Being a toy addict, I ordered one of these from Amazon around Xmas and
it arrived today. It worked straight out of the box and looked very
good. The low light performance indoors was excellent. However, the
same could not be said for the instruction manual. It is printed in a
-10 type face and even under the double magnifier was a real challenge
to read. The manual said, to select the language, simply push the menu
button twice, another button once and a choice would appear. They were
correct, but the choice was in Russian! I finally discovered that if you
went down the Russian menu, the first option was to record in vga, the
second one of the options was to select the language---Chinese logic.
Once selected as English, all went well, so now I'll have to see if it
works in the car. It claims to be capable of HD recording, but with a
1.3Mp camera, it hardly seems worthwhile. There is claimed to be a reset
pin hole, I've yet to locate it and the manual doesn't point it out.

Gorra link then?

Jim K

Jim K wrote:
Gorra link then?

Jim K

http://www.amazon.co.uk/VISION-IN-CA...ref=pd_cp_ce_0

Delivery took 8 days

On 22/01/2014 14:43, Capitol wrote:
Being a toy addict, I ordered one of these from Amazon around Xmas
and it arrived today. It worked straight out of the box and looked very
good. The low light performance indoors was excellent. However, the
same could not be said for the instruction manual. It is printed in a
-10 type face and even under the double magnifier was a real challenge
to read. The manual said, to select the language, simply push the menu
button twice, another button once and a choice would appear. They were
correct, but the choice was in Russian! I finally discovered that if you
went down the Russian menu, the first option was to record in vga, the
second one of the options was to select the language---Chinese logic.
Once selected as English, all went well, so now I'll have to see if it
works in the car. It claims to be capable of HD recording, but with a
1.3Mp camera, it hardly seems worthwhile. There is claimed to be a reset
pin hole, I've yet to locate it and the manual doesn't point it out.


Rather more expensive, but I have had one of these in the car for a while:

http://domestic.roadhawk.co.uk/roadh...ack-box-camera

It has integral GPS, giving speed and position on a map, and will
automatically store 10 seconds either side of any impact in a separate file.

However, the one you have linked to might be useful for adding rear and
side views.

Colin Bignell

On Wednesday 22 January 2014 15:57 Jethro_uk wrote in uk.d-i-y:


It was then I thought how useful dashcams might be ...

I added a dashcam app to my phone - as it is clipped to the dash running
a GPS, it is already in a good position to do this - and it as GPS and
accurate time info, so it's almost perfect - except it vibrates a bit.


--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal
coverage

On Wed, 22 Jan 2014 15:47:34 +0000, Nightjar
wrote:

On 22/01/2014 14:43, Capitol wrote:
Being a toy addict, I ordered one of these from Amazon around Xmas
and it arrived today. It worked straight out of the box and looked very
good. The low light performance indoors was excellent. However, the
same could not be said for the instruction manual. It is printed in a
-10 type face and even under the double magnifier was a real challenge
to read. The manual said, to select the language, simply push the menu
button twice, another button once and a choice would appear. They were
correct, but the choice was in Russian! I finally discovered that if you
went down the Russian menu, the first option was to record in vga, the
second one of the options was to select the language---Chinese logic.
Once selected as English, all went well, so now I'll have to see if it
works in the car. It claims to be capable of HD recording, but with a
1.3Mp camera, it hardly seems worthwhile. There is claimed to be a reset
pin hole, I've yet to locate it and the manual doesn't point it out.


Rather more expensive, but I have had one of these in the car for a while:

http://domestic.roadhawk.co.uk/roadh...ack-box-camera

It has integral GPS, giving speed and position on a map, and will
automatically store 10 seconds either side of any impact in a separate file.

However, the one you have linked to might be useful for adding rear and
side views.

Colin Bignell

What strikes me is that your expensive one doesn't appear to have an
LCD screen, and I can't see it needs one anyway, so the cheap one, if
it was available without a screen would sell at well under £10, or
alternatively the same approximate price with a better camera.


--
Graham.


%Profound_observation%

On 22/01/2014 15:20, Capitol wrote:
Jim K wrote:
Gorra link then?

Jim K

http://www.amazon.co.uk/VISION-IN-CA...ref=pd_cp_ce_0

Delivery took 8 days
I don't get it.

Quote:

Dispatched from and sold by topwell.
For Genuine Original Product, please ONLY purchase from UKDigitalBay -
Digi4u

Are they saying don't buy from us or did they just rip off the
description without proof-reading it?

