Dashboard Camera (Suggestions, Anyone?)

[cleverdick]

Today, having been almost forced off the road by an arrogant pig oncoming in a black Mercedes Chelsea Tractor - on a local country lane where there is room to pass if one keeps to one's own side - I thought it was time to invest in a video recording device.

Ideally it would be well-concealed and permanently fixed - operating automatically without having to remember to start it recording. And presumably with removeable media that continually overwrites, say, an hour's worth of footage.

I haven't done too much research yet, but what would members recommend? (I don't have unlimited funds to spend on this, unfortunately.)

Suggestions welcome!

[ambermarine]

I to coincidentally have been recently mulling the idea over after seeing one advertised in the Sunday Times driving supplement.

I did a couple of hours internet research yesterday and came up with the following .

I wanted a small camera that was inobtrusive and preferrably sat behind the rear view mirror.

There are cameras that do not have a built in screen and they would be the one that sits up behind the mirror approx 3 inches long by an inch diameter cyndrical in shape .

The problem with these type of cameras they do not run long on their internal Battery which means they have to be hard wired down to the cigarette lighter ,some of the products are supplied with a dedicated Battery connection.

The idea of taping wires along the windscreen edge and under and accross the dashboard is not to my liking.

The one I mentioned in the opening paragraph as a screen and will run for upto 4 hrs on its internal Battery but it is cumbersome and looks like a radar detector stuck to the screen, again not something I want in the Lexus.

Prices varied from sources on eBay to dedicated outlets on the internet from £14 to £300 but even at that cost the Battery issue prevailed .

So until they come up with a small unit with a long life Battery I will give it a miss for now.

[Daz_72]

I personally had the same dilemma, and a clever Android app called ionroad solved my problem in more ways than one.

With a half decent phone with expandable memory card and with the correct windscreen cradle it becomes an amazing bit of tech.

I have 64gb memory card in my phone and regularly record journeys in high definition, and upload them to my 150gb Dropbox storage if I need them

http://www.ionroad.com/

[Daz_72]

This is the unobtrusive universal phone holder that I use which cost me £4.99

[Maduggo]

Roadhawk is the gem of choice for me, cracking video image via settings to HD and it has satelite tracking so it can show you the front video but also via google maps the road you are on from above in map form. Check out the videos on the website.

I have this one, took about an hour to fit, no wires on show apart from the small manual record button next to the a pillar, i put it there for easy reach, 2 wires drop from the roof lining to the device, all the rest is hidden. The device itself is not very big and sits almost hidden under the rear view mirror. I got mine for £200 with a voucher, but well worth it.

http://shop.roadhawk.co.uk/roadhawk-rh-2

Mine has made me £500 from witnessing an accident and passing on the video recording to the womans insurance.

[shake]

I had the very early road hawk on my aristo. Hard wired in, it never left me with a flat Battery even after 2 weeks of not driving.

I've now got a blackvue with front and rear camera, plus wireless to my phone. Tested it and works great... Just need to find time to hard wire it in.

[Bluesman]

Roadhawk is the gem of choice for me, cracking video image via settings to HD and it has satelite tracking so it can show you the front video but also via google maps the road you are on from above in map form. Check out the videos on the website.

I have this one, took about an hour to fit, no wires on show apart from the small manual record button next to the a pillar, i put it there for easy reach, 2 wires drop from the roof lining to the device, all the rest is hidden. The device itself is not very big and sits almost hidden under the rear view mirror. I got mine for £200 with a voucher, but well worth it.

http://shop.roadhawk.co.uk/roadhawk-rh-2

Mine has made me £500 from witnessing an accident and passing on the video recording to the womans insurance.

Well done you. £500? is that something all insurance companies are doing assuming that is if that is who sent it? Mike

[ambermarine]

Daz72

That is more like it, no hard wiring and can be removed in a minute ,all I have to do now is phone upgrade as my mobile runs on steam.

[Dale_V]

Ive a mini 1080p dash cam, hidden behind the rear view mirror, no wires showing, hardwired into the wiring loom. it records in 3 minute segments for a total of 3 hours then deletes the oldest file and records over. powers on/off with the ignition switch. ill get some pics of how discreet it is.

[ambermarine]

DaleV

I think I saw that on my research and there is one that as a Battery connection with the dropper for 5V built in to the wire.I suppose it is possible to wire into the dome light which would illiminate any windscreen perimiter run of cable.

[ManicMark]

I went for a Vcam off eBay £30 a couple of years ago after a lot of research . Its insurance co approved and you can get a discount on insurance with some companies .

[runsgrateasanut]

Interseting thread and worth considering - more so if you are driving in Russia - xpect you've all seen this?

[cleverdick]

Thanks guys,

Appreciate all your replies so far - and some good advice by the look of it.

Rich

[Bluesman]

Interseting thread and worth considering - more so if you are driving in Russia - xpect you've all seen this?

Must be Tina Turners car. Mike

[ambermarine]

Sitting here in front of the screen watching these scenes some of which are very funny but others are and must have been terrifying when they actually happened.I'll bet insurance is expensive in Russia.