DIY Dashcam (BlackVue 550 fron&rear) - constant power source from dash

[LastNLSig]

manni786 clean up your PM inbox. It is full so I cannot reply to you.

To answer your questions:


I have the blackvue on 24/7 with a 64Gb sdcard (never checked but should be recording about 24hrs). Of course it draws energy from the battery, but this is minimal (compared to what you have available, and possibly you are plugged in overnight at home anyway). I don't know whether there is an option to program the on/off time of the blackvue.

WiFi I have only used to connect my SmartPhone. Press the button on the right side (where the connectors are) to switch WiFi on. Install the app on your phone and connect to the blackvue wifi network and it should run smoothly.
Never tried to catch the wifi with a desktop or laptop computer.

 

[Olle]

I installed a Blackvue 550 similarly to LastNLSigs excellent description and then connected to the constant power source above the microphone (early car).
My addition to the tips here: Put some vaseline in the rubber hose between roof and lift gate and the rear camera cable slid through like nothing :smile:

Now the car doesn't want to go into sleep mode though. Does anybody have any ideas about how to solve this?

 

[gelden]

I'm about to order a dashcam (this one: TEER H7000 HD 1080P 2.7 TFT 5.0MP CMOS Wide Angle Car DVR w/ HDMI / AV-OUT / GPS Track - Grey - Free Shipping - DealExtreme). I tried to open the central cover (in the middle of the headliner, near the reading lights) to see if i have the constant 12v there, but cannot figure out how to open this cover. Any hints?

 

[Olle]

I'm about to order a dashcam (this one: TEER H7000 HD 1080P 2.7 TFT 5.0MP CMOS Wide Angle Car DVR w/ HDMI / AV-OUT / GPS Track - Grey - Free Shipping - DealExtreme). I tried to open the central cover (in the middle of the headliner, near the reading lights) to see if i have the constant 12v there, but cannot figure out how to open this cover. Any hints?

on my car you start with pulling down the rear end of the microphone grille. But I have seen that they later changed the design and not sure the new one is fastened in the same way

 

[JPP]

I installed a Blackvue 550 similarly to LastNLSigs excellent description and then connected to the constant power source above the microphone (early car).
My addition to the tips here: Put some vaseline in the rubber hose between roof and lift gate and the rear camera cable slid through like nothing :smile:

Now the car doesn't want to go into sleep mode though. Does anybody have any ideas about how to solve this?

Vaseline not recommended--there is an official cable lube that electricians use for this task (non-conductive etc). Probably would have made my pull of the coax cable easier....

 

[gelden]

on my car you start with pulling down the rear end of the microphone grille. But I have seen that they later changed the design and not sure the new one is fastened in the same way

I tried that. I can just look underneath (comes down about 5-10 mm) but it is still firmly held by something.

 

[Olle]

that's how mine was too, the outer cover bends down 10-20mm and then when you continue to pull down the upper plate with the two clips comes down from the retainer in the ceiling above.

 

[gelden]

Aha, so the black backing plate should come out?

 

[Olle]

Aha, so the black backing plate should come out?

yes. obviously spread the load over all your fingers so that the white plate doesnt crack..

 

[Chuck Lusin]

Looks like my rear camera when out. I had to replace my wife's BlackVue DR550GW-2CH because it would hang and stop recording. Anyone else having reliability issues with the BlackVue?

 

[JPP]

Looks like my rear camera when out. I had to replace my wife's BlackVue DR550GW-2CH because it would hang and stop recording. Anyone else having reliability issues with the BlackVue?View attachment 58760

Chuck--try the following:

Pull power--let sit for a couple of minutes and power up.
Disconnect and reconnect both ends of the coax to the rear camera, and look to see that the small pin is in the center. Be sure connections are tight. I assume no new bends/kinks in the cable.
Press and hold button on right side for 10+ seconds and reformat the SD card.

If none of these work, then maybe a bad cable or rear camera.

Me, no technical issues with my 550-2CH.

 

[Chuck Lusin]

Thanks JPP,

I only did a quick reboot at lunch, I'll check the wire to the trunk door to make sure it did not get crushed, also I have some spare BlackVue parts that I can swap it with.

The front camera is recording fine. The image was the live feed from the rear camera. I noticed that if you disconnect the rear camera and reconnect it, the app says "camera not found", until you restart the front one. It might just default to 500 single camera mode?

I'll let you guys know.

 

[Htuork]

I'm sorry - quick OT question...on my Passport 9500ci install, I have an issue where if I honk the horn, my laser alert goes off. I'm guessing the feeds from the shifters run near the horn wire, so would putting cores at each of of the laser wires fix it, maybe? I really don't want to pull my entire frunk and dash apart to reroute the wire, but if something like this could fix it, that wouldn't be so bad....

I have the same exact problem with my Passport 9500ci, let me know if you find a solution.

