When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
To each their own but I haven't heard of folks breaking into cars to steal dash cams. Have been hardwiring stuff in cars forever and never an issue. I think you are making yourself more "scared" than you need to be but your call my friend. Just giving you what I think is a far better option. The dash cams can also be easily unmounted and taken in the house if you wish (press a small button on the mounting bracket and the camera comes right out of its mount and simply unplug the power cable...done...BAM! Research it a bit and you may find yourself changing your mind.
I hear you. I have checked out the stuff you've posted about and thought it looked great. I even looked around here locally for places that did installs of that stuff. I just jumped on this when I got the promo email from Escort as an easy implementation.
I will treat this thing as an "introduction" to dash cams. It does not preclude me going all-in for a front/back setup in the future.
It is so easy to install a unit that hooks up to your fuse box, for about the same money, why not buy a much higher quality unit that is permanently installed and hard wired and call it a day? I am sorry, but that set-up would drive me crazy and is far from ideal.
I have a Uniden R3 and it is also hardwired to the same spot as the camera so killed two birds with one stone.
Well, you were (are) right. This setup pretty much sucks. There really is no convenience because the added camera totally ruins the excellent quick dismount feature of the Escort mount, and the video from this camera is sub-par. So...............I just ordered a Blackvue DR900S-2CH 4K Dash Cam with fore and aft cameras and that should pretty much cover me. The M1 camera will either go back or be sold or used in some other fashion. I might just take it to the dealer and have them install it. I'm getting a bit to old to be crawling around under the dash these days!
As for the M1, It's a nice idea but a horrible implementation.
@oblio98 you are going to LOVE that DR900S my friend. Will be a night and day experience from your M1. Congrats on the new cam and let us know once it's installed. Happy TG!
@oblio98 you are going to LOVE that DR900S my friend. Will be a night and day experience from your M1. Congrats on the new cam and let us know once it's installed. Happy TG!
Thank you for the advice. I ended up getting it from 'BlackBoxMyCar' because it was $100 cheaper than the dashcamstore.
This is not meant as a criticism of those who like dash cams.
I just honestly do not understand why you want one or what you use them for.
Enlightenment encouraged.
More than anything else, because people on the road are stupid and careless, particularly those with a phone in their face. Beyond that, given the ability to have video proof in an accident I would rather avoid the he said she said BS.
@fleming23 ...EXACTLY. They are the proof you need when in an accident and if someone hits your car in a parking lot it can capture a plate and you then have all you need for the police. I have seen this happen too many times and until something happens to YOU you will not understand the value. The best option is to do it NOW before something bad happens
The DR900S currently seems to be plummeting in price. I bought it a few days ago at $380 for the kit with the power magic pro unit, now its $375. Seems like a steal.
I'd say be wary of the BlackVue Dashcams; they exposed people's cameras to public view. I was literally looking an entire map of the US a few weeks ago of all BlackVue owners, and could go into an individual cam and see it's parked at someone's house and in their garage. I could also watch people driving and listen to their conversations.
Also, the reason why is big... for example I was recently "hit and run" in a garage, if I hadn't had footage of it that caught their license plate... my insurance premiums would have increased.
I went with DDPai for my Dashcams because I live in an area where there are car break-ins (Seattle). I can easily take it on and off without problem. They have pretty ingenious methods for attaching and detaching the cameras.
The picture quality looks decent but I cannot resolve the plates of the two vehicles further away. Perhaps this is not the original pic, i.e. compressed just for posting in this thread?
@OliveBread ...you are some what misinformed my friend. Your dash cam must be connected to the cloud for this to even come close to happening. My dash cam is cloud capable but I don't activate or need that feature. Blackvue and Thinkware are the two best cams on the market without question.
@OliveBread ...you are some what misinformed my friend. Your dash cam must be connected to the cloud for this to even come close to happening. My dash cam is cloud capable but I don't activate or need that feature. Blackvue and Thinkware are the two best cams on the market without question.
The problem was that they auto turned on that function without any notice; ie a default parameter. A lot of people were unaware as you can see in the video.
