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kung fu jesus
06-10-2018, 07:22 PM
Installed a dashcam after helping a buddy today. This was recommended to me by a friend.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180610/af59ccde6ed60844c998e0af11887d29.jpg

It’s an Anker ROAV, $53 on Amazon. You can read about it here:

ROAV by Anker Dash Cam C1, Car Recorder with Sony Sensor, 1080P FHD, 4-Lane Wide-Angle View Lens, Built-in WiFi with APP, G-Sensor, WDR, Loop Recording, Night Mode, Parking Mode [Upgraded Version] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XNSDRW8?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Pretty nice for my first dashcam. I unpacked it as such with some liquid encouragement.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180610/72e04064ce2758c1dc95adb21c0889f0.jpg

I wanted to wire it to the car, so I added a circuit to turn on with the car key. I ran the provided USB cable across the windshield header. The camera provided a nice interior tool to help lift the panel. Wired it in really easily by adding a fused circuit to a 12v to 3v stepdown for a USB, also bought it on Amazon ($7 IIRC). Took me about an hour altogether, including wiring it under the dash, going through the settings to customize, formatting the SD card I had laying around from my action cam.

Here are some photos of the camera. The mat it is laying on, the grid is in inches for reference.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180611/22fed5dfc2e29e030dabd93d7356e4a3.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180611/25a04b0c7ffe9e8b5959ee943605e03c.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180611/68fb13ea3391f7ad46ba5202b38c246f.jpg

I decided to mount it behind the rear view mirror. It’s pretty much hidden from my view when I sit in the car.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180611/3ac850daf0e1f3392bb3f7f803bcb012.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180611/ce041043b0121096e36c1cf91d7b038c.jpg

I set the camera’s screen to turn off 30 seconds after startup.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180611/ffe928b61864c852a9633dbfab047e30.jpg

Here’s a sample immediate after (edited for length). I can connect to the cam via WiFi on my phone and d/l the videos to it, edit, upload to FB or YouTube. Really easy with simple features.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHq34sC6n-s&feature=youtu.be

Agent☣Orange
06-10-2018, 08:52 PM
I’m just surprised you got the camera pointed in the right direction.

kung fu jesus
06-10-2018, 09:06 PM
Me too! :D

HarryB
06-11-2018, 04:41 AM
Thanks for the write up Steve! I like the fact that's quite small and discreet. I mostly need it the very few times I park outside, in case anyone bumps the car, but I am afraid it may also be a possible tempt to thieves, as it's quite visible from the outside. Decisions...

kung fu jesus
06-11-2018, 06:14 AM
I don’t know how one would hide a camera in a Miata, unless the lens was remote and the imagery stored in a concealed location.

Edited the video link for the video.

Agent☣Orange
06-11-2018, 07:19 AM
I believe in having at least one camera in a car if not more. They’re getting so small and ubiquitous that I wouldn’t be surprised if 360-degree, 24hr recording won’t be the next evolutionary step, at least for new cars.

kung fu jesus
06-11-2018, 08:09 AM
Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me. There's a lot of incidents just driving a small car like these that don't happen with the frequency of other cars I've driven.

Demon I Am
06-11-2018, 06:05 PM
Orwell would laugh that the people are purchasing and installing the cameras themselves, willingly.

kung fu jesus
06-11-2018, 07:34 PM
I’m sure he would. Call it vanity, passive authoritarianism, etc. I use it for saving myself from bad drivers and data.

Demon I Am
06-11-2018, 07:47 PM
Oh, I totally get it and have done the same for the same reasons. When you really need a witness there's rarely one around.


It is kind of spooky (if you let it get to you) to think about how much information is gathered, between apps, gps trackers, cameras, etc.

kung fu jesus
06-11-2018, 07:49 PM
Yeah, I agree. I have been making some considerations towards reducing my Internet data footprint.

Agent☣Orange
06-11-2018, 10:40 PM
Cameras are rolling 24/7 everywhere already. Even ATM videos are featured on the news because they captured video of a suspect walking by. Wasn’t Amazon in the news a couple weeks ago for providing a couple police departments with real-time facial recognition in a couple of cities? I don’t like the “safety” argument they always use about getting people with warrants off the street.

