Dashcam for R230 - recommendations please.

[NJS5]

Can anyone recommend a dash cam for my R230 please?

I want front & rear views, but as I often have the roof down a camera mounted on the rear screen won't work.

I need "parking" mode too.

Thanks in advance

NJSS

 

[Northernsands]

I've used a Thinkware before and was quite impressed. It looks as though they are now making an external rear camera as well. https://thinkwaredashcam.eu/product/extrearsidecamera/

If you want a parking mode, then a proper fitting kit will be needed, rather than using the 12v aux socket (as these generally get turned off with the engine). You may also want a special battery to go with it to enure the camera is using that, rather than the car battery (they won't flatten your car battery as they generally have discharge protection, but it does mean the parking mode won't last as long). Depends on how long you want parking mode to last, really.
https://thinkwaredashcam.eu/product/ivoltminiexternalbattery/

I'm not sure how Thinkware compare these days, and they are on the more expensive side, but I liked mine and would appreciate another one.

 

[gez]

I have a generic (no makers name) 4k resolution front and rear camera set up purchased from Aliexpress installed in my R230, see pics.
At the same time I also installed a rear camera upgrade to the NTG2.5 head unit, and a bluetooth/FM/aux adapter (plugged into the boot 12v outlet) to stream radio and spotify from my phone which is hardwired to the headunit aux socket in the glovebox, so I had a few cables to route.
The left camera (looking from the rear) is connected to the head unit and is mounted on a replacement number plate light cover that includes a camera mount (also from Aliexpress) and the right (larger) camera is the rear dash cam camera drilled and bolted to the bootlid.
The dash cam is powered via USB from the cigarette lighter adapter.

I obviously needed to remove trim (the rear cabin bulkhead cover, storage bins, part of the boot interior trim, plus some of the centre console, drivers side kick plate etc. to thread the various cables between front and rear. Then I needed to ensure I had enough slack on the cable to route it around the complex boot hinges to be sure it did not interfere with the roof working or the ability to extend the boot lid to its highest position.

The main problem I had was routing the cables into the boot from the cabin (i.e. past the fuel tank), I could not find a way to route them below the tank but I eventually found that if I raised the roll over bar I could route the cable over the top and tuck the cable in the rollover bar channel (obv ensuring it would not foul on the bar if I ever rolled the car!), plus for some weird reason having the usb adapter in the cigarette lighter stops good DAB reception (obv not a problem if you don't have DAB), but this was not a problem as I now stream all radio and music from my phone which is mounted in a wireless charging phone holder lower left of the windscreen and also powered from the cigarette usb adapter..
Routing the cables behind the trim up to the camera unit on the windscreen was not difficult with a set of trim tools.

I also purchased a hardwired kit for the dash cam to enable it to work when parked, but I didn't use this so it powers off, I think, 1 minute after the ignition is turned off.

It was a challenge and I'm sure could be done neater and more professional than I have managed, but I got there in the end and it all works! If you need any more info I can search back to remind myself what I bought from where.