Dash Cam Install

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After a lot of thought and research, I decided that I needed a dash cam in each of our cars. I feel like with the technology that is now available, it is cheap insurance. Particularly since we live in a town of horrid drivers.

I decided to buy one for the Mazda first since I drive it far more. I wanted something that had a front and rear channel, hardwired, and a good parking sensor feature. I also wanted a quality brand, as I just don't have the time or patience to futz around with a finicky system.

I purchased the Thinkware F770 2 channel system with a hardwire kit and a Cellink B parking mode battery. Install took around 2 hours and it could have been quicker if the add a fuse feature hadn't been a little vague on setup.

The camera is top shelf as of this writing. It is made in Korea using Sony sensors and offers a very sophisticated parking mode and Wifi integration which is how you view and download your videos. It takes front and rear video in 1080P.

I'm looking forward to testing it out and letting you guys know how it works. So far so good. I may want to play around with the wiring routing just to take car of excess that ended up being hidden in the headliner. Below are some pictures. Sorry that the car is so dirty. I had enough time tonight to either wash it or install the cam... so the wash waits for tomorrow.




 
Can't beat having a Dash-Cam.
I've had mine for the last 5 years.

Mine is attached to a pivot-mount (up & down) with a suction-cup that sticks
to the windshield.

Over the 5 years, the suction-cup has failed.
I anticipated this and attached cable-ties from Camera to Rear View Mirror.
If suction-cup fails, Camera is just hanging from mirror
and not crashing to floor.
 
Originally Posted By: Why_Anything
i have cams in all my cars, when im in a car with out one i feel at risk.


Someone else said the dash cam makes you safer. Helping prove who's at fault in an accident is obvious but can't quite understand the feeling you're safer or not at risk with one? Seems like someone else with a dash cam coming forward with a 3rd person view might be just as or more important than the one in your own car. Wonder how long before they're mandatory in new cars.
 
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: Why_Anything
i have cams in all my cars, when im in a car with out one i feel at risk.


Someone else said the dash cam makes you safer. Helping prove who's at fault in an accident is obvious but can't quite understand the feeling you're safer or not at risk with one? Seems like someone else with a dash cam coming forward with a 3rd person view might be just as or more important than the one in your own car. Wonder how long before they're mandatory in new cars.


Considering how many people "don't want to get involved" nowadays, and including stories I have heard about police officers failing to get contact info from other drivers with dash cams, I personally would not feel good about relying on someone else being able to provide 3rd-person cam footage.

When it costs less than $100 nowadays for a really good dash cam, and under $50 for a basic-but-functional setup, why risk it?

... and I think what he meant when he said "at risk without one", he meant "at risk of being considered 'at-fault', or being scammed without recourse" - This is pretty much why I bought one. Go on YouTube and search "dash cam scam" and just scroll the results. Scammers are all over the place, and even if you count the scammers out, you still have TONS of bad drivers who will lie to cops without giving it a second thought, and try to blame you for an accident that THEY caused. A Dash cam is excellent proof in these situations.
 
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Wonder how long before they're mandatory in new cars.


They (Feds, OEM's) won't.... but insurance companies will!

I'm already hearing of mandatory dash cams in semi-trucks for insurance purposes.

It won't take long before you'll be forced to have one if you want a lower premium.
 
I was able to edit a sample of the front a rear cams... here you go!



YouTube compression definitely muddies it up. I'm going to have to try to figure that out.
 
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