His review and video is interesting but I found that setting very quickly and not buried at all as he stated. I just turned off the Cloud setting and done! Plus, if you don't have WiFi in your car for your camera to connect to it's a moot point anyway. His review is a bit extreme and I think a bit off base based on what I know but there are clearly people who are driving around not knowing what he presented so not bad information to share. Telling people not to buy it and that the software is crap is way out of line. The Blackvue camera is one of the highest quality, well respected cams on the market...very reasonably priced and I would still highly recommend but that's just me. He also sad he paid $1200 for his install so he got RIPPED off. Guy saw he had a Tesla and screwed him. A dual camera set up is no more than $300-$500 based on the model and install should be about $200 max.
Is there a thread or post here that goes over running the wire from the upper windshield location for the camera through the windshield pillar to the fuse box. I have seen OliveBread's pictures, but they do not show the removal of the pillar lining. I would imagine that it would be easy to F that up, break some clips, or whatever getting it off, and what about the airbags?
Also, has anyone installed the rear looking dashcam in the 19 RDX? If so, where did you guys put it, and what's the best way to get the wire there?
Thanks.
(NOTE: If it's a nightmare, I just might ask my dealer to install the thing)
Is there a thread or post here that goes over running the wire from the upper windshield location for the camera through the windshield pillar to the fuse box. I have seen OliveBread's pictures, but they do not show the removal of the pillar lining. I would imagine that it would be easy to F that up, break some clips, or whatever getting it off, and what about the airbags?
Also, has anyone installed the rear looking dashcam in the 19 RDX? If so, where did you guys put it, and what's the best way to get the wire there?
Thanks.
(NOTE: If it's a nightmare, I just might ask my dealer to install the thing)
Here you go I did a quick video on how I managed to get it wired up. It didn't take too long maybe 30-40 mins. Initially when you first get the package then you wire everything up loosely to and plug it in to make sure the unit you got actually works, then you mount everything to make sure you have the right locations of the cameras. After you have everything mounted you can then go about tucking and cleaning up the wires. Also the only thing you really need to "remove" is just the rubber door lining which is essentially just friction fitted to the car's frame, gently tug on it with steady pressure and it will come out, putting it back in is also very simple. I noticed that the rear lifting door's rubber lining is also slightly glued in as well you can still pull it but you'll see some sticky residue when you pull it out. It was still simple to put back in. It rained a few times since the install and I havent noticed and leaking so it seems to be fine.
Thanks for the video but you really need to remove the A-pillar trim to do it safely. By running the wire across the seam in the headliner and A-pillar, you are creating a very unsafe issue if your side air bags need to deploy. The wires need to be tucked BEHIND the air bag and not in front as you've done in the video. The A-pillar removes easily but you will need to replace the 2 upper clips that are break-aways. The part number is 91561-T8N-T01 and they are about $4 each. I suggest you give this some serious thought as you've severely compromised your side air bag deployment God forbid you get T-boned.
I use this in my 2008 rdx, works great and cost around $90
wired into fuse box. You guys are spending too much money, you can get pretty good camera under $100 SpyTec A119 . Capacitor model
No doubt that you can @russianDude but I don't want a "good" camera...I want a GREAT camera and, if you check the pricing on a nice Blackvue, it's not much more than a "good" camera.
No doubt that you can @russianDude but I don't want a "good" camera...I want a GREAT camera and, if you check the pricing on a nice Blackvue, it's not much more than a "good" camera.
Yeah, its around same price. I was talking about some people putting here $300-400 cameras, that's ridiculous.
I've had it for almost a year, and recently played some videos on the computer, they look amazing 1440p resolution and excellent at night driving. Sure, things will get better as you spend more. But those things keep getting better every year, I would rather spend around ~$100, and then few years later upgrade to something better.
Thanks for the video but you really need to remove the A-pillar trim to do it safely. By running the wire across the seam in the headliner and A-pillar, you are creating a very unsafe issue if your side air bags need to deploy. The wires need to be tucked BEHIND the air bag and not in front as you've done in the video. The A-pillar removes easily but you will need to replace the 2 upper clips that are break-aways. The part number is 91561-T8N-T01 and they are about $4 each. I suggest you give this some serious thought as you've severely compromised your side air bag deployment God forbid you get T-boned.
Ahh I see Ill lump that into my next order from an oemparts online site as they charge insane shipping fees. I'm guessing I'll have to do the same for the B pillar as well?
