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Model X Dash Cam Unboxing and Installation

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For me, I would wait for some one to confirm compatibility with AP2 MX before purchasing.

Hi, I just got two sets of BlackVue dashcams installed on our AP2 X. Calibred Customs did an excellent job. Compatible and really like the support from BlackVue. For the X, highly recommend going to a professional installer. I saw the installation and it was very involved. GL!
 
Well, the installation was as easy as promised, and the fit is nearly perfect (I have a slightly larger gap than the original panel had - not sure if the two connectors might be wedged in the way somehow - getting them in was the hardest part.) They included a nice soft pry tool to get the housing open, a charge completion card, and a very pink silcone key fob protector in the box, too.

I think I was able to silence the Chinese voice (there's an option in the App camera setup that's something like "turn off notification" that I think did it.) If not, then the fact that the X wakes up when I walk up to it has prevented me from actually hearing the voice so far (might be speaking before I get in the car.)

It's recording H264, but at 1296P the files are still big - 75-90 MB per one minute file, so the included 32 GB card will presumably overwrite every 6-8 hours of recording time. It's got some sort of protection or image saving for high acceleration events (crashes) but I'm not quite sure how that works. I'm also not sure if some sort of press on one of the two buttons will prevent a file from being overwritten.

The phone app is functional but not terribly easy to use on my iPhone 6S. Transferring a single one of those files takes almost ten minutes over Wi-Fi - and the app appears to need to be the foreground app for the whole time. Telling the camera to start transferring a file also appears to stop recording.

Image quality in nearly ideal conditions (overcast daylight) appears decent. I haven't had it with either bright sunlight in the lens or driving at night yet to comment.

Here's a highly exciting minute leaving the parking lot of a Target store this morning which TMC apparently won't let me embed since I don't have it on FB or YouTube:

AITDashCamTarget

SmugMug appears to have recoded it to 1080P, so it might not actually be a great tool for checking quality. I don't have a YouTube account...
 
Well, the installation was as easy as promised, and the fit is nearly perfect (I have a slightly larger gap than the original panel had - not sure if the two connectors might be wedged in the way somehow - getting them in was the hardest part.) They included a nice soft pry tool to get the housing open, a charge completion card, and a very pink silcone key fob protector in the box, too.
. . .

AITDashCamTarget

SmugMug appears to have recoded it to 1080P, so it might not actually be a great tool for checking quality. I don't have a YouTube account...

Thanks for sharing. Quality seems very reasonable at this price-point (especially considering the self-install). How is the nighttime video?
 
Thanks for sharing. Quality seems very reasonable at this price-point (especially considering the self-install). How is the nighttime video?

Not perfect but decent. It seems to be prone to halos around bright lights - it actually exposes for the head light reflection. Here's a clip from last night. The SmugMug file appears to be a quarter the size of the original, so the resolution is definitely degraded:

Tesla - saghost

As a bonus, here's how it handles direct sun - again, usable but halo'd:

Tesla - saghost
 
@Saghost getting a "Page Not Found" for your video link :(

Added one of these to my Amazon wish list for my AP1 MX. Looking forward to seeing some image quality video(s).

Sorry. I think I broke it trying to organize things on SmugMug when I was uploading the other two just now. Here's a new link to that video.

AITDashCamTarget

I'm not really sure they're the best tool to assess the camera, though - it looks like SmugMug is chopping them to about a quarter of the file size, so quality is significantly better than what you see. I probably need to create or borrow a DropBox or something.
 
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@Saghost thanks for update, watched/skimmed all 3 videos. These are more than perfect for me. I cannot justify paying someone to install a dash cam given that I've been driving 25 years and never had one. I can't say I need one but for $299 and DIY install as easy as this one is kind of a no brainer to me. Quality seems more than adequate for what you get.

Did you just leave it with the 6-8 hours of video recording? And does it indeed power on only when the vehicle is on, right? I wonder, if you precondition the car does the power come on? Since it steals 12v off the mirror it probably uses some other accessory power though if I were a betting man.

Almost bummed I didn't see this earlier. I fly to Tampa FL on Saturday, and with as easy as this install appears to be, I'd totally have placed it in the car before my 1200 mile journey home for just-in-case needs. Ha!
 
@Saghost thanks for update, watched/skimmed all 3 videos. These are more than perfect for me. I cannot justify paying someone to install a dash cam given that I've been driving 25 years and never had one. I can't say I need one but for $299 and DIY install as easy as this one is kind of a no brainer to me. Quality seems more than adequate for what you get.

Did you just leave it with the 6-8 hours of video recording? And does it indeed power on only when the vehicle is on, right? I wonder, if you precondition the car does the power come on? Since it steals 12v off the mirror it probably uses some other accessory power though if I were a betting man.

