my Dashcam installation

In another thread, I mentioned that I had installed a dashcam to cover my backside in case of a "he says she says" incident. I don't want to derail that thread, so I'll add the requested details here.

I started looking at these after She Who Must Be Obeyed had a couple of close calls, followed by an incident that went viral:

in my general stomping ground proved their worth. I was surprised by the wide assortment available out there (apparently they are extremely popular in Russia and Asia). There's even website forums dedicated to the subject (eg: dashcamtalk.com) Prices range from maybe $20 on up to the hundreds of dollars, depending on quality and features: High Definition, shock sensor, dual facing cameras, GPS speed encoding, etc. etc. There are even units that keep a redundant copy of the recording in a hidden location in case a less-than-honest official confiscates the camera with it's card.

I really don't think I need most of those features. For example, could a recording of my speed actually be used against me? I want a clear video (so High Definition) day or night with a date and time stamp, a shock sensor to "lock" the video file in case of an accident and automatic start/stop with the ignition and a long power cord so I can run it around the window from the rear-view mirror area. Researching various reviews and comparisons, one model kept cropping up, the DVR-027, as a reliable and economical performer. It's Chinese, and the manufacturer is not readily apparent but has become so popular that other Chinese firms are making cheap knockoffs :lol:A bit of research was necessary to ensure the e-Bay vendor chosen was selling the real thing. I bought from "hopezone001". Another known vendor of the real thing is "estore009".

I ended up buying an upgraded version, the DVR-207GS. The two primary improvements are

1. while the -027 is 720p, the -207 is also capable of 1080p. Bigger is better, right?

2. the newer -207 has a faster processor, for seamless transitions between files. More on that in a moment.

Ok, once I got them in my hot little hands, here is what I have found:

First, the suction cup mount is quite versatile but too long and hangs down below the mirror. Shorter mounts are available on e-Bay. The camera is slim, maybe an inch tall (with the view screen folded up) and narrow but fairly long. Not really an issue with the Roadmaster windshield. It's in a cheap plastic case, but the slots (usb, hdmi, sdhc) are protected by dust covers. The cord is probably about 10' long, ample length to tuck it away behind the trim on it's way around the windshield. I had previously installed some aux switched lighter plugs so it just plugged right in and will turn on and off with the key. It comes with an on-board battery (apparently a common Nokia cell phone battery) so it does a safe controlled shut-down when the key is turned off.

On mine, that was apparently the only way to shut it off. Mine had a brand-new firmware and a bug crept in: the power button won't shut the camera off unless the SD card is first ejected. It took several e-mails back and forth between myself and the vendor and the vendor and the factory to figure out what was going on. The vendor has promised to supply me with a copy of new firmware when the factory figures it out. It's not really a big deal, since it shuts off fine if the power is cycled which is how it will be used.

After trying the 1080p resolution, I have reverted to the 720p. What they don't tell you is that the viewing angle is considerably narrower in 1080p. I want the wider view angle, and 720p is still pretty clear. The only advantage of the higher resolution is that it is possible to make out a license plate number from further away.

The exposure control is impressive. Even headed into a setting sun it does a respectable job of damping down the glare off the windshield. At night, oncoming headlights do not wash out everything else. Twilight, where deep shadows contrast against a large expanse of still-bright sky under exposes the shadows unless the exposure is manually adjusted and unlit night driving seems to result in a black screen, but I discovered the camera is actually doing better than is immediately apparent. If I pop the card out and play it on the computer with the brightness and contrast cranked up in the player (I prefer Media Player Classic) the image miraculously appears. Grainy, but it's there.

The cameras save each segment (configurable duration: 2, 5, or 10 minutes) as separate files. One issue with some cameras is that they may lose a few seconds of film as they save each segment because the processor can't keep up to do both at the same time. This is not a problem with the DVR-207GS -- the segments join together again flawlessly. I am using a class 10 card (fast write speed). When the camera fills the card, it starts to overwrite the oldest files.

Fortunately I have yet to need the shock sensor. But supposedly, in case of an accident, the camera detects the shock and locks the file so it cannot be overwritten. Hopefully I would take the card and download it at that point anyway, but better safe than sorry...

Disclaimer: there are many other cameras out there and I would recommend anyone interested do their own research. My needs may not be your needs and new stuff seems to be available almost monthly. I'm just documenting my own experience.

Thanks for the info Dwayne,unfortunately these cameras will soon become a requirement of your insurance company.With all the scam artist out there trying to rip the honest man off at every stoplight these cameras make a lot of sense especially for our more senior drivers.At 58 I have come to the realization that I am one of those more senior drivers. 

This is a good thread....I have been seriously thinking about this for the past couple months. I had a road rage incident (and it shook me up a bit as it totally came out of left field) I was able to get the guys picture and plate with my phone, but it would have been a lot easier to hand over some footage.

Thanks for sharing! I've been pondering this off and on too, great info.

That sounds like a really good idea . Cause you literally have so many distracted drivers out there it makes since to cover your own butt . I may have to look into this . Thanks for the info .

Now that I'm not at work, here's some pics and video:

This is what it looks like with the supplied suction cup mount, installed in an RMW as high as I could get it. First, with the screen closed:



and with the screen open:



And if my foray into the world of youtube worked, this should be some clips from the camera (mostly at night):

You really need both front and rear views. My brother has a camera, and he stated that the reviews for the dual lens cameras are not too good. If I wanted both front and rear, I would get 2 different cameras, and mount one in front and one at the rear, or have both extend down from the trim around the vista window (from the center courtesy light on a Caprice). Mounting them in the center of the car would give you a wider recording field, because it would be further away from the car in front, and you may be able to use the 1080p more effectively.