I tried that, but the window is curved and the adhesive did not stick well. Also, I have to deal with leaving extra wires for the rear door when it opens.
A member who had it professionally installed posted a video on the forum that you may want to search for. Not sure how big your camera is but most hatch glass is the same and I never heard of anyone having issues mounting a small camera to the glass with double sided 3M tape.
I tried that, but the window is curved and the adhesive did not stick well. Also, I have to deal with leaving extra wires for the rear door when it opens.
Usually if the 3M tape doesn't adhere it's because the glass wasn't properly cleaned before installing - cleaning with rubbing alcohol will remove any oils, etc. and take care of that problem. (There were some instances where the suppliers to some makers provided defective dual sided tape which may be another reason you're having issues.)
Mounting anywhere on the hatch itself is always an issue when it comes to leaving sufficient slack in the cable for when the hatch opens, it just comes with the territory. The only alternative is to find somewhere other than on the hatch itself to mount it.
I currently have 2 rear cams installed on the trim panel itself versus the glass and that's working out fairly well for me. I have 2 (at the moment) because I do some testing for one of the manufacturers. That's also why I mount off the glass if possible and use 3M Dual-Lock versus double sided tape for mounting because it makes it easier to reposition or swap out cameras when needed.
Usually if the 3M tape doesn't adhere it's because the glass wasn't properly cleaned before installing - cleaning with rubbing alcohol will remove any oils, etc. and take care of that problem. (There were some instances where the suppliers to some makers provided defective dual sided tape which may be another reason you're having issues.)
Mounting anywhere on the hatch itself is always an issue when it comes to leaving sufficient slack in the cable for when the hatch opens, it just comes with the territory. The only alternative is to find somewhere other than on the hatch itself to mount it.
I currently have 2 rear cams installed on the trim panel itself versus the glass and that's working out fairly well for me. I have 2 (at the moment) because I do some testing for one of the manufacturers. That's also why I mount off the glass if possible and use 3M Dual-Lock versus double sided tape for mounting because it makes it easier to reposition or swap out cameras when needed.
I cleaned up the window and tried again, maybe there was water on it yesterday, it stuck on for the drive today.
How did u deal with the slack? Where are you routing the cable? I went down the A pillar up front and route through the passenger side floor.
I cleaned up the window and tried again, maybe there was water on it yesterday,...
Yeah, water would be a problem. 3M dual sided tape definitely needs a clean, dry surface to work.
Originally Posted by omygod711
...How did u deal with the slack? Where are you routing the cable? I went down the A pillar up front and route through the passenger side floor.
It was a trial and error effort since this was the first time I'd put a camera in the RDX. My biggest concern was insuring that whatever I did it wouldn't get caught in the hatch hinge so I probably went the 'overkill' route. Now that I'm a bit more comfortable come warm weather I'll likely take the cable above the hinge as indicated (in purple) and use a couple of wire clips just to make sure it doesn't fall out - if nothing else it will look a bit neater when the hatch is open. The way it's routed the slack loops back in the corner next to the hinge where it's not visible in the rear view mirror so I'm good with that.
(The 'rats nest' circled in yellow on the left is the camera connected to the second rear cam in my earlier post. I'm primarily testing the rear cam and didn't want to go through the hassle of cable routing all the way to the front so I just took the easy way out and installed it as a side cam since it's a temporary thing anyhow.)
As to how I got the cable from the front to the back I went from the camera under the headliner over to the A-pillar, tucked it into the gap to the backside then went under the weather stripping above the door back to the B-pillar. Got past the B-pillar the same way and did the same all the way to the back pushing the cable between the headliner and trim panel as far back as I could.
Now I'm sure that someone will jump in here and claim that routing this way will adversely affect the deployment of the side curtain airbag to which I will disagree.
When you look at where the airbag is located (above the headliner and behind the A-pillar) and how it deploys I'm not concerned. It has to deploy with enough force to dislodge both the A-pillar and B-pillar covers breaking the retaining clips in the process, and it has to detach the headliner from it's retaining clips and push the headliner aside. The minuscule additional resistance created by a single wire held in place only with friction from the same components already being displaced by the deployment should have no effect.
