Nationwide Van Lines trailer 5636 Georgia I-95

Mobius lens comparison Wide vs standard, ( tractor trailer dash cams)

This is a 'non technical' example of the different field of views from the Wide Angle, and standard lens Mobius dash cameras.      The cameras are mounted about a foot apart, with each being about  6 inches off from the center of the windshield.

Yorkville, IL Car goes around traffic waiting at red light by using l...

Video from a Mobius standard lens dash/action cam.



People who take illegal 'shortcuts' like this person, cause accidents.



Of course, he probably felt he was too important to wait in line for the green light, or too smart.

Impatient SUV passes truck on right, near miss Illinois

This is video from a Mobius, standard lens, dash cam.   The mobius is very small, discrete, and pretty reliable.    It's about the size of a match box, if you remember what those are?

Mobius Wide Angle Motion detection mode

I thought I'd play with the 'Motion Detection' mode on one of my spare Mobius, wide angle cams.



You have to configure this via the software program, and the sensitivity and video clip length are variable.



It works 'OK', but doesn't seem to pick up foot traffic.   These are just 3 clips of many.   The cam will continue to record as long as it has power, and will overwrite the oldest clip when full. This mode may be of some use if you park your truck in a remote area, unattended for a days. While it won't detect somebody moving around the truck on foot, it will pick up vehicles. In this use, the limits are card size, and power. Power should not be a problem in a big truck for a few days. You would probably fill the card up, and loop over the older files if you park for a few days in a busy area, like a truck stop.

Pai, Thailand, at night Mobius Wide Angle Dashcam

Most dash cams don't do very well at night.   The Mobius is 'OK'.   I was surprised this video  turned out so well.    
The Mobius is mounted in the top of the windshield, and the top of the video is darker due to the heavy windhshield tinting in the upper section.
 Pai is a small tourist city in NW Thailand, in the mountains near the Myanmar border.    

Thailand road traffic, trucks, buses, and other

Assorted highway video from my travels in Thailand, earlier this year.    Video is from a Mobius, wide angle dashcam.

White minivan takes a shortcut around slow traffic Covington, KY I-75

Video from a Mobius dash cam in a tractor trailer.

Living with two 'budget' dashcams, the Mobius, and A118C, in an OTR Tractor Trailer

The image quality is comparable.   The A118C has a wider angle lens than the standard Mobius, lens.
In the following video, a segment from Mobius 'A' model is first, followed by video of the same event from an A118C.  Both are around $80 through online retailers.

Both cameras are pretty easy to use, the Mobius does require a laptop or android phone to configure.
I've not had luck with the android program, but I have not messed with it much.   You will need the appropriate cable or adapter to use an Android phone to program a Mobius.   I use my laptop, much easier, never even pull the card out, or remove the cam from the windshield.   I'm powering both cams from a 2 way Cig Lighter outlet, with 2 USB ports, attached to the normal 'CB' wiring in the overhead console.  (I don't run a CB, anyway)     On my truck it's easy to use USB cables to power the cams, and tuck the wires  away in the cracks of the wonderful plastic interior material of my 'South of the Border' made Cornbinder.   Easy, looks neat.    Not much in the way of dangling wires.  Moves or removes in seconds.


A118 HD 1080p Car Dash Camera - $79.95
from: Spy Tec

I have not messed with the GPS on the A118C.   Other than keeping the time updated on the Cam, not sure how useful it will be for me?    I want video.   If I am in a major accident, the black box features on this annoying truck will provide more info than any aftermarket electronic device will.
(Oh, you didn't know these new trucks spy on you?)

Both cams are good for the price, but make sure you understand what you are dealing with.  No dashcam seems to do well at night.       The 'motion detection' features of some mostly seem useless, and cause more problems than they are worth.
The screen on the A118C is ok.   You  aren't going to see much when it's mounted, and in the normal mounting position in a tractor trailer.  It's mostly an indication you have it pointed the right way, and it's working.    
The mobius has no screen, and only a few small LEDS that will indicate functions.    I have configured mine to operate automatically.  On, when the power is on, off when the power (Key) is off.   I have yet to touch the three buttons on the Mobius, although you'd need to use them if you  use a Mobius as an action cam, and they are very popular in the RC World.



Please avoid the dashcams you may see for sale at the chain truckstops. They're usually overpriced, and of modest quality. Do you think you are really buying a 'name brand' cam when you buy a Garmin or Cobra at the truckstops?



Those dashcams are made in the same chinese factories, under contract, as many 'no name' cameras, and often the 'no name' has better video, online support and information, at half the price.



 Here is a sample of night video from both dashcams.

Also see '3 reliable dash cams for your truck under $100."

Mount Shasta, through a bug splattered windshield

Video from a Mobius standard lens dash camera.

I thought we would die, on the way to Pai (2)

Dashcam video from a Mobius wide angle lens cam, on the road to Pai, Thailand, on a Sunday afternoon in January. Traffic was heavy, and crazy.
The road leading to Pai is somewhat famous, and has over 400 curves.
The mobius action/dashcam is small, inexpensive, and produces good video!
Mobius 1080P HD Action Camera Wide-Angle
from: Spy Tec

Using a Mobius dashcam on vacation in Thailand

 

Earlier this year, I spent a few weeks driving around Thailand.  I took a wide angle version Mobius with me, and it was placed in the windshield of my rental car before I left the airport.


