Dash Camera

[Hog]

actually it is hi res, and loop overwrite in 5 minute blocks. What happens is that potholes activate the "lock video" feature, so it thinks I was in a crash, then it never overwrites that 5 minute block again. After 4-5 months, all my slots end up "locked" and it stops recording, so I take it out and clean it out on the PC. I like the lock feature, so I do not want to disable it, I can live with an occasional cleaning.

 

[Coss]

actually it is hi res, and loop overwrite in 5 minute blocks. What happens is that potholes activate the "lock video" feature, so it thinks I was in a crash, then it never overwrites that 5 minute block again. After 4-5 months, all my slots end up "locked" and it stops recording, so I take it out and clean it out on the PC. I like the lock feature, so I do not want to disable it, I can live with an occasional cleaning.

How big of a chip are you using?
One other little trivia piece on memory chips/cards/sticks and the such is that they don't last forever; the do have a defined number of times they can be written to and from. How many times that is, is different with every type of device and manufacturer; you have to read the specs on your specific memory chip to find out what that count is. Good rule of thumb; if it's going to be holding valuable data that you do not want to chance loosing; replace the memory chip every 3 to 5 years; 2 to 3 years if it's in a harsh environment (Hot is one of the biggest chip killers).

 

[outsydthebox]

.......
replace the memory chip every 3 to 5 years; 2 to 3 years if it's in a harsh environment (Hot is one of the biggest chip killers).

All I know is what my friend told me. He got his dash cam about 2 years ago, and says he replaces sd cards every year. He also keeps an extra one close at hand and after an "incident" will pop a new card in place and download when he gets home.

He also told me about the "g-shock" feature and potholes causing it to save clips. He turns it "off" and uses the red triangle button. When you push the button, it will save 30 seconds before and 30 seconds after. Then turns it back on when he is parked at truck stops.

 

[Ty]

OK, so now I'm thinking about a dash camera .... I'm looking for one that can be easily transferred from vehicle to another vehicle .... recommendations would be appreciated :

"A woman in San Diego learned the value of recording everything that happens on the road this weekend when a man tried to scam her while in traffic.

Tom, who didn't give WKBW Buffalo his last name, told the news station he mounted a dashboard camera to his wife's SUV after a near miss earlier this year. The camera was rolling Sunday afternoon when a sedan ahead of her SUV suddenly stopped 20 feet from a stop sign in North Park, California. She slammed on the brakes, stopping just short of hitting the sedan.

The driver, however, got out of his car and started berating the woman for rear-ending his car. He was so aggressive she drove away, fearing for her and her children's safety. Later she called the police, and found out the other driver had contacted them as well. Tom's wife was surprised to learn the other car had a damaged bumper and was blaming her. The two exchanged insurance information, despite the lack of damage to the SUV.

When police told the driver of the sedan that there was a recording of the incident he seemingly disappeared. Tom's theory is that the man was running a scam. "So I'm speculating because he realizes he got rear ended or something happened, and how he wants to get paid for it and we were going to be the victims," Tom told WKBW.

This story clearly illustrates why everyone should consider investing in dashboard-mounted cameras for their cars. Russian drivers have known the value of dashboard cameras for years. Insurance fraud is rife in Russia, and certainly happens on American roads as well. Dash cams have already helped driver's here in the states, whether its catching a dealership employee behaving badly, or a cop threatening drivers during a traffic stop."

taken from this link

I keep my phone mounted in my windshield horizontally, like all cameras and phones should be held when taking a picture. The holder is a wireless charger for my phone. There's an app called "Autoboy Black box" that records on a loop. It'll save so much footage before over-writing it. Anyway, I don't use it all the time but it is better than having to tote around another camera. My Droid doesn't NEED to be charged while in the truck but since the charger is wireless, why not, right? The phone dies every other day or so if I don't charge it so that is a good way to remember to keep it charged. I like to use "Waze" for navigation even though I don't need directions to work. It's nice to know when accidents are ahead so I can re-route. It's a shame that my truck has such a nice looking navigation screen that is out of date... That's a good reason to go the route that Elio is going... As long as they let me use an android tablet instead of an ipod... I can get a 7" Kindle for $49 now. I'd probably just leave that one in the car all the time though probably out of site.

 

[Ty]

I have been using a Go Pro Hero3 for 7 months and it takes fantastic pictures.
Cost was $199.00 + $49.00 for the suction cup windshield mount.
I have already had 3 close calls, and have them saved.
The video's are big, but what would you expect filming for 2.5 hours.
Batteries are good for about 3 hours (I carry 2 spares on long trips) and it has a 64GB micro SDHC card in it ($24).
I tried 5 or 6 cheap ones before it and never had any luck with them.
I will swear by the Go Pro as one of the best; the feature set is second to none.
It does have WiFi, plus a bunch of others
www.gopro.com

You already have a phone that probably shoots HD video...

 

[Coss]

I keep my phone mounted in my windshield horizontally, like all cameras and phones should be held when taking a picture. The holder is a wireless charger for my phone. There's an app called "Autoboy Black box" that records on a loop. It'll save so much footage before over-writing it. Anyway, I don't use it all the time but it is better than having to tote around another camera. My Droid doesn't NEED to be charged while in the truck but since the charger is wireless, why not, right? The phone dies every other day or so if I don't charge it so that is a good way to remember to keep it charged. I like to use "Waze" for navigation even though I don't need directions to work. It's nice to know when accidents are ahead so I can re-route. It's a shame that my truck has such a nice looking navigation screen that is out of date... That's a good reason to go the route that Elio is going... As long as they let me use an android tablet instead of an ipod... I can get a 7" Kindle for $49 now. I'd probably just leave that one in the car all the time though probably out of site.

Get a Dragon Touch tablet ! 10" $100 or less The one I have is Kit Kat and it's 9 months old; great unit.

As for the Go Pro vs. the phone; been there, tried that, got the t-shirt. It's didn't do as well as the GoPro does.

 

[Hog]

I knew about the triangle button instant lock, it just doesnt save enough video. Too many times after an accident there is a big argument or threats made and I want all that recorded. Even what the cops say during the investigation. I keep a spare card so in case of such an incident I can pop out the card and put the spare in. The card is 64G, so it lasts a long time. I have had it in the camera for about three years now. No issues.

 

[Ekh]

I reformat my cards every time I download to computer, which is after every photo shoot. I have only had one card fail over the years, and the circumstances were unusual. I have even run a couple of compact flash cards through the laundry (back pocket of jeans) and they were none the worse for wear. I currently use a 64 gig compact flash card and 2 32 gig SD cards -- and have only filled them up once, doing an automated series of star shots.

For movies, 10 is the number to use with your GoPro.

 

[Coss]

I reformat my cards every time I download to computer, which is after every photo shoot. I have only had one card fail over the years, and the circumstances were unusual. I have even run a couple of compact flash cards through the laundry (back pocket of jeans) and they were none the worse for wear. I currently use a 64 gig compact flash card and 2 32 gig SD cards -- and have only filled them up once, doing an automated series of star shots.

For movies, 10 is the number to use with your GoPro.

Always use 10's, same for my DSLR.
I had a USB flash drive fall out of my pocket in a parking lot. When I realized I had dropped it was about 4 hours later; went back to the lot and retraced my steps and did find it. It had been run over a number of times; took it home, straightened the contacts and managed to plug it in (the case was a mess) and all of the data was intact! Offloaded it to the network, and then gave the drive a nice burial in the landfill.

 

[JEBar]

our Black Box G1W Original Dashboard Dash Cam specifically recommends 4 - 6 .... some user evaluations mentioned problems like locking up with 10