In message , Bill Wright
writes
On 30/05/2018 23:40, F wrote:
I'm about to install a Next Base 312GW dashcam in Management's car
and am not sure on whether I should connect it to a permanently-on
source or one which is live only when the ignition is turned on.
The car is parked on the drive overnight, so it would be useful to
have a recording of anyone messing with it, and the local supermarket
seems to collect drivers who think they're auditioning for some kind
of demolition derby.
If I was to wire it permanently-on, what would the downsides, other
than an eventually flat battery, be?
I should add that it does have a 'parking mode' that responds to
movement, but that needs to be set manually each time the car is
parked, something I'm not sure might happen...

Funnily enough I've just installed a 512 in my van. When I installed
one in Hil's car it obviously sensed the supply voltage and switched on
when the alternator started, then switched off a minute after the
engine was turned off. That's ideal for our purposes, but the one I
just installed seems to run all the time there's a nominal 12V supply.
I haven't read the instructions yet or downloaded new firmware, so I'll
probably know more tomorrow.
If you had one running all night you'd over-write previous recordings
very quick. And it might make cold weather starting a bit problematic
if you didn't use the car for a few days.

I'll repeat some things I posted recently about my main dashcam (ddPai)
which has a vaguely similar spec.
Both these cams, I believe, use internal batteries rather than big
capacitors to allow them to close down cleanly.
Mine ran off a permanently powered cigar lighter socket, rather than
being fully plumbed in. The supplied 12v to 5v adapter went very
intermittent, so I replaced it with one that shows the 2 voltages and
the current, as I had doubts about the cam internal battery.
The normal current taken by the cam was 0.5A, but I started noticing it
had risen to 0.8A. Taking the cam to bits, I found that the battery was
bulging. I removed it, and the amps went back down to 0.5.
My ddPai is now running without internal battery and the consumption is
usually 0.5A, dropping to 0.2A - 0.3A in the automatic 1 frame per sec
parking mode. I think the current drop is possibly because the GPS goes
into standby mode, but may be totally wrong.

There are pics online of internal battery dashcams that have exploded
after being in the sun in a parked car.

My dashcam was in parking mode outside the house and recorded foot and
road traffic during 2 burglaries. I got pictures of recognisable people
off the internal card, but in both cases the car was facing the wrong
way to prove anything.

I now use the cams in both vehicles via permanently on 12v sockets, but
remove the plug if the car is going to be left for some time.

I'm very enthusiastic about the 12v adapters with the current display.
--
Bill