam setup!

My mam's new 212G also isn't recording over old files, it just says SD card full. A quick Google suggest a problem with the firmware and that it doesn't play nice with Class 10 cards?

Jesus NextBase are absolutely crap. Shame most dashcams are generic Chinese crap but rebranded.

grogi · 07-01-2018 8:08pm

DaveyDave wrote: »

AddressPal ships via boat, so they can ship batteries. At least that's how I got my Anker power bank from Amazon. Parcel Motel use airfreight so no go.

Parcel Motel uses vans - they don't cross any water...

OldMrBrennan83 · 07-01-2018 8:14pm

This post has been deleted.

grogi · 07-01-2018 8:22pm

Patww79 wrote: »

Has to cross water to get to them though.

Not your problem.

Riva10 · 07-01-2018 8:24pm

TheBody wrote: »

Thanks for that suggestion. I called address pal and they said they problem is with the airline, not them. They said the post would be scanned at Heathrow Airport and if it was seen to be a battery, it would be returned to sender.

I've e-mailed a local electronics store to see if they can source one for me.

Just a thought (Oh the pain) Might be worth a try in an electronic repair shop for an mp3 battery. These would be same voltage and you do not need a very ah .