dash cams

[DarkSideAccord]

been seeing a lot more ppl using dash cams on their cars. My wife is interested in getting one. Any recommendations? Does it turn on automatically when u start driving or do you need to start recording manually? Also, does it record if you are parked and someone hits u?

 

[Connie]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dashcam/

 

[blackcord]

Generally they all start recording automatically once you start your car. For being able to record while your car is parked, then you will need to wire it through a power management system AND the dash cam must have the feature that allows motion detection to start recording. The power management system will allow power to the camera, but will shut off if the voltage drops below a defined amount (so that you dont have a dead battery and cannot start).

Also, I recommend getting one that does NOT use a battery. Get one that uses a capacitor instead of a battery. The capacitor will be enough to keep any date and setup settings but will not be able to run the camera by itself. With the heat of the summer sun and cold in the winter, a battery camera will very quickly (1-2 years) not be able to hold the charge anymore, PLUS Lii-ion batteries are notorious for swelling and exploding in the heat.

I would recommend the Viofo A119. I think those are around $100 plus SD card. Check out this website here. Great place to start your research. I have a Viofo A118c. And a DOD LS300W.
https://www.carcamcentral.com/

 

[trident]

You can't go wrong with Viofo. I don't have direct experience thought but a buddy here got an A119 on his car and it works well even at night.

 

[Connie]

The A119 gets a lot of rave reviews. The footage I have seen from them is excellent. Really makes me wish I did some more research before impulse-buying mine. That's what I would choose if I was buying another.

 

[Sketch o5]

i've always been interested in a blackvue setup, wasn't interested in adding a separate 12v outlet for use though, so i never got anything haha.

 

[ryan s]

i've always been curious about the blameworthiness you carry when using a dashcam. like...if someone pulls out in front of you, but you're going 5 over the speed limit, can your footage be subpoenaed and twisted around that if you weren't speeding, you wouldn't have driven into the other car?

or if you're rear ended (99% fault of the person who hit you in wisconsin) and then get pushed into the car in front of you, will the footage be required to be shown in court if it would show you were following the car in front of you too closely BUT you wouldn't have hit them if you weren't hit first?

or you rip 1st-3rd up a ramp and even though you're going exactly 70 at the top, someone else cuts you off and sends you into a guardrail. can the court order the previous ~7 seconds to be permissible evidence? you weren't at fault, but it could be argued that you were driving recklessly previous to the incident.

in a he-said-she-said situation when you're at fault, it's in your best interest not to have any evidence against you (unlike the idiots who crash their cars while driving too fast or racing then post it on youtube )...all these situations are why i've haven't gotten one.