Has anyone tapped a BlackVue to the domelight to get constant 12V for always on power?

[0mpg]

Works fine for me.
Garage door opener kicks in when I am nearing the door, blackvue triggers after another 10fts, when I am in the garage.

I have heard people hook the relay power to the blackvue battery so they can remotely turn on the cam using homelink. Anyone done this?

 

[Akikiki]

I have had this setup (as in the video) for 3 weeks with a Blackvue dual front rear 900 model and no issues. Just cut the Blackvue power cable and removed the cigarette lighter plug, stripped the cable (note that the power cable has the woven metal sheath as ground, and the solitary center insulated wire as the positive), and used Positaps to connect to the yellow and black. It is kind of a tight fit to shove the Positaps and existing connector back into the small aperture provided, but it does work. All good.

Save your original Blackvue power cable. Use this instead. Used it many times.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LFRT8K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[kengchang]

just finished install, will edit in text later tonight

 

[bradhs]

It looks like you could use a mirror tap to save some space. Has anyone tried to wire up a Valentine One and a Blackvue to the same place?

 

[Kronikker]

Been reading this thread and thank you all the useful info!

For everyone that has tapped the dome light, have you had any problems so far?

I'm going to have a black vue dual cam professionally installed (by Calibred Customs) and already purchased the B-124, which I am planning to return upon problem-feedback of the dome method.

 

[waiting4x]

Been reading this thread and thank you all the useful info!

For everyone that has tapped the dome light, have you had any problems so far?

I'm going to have a black vue dual cam professionally installed (by Calibred Customs) and already purchased the B-124, which I am planning to return upon problem-feedback of the dome method.

Nope. Been running mine for a couple months. You could do it yourself. It’s dead simple.

 

[Pandawan]

Can anyone tell me the difference between doing this and having it hardwired? Thanks!

 

[JPP]

Can anyone tell me the difference between doing this and having it hardwired? Thanks!

....uuhh, this is basically hardwiring (as opposed to plugging it into a cigarette/12v lighter outlet). You use PosiTaps or the like to tap into the yellow and black wires in the Model 3 headliner (so you don't have to mess with the connector to the microphone/light panel. Easy-peasy.

 

[Pandawan]

....uuhh, this is basically hardwiring (as opposed to plugging it into a cigarette/12v lighter outlet). You use PosiTaps or the like to tap into the yellow and black wires in the Model 3 headliner (so you don't have to mess with the connector to the microphone/light panel. Easy-peasy.

OK that's what I figured. Any reason to do it this way instead of tapping directly into the car battery? Any advantages/disadvantages? Sorry for the dumb questions but I accidentally stumbled into this thread.

 

[android04]

OK that's what I figured. Any reason to do it this way instead of tapping directly into the car battery? Any advantages/disadvantages? Sorry for the dumb questions but I accidentally stumbled into this thread.

The advantages to tapping into the power wires in the map lights are that there is ALWAYS power (even when the car is off or asleep), and that the computer keeps track of the power from these wires so that it correctly keeps the 12 volt battery charged. The only possible negative is that the voltage from this source drops to 9 volts when the car is asleep (not a problem for me or others with BlackVue dash cams, they work fine on 9 volts).

The negative with tapping directly into the 12 volt battery is that the car can't keep track of power consumption of your dashcam (or other device) that way when (if?) it detects a difference between the 12 volt battery and where the computer thinks it should be, it might think the 12 volt battery is dying and warn you to service it.

The negative with tapping into the 12 volt socket under the armrest is that it shuts off when the car is off or asleep.

 

[Akikiki]

@android04, VERY well explained. No one could have done better than your help with that question. Well done. VERY well done.

 

[JPP]

The advantages to tapping into the power wires in the map lights are that there is ALWAYS power (even when the car is off or asleep), and that the computer keeps track of the power from these wires so that it correctly keeps the 12 volt battery charged. The only possible negative is that the voltage from this source drops to 9 volts when the car is asleep (not a problem for me or others with BlackVue dash cams, they work fine on 9 volts).

