Author Topic: ...and now including cameras!  (Read 3145 times)

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Offline Phmode

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...and now including cameras!
« on: March 01, 2019, 10:40:40 am »
Nowhere else to put this so it is here...

I have two Drift cameras, a Ghost and a Stealth which I run in whichever vehicle I happen to be using. The Ghost is 'normally' in the car and the smaller Stealth on the bike helmet.

However, both are too complicated for my needs (read 'for my pea-like brain') and neither seems to work well when in charging mode with a 12v to USB charger unit. Also, the Stealth has a limited battery life and even when plugged in, the Ghost stills runs its battery down and then starts acting oddly.

I’m looking for a 12v unit to run permanently on the bikes and maybe also in the car. Well, permanent with ignition, even I don't want Gigabytes of footage of the inside of my garage door   ::)

Finding one that runs and over-write records while on 12v is easy but most are not waterproof.

So, I want...

NOT a Go-Pro sized or form-factor'd brick.
Preferably a 'bullet' cam.
12v feed (not via a USB charger unit)
'Car mode' where it simply over-writes older files.
On with ignition OR no current draw when OFF.
At least shower-proof for the bike ones which will be mounted behind the screen.

My cameras are for safety reasons, I’m not into posting footage of my mis-deeds on soshal meedya.

So, what are you, our esteemed and wise members, using. Go-Pro and Drift advocates need not apply.

Big membership subscription discounts for the best suggestions  8)

Brian (who doesn't mind his footage being used against him as long as it can be used for him  ::) )

Offline richtea

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Re: ...and now including cameras!
« Reply #1 on: March 01, 2019, 11:20:58 am »
Helmet cam, or bike cam?

You might want to consider using your nifty battery jump starter pack as a USB power source. It's got more than a days worth, I reckon, if its 10,000mAh or higher. But the camera will probably need to be 5v input.

Andym535

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Re: ...and now including cameras!
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2019, 12:05:51 pm »
I've got a Blackvue something or other in the car. front+back cameras + GPS + wiFi. It's been in the car for the last 7 years (180,000 miles), had to change the memory card once as it got corrupted after years of use. Generally just forget about it, unless something interesting happens in which case I connect to the camera using wifi and the phone app to copy the footage. I run it without audio, but there's a audio recording on/off button on the side just in case I ever want to bug any passengers. Looks like a bullet camera, but sort of sideways on.

Offline Phmode

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Re: ...and now including cameras!
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2019, 02:53:22 pm »
Helmet cam, or bike cam?

You might want to consider using your nifty battery jump starter pack as a USB power source. It's got more than a days worth, I reckon, if its 10,000mAh or higher. But the camera will probably need to be 5v input.

Nah! Thats' most definitely NOT what I want. I want to fit it and forget it. No adaptors, no fiddling with menus. No hassle. The Ghost quietly turns itself off when its internal battery gets low which it does even with it plugged into a USB charger. Not good as I don't notice it till I notice it...

Offline Phmode

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Re: ...and now including cameras!
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2019, 02:55:47 pm »
I've got a Blackvue something or other in the car. front+back cameras + GPS + wiFi. It's been in the car for the last 7 years (180,000 miles), had to change the memory card once as it got corrupted after years of use. Generally just forget about it, unless something interesting happens in which case I connect to the camera using wifi and the phone app to copy the footage. I run it without audio, but there's a audio recording on/off button on the side just in case I ever want to bug any passengers. Looks like a bullet camera, but sort of sideways on.

Thanks for that Andy. I have seen one similar but with only one camera. Your experience bodes well for my 'fit and forget' desire.

Andym535

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Re: ...and now including cameras!
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2019, 04:03:59 pm »
The Blackvue has two cameras that stick on the front and back windows, a cable that links them together and a cigarette lighter power plug. I plugged mine into the lighter socket that's in the boot in the car and poked the wires into the headlining out of the way.

The power socket is switched with the ignition, so it goes off when the car is parked. The Blackvue has a small built in battery so it has time to shut itself down cleanly when it senses the power supply is off, which probably helps a lot in extending the life of the SD card. It has an asian female voice that says ' Blackvue for your safe driving; starting normal recording' when it starts up and 'The Blackvue is now shutting down' when the power is cut off. Other than that it says 'WiFi On', 'Starting Audio Recording' or 'Please check the SD card' type things as and when needed. Just enough so you know it's working (or not), so you can forget about it.

