Dash cam and mounting options?

[Jpump]

So, a general question. Do you guys remove the dashcam when you leave the car, or do you just leave it in and not worry about someone deciding they want to smash and grab?

I leave mine in the car in parking mode. I also don't leave anything in my car and I park right out front of my work so I can keep an eye on it.

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[Bit_the_Bullitt]

Does anybody have a dash cam they can recommend that works well for them? Also, how did you mount/wire it? Did you go through the headliner? Through the dash? Tap into a circuit? Use OBD2?

I have a Viofo A129 Pro Duo. Front is 4K (a must to get license plates even legible) and it's got an HD camera for the back (mainly to establish situation).

I got it with a hardwire kit, turns on with the car, rear camera wire ran through headliner. Best investment/mod for your car is a good dash cam.

 

[MELLEE8585]

Does anybody have a dash cam they can recommend that works well for them? Also, how did you mount/wire it? Did you go through the headliner? Through the dash? Tap into a circuit? Use OBD2?

This video will give u a idea … I am going to do this with a 12vto5v power converter .. for my dash cam

 

[murick]

I'm getting a VIOFO A139 Pro, so I'll have to fabricate my own stem mount for it.

I have just started thinking about getting the front/rear cam combo and saw a pretty convincing YT vid on Viofo A139 Pro, so I wonder, how did it go with your install?

Did you use the lighter adapter, or got the HK3-C wire to the fuse box? And if the latter, which fuse tap did you use (if you did use one from Viofo)?
Did you need to add anything else, or were the accessories in the original set covering all you needed?

 

[Weyland-Yutani]

I have just started thinking about getting the front/rear cam combo and saw a pretty convincing YT vid on Viofo A139 Pro, so I wonder, how did it go with your install?

Did you use the lighter adapter, or got the HK3-C wire to the fuse box? And if the latter, which fuse tap did you use (if you did use one from Viofo)?
Did you need to add anything else, or were the accessories in the original set covering all you needed?

Install was uneventful, but I wasn't able to live with the cam mounted to the mirror stem. I mounted the front and rear cams with the "static stickers" that came in the kit. They're really strong and protect my tint so, it's good enough.

I used the HK3-C and tapped fuses 2 (ACC) and 35 (BAT).

In addition to the kit, I needed a SD card and 2 Micro-2 fuse taps. Also, I got the 3 channel and the interior camera cable is too short for where I want the camera (on dash pointed at the drivers window). It's fine. Viofo sells the cables individually and in different lengths.

 

[RSPEK 178]

Blackvue DR900X-2CH mounted in my car using the mounts that came with the camera and hardwired to the passenger footwell fuse panel.

Me too

 

[murick]

Great, thanks for the observations.

I used the HK3-C and tapped fuses 2 (ACC) and 35 (BAT).

Considering the cable, there is a switch to determine the minimum voltage. Did you have it exposed somewhere, or did you just set it and have it hidden?

 

[Weyland-Yutani]

Great, thanks for the observations.

Considering the cable, there is a switch to determine the minimum voltage. Did you have it exposed somewhere, or did you just set it and have it hidden?

You're welcome. This is my first dash cam and I've only had it installed for about a week, but I'm happy with it so far.

I put the switch in the kick panel where the fuse bus is. It doesn't seem like something I'll ever need to touch but it's easy enough if I need to.

 

[Bit_the_Bullitt]

I have just started thinking about getting the front/rear cam combo and saw a pretty convincing YT vid on Viofo A139 Pro, so I wonder, how did it go with your install?

Did you use the lighter adapter, or got the HK3-C wire to the fuse box? And if the latter, which fuse tap did you use (if you did use one from Viofo)?
Did you need to add anything else, or were the accessories in the original set covering all you needed?

Install was uneventful, but I wasn't able to live with the cam mounted to the mirror stem. I mounted the front and rear cams with the "static stickers" that came in the kit. They're really strong and protect my tint so, it's good enough.

I used the HK3-C and tapped fuses 2 (ACC) and 35 (BAT).

In addition to the kit, I needed a SD card and 2 Micro-2 fuse taps. Also, I got the 3 channel and the interior camera cable is too short for where I want the camera (on dash pointed at the drivers window). It's fine. Viofo sells the cables individually and in different lengths.

I have very similar experience with my A129 Pro Duo. The 4K resolution for the front was a must and the rear I just wanted for establishing situation (such as road rage behind me etc).

I used a fuse kit as well for the hardwire and parking mode. Ran it up the A pillar on passenger side under the headliner.
The rear was tad more tricky due to the cramped space, but luckily the headliner is magentic, so that's where I left the extra like 10ft of cable I had. The one that comes with the camera kit is so long (meant for large SUVs I assume), in the coupe the cable is way long.

Install took me about an hour? I can share pics if I find them, but seems there's been good ones posted here already.

 

[RowdyRam]

I have the Cooau D20S and so far I like everything about it except that it's silver (hence the "s" in the model).

Suction cup mount on the windshield, routed the wire up to the headliner, down the A-pillar on the passenger side, under the dash and then out to the USB below the HVAC.

https://www.amazon.com/COOAU-1440P-...=1688070564&sprefix=cooau+d20s,aps,159&sr=8-1

 

[The Demon]

I have the Cooau D20S and so far I like everything about it except that it's silver (hence the "s" in the model).