Mobius 1080P HD Action Camera Wide-Angle
from: Spy Tec

The Mobius is a good travel companion, small, not obtrusive, and reliable.
I did have a netbook with me, and downloaded the video files at least daily. The 32mb memory card I had in the Mobius yielded about 6 hours of video, before overwriting the oldest file. (At the settings I selected)
(I have hours and hours of video from this trip!)
I purchased the wide angle lens version of the Mobius just prior to the trip, but I've been using the standard lens Mobius for over a year in my tractor trailer..  My thoughts now are I prefer the normal angle version a little more for 'dashcam' use.    The wide angle lens version seems to pick up vehicle 'A Pillars', and extraneous stuff, maybe a bit more than I want to.
I packed a small suction cup mount, a usb cable for power/download, and a 12v cigarrette lighter powered USB hub. 



Driving in Thailand for the first time?   INSANE.

What can I say?   I have never driven on 'that' side of the road before, coupled with driving from the 'wrong' (right) side of the vehicle.     To compound things, I was driving a manual transmission pickup truck, with the shifter on my left.
The pickup itself, a Toyota Vigo Champ 'Extra' cab, was wonderful, and priced well, via Budget Car rental in BKK.     I chose it over a 'clown' car  which was roughly the same price.   The pickup came with a sturdy and fashionable locking cap.   There was only a miniscule, barely padded bench for a back seat, but there was only two of us, and we have plenty of room up front.
The Vigo,  (Same as a Tacoma in the US) had a diesel engine, and did well on fuel, while offering decent performance.

I honestly didn't keep track of the MPG, but my guess is mid to high 20's.    There are no self serve gas stations in Thailand, or at least I didn't see any.   We generally stopped at a large 7/11 travel plaza, handed the attendant a 1000 baht note, and that filled the tank up, and we had change left for a snack.

Navigating Thailand was 'interesting'.   I had a Thai friend with me, who had not driven much in the big cities.    I bought a GPS map for my Garmin, which turned out to be worthless.    My suggestion is rent the GPS from the car rental place.

Just prior to my trip, I purchased a multiple USB outlet that plugged into a 12v cigarette lighter outlet.     It worked well for this trip, charging cell phones, tablets, and powering the Mobius.    The 12v outlet did lose power when the key was off and the truck parked.    I was hoping for it to stay powered, keeping the cam on while the truck was parked, offering us some protection while parked in tourist areas.

Yes, the first day in Thailand, an Elephant was within in inches of my parked rental car.
We were at the Royal Elephant Kraal, near Ayutthaya, after normal tourist hours.
(I didn't realize it.)

The elephants were being herded about, some coming home from town from 'work'.
I parked the truck, we walked around a bit, then I noticed elephants milling about the pickup.  I was nervous, the pickup was silver, maybe looking gray to a lovesick elephant, and they were CLOSE.   At the same time I was thinking, 'wow, this will be cool video on the MOBIUS!'.
Well, I didn't realize the mobius was not powered up, since the 12v socket I plugged it into was not powered when the key is off.

Next time I will take a large battery pack to power the Mobius, and maybe even a second Mobius to place in the rear of the vehicle.   The Mobius is so inconspicuous.   It's easy to tuck in near the rear view mirror.
The Mobius is good 'insurance' against some traffic accident scams that sometimes target tourists, and also helps to document your trip.

I'd heard of police corruption in Thailand, didn't have a problem, although we often passed through Police and Military checkpoints in the provinces.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip, more so after the first few days of getting used to driving there.   I may have left some unusual stains on the driver seat of the pickup during the first day driving there..

We traveled from BKK, toward Mae Hong Song, Chiang Mai, and later Issaan, and eventually back to BKK.  I think I drove 3000 km in ten days.

Do I suggest you  rent a car when if you go to Thailand?    Not if you are not used to driving on 'that' side of the road!

Will I rent a car on my next trip?  Yes.   Shop wisely online, I rented my pickup via USAA, and Budget.     I highly recommend the Budget agency at the BKK airport.
They were very helpful, the car was ready and clean, and at the curb.  Dealing with Budget was the easiest part of this long trip.  Thanks, I'll use you  next time!

On the temple grounds at Tham Erawan,  Nong Bua Lamphu province

Once you  escape BKK, slow down, enjoy the scenery, take your time.   I feel comfortable driving in Thailand now.  That doesn't mean I won't occasionally stray to the wrong side of the road or turn the wipers on when I'm trying to use a turn signal.
Thai drivers will tailgate, and pass where it is totally stupid.     (another reason for a dashcam)   The more expensive the car, the more aggressive they seem to be.
Then, you have the large, Toyota Vans that run inter-city, usually silver colored, hauling maybe 15 passengers.   They usually drove like maniacs.

Here's tour bus we saw at a Tourist attraction in Loei province.

My Thai friend told me 'don't tell people you  trucker in USA.  ' Here trucker is low life person, do drug.'.

Well, not so different than in the USA?    I was still curious about the trucks in Thailand.


Except in the rural provinces, the big trucks usually weren't going very fast, and I saw little in the way of what we'd think of as 'truck stops'.

You didn't see as many overly aggressive big trucks  in Thailand as I see in the USA.

Many big trucks were LPG powered.

The closest thing to  a truck stop I saw were wide spaces in the road where there was some roadside vendors, like a flea market, and some trucks parked on the shoulder.
The truckers could buy hot food, and apparently sometimes 'special services' at some, (Massages and beyond).

As far as parking to sleep, I saw many trucks with small sleepers just parked on the shoulder of the road.

Oh, stickers or mudflaps bearing the image of  Al Pacino in 'Serpico' are popular on big trucks in Thailand.   They see him as an anti-police corruption symbol.
It was kind of strange seeing 'Serpico' staring at you from mudflaps on the back of trucks.


 Here is video from the wide angle lens mobius, on the road to Pai, Thailand.   Other than around BKK or other big cities, this was some of the worst driving I saw in Thailand.

If you want to view it in HD, please view it at Youtube. (I did upload in 1080p HD)