 

[Chuck Lusin]

Well the rear camera did go bad, luckily I had a spare when I got a second 550 for my wife, when her front camera would just hang.

Now I have a box with a buggy front camera and a bad rear camera, which I'll see if I can warranty repair. Not much in the BackVue site about the warranty, only the request for help page.

 

[nhirsch]

Also on Amazon I found a 1.3mm x 3.5mm x 11.2mm plug (pigtail) with 6 feet of cord for the power from Parts Express. Saved me cutting my Blackvue power cable just to get that plug.
http://www.amazon.com/Parts-Express...+1.3mm+x+3.5mm+x+11.2mm+Plug+with+6+feet+Cord

I received the new Blackvue DR750LW and it apparently has a different 3-conductor power cord. Two conductors (yellow and red) are positive and one black negative. It's size looks similar to above except the barrel is split into a negative ground and the tip which is positive (as is the center also positive). I recommend you DO NOT use the one mentioned above for the DR750LW.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uk1o1taqt9u60zq/DR750LWpwr.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/chpxd2fu0tys3vw/DR750LWpwr2.jpg?

 

[nhirsch]

Here's a good picture of what it looks like when open. Note the two clips that hold it in place.

Dropbox - microphonepanel.jpg

 

[nhirsch]

I found a hole thru the firewall which holds what appears to be a rubber drain hose. The hose is easily removed from inside. I'm thinking either put the 12V power cable from the #2 fuse box thru that hole next to the rubber hose or else drill another hole right next to it and put a grommet. Pictures are here:

Hole as seen from the Frunk with rubber stub removed from inside: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kcrbozznijqeo4t/outerdrainhosehole.jpg?dl=0

Hole as seen from inside car passenger footwell upper right: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ytvt6s2mj03qllh/innerdrainhosehole.jpg?dl=0

Passenger footwell area with carpet peeled back. Hole would be in direction of upper right hand corner of picture. https://www.dropbox.com/s/r8adcvd8dhiqmi6/passengerfootwell.jpg?dl=0

Plan would be to put power from Fuse Box #2, using add-a-fuse thru the hole shown above and routed along passenger door sill area shown below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/844a8r48kmxgqdn/passdoorcablerouting.jpg?dl=0

and then inward under seat track and come up under passenger seat thru existing cutout in floor area as shown here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ys0o4l2unkq13rf/underseatcablesaccess.jpg?dl=0

there I would put an connector box as shown here on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231035683042?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I would remove the cable and replace it with the heavier power from the frunk and the ground from the passenger foot area. I would connect the cigarette plug of the Blackvue to one of cigarette receptacles. Alternatively I could unsolder the cigarette plug and plug it directly into the Fuse box #2 but this would not enable me to have a constant source of 12V under the passenger seat which might be beneficial such as charging cell phones when the car is off. I'm interested in anyone's thoughts. The ebay item i could double stick to the carpet and/or tie-wrap to the cylindrical seat motor to keep it tight. The car currently has a number of panels sitting in the trunk including the rear view mirror mount housing. Once I decide whether to drill a separate hole in the firewall or notch out a little more of the hole currently there -- enough for a grommet to protect the power cable, and also decide if I'm going to run a heavier power cable under the seat or just use the cable from Blackvue and forget the future options, I'll be ready to run the wires. The third option would be to run the Blackvue cable direct and while I'm at it, run the power cable thru there with the cigarette/usb adapter under the passenger seat additionally! Hopefully time won't be too long otherwise forget how things go back together

 

[nhirsch]

BTW, many, many thanks to LastNLSig and JPP for forging ahead. I'm waiting parts. I'm planning on doing both the dashcam power cable plus another 12Ga power cable for accessories under the passenger seat. Here are the panels removed for just the front section. Hopefully will remember how to put them back. Else I'll bring to SC and say I hit a bump and they all popped off Not a job for the faint of heart especially drilling two approx 1/2" holes, one firewall, the other rear hatch.
Just curious if anyone knows that that rectangular thing is in the right passenger dash side panel with the two conductor cable?

Panels for front: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fnisfixda0cnfwa/panelsremoved.jpg?dl=0

Note drain hose my car in location where prior picture showed just a plug which is why I must drill another hole:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rtndzuv7t22679v/insidedrainpic.jpg?dl=0

 

[HankLloydRight]

Just curious if anyone knows that that rectangular thing is in the right passenger dash side panel with the two conductor cable?

It's probably 4 conductor cable and it goes to the USB ports. I tapped the + and - for a radar detector install.

 

[nhirsch]

It's probably 4 conductor cable and it goes to the USB ports. I tapped the + and - for a radar detector install.

I'm referring to what is clearly 2 conductor, black and white in picture below from the passenger dash side panel. I doubt it has anything to do with USB. Possibly proximity sensor for the doors? Take a look:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ip8pzb2fjbhnfvz/rightsidedashpnl.jpg?dl=0

Where did you tap your power from?