Curtisden Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Also Posted Elsewhere Location: West Kent East Neuk Fifer L 2012 Re Dash Cams here is my contribution. Last month on a trip to the central highlands in Scotland I was driving down a very narrow remote 25 mile dead end road to Ranoch Moor taking my time and care on the many blind corners in my small 6 meter Camper. As we carefully approached a bend to the left on a slight down hill stretch suddenly 30 foot front of me a Orange Ford Focus XR came towards us on my side of the road, cutting the corner at what must have been 50+ MPH? I was going so slow I was able to put it against the stone wall on my left and stop without skidding. So close that the mirror folded. The driver just missed my front by inches, never slowed and was gone as quickly as he arrived. I could have damaged my Camper but he did not care just happy he had missed me and was gone. There was no chance of getting his number as he was there and gone in 2 seconds. Then last week in Southern Cornwall driving down again some very narrow roads to Gorran Haven I noticed that the majority of cars were either driving in the centre of the road, too fast or cutting corners and junction with little awareness of how dangerous it was. Re the Scottish incident. That was plain dangerous driving. Re Cornwall I think the condition of the uncut hedgerows contributes to the problem and makes drivers who are unsure of their width frightened of scratching their pride and joy drive so badly and dangerously Result I have fitted both my cars with web cams and will use one in the camper from now on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliffy Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I fitted one to our van prior to our trip to Spain and France this year, We did not get Hi-Jacked going round Barcelona and we did not have any bumps or narrow escapes I am pleased to say but we did get fantastic video of us going over the Milau Bridge. Just this weekend I have hard wired it in as the only problem we had was the plug kept vibrating out of the cigar lighter socket.and sure as eggs is eggs if we had had a crash it would have been whilst it was disconnected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I bought one of these; http://www.avrmobiles.co.uk/acatalog/mio-mivue-538-deluxe-in-car-dash-cam.html#a908254 Image resolution is really good and it indicates speed (in mph or kph), has speed cams in, but the main feature is GPS tracking which is invaluable in the event of a serious or disputed accident. My only gripe is the 32gb card doesn't take long to get overwritten and if you use want to use "Park Mode", it takes a fair chunk of the card up so i don't bother with that. I think it will only be a matter of time before insurance companies offer discounts to vehicles fitted with a dash cam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 For anyone thinking of buying a dash cam, there are reviews of 29 models in the current Consumers Association magazine ( "Which" ) that could be of interest. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I bought the "highly recommended" dash cam from reading a review I think in Autocar. Well, where do I begin. It has an internal battery that goes flat after just a couple of days, requiring the whole thing to be reset for time and date, which is really frustrating ( apparently par for the course with many ) but I'm told isn't actually a battery, but a capacitor. It is described as full HD, and on first look the footage recorded was I thought remarkably good, but then I discovered it's fatal flaw, whilst following a vehicle in front of you one can read the number plate quite clearly, but any vehicle coming from the opposite direction any faster than a pushbike renders the number plate illegible, which kind of makes the whole thing pointless, in addition although widescreen footage is recorded, there is no way that you could really establish your exact position on the road if that was a factor in the event of an accident, wish I'd saved my money instead of buying over hyped Chinese junk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtisden Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Joe Not like you? Don't be shy name and shame so we all can avoid that problem. Cost name and memory card size would be useful? I have to say myTranscend 100 does not seem to have that problem. Early Days. It may be down to the frames per second. Some cheap cams are only 25fpm. Also resolution is a factor if set too low. Combined its a no no. Oh Yes Hard wire with a Add a fuse direct to the Fuse box with a 1 amp fuse and switching off is a thing of the past. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Ha ha, not sure that I can name and shame on here, just giving my view of my unit. Memory card is a Transcend 32 Gb micro sd HCI, ( hopefully to be fully compatible with the dash cam lol ) formatted in the device, resolution on camera on highest settings. Take on board the suggestion to hard wire it, but do I really want to have on display a dash cam 24/7 ? surely the inclusion of a small back up battery for something costing £90 wouldn't have been much to expect In any event the footage of oncoming vehicles number plates being illegible remains as fas as I'm concerned the fatal flaw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I've got the Eprance Mini 0805 and it's really good. You can freeze the playback and read oncoming number plates. They are £78 on Amazon. I read recently about the A118 camera they get excellent reviews on Amazon and are only £45. Both these cameras are small neat things with an adhesive pad rather than the big sucker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I've had a Roadhawk dash cam for over 5 years and