Trucker Dash Cams: trucker dash cams

Showing posts with label trucker dash cams. Show all posts

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Four 'trucker tested' dash cams you can buy on Amazon!

The dash cams you see for sale at truck stops are overpriced, often poor quality, or 'lackluster', overall. There are much better cams and values to be found, online.
All dash cams are made in Asia, most in China, regardless of which big name is on the product. Many factories in China churn out dash cams with multiple names, some of which you will recognize, others you won't. Don't be swayed by a 'big' name on the outside of the cam, or box. Often the unknown names are better quality, and value.
You can buy dash cams directly from suppliers in China much cheaper than you can from retailers in the US, but there are some minor problems. 'Returns' can be costly, and prohibitive. Please check return or replacement costs from a Chinese supplier. Often the costs to ship the item back for refund or replacement are equal to the price you paid for the item. Customer support is also a problem.
Don't get me wrong! I do buy things for my own use from suppliers in China! I understand the risks, and quirks.
Amazon is a safer place to buy dash cams, as well as Spytec, and it's well worth a search on Amazon for a dash cam you are interested in.
Here are 4 dash cams I personally own, use, and can recommend, that are currently available on Amazon.

AUSDOM HD Dash Cam A261, Car DVR with GPS, 2 Inch View Screen-Auto Car Dash Camera/ Vehicle Camcorder Type Car Black Box with G-Sensor for Auto-Recording

The Ausdom A261 is a very nice cam, with good video! The 'night' video is better than your average dash cam. It's proven to be reliable in over 40,000 miles of use in a tractor trailer.

PAPAGO GS110-US GoSafe 110 HD 720P Mini Dashcam (Black)

The Papago! GS 110 is a very pleasant dash cam. It is very easy to use, and the video output is very clear. This is one of the few cameras I can recommend that 'motion detection' works well on. 'Motion Detection' is a mode that only records when the camera senses some motion within it's view, vehicles, or pedestrians. This is not a 'parking' mode, but can be used as such in a large truck, to extend your coverage and preserve space on the memory card. Please remember, all dash cams use almost the same amount of power in 'parking' or motion detection mode, as in normal mode. In a car, you can kill your battery in a few days (or less) if you use 'parking' or motion detection as a protective mode for an unattended vehicle. This is not a problem for big trucks with more battery capacity.

One added advantage for truckers of the GS110, is it is capacitor powered, no internal battery. (Except a small one to preserve time and settings.) A capacitor equipped cam will only work when connected to external power. Many of the issues with dash cams are related to heat, and battery failure. No battery? The camera lasts longer, and you have less problems. This is a big plus for truckers, who will use the dash cam extensively. I run mine 24/7, months on end.

Spy Tec A118-C Capacitor Edition Full 1080P HD Video Car Dashboard Camera - No Internal Battery | Novatek NT96650 Chipset + Aptina AR0330 Lens | Stealth Dashboard Covert Mini Cam | 170 Degree Super Wide Angle 6G Lens | B40 G-Sensor Night Vision Motion Detection
The A118-C is sold by many suppliers, and under various names. 'B40' is another name used for this dash cam, and generically 'wedge'. The 'C' model is preferred. It has a capacitor, instead of a battery.
SPYTEC sells directly, as well as on Amazon, and is a reliable vendor of this and other dash cams in the US.

The A118-C is kind of the 'old war horse' of Dashcams. It's a bit dated, but reliable. The mounting configuration means you end up with a low profile camera, that is pretty easy to use. Day time video quality is good, night, not so great. There is an optional GPS module you can buy.

Mobius Action Camera 1080P HD Mini Sports Cam - Standard Edition
The Mobius is an action cam that can be used very well as a dash cam. The mobius has a very dedicated following, worldwide, both as a dash cam, and as an action cam, primarily in RC usage. This is a reliable cam, with good video, as well as a lot of help, tips, and information available online from actual users.
The Mobius is small, and one of the more discrete dash cams you can find.
I take mine on vacations, and use it in rental cars. It's tiny. About the size of a matchbox.

My original Mobius 'A' has seen over two years of use in a tractor trailer.

I did replace the OEM battery with a 'super capacitor' at about the one year mark, but I see this Mobius lasting for years, and years. I own the wide angle 'C' and 'C2' versions, also.
For truck use, make sure you buy the 'super capacitor' add on!
(Save the OEM battery, you can still use the Mobius as a free standing 'action' cam, if you wish, by swapping the capacitor with the OEM battery. It's a 5 minute operation.)

Monday, September 21, 2015

Papago! GoSafe 110 from gearbest.com "Trucker Tested' Dash Cam

The Papago! GoSafe 110 has been running reliably, 24/7, for the last 22 days in my tractor trailer, as I traveled 9200 miles.
Day and night video is good. The controls are easy to use. This is a good, basic dash cam that is suitable for most users, in any vehicle.

PAPAGO GoSafe110 Capacitance Version HD 720P 2.0 Inch Mini Dashcam Car DVR - $86.99
from: GearBest

GearBest.com currently has a coupon code on the Papago GoSafe 110.

Enter coupon code GS110 at checkout to get this camera, with free shipping, for $69.99. (US)

This is a good deal, and you'll end up with a reliable dash cam that is better, and cheaper than the limited selection at truck stops.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Using dash cams with Motion Detection in parked trucks

Most common dash cams have a 'motion detection' setting that is of little use, or users have unrealistic expectations of the camera. I've been playing with a few dash cams that have motion detection to see how useful they may be for use in a parked truck.

I have been leaving at least one of my cams running in the truck, while parked overnight, with the hope of detecting vandals, thieves, and other vehicles that may hit my parked truck while I'm away from it, or sleeping.

In normal operation, a dash cam will continuously record, save segments, and erase the oldest segment on the card by recording a new segment over it. This is called 'looping'.

How much coverage you will get on your card depends on the card memory size, and the resolution of your camera. Most of the 1080p cams will maintain the last 4 hours of video on a 32gb card.
This isn't so bad, if you are sleeping in your truck, and somebody breaking into your truck, or another vehicle backs into you truck and flees before you can really wake up and see much.
You can then review the most recent files on your card and possibly see what or who it was.

If you have left your truck parked somewhere, unattended, for an extended period of time, with your cam running in normal mode, it's possible the segment containing the information you want, may have been erased.

I see 'motion detection' mode as a strong possibility to give you some extended parking protection, without dealing with elaborate camera or memory systems.

No, you won't catch everything!

One dash cam will only provide coverage in one direction. If you have it mounted in your windshield, somebody walking up from behind your truck and trying to break in won't start the camera. Likewise, a vehicle striking you from behind isn't likely to result in much useful video in a forward facing cam.

The goal is to add a little more protection, using a dash cam you have to protect you while driving.

A further limitation on motion detection mode usage in long term parking situations include the battery capacity of the vehicle you have the camera in.
If you are reading this, thinking it will work in the car you park for days at a time, you are out of luck. While your typical dash cam only draws about .35 amps, it's enough to kill some car batteries after a few days.
(this is not a problem usually in large trucks, which often have 4-8 batteries.)

Few cameras also have a 'pre buffer' capability, meaning they always record, and save a few second of video BEFORE the motion detector sensor is triggered.

Don't expect miracles, but you may be surprised at how often video from this mode is useful.

Let's look at some video clips for motion detection triggered samples from some currently available dash cams.

Here's a Mobius Wide Angle cam on a brightly lit day.

(All segments start when the cam was triggered, but are not shown in full length)

The next two from a Papago! GoSafe 110, parked in two, different truck stops, with probably better than average lighting.