Hell, you might not even know about a warrant out on you for missing a traffic ticket that was probably taken by some automated red-light camera in the first place. We’re becoming a total-surveillance state in the name of safety and not just cameras but data, phone, license plate readers and so on. George Orwell has nothing on what it’s like now and it’s terrifying to think what it will be like in ten years. /rant

I’m all for a video camera in my car because it’s the only proof I’ll have if someone runs a red and hits me or whatever. People aren’t sticking around accident scenes to offer witness statement to your benefit and even if they do, your own insurance company can still devide up the fault, blaming you for some of it!

The only issue I see with having a personal dash cam is that I want to ensure that my video recording remains absolutely mine and cannot be taken against my will and used as evidence against me. Hmm, I wonder if personal video recordings are protected under the Fifth Amendment.

Jerry L
06-12-2018, 05:31 AM
Oh, great! And I was just starting to get comfortable walking around without my tin foil hat!

kung fu jesus
06-12-2018, 07:27 AM
Cameras are rolling 24/7 everywhere already. Even ATM videos are featured on the news because they captured video of a suspect walking by. Wasn’t Amazon in the news a couple weeks ago for providing a couple police departments with real-time facial recognition in a couple of cities? I don’t like the “safety” argument they always use about getting people with warrants off the street.

Hell, you might not even know about a warrant out on you for missing a traffic ticket that was probably taken by some automated red-light camera in the first place. We’re becoming a total-surveillance state in the name of safety and not just cameras but data, phone, license plate readers and so on. George Orwell has nothing on what it’s like now and it’s terrifying to think what it will be like in ten years. /rant

I’m all for a video camera in my car because it’s the only proof I’ll have if someone runs a red and hits me or whatever. People aren’t sticking around accident scenes to offer witness statement to your benefit and even if they do, your own insurance company can still devide up the fault, blaming you for some of it!

The only issue I see with having a personal dash cam is that I want to ensure that my video recording remains absolutely mine and cannot be taken against my will and used as evidence against me. Hmm, I wonder if personal video recordings are protected under the Fifth Amendment.

The 5th A is the tricky part. If there is a reasonable suspicion, yes they can. This had occurred to me as well, and why I record the OBD2 data separately. The videos stored on the SD chip are viewable, but those I store to my phone are password secured.

I am beginning to think the camera is akin to driving with a radar detector, but opposite. When I had a radar detector, I would drive a lot faster but it really wasn't protecting me from anything. Also, if I was pulled over with one in the car, I was far less likely to be let off with a warning. So I removed it and I keep my speeds far more reasonable.

Martin
06-12-2018, 07:41 AM
Cameras are rolling 24/7 everywhere already. Even ATM videos are featured on the news because they captured video of a suspect walking by. Wasn’t Amazon in the news a couple weeks ago for providing a couple police departments with real-time facial recognition in a couple of cities? I don’t like the “safety” argument they always use about getting people with warrants off the street.

Hell, you might not even know about a warrant out on you for missing a traffic ticket that was probably taken by some automated red-light camera in the first place. We’re becoming a total-surveillance state in the name of safety and not just cameras but data, phone, license plate readers and so on. George Orwell has nothing on what it’s like now and it’s terrifying to think what it will be like in ten years. /rant

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5816269/Its-not-paranoia-phone-really-listening-you.html

Demon I Am
06-12-2018, 11:36 AM
The only issue I see with having a personal dash cam is that I want to ensure that my video recording remains absolutely mine and cannot be taken against my will and used as evidence against me. Hmm, I wonder if personal video recordings are protected under the Fifth Amendment.

EXACTLY. Remember when Progressive started offering those "safe driver discounts' as long as you kept a transponder plugged into your obd2 port. eek, I'm more afraid of the insurance companies than I am the government, honestly

tsingson
06-12-2018, 12:03 PM
Why? If you don't plug it in, what do they have on you?

kung fu jesus
06-12-2018, 12:47 PM
Great discussion, fellas! I think it deserves it's own thread.

Feel free to continue or post your installations and/or preferred device.

Let's keep it going. :)

Phatmiata
06-12-2018, 01:34 PM
what about mounting it hanging under the rollbar? then we can see your fancy shifting and steering action on the track.

