Dash Cam thread
- Thread starter jeremy44
- Start date
I tapped into the front 12v socket (inside obviously) and put a 12v socket behind and plugged in my dashcam to it, then routed the wires behind the glove box and up the front pillar on driver side, then along the headliner and to behind the rear view mirror.
Similar to this but backwards and I didn't tap into the fuse box: http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123829094-Hardwiring-a-Valentine-1
garmin makes one. you pay for it though.
does anyone know where to get power towards the top of the windshield?
Got into a wreck in my truck a few months back where a dashcam would have made a big difference, but this being a nice shiny new car, i wanted something small, out of the way, and no wires strung everywhere.
Found the camera I was looking for
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-0801-A...864?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3416a250
About double what I wanted to pay, but it checked all the right boxes and it uses the same sensor as the GoPro HD, so the quality should be pretty good. I ordered it up and it came on the slow boat from china.
I wanted the camera hidden and as out of the way as possible, I dont want it to be obvious to cops or bystanders that I a have a camera, and I want the interior to remain clean anyway. Behind the rear view mirror is the best spot but due to the sensor pod that was a no go. Next best was on the passenger side of the sensor pod.
Thanks to Seminole for his Valentine 1 install writeup. I used that as reference.
(http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123829094-Hardwiring-a-Valentine-1)
Install went pretty smoothly, the camera has a cleat that attaches to the windshield.
tucked the power wire up behind the headliner along and around to the A pillar, which pops off
then i popped off the seal and routed the wiring down through the panels and into the fusebox.
originally planned to use a fuse tap to tap into one of many unused fuse slots, but I bought the wrong size fuse tap. So while i wait for the right size to come in, I had just baaaarreeeely enough wire to tuck the power wire behind the lower dash panel and route the power plug around to the regular 12v socket.
when the fuse tap gets here it will be completely invisible install except for the camera itself, and ill get my 12v socket back
Found the camera I was looking for
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-0801-A...864?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3416a250
About double what I wanted to pay, but it checked all the right boxes and it uses the same sensor as the GoPro HD, so the quality should be pretty good. I ordered it up and it came on the slow boat from china.
I wanted the camera hidden and as out of the way as possible, I dont want it to be obvious to cops or bystanders that I a have a camera, and I want the interior to remain clean anyway. Behind the rear view mirror is the best spot but due to the sensor pod that was a no go. Next best was on the passenger side of the sensor pod.
Thanks to Seminole for his Valentine 1 install writeup. I used that as reference.
(http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123829094-Hardwiring-a-Valentine-1)
Install went pretty smoothly, the camera has a cleat that attaches to the windshield.
tucked the power wire up behind the headliner along and around to the A pillar, which pops off
then i popped off the seal and routed the wiring down through the panels and into the fusebox.
originally planned to use a fuse tap to tap into one of many unused fuse slots, but I bought the wrong size fuse tap. So while i wait for the right size to come in, I had just baaaarreeeely enough wire to tuck the power wire behind the lower dash panel and route the power plug around to the regular 12v socket.
when the fuse tap gets here it will be completely invisible install except for the camera itself, and ill get my 12v socket back
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Just keep it in mine, your camera might not work with the fuse tap. I tried on my cam and it didn't work. I had to tap into the 12v socket too.
Anyways, any thoughts on your camera? My friends want one too after seeing me install one.
rideandslide
Member
- :
- 2014 Mazda CX5 GT
What is the thought process behind installing one of these? Just a layer of protection in case of accidents or trouble with police? Other uses?
runtohell121
Member
- :
- 2014 Mazda CX-5 Touring AWD Soul Red
I should be receiving one soon, ordered a VF300W from FoxOffer. Not sure how I am drawing power to the dash cam though..
Even if you don't need the cam for your own protection, you could always have it to help others. I saw a ladder fly off the top of a van and damage a few cars ahead of me. Wish I had my dash DVR at that time for the peeps that were hit by the ladder. The only things that I have recorded on my DVR that is remotely interesting is cars cutting other cars off in front of me. Boring. lol
I want it for my own legal protection. It could possibly defend my story in case of accident or use of deadly force, etc.
Bladecutter
Member
- :
- 2014 Mazda CX-5 Touring
And of course you live in Denver.
That's the first thing I looked at after you mentioned use of deadly force, and it didn't surprise me.
I'm going to point out the obvious:
If you are in a car, and you get into a confrontation with another individual, and you use deadly force, either with a weapon, or with your car, you're going to jail.
If you feared for your life, you are pretty much required to stay in your car, and drive away to someplace safe.
It's not the same rulebook as if you were in your home, where you can't easily leave to go someplace safer.
Just use the dashcam for recording stupid things people do on the road in front of you, and for explaining your actions during a traffic accident, and forget about the whole deadly force justification angle.
If you're have an altercation on the road, and bring a weapon from your car, and wind up pulling it on someone and firing it, and you recorded it, it's not going to go the way you think it is.
