Dashcams, parking mode (disabling in garage?) and battery drain

[wavyphotons]

Hi folks,

I read some posts about dashcams and have some questions as I'm researching.
I'd like to get a front + rear dashcam. I actually bough 'dongar' but now I'm thinking I might as well pay a little extra and get it hardwired so I can have parking mode.
I was initially thinking of viofo 129 pro, but I read that BlackVue has better parking mode, so considering BlackVue DR590X-2CH as well.
Edit: At this point, I'm leaning towards Thinkware U1000 [on sale for ~$380 w/ hardwire]

I know both have low voltage protection from 12v battery, but a few questions:

1. Anyone have a setup that has been running well for a while now (which camera, parking mode, etc) ?

2. What low voltage do you set when camera should turn off ? Some threads make it seem like Mache 12v battery isn't that strong / has had issues

3. Most of the time my car will be parked in my home garage and it'll be ideal if I didn't have to record at all while I'm in there (minimize battery drain) - I doubt any cameras offer this by default (location/gps based?) but has anyone used a 3rd party solution to do this ? (eg home assistant or tasker script if camera app allows it) ? Otherwise I'll have to remember to turn it off manually when I park in garage (not a big deal if I forget) and then turn it on when I drive (this is more important - is there an easy visual/audible reminder that'll trigger me to take action or will I just have to remember it) ? Maybe I'm overthinking this part and people just leave it on in their garage?

Thanks!

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[Mach-Lee]

If you want to use parking mode then you’ll have to buy a separate dashcam battery that powers it while parked rather than cycling the Mach-E 12V battery. Otherwise set the shutdown voltage no lower than 12.4V so the battery doesn’t get too low.

Running a dashcam in parking mode without a dedicated battery may impact your ability to receive OTAs in the future since they require >80% 12V SoC in order to install.

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

Several people here are using dash cams with parking on or even continuous recording. Because I have a 91kwh battery pack keeping my 12V topped up, I did not install any kind of cut off or battery backup. My camera records continuously and has been doing so for about 9 months without any problems.
you are correct that the 12v battery isn’t that strong. However, the 12v, when it gets low, gets recharged from the HVB. So I just send it.
I have the ThinkwareX800 bundle.

 

[dmitry]

A lot of useful information https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...hardwiring-a-dashcam-and-radar-detector.5542/

Had the same dilemma, here’s how I resolved
https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...a-dashcam-and-radar-detector.5542/post-497621

The MME battery very small and discharges very fast. As yours my GT is almost parked in garage and this solution works great. Since I installed the turn off button no issues with battery anymore. Also this way is very chip solution comparing with backup battery, l spend just few bucks for button.

 

[wavyphotons]

A lot of useful information https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...hardwiring-a-dashcam-and-radar-detector.5542/

Had the same dilemma, here’s how I resolved
https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...a-dashcam-and-radar-detector.5542/post-497621

The MME battery very small and discharges very fast. As yours my GT is almost parked in garage and this solution works great. Since I installed the turn off button no issues with battery anymore. Also this way is very chip solution comparing with backup battery, l spend just few bucks for button.

woah- that's a cool hack

 

[wavyphotons]

Several people here are using dash cams with parking on or even continuous recording. Because I have a 91kwh battery pack keeping my 12V topped up, I did not install any kind of cut off or battery backup. My camera records continuously and has been doing so for about 9 months without any problems.
you are correct that the 12v battery isn’t that strong. However, the 12v, when it gets low, gets recharged from the HVB. So I just send it.
I have the ThinkwareX800 bundle.

wait - i'm confused. Are you saying the 12v battery is getting recharged by the electric battery even when parked - i didn't think that's the case ! Or is it that when you start driving, it gets charged back up very quickly (vs having to drive for a long time ?)

 

[Mach-Lee]

Several people here are using dash cams with parking on or even continuous recording. Because I have a 91kwh battery pack keeping my 12V topped up, I did not install any kind of cut off or battery backup. My camera records continuously and has been doing so for about 9 months without any problems.
you are correct that the 12v battery isn’t that strong. However, the 12v, when it gets low, gets recharged from the HVB. So I just send it.