Must say it is very stable and records super nice though!

kung fu jesus
06-12-2018, 02:09 PM
I don't disagree about being able to see myself shift, hand placement, etc. I really wanted that and at some point I hope to be able to have that.

Here's the rub (for me):

Camera placement in a Miata with a hardtop is a little tricky. Hanging it from the rollbar is the way to go as some cameras have trouble adjusting to the light if it's too far back and closer to the rear window.

I really need a camera that can be positioned(aimed), record on and off remotely or comes on automatcally, manage files, offload them onto other devices without swapping cards. Same for batteries, I need a solution where I'm not missing sessions because the battery dies.

Realistically, at an HPDE, I am usually instructing, so I am on track every other session (my car and my student's car). If each session is 20 minutes, I need about 10 minutes to gear up, strap in and get to the grid. That's just for me. When I'm instructing, I am going over lessons and critiques with a student, going to a classroom sessions, or discussing the next aspect of his/her area to focus on. Realistically, I can get 10-20 minutes to myself in the mornings per session cycle (four groups, each on for 20 mins). Meanwhile, I'm looking at the car, my student's car, recording air pressures, checking the oil, hydrating, expelling, grabbing a snack, dealing with staff issues as they arise.

I need a rearward/cage mounted solution I can hook up the night before, something wired to the car, that begins to record once the car turns on, and I can offload to pair in RaceRender with the data I record on my phone.

kung fu jesus
06-12-2018, 02:27 PM
Must say it is very stable and records super nice though!

This surprised me as well. The hybrid mount shakes the shite out of the car (and I'm removing it soon). You can hear me open and close the door to try to stop the door from buzzing (unsuccessfully). I expected the video to be shaky with buzzy audio. It even picks up the rattling saftey pin in the fire bottle mounted on the floor.

wago
06-12-2018, 03:15 PM
Here a screen shot of my Anker C1 pro, the videos has an overlay of speed and gps location which is pretty cool. Anker also has awesome customer service.

18660

Phatmiata
06-12-2018, 03:25 PM
^^^^ I like that ^^^^ it would look killer on the track

kung fu jesus
06-12-2018, 03:47 PM
I specifically don't want that information on my regular dashcam recordings.

I was really pleased how easy the Anker I have was to install and setup.

Warhammer
06-12-2018, 10:24 PM
I just picked up a Rexing V1P dash cam at work. I haven't installed it yet, but it gets really good reviews. I also got the add-on GPS logger and the hardwire kit.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71zMBAzio7L._SL1500_.jpg
Here's the blurb of it's features:

Discreet design: signature low-profile design allows the v1p to be a well-hidden witness to the road.
Dual-channel recording: record from two separate perspectives by connecting the included discreet rear camera to the front camera.
Full-hd recording: front camera captures full-hd 1080p video @ 30fps. wide dynamic range allows the camera to perform optimally in any lighting situation by adjusting the exposure to create balanced images and footage.
Loop recording: when the storage limit is reached on the memory card, new recordings will automatically overwrite oldest recordings. supports high-endurance micro sd memory cards up to 128gb in memory size.
Accident auto-detection (g-sensor): when the built-in gravity sensor detects a collision, the current video is locked, ensuring important footage is kept protected. locked video will be kept safe from being overwritten.


I'l post an update once I get it installed.

Grumpy
03-25-2019, 06:04 PM
Steve, just curious on 2 things. what exactly did you get to hardwire this, and are you still happy with it?

oops # 3, seems to be a lot of concern with sandisk cards failing with this, what are you using, and have you had issues?

I'm planning on finally getting a decent dashcam, and your review is leaning me towards this one.

kung fu jesus
03-25-2019, 10:23 PM
Here is the stepper:

HOMREE 8-22V 12V to 5V/3A DC Power Transformer DC Buck Voltage Converter Volt Step Down Module with Dual USB Cable Connector Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MCVRWJ7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OOzMCbWN6GVBK

I use the other USB port to charge my phone. It’s all hidden under my dash.

I used one of these to make a new circuit off the fuse box:

10 Pack - EPAuto 12V Car Add-a-circuit Fuse TAP Adapter Mini ATM APM Blade Fuse Holder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DYQM6EO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_uRzMCbHGHWEW7

I haven’t had any issues with the memory card I use, I had a few laying around. I’ve been happy with the track videos I’ve pulled down.