Dash Cam Suggestions

roaminglost

roaminglost

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So I never really thought about this till recently, but I'm considering buying a dash cam. With all these horrible LA drivers I don't think it'd hurt to be protected haha.

So does anyone suggest these? If so what do you have?
 
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I don't have any first hand experience but I've been researching a bit on some dash cam forums. (I can't remember which ones now) This research led me to : Street Guardian SG9665GC v3

It has great reviews and is around $160 on Amazon.

I'm interested in the replies here, though, so I'll wait to order to see what other options there may be.

Thanks for bringing this up for discussion.



Sent from my SM-G930V using OB Talk mobile app
 
kingstonphoto said:
So I never really thought about this till recently, but I'm considering buying a dash cam. With all these horrible LA drivers I don't think it'd hurt to be protected haha.

So does anyone suggest these? If so what do you have?
Click to expand...

I use a Vantrue X1 in my car and the 4runner...they are very reliable and work very well, however I wish I had bought the ones with a rear camera. they are easy to use and kind of fun if you just take out the SD card and load it on your computer and see all the little things you didn't notice while driving..
 
I want to do this at some point. I want something small and 2 channel (for rear and front).

I like the look and function of the BlackVue 650 2ch. Need to do a bit more research.
 
Anyone have any experience with the Garmin - Dash Cam 55? Seem to be some pretty good reviews and features. I've been considering one for my rig. Another one I have heard good things about is the GRDIAN DEFENDR+, one of the local guys has one.
 
FrankRoams said:
Anyone have any experience with the Garmin - Dash Cam 55? Seem to be some pretty good reviews and features. I've been considering one for my rig. Another one I have heard good things about is the GRDIAN DEFENDR+, one of the local guys has one.
Click to expand...
The Garmin is the one I was looking at.
 
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I would prefer to have a 2 channel, and GPS would be great, but I've actually been really happy with this inexpensive unit that I decided to try out. I had a gift card that had just the right amount left on it. I've had it for about a year and haven't had any issues. I think I paid about $50 for it, price matched to Walmart.com.

It has stayed in the Jeep since purchasing it, living through highs in the 100's during the summer, and last winter in Colorado it got down to about -7 F.

The video quality isn't the absolute greatest but it really isn't bad at all, and hopefully it's enough if I need it..

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/uniden-dcam-dash-camera-black/5366901.p?skuId=5366901

Some screen shot of actual video from mine:

DashCam 1.JPG DashCam 2.JPG DashCam 3.JPG
 
FrankRoams said:
Anyone have any experience with the Garmin - Dash Cam 55? Seem to be some pretty good reviews and features. I've been considering one for my rig. Another one I have heard good things about is the GRDIAN DEFENDR+, one of the local guys has one.
Click to expand...
I'm using the grdian defender.... I have had it almost a year and love it...
 
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Raul B said:
yup... I drive from simi valley to LA every day for work so a total of around 100 miles a day.... Knock on wood that I haven't gotten into an accident yet but I like knowing I have the camera just in case something ever happens.... I have a 32 gig card in it too....

-Raul
Click to expand...
Yeah, I am in the same boat. A lot of commuting and just want it to have as a backup plan.
 
Raul B said:
yup... I drive from simi valley to LA every day for work so a total of around 100 miles a day.... Knock on wood that I haven't gotten into an accident yet but I like knowing I have the camera just in case something ever happens.... I have a 32 gig card in it too....

-Raul
Click to expand...
Same boat as well here about 100 Miles a day an accident a year ago made the decision to get a dash cam. The first one I bought was awlful can’t remember the brand.
 
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I do a ton of long distance driving for weeks and months at a time, so have been poking around a lot and asking a lot of questions from users. The Grdian DEFENDR+ GRD-A55 and GPS adapter seems to be a fav for a lot of people and kept coming up with great reviews, so that's what I'm going to get for dash cam. Hadn't really thought about a 2 channel, but like the idea.

Already bought an AUTO-VOX M1 Rearview Backup Camera & Monitor on Amazon ($49.99), mainly for those last couple inches backing up when hitching the trailer, but am going to hook it up as always hot, though with an on-off switch, instead of just coming on when I go into reverse.

That way I can use it as general back-of-the-vehicle cam when I'm parked and in the van (I have no windows in back), or while going down the road and want to check on the trailer. Would be nice if I could hook it up to the Grdian Defendr storage, but I doubt that's possible.
 
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I have been using this Mobius camera for a couple of years. Good video quality (for me), cheap and small. Does loop recording - it starts when I start the truck and stops when I switch the truck off.
 
I have had good success with the Anker Roav dashcam. I have had two of them for about a year and no problems.

This video was from an earlier dashcam that I had. Never know what you may catch on video.
 
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I started with a rear view mirror integrated dash cam. Total garbage. Then I had a cheep dash cam from costco. Worked fine but the suction cup kept falling from my windshield. I'm guessing repeated fall damage eventually got the best of it. Then I tried a Magellan Mivue 420. Pretty nice unit with GPS. It showed the current speed on the screen. My favorite feature is "parking mode" which keeps it running all the time and has motion detection to capture parking lot shenanigans. But the one time I had an incident on the road, the guy clipped me from behind. The dash cam never saw anything. So now I have a Cobra CDR895D (dual channel). The front camera is the normal suction cup and the rear is a "permanent" stick on. Been working great for about three months.

Things you should think about if you are looking to buy one:
Where will it mount - Will it be in your field of view, will it mount permanently?
How will it be powered - Can you run/hide wires to where you want it? Does the unit have bare wires or a classic cigarette lighter plug. Will you need to add a switch for it?
What about video storage - What type of memory card does it take? Can you swap cards easily while it is mounted?
 
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I went with a Blackvue. I didn't want a screen and needed the most discrete unit possible. They are more expensive but with it.
 
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A while back I was in the same boat as a lot of people here; really wanted the protection a dashcam provides when needed. At the time I was torn between the latest BlackVue and ThinkWare cameras. They seem to be the top sellers as far as higher quality camera systems go. In the end I found a group buy and got the BlackVue DR750S 2-channel system. It was a bit of a pain to install in my WJ because of the lift gate, but super easy to install everything else.

Pros:
- front and rear cameras synced
- 1080p video in both cameras
- enhanced night vision mode
- can get an optional Powerbank that lets you set how long parking mode is online (infinite, battery voltage, time)
- low profile; don't need another screen on my dashboard

Cons:
- price; even with the group buy it was $300+ including SD card
- software isn't the greatest, can be a bit annoying to download footage
- proprietary (or very limited) options for SD cards

For a lot of gadget decisions I like to hit up The Wirecutter and see what their reviews say. Here's their write up on dash cams: https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-dash-cam/
 
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