On 22/01/2014 17:02, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Wed, 22 Jan 2014 16:14:39 +0000, Tim Watts wrote:

On Wednesday 22 January 2014 15:57 Jethro_uk wrote in uk.d-i-y:


It was then I thought how useful dashcams might be ...

I added a dashcam app to my phone - as it is clipped to the dash running
a GPS, it is already in a good position to do this - and it as GPS and
accurate time info, so it's almost perfect - except it vibrates a bit.

When I got my new (work) phone, a Nokia Lumia 520, which came with maps
and turn-by-turn, I thought I'd try it out as an alternative sat nav ...
but the holder is useless. The vibration is silly....


Get a better holder, my 610 is fine with eBay cheapie holders. I find it
more convenient to put half of one of these somewhere on the dash

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Mobile...item4858519b70

and then stick one of the window sucker type on to that.

On Wednesday, 22 January 2014 16:14:39 UTC, Tim Watts wrote:
On Wednesday 22 January 2014 15:57 Jethro_uk wrote in uk.d-i-y:





It was then I thought how useful dashcams might be ...



I added a dashcam app to my phone - as it is clipped to the dash running

a GPS, it is already in a good position to do this - and it as GPS and

accurate time info, so it's almost perfect - except it vibrates a bit.





--

Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/



http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal

coverage

I always mount my phone in a cradle, and purely by chance last year I decided to record the video of a trip. As it happened, it was the day after some horrendous snowfall, and one of the roads I went through had huge snow drifts to the side, which I was reluctant to drive through. After pressure from my 10 year old and 7 year old (!), I drove through.

Put the video on youtube for relatives to see, and by chance it was picked up by two TV companies who have since paid me £175 for the rights to use the clip!

So, you never know - buy the cameras, they might earn you a few quid!!

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMZwB02em9E if you are intereseted - and no, I don't have adverts on the video so I'm not trying to scam views for cash!!)

Matt

On Wednesday 22 January 2014 17:02 Jethro_uk wrote in uk.d-i-y:

On Wed, 22 Jan 2014 16:14:39 +0000, Tim Watts wrote:

On Wednesday 22 January 2014 15:57 Jethro_uk wrote in uk.d-i-y:


It was then I thought how useful dashcams might be ...

I added a dashcam app to my phone - as it is clipped to the dash
running a GPS, it is already in a good position to do this - and it
as GPS and accurate time info, so it's almost perfect - except it
vibrates a bit.

When I got my new (work) phone, a Nokia Lumia 520, which came with
maps and turn-by-turn, I thought I'd try it out as an alternative sat
nav ... but the holder is useless. The vibration is silly....

The iBolt range are pretty sturdy. My vibration is only noticeable on
the dashcam recordings - they moslty come from th efact that I stuck the
suction disc onto the lid of a small compartment in th edash, being the
only smooth surface available.

However, I do not see one for the Lumia 520 - but you might find
something decent he

http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/cat/Lumia...ar-Holders.htm

I've had a couple of car holders from them and they've both been good.

My advice is either use the windscreen or stick a disc ot the dash and
use one with a suction cup.


--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal
coverage

In message , Capitol
writes
Jim K wrote:
Gorra link then?

Jim K


http://www.amazon.co.uk/VISION-IN-CA...rder-Black/dp/
B0085ZD17G/ref=pd_cp_ce_0

Delivery took 8 days

I bought one of those on ebay for the same price ages ago, and it is
excellent. The instructions are almost utterly useless, but can help a
bit when you understand how the translation misfired.

My Skoda has it stuck permanently to the windscreen behind the mirror,
and powered off the stupidly-placed cig lighter. It runs permanently if
the power is permanent, which it is in this car. If the power goes off
with the ignition, the camera runs on using its battery for a short
time, then closes down cleanly. It starts up again when power is
restored.

If someone knocks the power socket in the car and puts the power on and
off a few times, it can freeze, and needs to be reset by taking the
battery out for a minute or so. If SWMBO gets a handbag caught in the
plug, a deft yank to make the power-down permanent means you don't have
to reset it.

The screen is good for seeing that it is working and checking how much
the date and time has drifted. I've had one SD card fail, no other
faults.

The quality is adequate, I think the HD is some trickery and conversion,
and seems to overload the processor, so mine is on a lesser setting. I
haven't told SWMBO that it records everything spoken in the car as well.
I think the IR LED's on mine are useless or broken, but they were never
going to light up the countryside anyway.

The video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQAshCi70Yo

seems to show them amongst the devices being made.

