Dash Cam : Your Install and Lessons Learned

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The_Burban

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What you got? Wishes? Working well? Install details? If you could do it again? Advice?

Ready to install. Think I want parking feature, front and rear..
 

swathdiver

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What you got? Wishes? Working well? Install details? If you could do it again? Advice?

Ready to install. Think I want parking feature, front and rear..

I bought a basic dual cam for about $100. It does what it's intended to do. Resolution is good but cannot read license plates from more than a few car lengths away. Night vision outside is decent, would like better for interior. Cam is installed so rear camera can also see out the back and a little bit on either side but is primarily for passenger compartment. If left on in a hot car, it gets too hot and won't record anymore. I did not do a hard installation, was not set on placement and model at the time.

It's an Eachpai X9, lots of features including GPS. Wireless to phones would be good for replay but I just pull the Micro SD card and download wanted files to the desktop. 128GB card is nice, 32GB barely last 4 hours. Screen is good, some are way too big and intrusive on windshield. This one is fairly discreet.

Many cams seemingly come from multiple manufacturers, maybe so. But I found that this one was offered by 6 or 7 different companies and while the housing and camera lenses and such were the same, the features and warranties and support varied greatly.

So this is what I bought: https://www.amazon.com/EACHPAI-Capa...1_1?keywords=eachpai+x9&qid=1573307768&sr=8-1

And if doing so again would probably get this: https://www.amazon.com/Resistant-Ca...3?keywords=eachpai+x200&qid=1573307830&sr=8-3

There's one that does not come with GPS antenna for $30 less, which is the one I'd buy as mine would plug right in.

Do a search, we've talked about them on here before and my choice is by no means the "best", just best for me at the time.
 
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I installed a Viofo A129 Duo. It's 2 separate cameras, main one in front and a little one goes in the rear. They also have a A129 Duo IR model that has IR functionality on the little rear camera. It can be used looking out the back window or rotated inward to record the interior. It also comes with a smaller rear camera cord so you can mount the rear camera on the front windshield separate from the main camera and use it for an interior camera.

They just released the A129 Pro version, which is a 4k model.

I mounted the rear camera to the plastic trim around the rear window. It comes with a 6 meter cord which would probably work if you run it through the headliner, but I didn't. They sell an 8 meter rear cord that I used. Mounted the front main camera just to the passenger side rear view mirror mount so it is hidden by the DOT MATRIX pattern on the windshield with only the camera lens hanging down below them. It is also not visible while driving, the mirror blocks it. The rear camera cord is ran tucked into the headliner across the front to the passenger side, down the A pillar to the floor, then ran under the plastic trim door sill covers to the back. Once at the back ran it up to the top of the trim at the center of the liftgate opening and ran it through the rubber boot to the liftgate. I made a notch cutout on the edge of the trim piece at the top of the rear window glass for the cord to come through and mounted the camera there on the trim.

Its at the top center of the window and still faces back/downward when the glass is opened, but will point upward when the liftgate is opened. It could be mounted to the trim that goes across the back headliner, which wouldn't require fishing it through the rubber boot and removing the lifgate trim, but it would need a spacer to hang it down low enough to have a clear view out the glass. It could also be mounted to the rear glass, but you would need to leave a loop of cable slack for when the liftgate or window was opened. I wanted a cleaner install and not any cable loops hanging down.

I'll get pics later today
 
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The_Burban

The_Burban

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Thanks folks. I'll be on the hunt for a solution and this helps. It seems so many of the reviews online are faked.
 

R3cord303

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Thanks folks. I'll be on the hunt for a solution and this helps. It seems so many of the reviews online are faked.
I'll post some pictures of how i did mine here in a few when I go to the store. I only have a front camera.
 

BG1988

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make sure you keep the mic on so you can read out the plate
 

Doubeleive

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Garmin dashcam 20, standard dashcam with gps and shows the map, speed, direction of travel when you replay a video on your pc, records sound, impacts, etc I have had it at least 4 years, it is wired to accessory power so whenever the key is on it is recording automatically.
whatever you choose be sure to replace the SD card about once a year, sd cards can only handle so many reads/writes then they start to fail, so replacing it yearly is HIGHLY recommended or else you may end up with corrupted video that could have been important.
 

ndzxl

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Is anyone grabbing 12v or 5v power from the homelink garage door opener above the rearview mirror?

I see most recommend the fuse panel by the drivers door or also at wiring near the brake pedal. You wouldn't have to run the wires around the A pillar if you could pull from the homelink.

I haven't verified if the garage door buttons are disabled with ignition off. My BMW's are, supposedly to prevent a car burglar from opening your garage door.

I have a 12v to 5v USB adapter that I plan to wire up, with USB to micro USB, to my AUKEY DR02 dash cam.
 
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My garage door buttons work when key is out of ignition

2001 Yukon SLT
2012 Yukon Denali XL
2011 Yukon Denali RIP 5/20/18
 

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