Roadster dash cam - suggestions?

[7racer]

Thanks for linking to those videos; both are great! Footage is pretty good too. So now I'm a bit torn, and might choose the GP just because I'd be able to take it scuba diving as well - I currently use an iPod Nano 4 (the #5 didn;t have a video camera) in a generic underwater housing.

Regards
Ian

Ian,
from what I understand, having a flat front lens makes for better underwater filming correct? I think that was one of the complaints about the older Gopros'. The new Hero 3 has a flat front type.
I posted a link to my snorkeling video but forgot I could embed it. Also if you look thru some of my videos I have one out side mounted on my GT-R at a track day at MSR and another one with my friends daughter doing back flips at a trampoline park.

Versatile cam.

[video=vimeo;58158166]https://vimeo.com/58158166[/video]

 

[7racer]

Trampoline vid:
Urban Air Dec 2012 on Vimeo

GT-R going off track vid
Apex HPDE on Vimeo

 

[Slackjaw]

Trampoline vid:
Urban Air Dec 2012 on Vimeo

GT-R going off track vid
Apex HPDE on Vimeo

Great videos 7racer, thanks! I think I want your life - sports cars, trampolines and exotic vacations

Having looked through the specs I am now almost decided on the Hero 3 Black, since it will make a great dive camera and when I'm not diving I will try it as a dash cam. It is very high res and claims to have a looping feature. The only thing I'll lose, assuming it's OK in the car, is that I won't be able to record while the car is parked in some dodgy New Jersey marina and I'm off diving :crying:

http://gopro.com/product-comparison-hero3-cameras

When I get this sorted out I'll post a follow-up with some footage and installation notes. Thanks as always for all the input and advice. "TMC FTW!"

 

[Jackyche]

I'm reviving this thread. I bought a dash camera and want to install it.

How did you guys hide the power cord? Any pictures of trim dis-assembly?

Thanks.

Jack

 

[Slackjaw]

I'm reviving this thread. I bought a dash camera and want to install it. ... How did you guys hide the power cord? Any pictures of trim dis-assembly?

I got sidetracked by other projects and funding was cut to this, so I didn't buy anything. I think it's still sitting sadly in my amazon basket in a virtual aisle somewhere.

But I was planning to mount the camera in front of the rear view mirror and run the power cable basically where the GPS antenna is on 2.5s (those with the optimistically named "infotainment package"). It runs down one side of the windscreen and then can probably be tucked into the side of the console.

Someone I'd ask is MarkWJ who recently ran a microphone wire the same way to his Parrot Asteroid (documented over here). I think you could watch footage from the camera on a Parrot in-car. The Parrot is also on my upgrade list for some time this Winter I reckon. Mark is at TESLIVE this weekend though, so he may be too busy to reply quickly.

I think that was a long-winded way of saying "go ahead please, and then post what you did here". :redface:

 

[JohnGarziglia]

I'm reviving this thread. I bought a dash camera and want to install it.

How did you guys hide the power cord? Any pictures of trim dis-assembly?

Thanks.

Jack

The radio antenna runs up the RH side of the windshield. Do not run a power cord up there as it will diminish even further the already poor reception delivered by that antenna. Rather, run the power cord inside the trim in the left side of the windshield and order this molding from Tesla to cover the wire which is the same molding used to cover the antenna on the RH side. Inside the Windshield Antenna Molding for 2.5.

The molding will need to be affixed with double-sided tape (the kind of double-sided cellophane tape used to mount photos seemed to work well). No trim needs to be disassembled. The wire will fit in between the windshield and the existing trim to be held in place with the molding.

 

[Jackyche]

I didn't get a chance to buy the molding from Tesla yet. I'm not sure if the 2.5 is different from my 1.5 but I didn't actually see any molding material running on the right hand side of the windshield on my car.

So, I then went ahead and ran the power cord on from camera (behind rear view mirror) along top (fairly snug) and down the right side of windshield (a bit loose) and down the side of door sill (snug), to back of passenger seat, along bottom of center console bar and into the cigarette lighter.

I'll see what I can do to "seal" off the right side of windshield in the coming few days. I'll also see if I can get away with a double adapter to make it 2 cigarette plugs since I do need to charge other stuff.

Less work than I had anticipated.

