Dashcam advice

[V6Matty]

So I’m finally getting around to buying a dashcam and will look to be fitting it on Saturday (before a drive up to Scotland on Sunday).
I’m after some advise on make/model to buy and then quickest way to fit with a view of the cables being hidden as much as possible, ideally simple hardwire would be the way to go but I’m interested to know how easy it’s going to be and can I do it within a few hours on the drive?

 

[bembo449]

which car you taking on the trip Matty ?

 

[V6Matty]

Lol the 212

 

[V6Matty]

I came across this one on Amazon and I must say I do like the small design, however I’d prefer an app compatible unit to sync to my phone and let me save recordings there.
Linky

 

[Rotorhead500]

Was quite impressed with the Nextbase 312 - decent image quality, usable interface, etc.

It went with the 63, and I replaced it with a 512GW... I wouldn't bother with that one, tbh. The wireless bit is a faff so you never use it, and they claim they've not changed calibration on the knock sensor (for parking mode), but even a light breeze and passing leaf would trigger it whilst set to minimum sensitivity (I'm really not joking), thereby rendering it useless as it filled your card with hours of locked footage of nothing happening!

 

[V6Matty]

Well ended up going with a nextbase 522GW, as annoyingly I couldn’t get a blackvue in stock anywhere and delivery would be mid next week.
I’m going to be fitting it shortly and did get a hardwire kit as well as 64gb as card, so I’m hoping it will have more than enough room for storage.
New question now, does anyone know a live feed I can take from the drivers side fuse box for the hardwire kit?

 

[Mike Smith]

I personally use an obd power adapter, saves messing with fuse boxes and the like.

You should be able to find a fuse box diagram on the internet if you don't have one in the car.

 

[V6Matty]

I personally use an obd power adapter, saves messing with fuse boxes and the like.

You should be able to find a fuse box diagram on the internet if you don't have one in the car.

I could run the feed to the glovebox and use the cigarette socket there but it isn’t the cleanest of fitting, though would potentially do what I want (I think?), but going the hardwire route to the drives side fuse box should provide a better fitting, once I work out which one to tap into.
I do probably have a fuse chart, just never looked before lol, plus I know so many here have fitted dashcams to pre facelift 212’s that many will just know exactly where they took the feed from (well that’s the hope)

 

[AndySlade]

Who make sure you get a high endurance SD card. There are lots of threads re memory card errors, with the constant writing and rewriting on standard cards used in a Dashcam. Samsung EVOs are good. Do the research. It is also possible to install hard wire kit back to front, with regard to piggyback additional fuse.! as blade can be fitted either way up, if that makes sense.

 

[AndySlade]

If you take off power from RHS dashboard fusebox you can neatlly tuck the supply cable into the windscreen pillar trim panel behind rubber seal all way up to top of windscreen where dashcam with be mounted. I think I piggybacked onto a 20 amp fuse used for wipers from memory, I have a look again later.

 

[V6Matty]

Who make sure you get a high endurance SD card. There are lots of threads re memory card errors, with the constant writing and rewriting on standard cards used in a Dashcam. Samsung EVOs are good. Do the research. It is also possible to install hard wire kit back to front, with regard to piggyback additional fuse.! as blade can be fitted either way up, if that makes sense.

Yep read up before I chose the card, it all used to be so easy with cards but not so much these days lol.
Ah good point about the back to front fitting, I’d not thought about that to start with but it’ll be on my mind as soon as the rain stops

 

[Craiglxviii]

I wanted the smallest most unobtrusive cams I could find for our old S211, and opted for the Mobius Actioncam. They’re a bit smaller than a box of matches (England’s Glory, not Cooks!), have an internal battery with about 40 minutes of external power and the usual SD card slot. Plus, the mounts are really small & slim too.

They worked really well. Excellent sound & image quality.

At present they’re sat on my office windowsill but I do plan on installing them in the 251 at some point soon..!

 

[Wighty]

Blackvue cameras have behaved faultlessly for the last few years in both cars (edit..just seen you bought another make )

 

[V6Matty]

Well all fitted in about an hour but ended up going the cigarette lighter option in the glovebox, think the cabling is pretty tidy

 

[V6Matty]

Blackvue cameras have behaved faultlessly for the last few years in both cars (edit..just seen you bought another make )

I was going blackvue whighty but it seems no one carries them in stock around me, so no choice to go for nextbase or something I’d never heard of and couldn’t find reviews for, so played it safex also means I can add in the rear camera later if I want

 

[davemercedes]

Hi Matty
I also went for Nextbase about 18+ months ago - very happy. Due to my arfur rhitis I got my local garage to fit them (front and rear cams) - overall, very happy - they hid the f/rear connection cable under the headlining. My only gripe is that they make a big thing of the rear view visibility via the front camera (using picture in picture). So I thought I was going to be able to use it for reversing etcm but I think the blurb about it was the nearest thing to untrue - the rear view is so tiny. But I'm glad I've got it and just hope not to have to rely on it for anything unpleasant!

 

[V6Matty]

Hi Matty
I also went for Nextbase about 18+ months ago - very happy. Due to my arfur rhitis I got my local garage to fit them (front and rear cams) - overall, very happy - they hid the f/rear connection cable under the headlining. My only gripe is that they make a big thing of the rear view visibility via the front camera (using picture in picture). So I thought I was going to be able to use it for reversing etcm but I think the blurb about it was the nearest thing to untrue - the rear view is so tiny. But I'm glad I've got it and just hope not to have to rely on it for anything unpleasant!

I had a look at the rear view camera and your right about the reverse blurb, very misleading as it had to sense you are going backwards befor engaging, which by then it’s normal too late.

 

[Rotorhead500]

I had a look at the rear view camera and your right about the reverse blurb, very misleading as it had to sense you are going backwards befor engaging, which by then it’s normal too late.

It's OK, it would switch on when it feels the bump!