Hard wiring a DashCam

[soup]

I am tired of all the wires running from my cigarette lighter socket in
the car, so want to hard wire the cam in.

Was wondering what was the group's opinion on three-wire systems as
opposed to two wire ones.

AIUI the three-wire systems allow the cars battery to run the
"parked" function rather than using the camera's in-built battery.
There is a low voltage box on the three-wire to stop the camera
completely draining the car's main battery.
Whereas the two-wire set-up turns the camera on and off with the
ignition so any "parked" function must run from the cameras battery.

So what to go for ?

I realise that with three-wire I will need to find a fuse in the fuse
box that is ignition switched and one that is constantly on.

[Bob Eager]

On Mon, 29 Nov 2021 12:56:26 +0000, soup wrote:

> AIUI the three-wire systems allow the cars battery to run the
> "parked" function rather than using the camera's in-built battery. There
> is a low voltage box on the three-wire to stop the camera completely
> draining the car's main battery.

I have a two wire system. It is connected to an 'always on' fuseway.

There is a bix, but its primary function is to drop the voltage from the
car battery.

> Whereas the two-wire set-up turns the camera on and off with the
> ignition so any "parked" function must run from the cameras battery.

That is when the feed is from a switched fuseway.

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[Brian]

I run a number of things ( inc a dash cam) in our MH from a supply wired to
the ignition. Being a Fiat, it doesn’t have an ACC position on the ignition
so I just tapped into the supply to the cigarette lighter / 12 V socket.
It is only live when the ignition is on.

I fused each one and run the cables under the dash to a hole already in the
top of the dashboard used for an option not used on my model.

I’ve done something similar in my wife’s new AYGO. It has one of those
systems you connect your phone to so you use Google Maps but she prefers a
Garmin Sat nav we have. She didn’t want wires draped across the dash board.

[Unknown]

It happens that soup formulated :

> I am tired of all the wires running from my cigarette lighter socket in the
> car, so want to hard wire the cam in.
>
> Was wondering what was the group's opinion on three-wire systems as opposed
> to two wire ones.
>
> AIUI the three-wire systems allow the cars battery to run the "parked"
> function rather than using the camera's in-built battery. There is a low
> voltage box on the three-wire to stop the camera completely draining the
> car's main battery.
> Whereas the two-wire set-up turns the camera on and off with the ignition
> so any "parked" function must run from the cameras battery.

I just run mine from a permanent 12v, at the back of the ICE system. I
installed a hidden ciggy lighter socket at the back of the ICE, so I
could plug it's 12v adaptor in the plug, straight in. Camera itself is
windscreen fitted, hidden behind the sun visor, quite compact and
includes a rear cam and battery backup for the car being interferred
with whilst parked. No one who has been near my car, has ever spotted
that it is fitted with cams, apart from the reversing cam, which feeds
into the ice system when ever reverse is selected - difficult to miss.

[Steve Walker]

For a permanent supply that is up near the mirror, the interior light,
map lights or an illuminated sun-visor lamp may be useful - as long as
it is not a car using PWM control of the light and driving it from a
unit behind the dash!

[Roland Perry]

In message <so2ill$58u$2...@dont-email.me>, at 12:56:26 on Mon, 29 Nov
2021, soup <inv...@invalid.com> remarked:

I inherited a cable in my car which emerges around the base of the
rear-view mirror, with a mini (not micro) USB connector on it. It powers
my dashcam (which like most I've seen fortuitously has the older
mini-USB power feed) whenever the "ignition is on", which being a
push-button start/stop is approximately correlated with "engine
running".

It does what I would have painted on the tin.
--
Roland Perry

[R D S]

On 29/11/2021 12:56, soup wrote:
> I am tired of all the wires running from my cigarette lighter socket in
> the car, so want to hard wire the cam in.
>

Where's your socket?
Ours is near the gear stick and i've managed to do a fairly decent job
of ramming the wire behind windscreen trim, down the door trim and under
mats such that there's only a few inch showing and none of it snaggable.

[Bob Eager]

I hard wired mine. Fuse box under the glove box, passenger side. Wire
goes under windscreen rubber, then down inside the A-pillar trim ten
continues back behind the footwell trim.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

How much longer will that lighter device annd socket be used? I heard they
were phasing these out on new cars to put in some kind oof digital cabling
for hands free phones etc.
Brian

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[Andy Burns]

Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:

> How much longer will that lighter device annd socket be used?

You still get lighter sockets, and USB sockets on most new cars, but you don't
typically get the actual cigar lighter unless you order the smokers pack.

[Rod Speed]

Brian Gaff (Sofa) <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote

> How much longer will that lighter device annd socket be used?

Yeah, I was wondering how long it will be before cars
all come with a socket behind the rear view mirror.

Or with built in dashcams.

> I heard they were phasing these out on new cars

Not with a decent USB socket for charging your phone.

> to put in some kind oof digital cabling for hands free phones etc.

That’s been there for quite some time now.

[Peeler]

On Wed, 1 Dec 2021 04:53:15 +1100, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

<FLUSH the abnormal trolling senile cretin's latest trollshit unread>

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MID: <s78tjv$14d$2...@dont-email.me>

[ARW]

I did that in the van - and when I got to HMP Lindholme they made me
take it out.

--

Adam

[Steve Walker]

The sockets are still needed, as they are used for the compressors in
emergency puncture repair kits amongst other things.

It would actually make a lot of sense to come up with a new and better
standard) and provide an adaptor for using the old style plugs, as the
existing sockets are prone to failure, corrosion, things falling in them
when the plug is removed, etc.