Suction cup mount on the windshield, routed the wire up to the headliner, down the A-pillar on the passenger side, under the dash and then out to the USB below the HVAC.

https://www.amazon.com/COOAU-1440P-Dash-Infrared-Recording-D20S/dp/B09WQDLF43/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ZBQ39MDNY2NG&keywords=cooau+D20s&qid=1688070564&sprefix=cooau+d20s,aps,159&sr=8-1

This is the one I picked up. How are you doing the Wifi in the car if you are?

 

[RowdyRam]

This is the one I picked up. How are you doing the Wifi in the car if you are?

I actually don't do the Wifi in the car. I wait until I'm home to download the vids. With that said, I believe you can connect to the camera whenever it's powered up and download directly from it via its own network connection - like I say, I've just never needed to do it that way.

 

[murick]

The last week I have added my first dash cam to the car. I watched several vids about how to do it on Mustang. The one which helped a lot was actually from a member @Mazman - https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/dashcam-hardwire-location.57833/post-2542961, but even then I encountered some situations I was not sure how to handle.

The cam I chose was Viofo A139 Pro 2CH (with the rear cam) and the hardwire kit HK3-C. Since there was a 6m tiny coaxial cable for the rear cam I decided that more of the cable I spend on the car, the less I will need to store somewhere - so I pulled the rear cable through the A pillar all the way down, basically the same way the power cables, then through the door lower panel and then back up again behind the side panel next to rear seats to the headliner and to the cam.

For the front part I removed all panels except the one on a A pillar, which I just relieved a bit. I did not remove the headliner either in front or in rear and just tucked the cables behind. It worked pretty well in the front, but in the back I believe, the cable rests loose and rattles, either in the headliner or in the side panel, and I need to figure out how to fix it better.

I was a bit confused about how to wire the fuse taps. The taps I got (thankfully to this thread they were correct Micro2 taps) had a tapping connector a bit short, so they fit into the original socket only one way - with the wire pointing to the center of the fuse box. In the opposite way they would not even reach the original fuse socket (got stuck on the bezel), the same was true for the sockets at the top of the fuse box, where they did not fit because of the fuses protruding too far into the fuse box bezel.

So eventually ended up with fuse #2 (10A Power windows) for Acc power, and fuse #29 (15A Gateway module) for the constant power.

I read about the importance of the correct orientation of the taps, but since I did not have a choice I wired it that way anyway. My understanding is that in the "bad" orientation, I will just pull the power to the cam through both fuses.

I tucked all the remaining cables behind the passenger panel, only pulling out the switch which determines the cut-out voltage for the cam. Using 3M zip tape, I glued it to the only flat plastic piece right behind the bottom edge of the passenger dashboard. This way I could access it, if needed, without removing the panels.

Few observations:

1) Viofo cam came with two "static stickers" to be used between the double tape (already applied on the cam) and the window - supposed to ease the positioning and eventual removing of the cam. It looks to be similar material and solution to the phone screen protector with both sides being "active". So it is very sticky, and very picky about how you apply it to the window - must be clear of any particles, you need to apply it in one direction, etc. After one naive attempt, before I realized all that, I decided to glue the cam directly to the windshield.

2) I found a good spot behind the mirror (from the driver's perspective), the only unexpected consequence was that the front cam picture is slightly tilted as the camera mount follows the windshield curvature. Viofo does not have an option to rotate the camera in place so the only way to avoid it would be to attach it to the center of the windshield - which would significantly degrade the visibility (the rear mirror base is already pretty massive) or use some kind of equalizer, which I did not have and probably would not use for esthetical reasons.

3) Controlling the cam through the mobile app is a bit cumbersome, but I hope I would not need to do it a lot. Still a bit confused about how to set the parking mode as I am only needing it when I am parking outside.

4) The 3M double tape which was already applied to the two cameras managed to form bubbles I was not able to get out (visible from outside). Not sure what do about them.

Few pics:

 

[Weyland-Yutani]

4) The 3M double tape which was already applied to the two cameras managed to form bubbles I was not able to get out (visible from outside). Not sure what do about them.

I used the static sticker, but yeah. My main/front cam sticky mount has bubbles just like that. I pressed it pretty hard, but that piece is actually the GPS module so I didn't want to hulk it. Regardless, it's secure enough that I'd have to smash it off with a hammer at this point.

 

[WD Pro]

4) The 3M double tape which was already applied to the two cameras managed to form bubbles I was not able to get out (visible from outside). Not sure what do about them.

I used the static sticker, but yeah. My main/front cam sticky mount has bubbles just like that. I pressed it pretty hard, but that piece is actually the GPS module so I didn't want to hulk it. Regardless, it's secure enough that I'd have to smash it off with a hammer at this point.

It's difficult stuff to apply if you can see the back of it.

It's difficult to do and to get everything lined up perfectly, but just touching it down with a corner or edge, not moving it in the slightest, applying firm pressure and then kind of rolling the item down flat whilst maintaining pressure gives the best chance of eliminating bubbles and leaving you with nice edges.

I suppose some black vinyl, cut to suitable sizes and applied on the outside of the screen over the affected areas would neaten it up somewhat

WD

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