The negative with tapping directly into the 12 volt battery is that the car can't keep track of power consumption of your dashcam (or other device) that way when (if?) it detects a difference between the 12 volt battery and where the computer thinks it should be, it might think the 12 volt battery is dying and warn you to service it.

The negative with tapping into the 12 volt socket under the armrest is that it shuts off when the car is off or asleep.

Just to reemphasize, on a Model 3, do not attach anything to the 12V battery. It will mess with the electrical system, deplete the 12V battery, and result in a service issue which will not be covered under the warranty. The Model 3 has a 'fuseless' electrical system with solid state controls ('new school'). The Model S and X have an 'old school' 12V system with fuses etc, so if needed, you can tap directly from the 12V battery.

 

[israndy]

Just to reemphasize, on a Model 3, do not attach anything to the 12V battery.

Where do I get this info verified? I have had a digital license plate hooked directly to the battery ever since the update ~9 months ago that removed full-time power from the points in the passenger footwell. The tech who put it in claimed to have spoken to an engineer at Tesla who told him there is no longer a full-time power point inside the car and the battery is the only source.

Where do I tap off for the mini fridge I want to put in the Frunk? The 120v Inverter to power the appliances in my teardrop trailer?

-Randy

 

[Pandawan]

The advantages to tapping into the power wires in the map lights are that there is ALWAYS power (even when the car is off or asleep), and that the computer keeps track of the power from these wires so that it correctly keeps the 12 volt battery charged. The only possible negative is that the voltage from this source drops to 9 volts when the car is asleep (not a problem for me or others with BlackVue dash cams, they work fine on 9 volts).

The negative with tapping directly into the 12 volt battery is that the car can't keep track of power consumption of your dashcam (or other device) that way when (if?) it detects a difference between the 12 volt battery and where the computer thinks it should be, it might think the 12 volt battery is dying and warn you to service it.

The negative with tapping into the 12 volt socket under the armrest is that it shuts off when the car is off or asleep.

Thank you so much for that info! I'm having this dashcam installed in the next few weeks and it sounds like the map lights are the way to go. Have people had issues with wiring it directly to the battery?

 

[Pandawan]

Just to reemphasize, on a Model 3, do not attach anything to the 12V battery. It will mess with the electrical system, deplete the 12V battery, and result in a service issue which will not be covered under the warranty. The Model 3 has a 'fuseless' electrical system with solid state controls ('new school'). The Model S and X have an 'old school' 12V system with fuses etc, so if needed, you can tap directly from the 12V battery.

So basically the best way is to tap into the overhead map lights? From what I've gathered from many installers (including where I will be getting it done at), they all tap into the battery directly.

I guess this is bad then and I should tell them to wire it into the map lights instead?

 

[JPP]

So basically the best way is to tap into the overhead map lights? From what I've gathered from many installers (including where I will be getting it done at), they all tap into the battery directly.

I guess this is bad then and I should tell them to wire it into the map lights instead?

There seems to be some conflicting info up-thread. But if they can easily tap into the yellow-black pair in the headliner for a Blackvue camera, then why make life difficult and fish through the firewall and deinstall the trunk liner etc to get to the 12V battery??

 

[3TRAY]

I'm curious to see when Sentry mode comes out and what the details are. If it's not sufficient, then I will be hooking my Blackvue up like this.

 

[XmemphistoX]

View attachment 370247 View attachment 370248 View attachment 370249 View attachment 370250 View attachment 370251 just finished install, will edit in text later tonight

What kind of mount is that?

 

[kengchang]

What kind of mount is that?

self designed 3d printed

 

[preilly44]

So I have a Thinkware F800 Pro D (Dual camera) that the installer said they connected to the dome lights per my request. Unfortunately, after about 45 minutes, the camera shuts off. I got the F800 Pro because it is supposed to use the least amount of "parking mode" energy.

Does anyone else have this camera and have the same issues?