5 Ways To Install A Dash Cam
We are going to talk about the 5 different ways to install a dash cam. Breaking down the differences between using a cigarette lighter plugin,
parking mode cable,
OBD2 adaptor and a
battery pack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApO7sjL1fGE
Cigarette Lighter Cable
If you get a dash camera that comes with a cigarette lighter cable. Above all, keep in mind that this has no
low battery protection. All you simply do is plug it into the cigarette lighter plugin and power up the dash cam. Make sure to verify if your cigarette lighter cable is working off ignition or constant power. If it is a constant power plugin there is a very good chance your vehicles car battery will die overnight.
Universal Parking Mode Cable
Now for customers who get a cigarette lighter cable dash camera but they don't have any parking mode capability. Or maybe they do not have the parking mode cable. We do have a universal parking mode cable which is actually from Blackvue called the power magic pro. What happens with this system is the cigarette lighter will plug into it. Then there is dip switches that allows us to set time and low battery protection voltage. Above all, this is just a universal way to make every dash camera have parking mode.
Some of the downfalls of using this cable is it will not work like a true parking mode. Therefore, It will not allow you to use parking mode specific features like time lapse, motion detection, or impact only. However, when you are using this mode it will just record like normal.
So, what the OBD2 cable is, is basically a plug that plugs directly into your vehicle underneath your dash. Pretty much every vehicle has this plugin except a few Tesla vehicles. Furthermore, this is the same plug-in a mechanic would plug into, to do a diagnostic, or clear your check engine lights. Now this will plug right into that connector. What it does for you is gives you parking mode and low battery protection. Because, the dash cameras that it does work for have low battery protection already built in.
Some concerns our customers have is how will the mechanic plug-in if the dash cam is plugged in? Well all they do is simply unplug it and the mechanic can plug their diagnostic tool right in. This is one of the 5 ways to install a dash cam.
Hardwire Cable
This is the most common way to get a dash cam installed where it will record while parked. So, typically what happens with the systems we carry is your going to be using systems that have a red, yellow, and black wire. These require hooking them up to constant power, ignition power and ground. Main reason why you would do this, is so you can utilize the low battery protection built into the dash camera. Above all, so you can have the parking mode capabilities working.
So, a battery pack is basically a
backup battery that actually gets installed. Typically under the seat, or somewhere else in the vehicle. It is hooked up to power, ground and ignition while some battery packs only get hooked up to ignition and ground. Therefore, what happens is as you are driving around your vehicle it charges up the battery pack. Most battery packs last from 16-24 hours of parking mode. When you turn your ignition off, what happens is the powercell switches into parking mode. The parking mode will last until the battery packl runs out of battery power. Lastly, this will keep it completely isolated from your car battery in your vehicle. Which in turn means you will never have your battery die as a result of the dash cam.
