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The 1st 8 Cameras Dash Cam (DVR) installed on a Tesla

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Sorry for the late post, I’ve been extremely busy, per members request, below are some of the footage during the installation on Jan 22[SUP]nd[/SUP] 2015, more pics/videos/review/comments will follow…

Pic1 – The 8 Cameras Dash Cam (DVR) can monitor and record up to 8 cameras all at once 24/7

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Pic2 - Invited Bill (Ebill) to share his expertise and know how inside of Model S to speed up the installation process (1[SUP]st[/SUP] time installing it on Tesla)

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Pic3 - Bill (Ebill) in action showing the technicians where to feed the GPS/Power cables

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Pic4 - This is the whole unit, one piece with 4.3 inch monitor that clips on to factory rear view mirror. Looks bulky at first, but acceptable once installed (see pics below).

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Confirmed with markwj regards to upload limitation, he will upload the additional pictures on my behave. Thanks Mark!

lx3h, absolutely! Issue with whatsapp and line is only a one time communication with existing members only. Posting pics/videos/reviews/comments on TMC would allow new members or anyone interested in dash cam to review, submit Q&A and also to centralized repository.
 
MarkWJ's comment: I've seen the car myself - the install is beautiful. The cameras and hidden wiring were done with great care, and look amazing. The large rear mirror is pretty big, and the display impressive, but perhaps that part is not for me (there are alternative arrangements, with a LCD mounted on the dashboard).

Moderator's note: Attached pictures, and text, credit to SUNNY. Just uploading on his behalf.

Pic5 - Panels taking apart to run 2 video cables from the mirror to the main unit
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Pic6 - No shortcuts here, all cables will go thru the factory rubber seals to protect the wires and hidden from sight
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Pic7 - The famous Fuse # 47 (constant power) advised to be use per Bill. Is amazing that Bill can call out the actual # of which fuse to use and also the amount/position of the plastic clips on each panels!!!
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Pic8 - More panels taking off for the GPS module to be placed near the nose cone
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Pic9 – The unit is in place with the 2 front cameras on the left side, one for long distance and the other for short distance view
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Pic10 – 2 cams on left side mirror viewing the front and back wheel, no more curb rash!
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Pic11 – Bottom view
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Pic12 – Side view
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Pic13 – Close up
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Pic14 – Close up view
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Pic15 – 2 cams on right side mirror viewing the front and back wheel, same position as the left side mirror
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Pic16 – Side view (right mirror)
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Pic17 – Can’t see the actual cam underneath the mirror
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Pic18 – Bottom view
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Pic19 – Can barely see the wires to the unit
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Pic20 – Rear view cam cable goes thru the factory rubber seals, all wires/cables are hidden
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Pic21 – Rear view cam
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Pic22 – Outside view of rear view cam
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Pic23 – Cam to monitor dashboard
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Pic24 – Side view
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Pic25 – Outside view of the unit / front cams / side cams
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Tony, the dash cam with install is 12,000 HKD (promotion price I got at the car show in Dec, retail is about 14k), since we got Jerry (shop owner) to come out last weekend at Gold Coast to demo the 360/dash cam, they are offering similar price for group buy, listed below are GP packages (with install).

A. Base package (5-cam with installation):
1. Main control unit (with built-in two cameras at the front)
2. One camera at the rear windshield
3. Two cameras at each side mirror (either front or rear view)
4. Two SD cards (8GB and 64GB)
Price: $8,100

B. Full-side-view package (7-cam with installation):
1. Main control unit (with built-in two cameras at the front)
2. One camera at the rear windshield
3. Four cameras at each side mirror (front view x2 and rear view x2)
4. Two SD cards (8GB and 64GB)
5. Constant surveillance with low battery detection and cut off
Price: $10,000

Other optional items (w/ installation):
6. GPS antenna with CAREC Playback software -- $480
7. 8th camera for view of dashboard -- $900
8. 8th camera for reverse recording with view of bumper -- $1,400

The overall size of rear-view mirror (either 3.5 or 4.3 inch embedded monitor) stays the same, alternative to that would be a standalone unit (mini DVR) with 3.5 LCD or a 5 inch external LCD that plugs into mini DVR (can’t upload any pics, will have Mark upload it. Thanks Mark!).

Vmax, I don’t think this will be an issue with Tesla warranty. If I recall the constant power / ACC cables were directly from fuse box, so not even a single cable being cut or modified in anyway. Other than the 2 holes per each of the side mirror for the cameras.
 
Moderator's note: Attached further pictures, and text, credit to SUNNY, EBill and Jerry Just uploading on their behalf.

Pic26 - Mini DVR could be mounted under armrest
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Pic27 – Mini DVR could be mounted under 17” screen
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Pic28 – 5” external LCD that plug directly into mini DVR
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Pic29 - 5” external LCD could be mounted on center of dash
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Pic30 - 5” external LCD could be mounted on right side of dash
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Thank you Mark!