 

[markwj]

I just push mine into the rubber windscreen surround. Mine is a 2.5.

 

[Lloyd]

I just installed the Mobius Dash Cam on my Model S. It fits nicely behind the rear view mirror and you hardly know it is there. Got power from the connector behind the rear mirror.

 

[PV4EV]

Another vote for the $70 Mobius 1080P Dashcam

Pics below show it installed behind Roadster mirror. I enlarged the LED hole so I can be sure its 'on'. The thing is very small, yet has a 90minute Lipo battery in it too. It has a PC / Mac GUI for adjusting numerous settings for resolution, frame rate, time-lapse and much more.

It does get hot to the touch - the silver looking buttons are actually heat sinks. I didnt like the idea of heat and Lipo's so I modified mine to have 2 x 5 Farad (!) ultracapacitors which provide enough energy to correctly terminate the recording and power down the cam, when the car is switched off.

The stills below show amazing resolution for such a small device, and it works really well at night too !

 

[Fabrizio]

I got a DashCam (Dash Cam 1).

Works great, loops video, plugs into cigarette lighter, power cord long enough to route around windshield frame and under dash to the power outlet. Powers on when plugged in, off when unplugged. Built-in rechargeable battery too.

 

[Chillout]

Did anyone have any succes routing the cable inside the windshield frame? or any mounting tips? I tried running a wire through the roof-part, towards the door-rubber and then downwards, but it made the door rubber leak a little...

 

[PokerBroker]

I mounted my OVMS antenna on the windshield which involved running the cable tucked under the windshield frame... It has stayed put very nicely

 

[Chillout]

do you have a picture of that maybe?

 

[bart513]

I emailed Dashcam and didn't hear back from them. I mostly want the front cam to record if someone hits me while I'm parked! The Roadster sits so low to the ground I feel like putting a stop sign and attach it somehow to the eye for the tow attachment so the driver of the SUV can see me

 

[shrink]

I just installed the BlackVue DR600GW-HD:

The directions are translated from I think Korean and are a tad confusing, but the user interface is actually pretty straightforward and very usable in iOS, OS X, Android, and Windows. Resolution is outstanding in 1080P. GPS is enabled, too, so you can also track your driving routes.

My wife drove the Roadster all day today and didn't even know the camera was there. I currently have it wired to the 12V accessory outlet but I'm thinking of hard wiring to the fuse box for an even cleaner look. Running the wire along the top of the windshield was tricky and I ended up using wire clips with adhesive backing. It was easy enough to tuck under the dash and upper and lower door sills.

As currently wired, the camera turns on when the 12V accessory is powered and always records, or at least I think it's recording. It has some sort of motion sensor as well. Sensitivity of the motion sensor is adjustable. A $30 accessory is available such that it will power on and recorded if it senses motion while parked to record activity around your car, but it will also power down to save the battery. For now I think I am going to leave as is.

I will post pics and video later. It's a bit pricey but I'm very impressed so far. Real time viewing via your smartphone is also an option, albeit probably not exactly safe.

 

[shrink]

If anyone is interested, here is a short sample video from the BlackVue DR600GW-HD dash camera. It's a bit boring, but you get a sense of what the camera can do, and this is at night under the city lights. Keep in mind, it was recorded at 1080P, but the Vimeo website adjusted it down to 720P for easier viewing.

I also didn't know it was recording audio. You can hear the music I was playing through the stereo, but nothing else embarrassing occurred :smile:. I think I'm going to turn off that audio option in the future though. I can post a video of daytime driving in case anyone is interested.

BlackVue DR600GW-HD Sample Video in 2010 Tesla Roadster on Vimeo

 

[PokerBroker]

I would love to do this but have hesitated because I frequently park with the top off and have concerns that someone could very easily reach into the car to steal the camera. Thoughts? I'm i being irrational?

 

[ecarfan]

Not at all. I think that is a valid concern.

 

[shrink]

I would love to do this but have hesitated because I frequently park with the top off and have concerns that someone could very easily reach into the car to steal the camera. Thoughts? I'm i being irrational?

I'll take a picture after work. It blends in pretty well and is hardly noticeable. However, theft is indeed a valid concern, but it's also very easy to unplug, take it out of the mount, and store in the glovebox with valet mode on for some extra security.