Interesting. I'm very interested in having several cameras in the car. I'm going to try
using cheap point & shoot cameras. P&S cameras have much better sensors & lens.
Need to understand the problems.

The cameras require a recorder that will loop. It must also have a mechanism to capture the video in a secure file. The lenses must be in focus at all distances, and times. The car key has to be connected to the running car so that it turns on and off with the ignition. A separate "on" switch for surveillance when parked would be advantageous as well.

I should post an updated picture. With the shorter mount and the view screen closed, the camera is completely hidden from the driver's view behind the mirror. Which, come to think of it, would make the photo somewhat superfluous...

As Fred says, a dedicated dashcam is designed to be forgotten about until the footage is needed. It turns itself off and on automagically and records 5 or 6 hours of timestamped video before overwriting the oldest footage. It does have an on-board battery, quick release and on-switch so it can be used to film the aftermath of an incident as well.

P&S camera - loop = no. have to manually delete the file when the 64GB flash card fills
secure file = no encryption
lens in focus = essentially yes. Any object beyond the hood will be in focus.
auto on/off = no. do it yourself. reach over & push the button
5 or 6 hours = not sure how long 64GB or 32GB card is good for. They're cheap.
Keep some extras around for more capacity.
on board battery = yes
better lens = yes
better sensor = yes
cheap = yes
dash mount = have to figure something out.
quality of video = Canon, Nikon, Olympus >> cheap Chinese cameras

Are you sure a point and shoot will record until the card is full? 32 or 64 gig cards will hold a lot video, my Oly m4/3 at 1080p highest quality will get about 10mins a gig which would be 6hrs for a 64 gig card. The thing is that it will only allow 20 minutes maximum. Part of the reason is that most cards use fat32 for the file system which has a maximum file size of 4gig. At max video settings that would be only 2gig but it might be it limits the time for a worst case. But I would guess you wont find one with unlimited recording.

Fat Gecko makes some nice suction cup mounts. I used one to take some video with mine but my camera a little was a little heavy for it to not vibrate (it is a little over a pound) but most point and shoots are much lighter.

My dashcam is recording about 5 hours on a 32 gig card @ 720P. They record in a series of short, timestamped, files (size optional, mine is set for 2 minutes, I think). Some older/cheaper cameras have a 1 or 2 second gap between each file, but mine records seamlessly. When the card is full, the camera deletes the oldest file, unless the file has been marked as "protected" (eg: shock sensor activated). To play back a longer segment, make a playlist in your media player or add them together in a video editor.

Fat32 file system is a good point. Some Canon cameras can be user programmed. Not sure as to
the extent. Need to try it & see. I just can't get over the general low quality of surveillance cameras
videos seen on TV news or Youtube when P&S cameras yield clear high res pics & videos.

I understand the frustration with poor picture quality from dashcams. The technology is there to do a nice job, and they just make junk. If you want high definition, I guess you  have to pay an arm and a leg for it. You would think the main selling point would be clarity in the picture. If you are going to use it to catch criminals or offenders in the act, you have to be able to recognize them in the video.

I have a few clips I uploaded to my google drive. The first one is a clip I took with my Olympus E-PL5 with a Panasonic f1.7 20mm lens. The second is a day shot with my dash cam, and the third is a nite shot with my dash cam. One other thing I noticed was that my camera had a hard time focusing at nite. The only thing I don't like about my dash cam is gps not working all the time. I guess it is the sungate and small antenna.

When you view the clips you should set the resolution to 1080p since they all are. Google defaults to 480. The viewer looks the same as you tube.

Oly

Dash cam day

Dash cam nite

Nite 2

And here is one I gig with my camera at nite just holding it on my dash which is the reason it is so jittery. You could try it with your camera to see how it does.

Camera nite

Frankenstein is a great song. Better than Flight of the Bumble Bees in many ways. I've always
wondered how some southern white trash boys came up with it.

The dash cam videos are pretty good. More contrast which is ok during the day but not at night.
My old Sony handycam could tape in virtual darkness. Looked like one of those fancy military night
vision videos. The contrast really needs to be reduced to bring out much more details in the
shadows. Technically possible but not something the camera makers are willing to do.

Flasheroo wrote:

Thanks for the info Dwayne,unfortunately these cameras will soon become a requirement of your insurance company.With all the scam artist out there trying to rip the honest man off at every stoplight these cameras make a lot of sense especially for our more senior drivers.At 58 I have come to the realization that I am one of those more senior drivers. 

Are early bird dinner specials really all that?  

I've been thinking about this for a while. Especially because I only have the minimum requirement liability insurance.
I was thinking about getting a GoPro for filming car stuff and possibly using it as a dashcam too but I know it's not really good for a dashcam because it's not made for that and the battery life compared to cameras made specifically for being used as a dashcam.
Been looking at http://www.szswill.com/car-camera.html
Any suggestions?

Dont know what you guys want to spend but I just got an ad from TomTom about their new truckers camera with onboard GPS that monitors everything,speed at impact,your exact location and direction and everything else that may come up in court.Runs about 250 with all the gadgets and 230 for the base unit.

GPS based speed recording is a double-edged sword. First off, if you are exceeding the speed limit at the time of an incident, your camera will tell on you. Second, GPS are notorious for showing a higher than actual speed occasionally. If they are having reception problems (eg: heavy clouds, window tint, a tunnel, bridge, buildings or trees) the positioning is not completely accurate. As they change their little electronic minds about the location, the speed is reported as if the GPS unit moved from here to there -- instantaneously. So personally, I opted not to buy a unit with GPS speed recording.