Mine's quite old now; current ones work the same but have better cameras. Can't fault the reliability though. The car OBC says I average 41mph, so 180k is about 4,400 hours of recording x 2 cameras means the card must have been re-written to hundreds of times before it died. I do need to spend less time driving the car though...

Offline sudolea

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Re: ...and now including cameras!
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2019, 05:07:18 pm »
Brian, I've had an INNOVV K1 dashcam system mounted on my K1300S. Front and rear camera, power on = start operation, power off = stop operation. Loop operation mode = older images get overwritten by newer. Cool, isn't it ?

Pity : never worked - EMC interference is my best guess : worked when the engine wasn't running, and as soon as I started my engine, it freaked out never to work until power reset. Then I mounted it onto my GSX-S1000. Worked better, but still not OK. Always the same story : as soon as the engine started (or heat increased), it didn't function properly. On a motorbike, you can't do anything else but lead the camera's wires along your engine, which I think is the cause of the malfunctioning. On the other hand, if you're mounting this in your car, there's no need at all to lead the wires along an EMC-interference- sensitive source. Who knows if it works.

Hence my proposal : I can send it to you (I first have to unmount it from my GSX-S1000, however), and if you get it working on your car, we'll talk about how many (or few) beers you own me ;-) If you're intrested, note that I'm out for a good week from now, so I may not respond promptly (if at all).
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Offline TomK1300s

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Re: ...and now including cameras!
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2019, 07:20:37 pm »
Hi Brian I have the INNOVV K2 and it works great, once fitted just forget all about it, on the GS its mounted under the rear subframe beneath the seat, wires for front camera run past the engine with no problems.
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Offline sudolea

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Re: ...and now including cameras!
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2019, 07:44:40 pm »
Hi Brian I have the INNOVV K2 and it works great, once fitted just forget all about it, on the GS its mounted under the rear subframe beneath the seat, wires for front camera run past the engine with no problems.

I seem to have paid for the development of yours.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2019, 08:39:03 pm by richtea »
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Offline Phmode

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Re: ...and now including cameras!
« Reply #9 on: March 01, 2019, 08:38:27 pm »
Brian, I've had an INNOVV K1 dashcam system mounted on my K1300S. Front and rear camera, power on = start operation, power off = stop operation. Loop operation mode = older images get overwritten by newer. Cool, isn't it ?

Pity : never worked - EMC interference is my best guess : worked when the engine wasn't running, and as soon as I started my engine, it freaked out never to work until power reset. Then I mounted it onto my GSX-S1000. Worked better, but still not OK. Always the same story : as soon as the engine started (or heat increased), it didn't function properly. On a motorbike, you can't do anything else but lead the camera's wires along your engine, which I think is the cause of the malfunctioning. On the other hand, if you're mounting this in your car, there's no need at all to lead the wires along an EMC-interference- sensitive source. Who knows if it works.

Hence my proposal : I can send it to you (I first have to unmount it from my GSX-S1000, however), and if you get it working on your car, we'll talk about how many (or few) beers you own me ;-) If you're intrested, note that I'm out for a good week from now, so I may not respond promptly (if at all).

You (and by inference Tom) are stars. I will take you up on your kind offer to re-home your K1. It has three chances to work; car, K13S and wee Honda. I've sent you a pm with address details etc.

The beers (ice cold and very, very frothy) will be available for collection on the Wrinklies trip. If you fail to make it, I’ll send you tokens for real Belgian 🍺

Offline sudolea

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Re: ...and now including cameras!
« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2019, 08:17:41 am »
Any update on this, Brian ? What value should I set your perseverance counter at, in the meantime ? I hope you can report that you got it in a decently working state (but I fear a disaster story instead)...
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Offline Phmode

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Re: ...and now including cameras!
« Reply #11 on: March 28, 2019, 11:41:10 am »
Well, working, yes, sort of!

I like the small, solid-state armour-plated cameras which are discrete and bomb-proof.

However, the job of 'hiding' or otherwise mounting the control box cum video recorder / monitor is baffling me, especially as it isn't waterproof.

Also, I can't get the auto-start with ignition to work.

At the current rate of progress, a notebook and pencil might be more effective... 8)