I wish I'd had mine when the idiot zoomed past us down the outside lane
of the motorway, wasn't let in, couldn't stop and rode up on one of the
cones, losing all steering. We watched him sliding along the galvanised
crash barrier as we passed.
--
Bill

On 22/01/2014 16:43, Graham. wrote:
On Wed, 22 Jan 2014 15:47:34 +0000, Nightjar
wrote:

On 22/01/2014 14:43, Capitol wrote:
Being a toy addict, I ordered one of these from Amazon around Xmas
and it arrived today. It worked straight out of the box and looked very
good. The low light performance indoors was excellent. However, the
same could not be said for the instruction manual. It is printed in a
-10 type face and even under the double magnifier was a real challenge
to read. The manual said, to select the language, simply push the menu
button twice, another button once and a choice would appear. They were
correct, but the choice was in Russian! I finally discovered that if you
went down the Russian menu, the first option was to record in vga, the
second one of the options was to select the language---Chinese logic.
Once selected as English, all went well, so now I'll have to see if it
works in the car. It claims to be capable of HD recording, but with a
1.3Mp camera, it hardly seems worthwhile. There is claimed to be a reset
pin hole, I've yet to locate it and the manual doesn't point it out.


Rather more expensive, but I have had one of these in the car for a while:

http://domestic.roadhawk.co.uk/roadh...ack-box-camera

It has integral GPS, giving speed and position on a map, and will
automatically store 10 seconds either side of any impact in a separate file.

However, the one you have linked to might be useful for adding rear and
side views.

Colin Bignell

What strikes me is that your expensive one doesn't appear to have an
LCD screen, and I can't see it needs one anyway, so the cheap one, if
it was available without a screen would sell at well under £10, or
alternatively the same approximate price with a better camera.


I don't see a need for a screen on the camera. Roadhawk do offer one,
but I believe it is intended for instant reviews in a driver training
environment. I also don't really see much value in the IR LEDs, unless
it is intended for use in countries where you might be driving without
either street light or headlights. However, it is cheap and you might
end up with something worth uploading to YouTube.

Colin Bignell

In article ,
larkim wrote:

I always mount my phone in a cradle, and purely by chance last year I decided
to record the video of a trip. As it happened, it was the day after some
horrendous snowfall, and one of the roads I went through had huge snow drifts
to the side, which I was reluctant to drive through. After pressure from my
10 year old and 7 year old (!), I drove through.

Put the video on youtube for relatives to see, and by chance it was picked up
by two TV companies who have since paid me £175 for the rights to use the
clip!

So, you never know - buy the cameras, they might earn you a few quid!!

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMZwB02em9E if you are intereseted - and no,
I don't have adverts on the video so I'm not trying to scam views for cash!!)

Bloody excellent video all round, Daddy! (Brought back happy memories
for me of having two little boys, as well!)

Well done, on all fronts!

John

Here's a short sample from AG Dashcam App on my Galaxy Note 3.

http://youtu.be/Tv4VATD0vk0

You need to turn it up to 720 or better - it's not perfect and probably
not as good as a dedicate dashcam fixed to the rearview mirror (with
some separation from vibration) but as it is "almost free" based on
happening to have the phone and mount, it's not bad...

The video looks better on my phone, natively, so I think something about
the Youtube upload nadgered it a bit too. I need to play with the
settings.

--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal
coverage

On Wed, 22 Jan 2014 14:43:03 +0000, Capitol
wrote:

Being a toy addict, I ordered one of these from Amazon around Xmas and
it arrived today.

It's certainly cheap but I suspect it's only VGA resolution i.e. 640
by 480 and the higher resolutions are simply upscale version of the
original image with no extra definition. I have a true 1080 camera
in my car and I wouldn't settle for anything with less resolution -
there's a reason why almost all CCTV camera footage is rubbish.
Without HD you'll struggle to read number plates.

Check out the techmoan website. He has loads of reviews, very well
done. He reckons the cheapest true HD dashcam worth getting is about
£32.00.

http://www.techmoan.com/


http://www.techmoan.com/blog/2013/12...th-buying.html

On Wed, 22 Jan 2014 09:18:10 -0800 (PST), larkim

I always mount my phone in a cradle, and purely by chance last year I decided to record the video of a trip. As it happened, it was the day after some horrendous snowfall, and one of the roads I went through had huge snow drifts to the side, which I was reluctant to drive through. After pressure from my 10 year old and 7 year
old (!), I drove through.

Put the video on youtube for relatives to see, and by chance it was picked up by two TV companies who have since paid me £175 for the rights to use the clip!

So, you never know - buy the cameras, they might earn you a few quid!!