Tony, you are very welcome! The recording quality is good, is not HD but it covers all angles and detail enough to be use in court/conflict. I haven’t had a chance to play back any videos yet, I need to get a newer SD card reader to read the current 64 GB SD card, but I did lock a few video clips where I almost got hit by a SUV coming out from a turn, a car all of the sudden on wrong side of the road right in front of me and a few almost curb rash coming out from a parking lot.

TDial, let me find out and get back to you. I don’t recall seeing anything like the 8 cameras dash cam when I was researching a high-end dash cam for months back in 2014 and finally purchased Lukas 9700 Duo from the states in Dec, but I didn’t have the time to install it myself, then I went to the car show in late Dec. and saw the 8 cameras dash cam, after an hour of discussion I purchased it right away. Now the Lukas 9700 Duo is just sitting in the garage!

Phil k, same here!
 
Hi Mark,

FYI those pics you posted with alternate display mounting locations are from some experiments Jerry and I did with alternative display placements in my car. (Those photos are from the whatsapp group). Sunny's car has the display on the rear view mirror.

I'll probably be going with the mini-dvr placed in the slot below the 17" display with a long cord so it can pulled out and the remote 5" display. I haven't decide where I will mount the 5" display yet and plan to experiment with different locations. I'll also probably just default to the 2 left side images of the car to help with offside parking. The DVR meanwhile will record all the cameras.

Happy to answer any questions on these alternative locations.
 
Hi Mark,

FYI those pics you posted with alternate display mounting locations are from some experiments Jerry and I did with alternative display placements in my car. (Those photos are from the whatsapp group). Sunny's car has the display on the rear view mirror.

Sorry for the missing credit - Sunny passed them on to me to post and I assumed they were his. I'll update the posting now. Thanks for your assist with this, Bill. Your experience with opening up Teslas is most appreciated by all of us here.
 
Isn't this the kind of thing that would be perfect if Tesla allowed 3rd party developers to develop apps for the center console screen? Then instead of having to mount "another" display somewhere in the car, the app would allow the center console to display the image from whichever camera you want. The center console would also then need to be able to communicate to the DVR the commands that get sent to it by whatever means they currently get sent. This is just like GPS units. Everyone used to buy a Garmin GPS unit and mount it on the window. Now, every cell phone can do that, while many cars now include a navigation capability that can display on the cars main screen.

At some point I would think that not only Tesla, but other auto makers would open up to 3rd party developers. The utility of this increases greatly if you don't have to use an external display/keyboard, but can instead use the center console.

RT

P.S. Just curious. One of the posters said that this was a "must have" for Hong Kong. Why is that?
 
Hi Rubbertoe,

In HK the parking spots and parking garage entrances are typically very narrow. Many of the parking ramps as well as the streets have high curbs that can inflict severe wheel rim rash if hit. This particular dash cam installation with full side views on both sides of the car makes it easier to avoid this type of damage. In addition to all the other benefits of dash cams.

A few of the other Model S owners I've discussed this with will primarily use this for parking with the DVR feature being secondary.

In regards to integration with the 17" display - that would be ideal. I've installed the front camera modification that uses the 17" screen. Unfortunately that mod doesn't help for the side view. Search for "front camera" to see those threads on the front camera topic. Artsci is working with some companies to see if they can figure out a way to access the 17" screen for a 360/birdseye view. He is probably furthest along to making this work.
 
Isn't this the kind of thing that would be perfect if Tesla allowed 3rd party developers to develop apps for the center console screen? Then instead of having to mount "another" display somewhere in the car, the app would allow the center console to display the image from whichever camera you want.

...

P.S. Just curious. One of the posters said that this was a "must have" for Hong Kong. Why is that?

I specifically DON'T want anything displayed on the center screen. When I make this installation in my car, there will be a dash mounted LCD, or several side by side, just behind the top of the steering wheel. This position is just below the normal field of view, and will display any time the car is on. Like the car mirrors, I don't need to press anything, and don't need to look away, it will be ON when the car is ON. Period. And being in this angle, just below the lower field of view of the road in front, it's just a very quick glance down to see the angles you otherwise couldn't see.

Hong Kong and the Model S ... this installation will be the vaccination for our cars against the dreaded infection called curb rash, which is pandemic in Hong Kong. Few cars evade it here, it's more a question of when, not if, much to the confusion and disbelief of Model S owners in countries and states where roads are open and wide, parking lots are generous and corners are curved, not angled.

So yes, it is a must have in Hong Kong. Had I been a car insurer here, I would offer a generous discount on premiums for a documented installed system in an insured car. Less chance of damage while driving, while the DVR function will be very helpful to establish responsibilities, whether driving or parked.

One parking lot I used was so narrow, I had to fold the mirrors in to get past the card reader, as one mirror was just an inch from the wall, the other one about to hit the reader unit. Inside, some corners are so narrow you have to back up and drove forward, alternately, just to get around corners that are designed as if for scooters and pedestrians only.