would not be without it , mainly for use in Europe , because if there was an incident I would not have been able to argue my case in a foreign language . Another point as it also records your correct speed there could be proof you were not speeding even if Mr Plod said you definately were. I believe some insurance companies are going to offer a discount where a dash cam is fitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombies Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 A dashcam isnt something I have thought of having, not for getting footage of someone who might hit me anyway, been driving 28 years and never had the need. That said, on my phone (android) I have used a good program called CarO pro and this records video from your phone camera for set periods and starts either from engine start or from when GPS movement is detected. A good piece of kit if setup properly. It also has (via bluetooth OBD2 reader £5) shows the engine running condition, engine temp and any engine fault codes should any fault occur. If you have a half decent phone (Samsung s2 might be okay and these can be had for £40) this is a better option for me, it might not be as user friendly as a dash cam but I think the quality will be better. On my phones (note 4 and K zoom) I can record in slow motion so this could help in picking up number plates and also getting a prolonged view of any scenery although I havent tried this via the CarO pro app. Whilst I can see the argument of using a dash cam I hate it in this country where we area always looking for someone to blame. As said I have never needed a dashcam before and if the time did come up then so be it. Maybe it is an excuse to buy a gadget though. This is my reason not to have a permanent reversing camera monitor, with that, a sat nav and a dash cam I would say you have too much distracting you from the road in front. A recent mobile phone can do the lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 The problem seems to be, that for every brand reviews by people that own them are mixed to say the least, your brand being no different from any other in that regard, some ecstatic, some completely dire, and at £250 a go for a Roadhawk it's hardly small change. So who to believe, someone that has a good experience or someone ( of which there are many ) with this kind of review below :'( My first road hawk HD was faulty, I found out that it was faulty when I needed to find some video footage concerning a minor incident. Lots of the file segments including the video file I needed were missing. After lots of arguments with the manufacturer they replaced my unit. I had to bear the cost of postage, which was a cheek. The 2nd unit arrived, I installed it in my car, I do very little mileage in this car, I use the car at charity car shows and the like, and wanted the footage of the charity drives that I was giving. I was in the company of such cars as a Zonda, and a Konnigsegg and really wanted to capture the day. When I got home, and loaded up the SD card, you guessed it the footage was all missing. I have now spoken to road hawk again, I have requested my money back, this was over 10 days ago, hardly any communication back from them. They are one of the most unhelpful companies I have ever dealt with EDIT, the poster above makes an interesting few points, perhaps an App is the way to go, rather than yet another gadget, just wonder how a smartphone would hold up running for hours and hours recording footage though, and in the heat of direct sunlight through the windscreen, the HD video recorded on my Motorola Razr i is superb, perhaps I'll give it a go. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Joe90 - 2015-07-21 11:30 AM The problem seems to be, that for every brand reviews by people that own them are mixed to say the least, your brand being no different from any other in that regard, some ecstatic, some completely dire, and at £250 a go for a Roadhawk it's hardly small change. So who to believe, someone that has a good experience or someone ( of which there are many ) with this kind of review below :'( That is why I always prefer to read reviews by the Consumers Association where they apply the same tests and criteria to a number of models ( of dash cams or anything else ) and give objective summaries. They don't take any advertising so don't have to worry about upsetting anyone.. We never know who writes the reviews on websites - could be all the employees of the company making the product ! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Come on Malc, spill the beans, I can't afford a subscription to Which :D Although I note the top one reviewed ( but not named unless you take out a subscription ) only gets a 70% score :-( But you make a good point, I neither work for, or supply dash cams, neither do I work for the Consumer association, perhaps in that case it's OK to say my Transcend dash cam is total crap. