Frankman60
Member
The Blackvue DR650GW power input is 12 to 24 volts DC so no voltage reduction should be necessary. Connecting the two power wires directly to the Tesla unused connector inside the microphone grill should be fine, no?
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DashCam Wiring - Refreshed Model S
- Thread starter radelman601
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- Model S
I just have a general question that viewers of this thread can probably answer rather than starting a new one. Why is this particular dash cam (BlackVue) so popular with Tesla owners -- reviews on Amazon are quite mixed (overheating issues, longevity, etc)., and it's a premium price. The price shouldn't scare off many Tesla owners but why not go with a more highly-rated cam? What are the specific features that make the BlackVue so appealing?
Chopr147
Active Member
SO, I finished the install and unfortunately had some problems. I connected the
SMAKN® 12V 5A Female Car Cigar Cigarette Lighter Socket Plug Connector Adapter using the power supply in the microphone area and the StarTech.com FAN4EXT12 12in 4 Pin Fan Power Extension Cable - M/F
Dashcam did not power up, checked with volt meter and get 10.2 volts........a little low but I thought it would still work. Cut the wire and and directly w/o fan connector wired the female socket plug. Still no good and only 10.2 volts. IK the dashcam works because I tested it in the 12V supply. Others have said they used this microphone area wire but mine does not give off enough voltage. I ended up using the power supply behind the rear view mirror ( Plan B ) and it works fine but wires are tough to hide from there. Frustrating!
This is the microphone area wire connected to fan plug. No problems if I had 12 volts
This is the wire I used behind rear view mirror
It works but it was harder to hide the wires:
Chopr147
Active Member
I hope this helps you. When you open the microphone area check the voltage on the supply. If you have only 10 volts like me it will not work. I have the re-fresh 60D delivered just last week so maybe they changed something on that wire. As you can see the wires are tightly bunched together behind mirror
I absolutely did NOT want to see any wires from the front seats and I think I did OK in that respect.
If this car was not a lease I may have started pulling apart panels but I did not want to go that route and I can unhook the camera w/o any damage or changes to the car.
Good luck
I absolutely did NOT want to see any wires from the front seats and I think I did OK in that respect.
If this car was not a lease I may have started pulling apart panels but I did not want to go that route and I can unhook the camera w/o any damage or changes to the car.
Good luck
Fusion
Member
SO, I finished the install and unfortunately had some problems. I connected the
SMAKN® 12V 5A Female Car Cigar Cigarette Lighter Socket Plug Connector Adapter using the power supply in the microphone area and the StarTech.com FAN4EXT12 12in 4 Pin Fan Power Extension Cable - M/F
Dashcam did not power up, checked with volt meter and get 10.2 volts........a little low but I thought it would still work. Cut the wire and and directly w/o fan connector wired the female socket plug. Still no good and only 10.2 volts. IK the dashcam works because I tested it in the 12V supply. Others have said they used this microphone area wire but mine does not give off enough voltage. I ended up using the power supply behind the rear view mirror ( Plan B ) and it works fine but wires are tough to hide from there. Frustrating!
This is the microphone area wire connected to fan plug. No problems if I had 12 volts
This is the wire I used behind rear view mirrorView attachment 191676
View attachment 191677
It works but it was harder to hide the wires:
There are 3 wires. (Ground, 10v, and 12v) Use the other wire instead and you should get 12v.
Chopr147
Active Member
DAMN! I wish I knew that an hour ago It was so small I had trouble getting voltage reading. Otherwise I would have checked them all. Another dashcam install said the grey wire is for the microphone and has no power to it so I didn't check. Are you sure about this?
It was so small I had trouble getting voltage reading. Otherwise I would have checked them all. Another dashcam install said the grey wire is for the microphone and has no power to it so I didn't check. Are you sure about this?
Chopr147
Active Member
There are 3 wires : black (ground), green w/ red stripe (10V) and a grey wire.
Dash Cam | TeslaTap
"The two attached gray connectors are for the microphones and do not have power. "
There is only 1 grey wire but this was the quote
Dash Cam | TeslaTap
"The two attached gray connectors are for the microphones and do not have power. "
There is only 1 grey wire but this was the quote
I like the feature set of the BlackVue and I haven't found a competitor that matches it.
The specific features I want are:
1. At least 1920x1080 @ 30fps
2. the "automatic normal recording begin" based on gyro/gps based on movement.
3. the buffered (last N seconds) recording "always on" that becomes "committed"/kept when "vehicle impact" is detected and flagged as "event" rather than "normal"
4. all video location and date tagged (data from GPS)
5. all video extractable / pullable via wifi to server in my house automatically via program/script
The BlackVue that I had installed on TesS has all of the above features.
The "aspects" that are bad about my installed BlackVue are:
1. the wifi is flaky, a lot of retry required to pull data off
2. overheating issue
3. when the CMOS battery dies you get incorrect time and location data until you replace it -- which requires taking the unit apart (which I haven't been willing to do)
As a result, my BlackVue has been active/disabled for over a year now.
I'd consider installing a BlackVue (or something else) in my newer car if the features are matched (or exceeded) and the "aspects" are resolved. So far they haven't been. (Though I haven't been actively looking for over 6 months.)
It would be nice if the CMOS battery was replaced or supplemented by something rechargeable so that it can be replenished the power coming from the car's 12V.
wilheldp
Member
I bought a cable that had the DC barrel connector compatible with the Blackvue and nothing on the other end. Then I wired the other end to the 4-pin fan connector that I linked earlier. I made the cable about 18 inches long so it is plenty long enough to get from the rearview mirror to the microphone grille, but I don't have a lot of wiring to hide.
Frankman60
Member
I plan to do the same as you did. If you buy the Blackvue on Amazon there is a link below on the product page for the DC barrel connector you mentioned. My Blackvue arrived today DOA. Fortunately I bench tested it first to see how it worked with the Blackvue app through a wifi connection. It constantly keeps rebooting and even after reformatting the included 64 GB memory card and installing the most current firmware from the website (2.007) it continued the reboot cycle. Tech support thinks that it may be caused by a bad memory card. Hopefully the replacement dash cam will be good.
Tech_Guy
ALWAYS IN LUDICROUS MODE! P90D>P100D Upgrade
Agreed I tested and got the same results when I wired mine, black was ground, one was 10 volt and the other was 12 volt on a refreshed car from June
Chopr147
Active Member
Frankman60
Member
Just for the record on this thread, on the refreshed MS what wire color is ground, and what wire color is 12 volts DC on the connector behind the microphone grill?
Tech_Guy
ALWAYS IN LUDICROUS MODE! P90D>P100D Upgrade
Nosken
Active Member
Here is a previous thread, and my post showing the exact connector needed. DIY Dashcam (BlackVue 550 fron&rear) - constant power source from dash
Frankman60
Member
For those that have installed a Blackvue dash cam right behind the mirror on a refreshed MS, is the Blackvue consistently getting a GPS lock? I installed the dash cam as high possible behind the rear view mirror and it isn't getting a GPS lock.
Chopr147, it looks like the GPS blue light is lit in the photo you posted of your installation. Is it consistently locking GPS?
Chopr147, it looks like the GPS blue light is lit in the photo you posted of your installation. Is it consistently locking GPS?
STbreaker
Member
Chopr147
Active Member
The gray connectors he is talking about are the two big gray blocks on the sides not the wires inside of the black connector.