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMZwB02em9E if you are intereseted - and no, I don't have adverts on the video so I'm not trying to scam views for cash!!)

Nice one, and a great reminder for your boys of treasured childhood
adventures.

On Wed, 22 Jan 2014 20:09:05 +0000, Simon Cee wrote:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMZwB02em9E if you are intereseted


Nice one, and a great reminder for your boys of treasured childhood
adventures.

Aye, I bet they do remember it as well. Decent drifts and I
understand the nervousness about driving into the white out. Had
similar up here the other year, except I knew something was coming
the other way. I'd seen the snow plough along the other side of the
beck gully that the road looped around. I got out of it's way:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/allsorts-60/4270259694

Would you have gone through if the car coming the other way hadn't
said it was fine?

--
Cheers
Dave.

Capitol used his keyboard to write :
Being a toy addict, I ordered one of these from Amazon around Xmas and it
arrived today. It worked straight out of the box and looked very good. The
low light performance indoors was excellent. However, the same could not be
said for the instruction manual. It is printed in a -10 type face and even
under the double magnifier was a real challenge to read. The manual said, to
select the language, simply push the menu button twice, another button once
and a choice would appear. They were correct, but the choice was in Russian!
I finally discovered that if you went down the Russian menu, the first option
was to record in vga, the second one of the options was to select the
language---Chinese logic. Once selected as English, all went well, so now
I'll have to see if it works in the car. It claims to be capable of HD
recording, but with a 1.3Mp camera, it hardly seems worthwhile. There is
claimed to be a reset pin hole, I've yet to locate it and the manual doesn't
point it out.

I think you will find it, like one I bought, is not really HD. The
saved video was HD, but the camera was at best poor VGA. So I returned
it.

I also didn't like the bulk and untidiness of that type with the drop
down screen.

I more recently bought a much better one, like a cigarette packet which
sticks flat to the screen, lens on one side display on the rear. Its
almost invisible form both inside and outside the car, unless you know
where to look. It includes two cams, genuine HD on the front camera and
VGA on the rear image and extremely good audio recording. If you cannot
read number plates at a reasonable distance, they are next to useless.
The audio is worth having on, should you need to record a registration
number which is out of range of the camera.

The only thing which lets it down a little, is the front facing camera
is just barely usable on unlit roads. It cost me around £35 and has
worked fine for the past 5 months.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

Nightjar brought next idea :
On 22/01/2014 16:43, Graham. wrote:
On Wed, 22 Jan 2014 15:47:34 +0000, Nightjar
wrote:

On 22/01/2014 14:43, Capitol wrote:
Being a toy addict, I ordered one of these from Amazon around Xmas
and it arrived today. It worked straight out of the box and looked very
good. The low light performance indoors was excellent. However, the
same could not be said for the instruction manual. It is printed in a
-10 type face and even under the double magnifier was a real challenge
to read. The manual said, to select the language, simply push the menu
button twice, another button once and a choice would appear. They were
correct, but the choice was in Russian! I finally discovered that if you
went down the Russian menu, the first option was to record in vga, the
second one of the options was to select the language---Chinese logic.
Once selected as English, all went well, so now I'll have to see if it
works in the car. It claims to be capable of HD recording, but with a
1.3Mp camera, it hardly seems worthwhile. There is claimed to be a reset
pin hole, I've yet to locate it and the manual doesn't point it out.


Rather more expensive, but I have had one of these in the car for a while:

http://domestic.roadhawk.co.uk/roadh...ack-box-camera

It has integral GPS, giving speed and position on a map, and will
automatically store 10 seconds either side of any impact in a separate
file.

However, the one you have linked to might be useful for adding rear and
side views.

Colin Bignell

What strikes me is that your expensive one doesn't appear to have an
LCD screen, and I can't see it needs one anyway, so the cheap one, if
it was available without a screen would sell at well under £10, or
alternatively the same approximate price with a better camera.


I don't see a need for a screen on the camera. Roadhawk do offer one, but I
believe it is intended for instant reviews in a driver training environment.
I also don't really see much value in the IR LEDs, unless it is intended for
use in countries where you might be driving without either street light or
headlights. However, it is cheap and you might end up with something worth
uploading to YouTube.

Colin Bignell

IR LED's mounted on a camera just reflect back into the lens.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

Simon Cee has brought this to us :

http://www.techmoan.com/


http://www.techmoan.com/blog/2013/12...th-buying.html

This is the one I bought, as said the only problem is the front cam is
not really light sensitive enough for use on unlit roads at night -
other than that I'm very pleased with its performance.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk