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Dash Cam
- Thread starter MicrominnieLandcruiser
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For a front dashcam, I use a Garmin. It works well, saving video in one minute clips for hours, before overwriting the oldest clips. It recently caught an oncoming rollover that knocked a huge chunk of concrete median into our lane. The driver got out and took off - probably a stolen vehicle. The police wanted the video as evidence.
A rear camera would be nice as well. I don't suppose it's possible to use the digital rearview mirror option as a camera?
A rear camera would be nice as well. I don't suppose it's possible to use the digital rearview mirror option as a camera?
I have the OEM dash cam and am perfectly satisfied with it. I have found the easiest way to use it is to increase the memory to a 128GB (largest it will support), and remove it and plug into my pc to view. As long as the green left light is lit it is recording a continuous loop. The 16GB included memory stores about 4 hours of video. The oldest gets overridden.
If you select manual record it will store it in a separate folder as well as if any sensor is triggered. Those also will be stored in a separate folder.
If you select manual record it will store it in a separate folder as well as if any sensor is triggered. Those also will be stored in a separate folder.
The OEM dash cam looks retarded, like a 3rd grader designed it.
I use a Garmin Mini 3 for my rear dash cam, powered from one of the USB C slots in the cargo area that would be for 3rd row passengers if there was a 3rd row.
FYI I finally received my Dongar Pro + adapter and USB-C barrel adapter. I mocked up the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE II Plus using the power source at the mirror to test it. Initial tests didn’t see the BlackVue go into (reduced current) Parking Mode.
I tested it again today, now knowing there are a few criteria required for this dashcam to go into parking mode- it takes a few minutes with vehicle “off” to trigger Parking Mode to turn on, and the camera has to be still for a period (mine was dangling into my hand rather than mounted to the windshield). I was able to get the BlackVue to successfully go into Parking Mode twice in brief testing today.
Time will tell after I install front & rear cams for real and can have a look at the current consumption in Parking Mode, then I will better be able to judge whether the Land Cruiser will need a more robust 12V battery upgrade to properly support parking mode or a dedicated parking mode back-up battery to do the trick without causing no start conditions.
Well, keep us informed. I couldn’t get parking mode going in traditional ways. Please divulge the settings you are using. I did speak with the Dongar folks and they also led me to believe it would not work given the different connector that BlackVue uses relative to viofo.
I have the Dongar y-adapter plugged into the mirror port feeding the Pro +, and from the Pro + a USB-C to barrel adapter which feeds the BlackVue camera. I initially set up the Pro + a few weeks ago. I believe the only thing I changed was to select the timer function and set it to 8 hrs.
The first time I set up the BlackVue to test it, the 64gb card it came with was inserted and I had not initialized the cam through their app. Today I swapped in a 512gb card, formatted it and initialized the cam through the app. The OEM 64gb card doesn’t leave much room for footage in parking mode with 4K enabled. Nothing else changed, and with Land Cruiser off and camera still it engaged parking mode. I couldn’t believe my ears, so I tried it again. We’ll see if all of that still works the same with front & rear cams properly installed.
I did notice a reduction in current being consumed (as displayed on the Pro +) as the BlackVue switched over to parking mode.
I have a BlackVue DR970X-2CH-PLUS hardwired to the passenger side fuse box. Works great!
Mine came with OEM dashcam. On passenger side so who cares what it looks like.
Curious, what else do people use theirs for? I was able to get it to connect by turning off Bluetooth and know that it works, but it’s just there so that if somebody stupid causes an accident, I have video evidence I wasn’t at fault.
Don’t really need anything else so as long as it’s just doing its job why complicate things. I don’t even notice it anymore.
Curious, what else do people use theirs for? I was able to get it to connect by turning off Bluetooth and know that it works, but it’s just there so that if somebody stupid causes an accident, I have video evidence I wasn’t at fault.
Don’t really need anything else so as long as it’s just doing its job why complicate things. I don’t even notice it anymore.
Welcome to the asylum.
At least you have one.. for your protection, in this messed up world..
Welcome to the asylum.
- Jul 7, 2025
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I’ve run BlackVue and Thinkware exclusively for years. I’ve also killed many AGMs in that time. Highly recommend a cap or dedicated battery if you want to run parking mode. My latest setup was a OBD-II plug that would shutoff park recording at 12.2V, but even then I was killing the battery and had to develop a system of unplugging the connector at work and in my driveway.
I use the Garmin X310 in the front, and Mini 3 in the back. Both power cables are plugged into the Garmin OBD-II power plug which I ordered from their website. You will also need the longer cable to reach from the back to the OBD-II port in the drivers footwell.
On the Garmin plug itself, you can choose how long you want you cams to remain in the recording mode after parking. Since going for a shorter recoding time, Miss Daisy has had NO battery deaths.
With the older BlackVue in my Jeep, I went through a few AGMs but would top them off periodically. I'll admit I topped the Odyssey Performance off more regularly than I did the Northstar it replaced. They were both excellent batteries. If I went that way it would be with the understanding that I'd have to throw my AGM charger on every now and then. Where I park at work there is constant movement, which means an active cam in parking mode.
I have my eye on the Blackboxmycar Powercell 8 and the BlackVue Power Magic Ultra B-130A. I was surprised to learn that there is a cap on aH for these backup batteries.
My intent is not to derail OP's thread, but felt I should update regarding Dongar's Pro + used with the BlackVue cam. I installed the front & rear cams Sunday before last.
My initial test and optimism that saw the cam go into parking mode wired through the Dongar Pro + was short lived- the cam does indeed go into parking mode once you have been parked for a time, but with the Timer Mode on the Pro + selected it would shut off completely with ignition. I was unable to get it to work. Last Thursday I got to work early, and figured I would play with some of the other settings on the Pro +. Much to my surprise, selecting Energy Budget mode (and Eco mode within that setting) on the Pro + did allow the BlackVue to go into parking mode with the Land Cruiser shut down.
I set the low voltage cut off on the Dongar to 12.3V, and did the same in the BlackVue cam's settings. I had parking mode Thursday into Saturday. The Land Cruiser was not driven on Saturday, and when checking the video on the cam from Parking Mode it appeared to have shut off while retaining enough voltage to allow the LC to start normally. A drive on Sunday was possible without no-start issues. I'll keep an eye on 12V battery voltage going forward, but I can say I am loving the new DR970X-2CH LTE Plus II cam and am happy to have found a setting with the Dongar Pro + to enable parking mode.