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtisden Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Joe You got me worried re the detail re numberplate of cars coming towards you as a have a Transcend 100 dash cam. In fact 2. As I had not viewed the output I took out the card and downloaded into my photo editing software the video files. Well yes there is a difference. but the oncoming cars number plates are quite readable. But seems to me its quite obvious why? A Car going in your direction is a leaving your location at 0 mph. A Car coming towards is roughly double your speed. IE your speed 30 mph and the oncoming 30 making a closing overall speed of 60MPH? So at 70mph thats 140mph. So at 30 FPM its going to struggle. Pheeh! happy again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Curtisden - 2015-07-21 2:33 PM ...there is a difference. but the oncoming cars number plates are quite readable. But seems to me its quite obvious why? A Car going in your direction is a leaving your location at 0 mph. A Car coming towards is roughly double your speed. IE your speed 30 mph and the oncoming 30 making a closing overall speed of 60MPH? So at 70mph thats 140mph. So at 30 FPM its going to struggle. Pheeh! happy again. Presumably, if the evidential requirement was pressing enough, the police would use their clever image enhancement techniques on the vieo images to get the regstration number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dep123 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I bought a Mobius Action camera in May and have used it every trip since in my car and just take it from the car into the MH when we go away. Plugs into 12v via USB cable. Very small and lightweight as it has no monitor. That said, when you need to review footage, the images are fantastic and being able to pause for registration numbers etc is great. Night vision excellent. To use as a full time dashcam it is essential to swap the battery for a super capacitor. (Very straight forward). Lots of reviews and You Tube videos. It does originate in China or somewhere East of me anyway but appears well put together and much better value for money than many. About £60 for camera, £15 for capacitor and price of memory card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I've got the mobius action camera in our motorhome too and the footage is excellent. You get about 4 hours on a 32gb card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasnt Me Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Hello I bought one after reading posts on here. I didn't want to spend much at first so bought one of these http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=301042725960&alt=web It turns on with the ignition, records ten minute sections, has a date stamp, you can take photos and then it turns off when the ignition goes off. I have not reviewed the picture quality yet, so cannot comment on it. I suppose the test will be if I need the evidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Unfortunately link not available Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Link worked for me It's yet another quality Chinese Dash cam ;-) £18 including postage :D Zeiss optics no doubt. 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 There are several motoring situations where another view of the incident is very helpful, eg a collision where each driver blames the other and no independant witnesses. I bought my Roadhawk after an incident in a French Village where a parked car opened a door as I drove slowly past. She blamed me for driving into her door, I blamed her for opening it. When we got home I bought the Roadhawk. Eight months later I got my excess back (without any camera help) so it ended happily. The Roadhawk catches 1 min segments and has provided some interesting coverage of holiday driving. Each night after a driving day I download any interesting bits to give me a review of the driving and sights on that holiday. cheers alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Joe90 - 2015-07-21 2:08 PM Come on Malc, spill the beans, I can't afford a subscription to Which :D Although I note the top one reviewed ( but not named unless you take out a subscription ) only gets a 70% score :-( O.K Joe - I don't want you to lose any sleep wondering about it. The Consumers Association 'best buy' was a " Nextbase iN-car Cam 402G " ( with the 70% score ) - although there were a number of other : Good buys " ( As for the cost of belonging to the association - I reckon I may well have saved that much over the years avoiding dodgy products and services ). :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 malc d - 2015-07-22 10:31 AM Joe90 - 2015-07-21 2:08 PM Come on Malc, spill the beans, I can't afford a subscription to Which :D Although I note the top one reviewed ( but not named unless you take out a subscription ) only gets a 70% score :-( O.K Joe - I don't want you to lose any sleep wondering about it. The Consumers Association 'best buy' was a " Nextbase iN-car Cam 402G " ( with the 70% score ) - although there were a number of other : Good buys " ( As for the cost of belonging to the association - I reckon I may well have saved that much over the years avoiding dodgy products and services ). :-D Thanks, I'm sure that information will be of interest to others as well as me, and I fully take on board the worth of subscribing to Which, something we used to do some years ago, perhaps we'll do so again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagHal Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Also posted elsewhere West Midlands Police are going to start taking dash cam clips sent in by drivers as evidence for prosecution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Wasn't Me - 2015-07-22 7:21 AM Hello I bought one after reading posts on here. I didn't want to spend much at first so bought one of these http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=301042725960&alt=web It turns on with the ignition, records ten minute sections, has a date stamp, you can take photos and then it turns off when the ignition goes off. I have not reviewed the picture quality yet, so cannot comment on it. I suppose the test will be if I need the evidence. Try a 32GB card in and let us know how you go on. Chinese Cams are notorious for not supporting 32gb despite the tech spec stating they will. My first cam was a cheapo Chinky job and could only get it to work with a max of 16gb. The one i have now is fitted with 32gb and runs fine......but it cost over £100 so should do!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.