The concern with doing that is the 12V battery won't be recharged until it's down to 40%, which will put excessive cycles on the battery leading to early failure. Lead acid chemistry does not like being discharged below 50-60%, doing so significantly reduces the life of the battery. So if the car has to recharge it frequently (i.e. you get the drain message every few days) expect your 12V battery to only last 1-2 years. You may have a dead Mach-E in your future that requires jumping the funk access leads.

I'd also like to point out how Tesla Sentry Mode works because it's not the same as what you're doing. When it's enabled, Tesla keeps the DC/DC converter turned on basically all the time, so the 12V battery stays fully charged and is not cycled. Therefore it does not harm the 12V battery, unlike using a parking mode dashcam in the Mach-E.

wait - i'm confused. Are you saying the 12v battery is getting recharged by the electric battery even when parked - i didn't think that's the case ! Or is it that when you start driving, it gets charged back up very quickly (vs having to drive for a long time ?)

Yes, it will wake up periodically (every 30 minutes?) to check the battery while parked, if it reaches 40% then it will wake up the high voltage system to recharge the battery. However this is meant to be an "emergency use" only mechanism so you aren't stranded rather than something you exploit for everyday use.

AGM batteries take a long time to charge fully, constantly running them down that low without driving them for several hours afterwards to fully charge will result in the battery losing capacity and wearing out quickly as explained above. In the Mach-E the AGM should stay between 70-100% SoC all the time for longevity when used normally.

Had the same dilemma, here’s how I resolved
https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...a-dashcam-and-radar-detector.5542/post-497621

The MME battery very small and discharges very fast. As yours my GT is almost parked in garage and this solution works great. Since I installed the turn off button no issues with battery anymore. Also this way is very chip solution comparing with backup battery, l spend just few bucks for button.

That's a good idea, only using parking mode when you need it rather than slamming the 12V battery all the time.

 

[wavyphotons]

If you want to use parking mode then you’ll have to buy a separate dashcam battery that powers it while parked rather than cycling the Mach-E 12V battery. Otherwise set the shutdown voltage no lower than 12.4V so the battery doesn’t get too low.

Running a dashcam in parking mode without a dedicated battery may impact your ability to receive OTAs in the future since they require >80% 12V SoC in order to install.

Approximately how long will the camera (front+rear) run in parking mode if I shut it off at 12.4V ? I know it depends on various factors, but will I get at least 2-3 hours in average case ?

 

[Mach-Lee]

Approximately how long will the camera (front+rear) run in parking mode if I shut it off at 12.4V ? I know it depends on various factors, but will I get at least 2-3 hours in average case ?

Yes, I would guess you could get about 8 hours if you don't have any other battery drains happening.

 

[flapjake314]

i said this in a couple of other threads but i purchased a high mAh usb battery pack (those ones for recharging your phone) and that lasts me about 30 hours parked in a public parking structure

if you want surveillance while parked i'd suggest that route, those battery packs are cheap, you can buy multiple and swap, and you can choose your capacity to fit your needs....

 

[wavyphotons]

i said this in a couple of other threads but i purchased a high mAh usb battery pack (those ones for recharging your phone) and that lasts me about 30 hours parked in a public parking structure

if you want surveillance while parked i'd suggest that route, those battery packs are cheap, you can buy multiple and swap, and you can choose your capacity to fit your needs....

Oh interesting! Do you have a link to which one you got or recommended capacity? The battery pack that cams sells are $200+

 

[hbirring01]

If I'm using my dashcam in parking mode and I'm not going to be driving it for a couple of days I just unplug the power source

 

[HuntingPudel]

Depending on which dashcam you get, it might already have an ON/OFF switch. The FitcamX I have has a switch on it. I've never used it since I wired it so that it turns on and off with the car and I have plans to eventually get a backup battery and attach it to the battery (which I may not do since it only covers the front and back).

 

[Ninja4hire]

I have a BlackVue DR900X and it has a built in voltage cut off for the parking cam. So far so good....

 

[wavyphotons]

I have a BlackVue DR900X and it has a built in voltage cut off for the parking cam. So far so good....

What cutoff value do you use?

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