It was a trial and error effort since this was the first time I'd put a camera in the RDX. My biggest concern was insuring that whatever I did it wouldn't get caught in the hatch hinge so I probably went the 'overkill' route. Now that I'm a bit more comfortable come warm weather I'll likely take the cable above the hinge as indicated (in purple) and use a couple of wire clips just to make sure it doesn't fall out - if nothing else it will look a bit neater when the hatch is open. The way it's routed the slack loops back in the corner next to the hinge where it's not visible in the rear view mirror so I'm good with that.
(The 'rats nest' circled in yellow on the left is the camera connected to the second rear cam in my earlier post. I'm primarily testing the rear cam and didn't want to go through the hassle of cable routing all the way to the front so I just took the easy way out and installed it as a side cam since it's a temporary thing anyhow.)
As to how I got the cable from the front to the back I went from the camera under the headliner over to the A-pillar, tucked it into the gap to the backside then went under the weather stripping above the door back to the B-pillar. Got past the B-pillar the same way and did the same all the way to the back pushing the cable between the headliner and trim panel as far back as I could.
Now I'm sure that someone will jump in here and claim that routing this way will adversely affect the deployment of the side curtain airbag to which I will disagree.
When you look at where the airbag is located (above the headliner and behind the A-pillar) and how it deploys I'm not concerned. It has to deploy with enough force to dislodge both the A-pillar and B-pillar covers breaking the retaining clips in the process, and it has to detach the headliner from it's retaining clips and push the headliner aside. The minuscule additional resistance created by a single wire held in place only with friction from the same components already being displaced by the deployment should have no effect.
Sorry dude but that install looks HORRIBLE! You can hide the hatch wire inside the plastic shroud that covers the hinge as the professional did in the video that was posted a while back. All of the wire tie clips, etc. is terrible. You need to rethink your installation my friend as you should see no wires at all from the interior of the cabin.
I have...that is actually how the OWL Cam wires into a car or SUV. www.owlcam.com I like to hardwire my Blackvue cameras into the fuse panel because I like to use parking mode and have a mechanism to insure that the status of the battery is being monitored. I use the Power Magic Pro unit hardwired and it works awesome. To have a dash cam without parking mode is just crazy to me as most **** happens in parking lots when you're not there to see it.
Sorry dude but that install looks HORRIBLE! You can hide the hatch wire inside the plastic shroud that covers the hinge as the professional did in the video that was posted a while back. All of the wire tie clips, etc. is terrible. You need to rethink your installation my friend as you should see no wires at all from the interior of the cabin.
Given that I get new cameras more often than I get new shoes because of the testing I do a perfect professional installation just isn't in the books. Mine isn't a show car and I make no pretext that it is. The typical installed life span of any given camera is less than 6 months so I'm not going to be spending any time on those types of niceties. Beside, as I mentioned in my post, this was the first installation in the RDX and I was erring on the conservative side so as to not cause problems with the hatch operation. Now that I'm more comfortable future installations will be neater - as I also mentioned in my narrative.
I have...that is actually how the OWL Cam wires into a car or SUV. www.owlcam.com I like to hardwire my Blackvue cameras into the fuse panel because I like to use parking mode and have a mechanism to insure that the status of the battery is being monitored. I use the Power Magic Pro unit hardwired and it works awesome. To have a dash cam without parking mode is just crazy to me as most **** happens in parking lots when you're not there to see it.
But that thing DOES have a parking mode switch. Is it not effective?
@oblio98 guess I missed that part but still not a fan of using the cars OBD2 port. For a novice installer that wants it quick and easy and doesn't understand cars electrical systems and fuse boxes, not a bad option...just not for me. I started installing stuff in cars when I was junior high school and I am very anal about perfection...it's the EE in me.
@oblio98 guess I missed that part but still not a fan of using the cars OBD2 port. For a novice installer that wants it quick and easy and doesn't understand cars electrical systems and fuse boxes, not a bad option...just not for me. I started installing stuff in cars when I was junior high school and I am very anal about perfection...it's the EE in me.
I've installed tons of radio's, speakers, tape players, CB Radios, etc in cars, cutting 6x9 coaxials in back decks, running heavy cables to batteries, etc, etc, and I also am an EE and an IT guy who works in security. I've been there, done that, but I am now 66 years old, and crawling around upside down under dash boards ain't what it used to be!