Greetings! BlackVue Install...best way to DIY?

[disillusioned]

So I'm also about to embark on an install... I get that you tap the spare cable in the mic area (mine are black, green, and grey, btw), but where do I feed that power cable through to the camera? The fit of the mic grille is tight and would crimp the cable... do I feed it through the autopilot housing? or do I just leave it peeking out from the mic grille on the back? Anyone have a photo of a finished mic grille install, or am I overthinking this?

 

[Naonak]

You feet it under the headliner.

 

[Superloud]

Thanks @Naonak!

 

[Soundchasr]

Hi All,

New to the forum, first post, please be easy on me!

I plan to install the BlackVue 650 2-channel cameras to my pano roof 2016 Model S. Ideally I'd like constant power so the front and back cameras can also be on/activate even when the car is not being driven. But if it's too much effort I guess plugging into the cigarette lighter can also do, and the cameras would only work when the car is on.

So...

1. What is the best way (i.e. hidden cables) to do the constant power installation? What is the easiest way?
2. What is the best way (i.e. hidden cables) to do the lighter power instillation? What is the easiest way?

Any critical parts to buy to facilitate the hook-up to the power?

I have researched prior discussions/video on this, but haven't seen a universally agreed-upon way of doing it.

Thanks in advance for any info/links you may have!

Please post pics of how you do it. Very interested!

 

[S'toon]

Don't know if this'll help or not.
DIY Tesla Dash Cam Installation

Tesla Model S BlackVue HD Dashcam Installation Guide

 

[Soundchasr]

Don't know if this'll help or not.
DIY Tesla Dash Cam Installation

Tesla Model S BlackVue HD Dashcam Installation Guide

It doesn't look like either of these methods attached to the connector near the mic area. I'm interested in how best to connect there...

 

[Lucillo]

I installed BV 2ch cameras myself - they look great - barely noticeable! but with the tesla's windshield nobody can get gps or car speed on the video. The big issue also, is that there's no way you can summarize the daily videos- lots of them - especially from the parking events to rapid screen/summarize like rapidrecap feature on Flir fx camera. Do you guys know any software that would work with BV video files?

 

[Naonak]

I installed BV 2ch cameras myself - they look great - barely noticeable! but with the tesla's windshield nobody can get gps or car speed on the video. The big issue also, is that there's no way you can summarize the daily videos- lots of them - especially from the parking events to rapid screen/summarize like rapidrecap feature on Flir fx camera. Do you guys know any software that would work with BV video files?

I have no problems getting GPS on both of my Teslas (2012 and 2015) on the Blackvue or by Passport Escort MAX radar detectors.

If you don't like the number of videos, change the 1 minute splits to something longer, like 5 minutes or 10 minutes. Then you won't have so many files. The Blackvue video files are just mp4 files, so anything that handles those will work.

 

[Slipstream]

Please post pics of how you do it. Very interested!

Thanks everyone for their tips! It was easier than I thought, although the 12V connection took a while. I decided to avoid removing the rear view mirror base/housing (is there AP instrumentation in this housing? I noticed a very small grill on the front of the mirror housing, towards the window), so I "jumped the gap" between the 12V housing and the mirror. Not as clean, but not too noticeable on black alacantra. I also "jumped the gap" in the hatch as many do, but did remove the hatch inner panel to hide the rest of the wire. Very easy to feed the cables under the weather strip/panels (definitely use a panel popper):

The fun part was setting up the cameras. This Youtube video was helpful (it's on Mac, but applies to PC as well):

I set the cameras for no lights on (wanted stealth) but there's still white wi-fi (front camera) and on (back camera) lights that can't be turned off with the firmware, so I used electrical tape to cover them.

Took the better part of an afternoon, but satisfying ending

 

[Soundchasr]

How did you connect to the connector in the mic area? The pictures are really small so I can't tell (if it's shown).

 

[Slipstream]

How did you connect to the connector in the mic area? The pictures are really small so I can't tell (if it's shown).

Yes, sorry, the pics did come out small. Also there's electric tape covering the attachment.

I used an old cell phone power cable that fit the front camera power, but you can use the cigarette lighter cable that comes with the camera (you will have to either take apart the cigarette lighter part or just cut the cable - I didn't want to do this in case I wanted the cigarette lighter cable later).

You attach one (positive) half of the cable to the connector in the mic area (very tiny inserts in the mic connector - about 26 gauge?) and the other (negative) half of the cable to the connector in the mic area (very tiny inserts). Here is an excellent video that explains it:

I could not tell positive side from negative (even had a hard time with the voltmeeter), so just took a chance and put them in the connector like in the video...it worked and powered the camera!

After confirming power, I taped the connections/wires with electric tape so they would hold and not come out, and then closed the mic cover with the wire coming out one end.

Hope that helps...

 

[Maximus8]

How did you connect to the connector in the mic area? The pictures are really small so I can't tell (if it's shown).

The easiest way is to do some solder tinning of the camera wires. Once tinned properly, you can just insert the wires into the mic connector.

 

[Maximus8]

After confirming power, I taped the connections/wires with electric tape so they would hold and not come out, and then closed the mic cover with the wire coming out one end.

Hope that helps...

I did something similar. I ended up using the BlackVue power cable and cut it open. I maintained the inline fuse that is built in the BlackVue power cable. My intention was to keep it as close to the manufacturer's intended design. Considering how short the distance between the camera 1 is from the power source many of us are using, you end up with a lot of excess wire that needs to tucked in the mic grill area so, cutting is shorter does minimize the wire mess.