[R D S]

On 30/11/2021 14:43, Bob Eager wrote:
> On Tue, 30 Nov 2021 13:40:24 +0000, R D S wrote:
>
>> On 29/11/2021 12:56, soup wrote:
>>> I am tired of all the wires running from my cigarette lighter socket in
>>> the car, so want to hard wire the cam in.
>>>
>>>
>> Where's your socket?
>> Ours is near the gear stick and i've managed to do a fairly decent job
>> of ramming the wire behind windscreen trim, down the door trim and under
>> mats such that there's only a few inch showing and none of it snaggable.
>
> I hard wired mine. Fuse box under the glove box, passenger side. Wire
> goes under windscreen rubber, then down inside the A-pillar trim ten
> continues back behind the footwell trim.
>
>

That had been my plan but I decided to do a quick and temporary job
(management was moaning at the wire trailing across the car), but I
think it's good enough to be permanent.

[R D S]

On 30/11/2021 17:52, Andy Burns wrote:

> Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
>
>> How much longer will that lighter device annd socket be used?
>
> You still get lighter sockets, and USB sockets on most new cars

Yes, we do have a nearby USB socket too.

[R D S]

Probably for the best!
I presume you had a load of other cable though?

[Bob Eager]

I did get some proper trim spudgers, which helped a lot.

[soup]

On 29/11/2021 12:56, soup wrote:

Thanks all.
Well I have done it. Went three wire in the end (son likes the idea
of the camera recording anyone that hits the car).
After a false start (couldn't find the interior fuse box).
Only took about twenty minutes and that includes stuffing the wires
behind the roof lining, behind trim etc

[Bob Eager]

On Sat, 04 Dec 2021 12:34:04 +0000, soup wrote:

> Well I have done it. Went three wire in the end (son likes the idea
> of the camera recording anyone that hits the car).
> After a false start (couldn't find the interior fuse box).
> Only took about twenty minutes and that includes stuffing the wires
> behind the roof lining, behind trim etc

Glad it worked.

Still a bit puzzled. My NextBase uses only two wires even with the above
functionality!

[soup]

On 04/12/2021 20:41, Bob Eager wrote:
> On Sat, 04 Dec 2021 12:34:04 +0000, soup wrote:
>
>> Well I have done it. Went three wire in the end (son likes the idea
>> of the camera recording anyone that hits the car).
>> After a false start (couldn't find the interior fuse box).
>> Only took about twenty minutes and that includes stuffing the wires
>> behind the roof lining, behind trim etc
>
> Glad it worked.
>
> Still a bit puzzled. My NextBase uses only two wires even with the above
> functionality!
>

Yes so would mine but the battery in the camera is too small to do multi
days of (possible) recordings. So it runs of the car's battery whilst
ignition is off.

[Bob Eager]

So does my two wire system!

[Bob Eager]

On Sun, 05 Dec 2021 16:23:00 +0000, Tim Streater wrote:

> On 05 Dec 2021 at 14:38:48 GMT, Bob Eager <news...@eager.cx> wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 05 Dec 2021 10:02:14 +0000, soup wrote:
>>
>>> On 04/12/2021 20:41, Bob Eager wrote:
>>>> On Sat, 04 Dec 2021 12:34:04 +0000, soup wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Well I have done it. Went three wire in the end (son likes the
>>>>> idea
>>>>> of the camera recording anyone that hits the car).
>>>>> After a false start (couldn't find the interior fuse box).
>>>>> Only took about twenty minutes and that includes stuffing the wires
>>>>> behind the roof lining, behind trim etc
>>>>
>>>> Glad it worked.
>>>>
>>>> Still a bit puzzled. My NextBase uses only two wires even with the
>>>> above functionality!
>>>>
>>> Yes so would mine but the battery in the camera is too small to do
>>> multi days of (possible) recordings. So it runs of the car's battery
>>> whilst ignition is off.
>>
>> So does my two wire system!
>

> What are all you peeps using for dash cams. The Nextbase 422 was talked
> up by Which, but the reviews I read complain about it overheating, not
> working with ALexa (yawn), etc etc.

NextBase 512GW. Quite old now, replaced the battery once, but working
fine.

[soup]

On 05/12/2021 14:38, Bob Eager wrote:
> On Sun, 05 Dec 2021 10:02:14 +0000, soup wrote:
>
>> On 04/12/2021 20:41, Bob Eager wrote:
>>> On Sat, 04 Dec 2021 12:34:04 +0000, soup wrote:
>>>
>>>> Well I have done it. Went three wire in the end (son likes the
>>>> idea
>>>> of the camera recording anyone that hits the car).
>>>> After a false start (couldn't find the interior fuse box).
>>>> Only took about twenty minutes and that includes stuffing the wires
>>>> behind the roof lining, behind trim etc
>>>
>>> Glad it worked.
>>>
>>> Still a bit puzzled. My NextBase uses only two wires even with the
>>> above functionality!
>>>
>> Yes so would mine but the battery in the camera is too small to do multi
>> days of (possible) recordings. So it runs of the car's battery whilst
>> ignition is off.
>
> So does my two wire system!
>

That fully powered all the time?
Does your memory card cope with all that parked up footage (and
recording 24/7 ) ?

[Bob Eager]

Yes.

> Does your memory card cope with all that parked up footage (and
> recording 24/7 ) ?

The camera has an adjustable shock sensor and doesn't record all the
time. I can't remember if it's a sliding window or if it startes
recording on the shock. But the original memory card is still fine, and
it must be several years old (over four, at a guess).