BC.
That's the first thing I looked at after you mentioned use of deadly force, and it didn't surprise me.
I'm going to point out the obvious:
If you are in a car, and you get into a confrontation with another individual, and you use deadly force, either with a weapon, or with your car, you're going to jail.
If you feared for your life, you are pretty much required to stay in your car, and drive away to someplace safe.
It's not the same rulebook as if you were in your home, where you can't easily leave to go someplace safer.
Just use the dashcam for recording stupid things people do on the road in front of you, and for explaining your actions during a traffic accident, and forget about the whole deadly force justification angle.
If you're have an altercation on the road, and bring a weapon from your car, and wind up pulling it on someone and firing it, and you recorded it, it's not going to go the way you think it is.
BC.
Thanks for the feedback I think i may not have explained it enough. I agree that if you leave your car with a weapon, then proving self defense is hard, as in many cases it is not.. If I am stuck in traffic and someone starts kicking my car, deadly force is not justified. If he then uses a weapon, and starts smashing the glass, then deadly force is justified - because I am in fear or serious bodily injury. I am pretty sure you are not saying that if some wacko starts in on the car with a bat or a gun with us in it that I am supposed to sit and do nothing. Again, no way to retreat, seatbelts fastened, two children in car seats. I am boxed in on I-25, or Colfax, God fobid. This example is based off of something Mossad Ayoub spoke of. It would be easier to get out of the house or even just move to a different room.
See http://www.dcsheriff.net/concealed-handgun-permits/.
What does Denver have to do with anything?
See http://www.dcsheriff.net/concealed-handgun-permits/.
What does Denver have to do with anything?
Bladecutter
Member
- :
- 2014 Mazda CX-5 Touring
Higher proportion of trigger happy gun packing loud mouthed wanna-be cowboys out here, in comparison to where I grew up in NYC, where no one wants anyone to know they have a weapon on them until the excrement has hit the air conditioning already. That's probably why NYC has less instances of Road Rage that make the news than we do here in Denver. Too much false bravado and not enough genuine fear of not knowing if the other guy is packing.
Also, if someone pulls a gun or baseball bat on you in traffic, there were most likely a series of events that lead up to that moment, where you failed to properly defuse the situation.
Every now and again you come across a complete nut job, who's waiting at a street corner with a bat, and is looking for a "green" car, because he hates green that day, but not so often.
The biggest threat is the self absorbed moron behind the wheel, where he thinks you should not be on the road with him, and, he's having a bad day on top of everything else.
All it takes to set that guy off is not using your turn signal while you got onto the highway, while he was half a mile back, in the left lane.
Usually these guys are driving diesel bro trucks, so they are easy to spot.
Besides, if someone's standing nest to your car with a baseball bat, trying to remove your window, you have several options:
Door them if they are close enough.
Getting smashed in the face with the CX-5's door is going to put someone down on the ground.
Turn wheel all the way to the right or left, and a quick jab of the throttle either in forward or reverse will make them jump back to avoid being hit.
Usually if you are stopped in traffic and other drivers start seeing crazy happen near their cars, they start driving in order to keep from having their car hit.
There will be an opportunity to get away without directly interacting with the person.
Never, ever get out of your car if you're dealing with a loose cannon.
Open your window slightly, hose them down with mace/pepper spray, and then wait for the cops to arrive is your best defense.
BC.
runtohell121
Member
- :
- 2014 Mazda CX-5 Touring AWD Soul Red
Finally received my dashcam from FoxOffer. A "VF300W".. I probably won't be recommending this one since it's grainy and a bit washed out in my view. If you anyone want to see videos I've recorded using the dashcam, here's 2 of them. I haven't had a chance to drive at night.
http://youtu.be/ZMBoDvH_r-c
http://youtu.be/CnVqtr-AiIY
http://youtu.be/BFGUPz-FRyo
Nothing special about the videos, just showing the quality of the dashcam.
http://youtu.be/ZMBoDvH_r-c
http://youtu.be/CnVqtr-AiIY
http://youtu.be/BFGUPz-FRyo
Nothing special about the videos, just showing the quality of the dashcam.
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Fer cryin' out loud! Best thing to do if you were witnessing such a heinous attack is to reach up and turn the TV off!
I swear, some people watch too many Hollywood movies. Makes 'em scared of their own shadows.
Go live life, live it big and stop worrying about every theoretical scenario that will likely never happen.
quality looks plenty good to me. more than enough quality for the purposes of a dashcam.
how did you mount yours and run the cabling?
runtohell121
Member
- :
- 2014 Mazda CX-5 Touring AWD Soul Red
Not a permanent mount as I've have yet to decide which car I'm mounting it on. For the CX-5, the mount was able to stick on the black spot on the upper windshield so it's pretty much behind the rearview mirror. For my Insight, right now, it mounts below the rearview mirror, not much places I can stick it on. Wiring, just hanging for now.
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