 

[Edmond]

Is anyone besides Naonak able to get a reliable GPS lock?

 

[Lucillo]

Thanks for the tip Naonak. I don't know if making the videos longer helps with the difficulty of video analysis. I may try. The problem is that one can only speed the video x2 - that's it. I spent hours trying to figure out if it captured the person who scratched the back of my car with a key or other metal object. I have a big 124GB card and lots of parking events. I browsed those but I am not 100% I was able to rule out I viewed everything. I gave up in the end- it's too cumbersome - I'll keep looking for a third party video analysis/summarizing software.

Also, like Edmond, I'm wondering if anyone else is getting gps/mph data? The windshield does not let any signal go through except the top right sided black area behind which the camera can't actually see anything.

 

[Maximus8]

Is anyone besides Naonak able to get a reliable GPS lock?

Add me to your list.

 

[Edmond]

Maximus8, it's unclear which list you are on. No GPS?

I am not impressed at all with the Blackvue, as I am fairly rigorous with tech. I know that Blackvue is what everybody chooses, but it is just not good enough, not to mention it has way too many problems.

Naonak's challenge caused me to research this further, and so far I've identified three much better cameras. A couple have remote GPS, but I'm still not convinced of the merit of showing speed when your car can be used to testify against you. And I think that image stabilization is pretty darned important for a clear picture in a car, which the Blackvue of course lacks.

My preference would be setting up a nanocomputer like the Intel NUC to record, and then 4 tiny high-rez network cameras around the car. I've used Linux exclusively for 20 years, but there is just no good camera DVR software for Linux, much less that would connect to Android by wifi. So I guess it has to be the theft-prone unified camera like most use.

 

[Soundchasr]

Maximus8, it's unclear which list you are on. No GPS?

I am not impressed at all with the Blackvue, as I am fairly rigorous with tech. I know that Blackvue is what everybody chooses, but it is just not good enough, not to mention it has way too many problems.

Naonak's challenge caused me to research this further, and so far I've identified three much better cameras. A couple have remote GPS, but I'm still not convinced of the merit of showing speed when your car can be used to testify against you. And I think that image stabilization is pretty darned important for a clear picture in a car, which the Blackvue of course lacks.

My preference would be setting up a nanocomputer like the Intel NUC to record, and then 4 tiny high-rez network cameras around the car. I've used Linux exclusively for 20 years, but there is just no good camera DVR software for Linux, much less that would connect to Android by wifi. So I guess it has to be the theft-prone unified camera like most use.

And the 3 better cameras are....?

 

[Edmond]

Here are my raw notes so far. (working on this now) I only note the things that are important to me, the good before the URL and bad after. For example, I don't care about a bump sensor as I'm leaving the camera on all the time, so I don't note that. The Vico and SJCam look best so far.

Street Guardian - 72x52x43mm has external GPS and super-cap
SG9665GC V2 – FULL HD GPS DVR
low fps, funky-looking. 1080P @30fps @ 15Mbit/sec
135° -diagonal- viewing angle

GitUp Git2 - 59x30x41mm 1920x1080 @60fps, max 2560x1440 @30fps
Image stabilization Angle of View: 170°,120°
GIT2(Standard Packing) - GitUp Action Camera
No GPS

Vicovation OP//A - 72x53x33mm 1920x1080 @60fps HDR, max 2560x1440 @30fps WDR
Ultra-high dynamic range 3D noise reduction External GPS w tracking
Over temp & low volt protection
Vico-Opia2
Angle of View: 160° -diagonal-

SJCam M20

I've decided that GPS is a good feature if the camera can keep location and auto-update the clock. But I won't turn on speed thank you.

Once I distill the specs and figure out the things missing from each, I'll check the camera-specific forums for user feedback.


Note to those who wish to defend their insipid crowd-choice and create a toxic environment, stow it. I don't care.

 

[Edmond]

I guess I just have to wait. The two best cameras just came out and are out of stock. Only one has GPS, but it's a question whether it has wifi. Stunning video.

Vicovation OP-/A - 72x53x33mm 1920x1080 @60fps HDR, max 2560x1440 @30fps WDR, Apr 2016
Ultra-high dynamic range, 3D noise reduction, External GPS w tracking
Over temp & low volt protection, SuperCapacitor, Ambarella A12
Marcus 4 review (Not the Opia2 but close enough as there just isn't anything else):

CPL - VicoVation CPL Filter
Vico-Opia2
Wifi? App? Angle of View: 160° -diagonal-


SJCam M20 - 61x43x25mm, 1920x1080 @60fps, max 2560x1440@30fps, May 2016
Fisheye correction, Image stabilization, Good app, NTK96660, Sony IMX206
166° adjustable N-M-W (diagonal?)
SJCAM M20 Camera
No GPS

Most of SDHC/SDXC cards on the market are TLC (Triple-Level Cell) type.
Their rewrite cycles (TLC) are limited, lower than MLC (Multi-Level Cell) and also cheaper.

I'm thinking about mounting the rear cam next to the backup cam, as it rains alot here and looking through that window with drops all over doesn't work. RC flyers take apart their dashcams to put the electronics in a different place than the pickup.

Also I read the remark that a dual dashcam is about half as good as two single dashcams...