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John Terefenko
07-05-2016, 11:34 PM
Has anyone here installed an aftermarket dash cam and if so what brand and do you like it. Thanks in advance.

Ted Calver
07-06-2016, 10:15 AM
On a whim, and because I've seen a lot of those crazy Russian driver videos, I bought a CDR840 from Costco to use on a long trip last year. It worked as advertised for the trip, but failed after three months. I called Cobra support and they wanted me to send it back, but said it would take weeks to repair. We returned it for a full refund and the reviews on Costco's site kept me from buying another. We are still looking for the gold standard dash cam brand. I think they can be very helpful in resolving insurance claims (where you are not at fault) and intend to get another one. It amazes me that car designers haven't incorporated them. A big problem for manufacturers is having to deal with the extreme temperatures that occur inside vehicles, so read the specs carefully before you buy.

John K Jordan
07-06-2016, 10:58 AM
I bought this one for my truck right before a long trip. It has worked very well, easy to use and replay videos, plenty of options. The reviews are good.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0119F9EPG

JKJ

Stan Calow
07-06-2016, 1:00 PM
I have a Garmin. I got it because I wanted a familiar brand name. i had one before from some Korean company, and the instructions were undecipherable.

Bruce Wrenn
07-06-2016, 9:48 PM
Wife bought one from Walmart for $20. Don't remember what the brand was. We used it on one trip. Forgot to take it on other trips.

Bill Jobe
07-07-2016, 12:38 AM
You may want to brush up on your state laws regarding recording of any kind if pulled over by a cop. I read that a guy in Illinois left his smart phone running during a traffic stop and found himself facing 15 years in prison for eavesdropping on an officer of the law.
I believe the law was recended and he got off, but still, better safe than 15 years.
They can record anything and everything but take exception to those wanting their own recording of the stop.

Alan Rutherford
07-07-2016, 9:23 AM
IMO (I'm not a lawyer but I Google pretty good) you can video your traffic stop but if the officer tells you to stop you should comply, even if he's wrong, which he probably is if it's a dash cam and you're not messing with it. See
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/photographers-what-do-if-you-are-stopped-or-detained-taking-photographs
(https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/photographers-what-do-if-you-are-stopped-or-detained-taking-photographs)
I'm looking for one also and I'd like to hear more about the issues with installing a dash cam: Do you need a screen? Features (useful and useless)? What about the ones with 2 lenses for front & back - would 2 cameras be better? Internal battery life and does it matter?

My experience with rapidly-evolving electronic products like this is you should spend a lot of time on-line and look for cheaper (not necessarily cheapest), newer and a decent short-term warranty/return policy unless it's a throw-away price. Electronic products which fail usually do so early. Brand name products are not necessarily better and are often overpriced although sometimes they offer the support you might need.

(https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/photographers-what-do-if-you-are-stopped-or-detained-taking-photographs?redirect=kyr-photo)

John K Jordan
07-07-2016, 10:03 AM
Im looking for one also and I'd like to hear more about the issues with installing a dash cam: Do you need a screen? Features (useful and useless)? What about the ones with 2 lenses for front & back - would 2 cameras be better? Internal battery life and does it matter?

I opted for one (link in earlier reply) with a screen. I want to glance at the screen to be sure it is on and aimed properly. I have occasionally reviewed the video and audio while sitting in the vehicle (for example when a moronic, lying, U-Haul clerk in Knoxville tried to cheat me out of a couple of hundred dollars. Sorry for the rant.)

The one I use is plugged in to the cig lighter socket that powers up when the key is on so it comes on automatically and turns off when stopped. This might not help recording a confrontational traffic stop situation. It can be set to continue to record on batteries for a specified time. I currently have mine set for 3 minutes, I think.

These things have a finite amount of memory and this one lets you set how often it overwrites the oldest segment.

In the event of an accident, this model (as probably many) uses an internal accelerometer to detect the jolt and turns on continuously, automatically protecting the video from being overwritten, starting from some time before the impact.

The field of view is VERY wide and will cover view from nearly the entire windshield. I suspect most are like this but it might be good to check.

I didn't see a need for the inside camera but this one will record inside audio if desired. It might be handy for a destructive person who likes to argue to prove they were right. I wouldn't know.

JKJ

PS, my own experience with people suspicious of photographers was when I spent an early morning at a secure governmental facility setting up some very long helium balloon strings and photographing them from a variety of ground positions. My task was to determine the visibility of several proposed cell tower locations as viewed from the main entrance road, the general campus, and most importantly, the director's office. :-) When I was done, the shift superintendent told me his office had numerous calls about the suspicious man with the camera and the security force discretely monitored my movements. No one confronted me directly. It was actually very comforting to know that many people were paying attention and concerned enough to call, especially due to the nature of this facility.

John Terefenko
07-07-2016, 11:32 PM
The camera I am looking for has to have the capability to record theft of vehicle or accidents in a parking lot when not attended.

Bill Jobe
07-07-2016, 11:49 PM
I think that's a great idea, and the price of small cameras has plummeted to almost nothing
I don't yet have one in my vehical but I do use video servailance on my property (that need upgraded).

Alan Rutherford
07-08-2016, 8:13 AM
The camera I am looking for has to have the capability to record theft of vehicle or accidents in a parking lot when not attended.

Did you see that "Saving Grace" episode where Grace & Ham are joking around and one of them asks the other if they heard about the helpful citizen who saw a neighbor's car being stolen? When asked if he saw who did it he said "No, but I got the license number."

IMO you're expecting a lot if you want a dash cam to do much about the car being stolen. Maybe a hidden inside camera together with a Lojack. Accidents while unattended are quite another subject and from what I hear that's a common feature. I'd like to know how well it works and whether it's worth having more than one camera for better coverage.

Stan Calow
07-08-2016, 9:36 AM
Alan, the problem I have with them (including mine) is that when mounted up on the windshield, you can't really see the screen easily and you can't access the controls. So for example if you want to hit the button to record an event (not activated by an accident) you have to reach up and grope for the right button. I was looking for one that mounted more easily on the dash itself (closer to your hands) or would have controls on a separate pad that would be nearer to your hands. I tried a few cellphone and GPS mounts, but none of them worked.
Also, I would prefer if they were easily removable from the windshield mount so you could take it down and conceal when parked.