Almost bummed I didn't see this earlier. I fly to Tampa FL on Saturday, and with as easy as this install appears to be, I'd totally have placed it in the car before my 1200 mile journey home for just-in-case needs. Ha!

It's only on when the car is on. (One of the drawbacks - no images of parking lot incidents.) I do not have video files of my garage door from when I preconditioned this morning, but I do have several minutes from when I was waiting in the car last night after having briefly gotten out (recording terminated), then gotten back in and not "started" the car (but the HVAC and all the screens and music were awake, and a new file started.)

The 6-8 hours is just me doing math based on file sizes and the 32 GB card that came with the one from Amazon. I haven't driven for that long to watch what happens yet (but the documentation specifically says it overwrites oldest files when it runs out of room.)
 
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Just ordered one off Amazon. My wife was pleased to know that she can call that an early birthday gift -- saves her the hassle of trying to figure out what I want. Though something tells me I'll still get something else from her. :p

From what I saw elsewhere (Either in this thread or on Amazon review) it sounds like a properly formatted 128GB micro/mini SD card would work, if more video is desired. In my case I really think I'll be more than happy with the number of hours you estimated. Chances are good that, if I want the video, I'll download it to my phone swiftly.

These files that are ~90 MB at the high end-- is there one file for every 60 second interval, I assume? Sounds similar to the CCTV system we have at my office with a HDD recorder and NTSC cameras. How long does it take to transfer the file from the wifi-based car-cam over to your cell phone? I saw somewhere on this thread it takes a while and the app must remain in the forefront -- is that still the case?

Sorry for all the questions-- I guess come early next week I'll find out for myself. But just preparing myself for what is ahead (oh the excitement!) o_O
 
Just ordered one off Amazon. My wife was pleased to know that she can call that an early birthday gift -- saves her the hassle of trying to figure out what I want. Though something tells me I'll still get something else from her. :p

From what I saw elsewhere (Either in this thread or on Amazon review) it sounds like a properly formatted 128GB micro/mini SD card would work, if more video is desired. In my case I really think I'll be more than happy with the number of hours you estimated. Chances are good that, if I want the video, I'll download it to my phone swiftly.

These files that are ~90 MB at the high end-- is there one file for every 60 second interval, I assume? Sounds similar to the CCTV system we have at my office with a HDD recorder and NTSC cameras. How long does it take to transfer the file from the wifi-based car-cam over to your cell phone? I saw somewhere on this thread it takes a while and the app must remain in the forefront -- is that still the case?

Sorry for all the questions-- I guess come early next week I'll find out for myself. But just preparing myself for what is ahead (oh the excitement!) o_O

You can set file lengths in the app - I think the options were 1/3/5 minutes but I don't remember for certain (mine is set to 1 minute, as you said.)

I was the one that made the takes forever comment, and I haven't figured out a way to make it faster or to download in the background. It will play the files off the camera much quicker over wifi, presumably at reduced resolution. The instructions contained a statement that this was an interim app and they were working on a more polished one - take that for whatever you choose.

Or you can grab the microSD card out of the camera, like I did tonight.

Let's try this way instead. Amazon gave me back a full size file, so hopefully these links work better to see the real resolution - you probably need to hit the download link, not sure what resolution you'll get as a live stream.

Into the sun:

Prime Photos

At night:

Prime Photos

The original overcast slightly snowy Target video:

Prime Photos

Walter
 
Once again, Walter ( @Saghost ) you are positively great! Thank you for sharing the videos. I've downloaded all 3, and again I must say that for me and my personal desires, the quality is more than adequate. I've heard other brand names being thrown around, and I've watched my fair share of dash cams before on YouTube. Given the need/application, I can't really see higher quality being worthy of the price. But that is just my opinion .. others may want crazy HD for some reason. :p

And duh... I don't know why just yanking the SD card wasn't in my mind. That is obviously the best and fastest option. Seeing as I have an SD card slot in my Mac, plus micro & mini SD adapters galore, that covers that. My thinking is that I'm usually in my home town where access to my computer(s) isn't an issue. God forbid I was out of town and had a major enough accident, I could easily just pull the SD card then and stick it in my wallet to save for later access. Brilliant!

Thanks again. I'm sure I'll have more questions next week after install ... ha! :)
 
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Once again, Walter ( @Saghost ) you are positively great! Thank you for sharing the videos. I've downloaded all 3, and again I must say that for me and my personal desires, the quality is more than adequate. I've heard other brand names being thrown around, and I've watched my fair share of dash cams before on YouTube. Given the need/application, I can't really see higher quality being worthy of the price. But that is just my opinion .. others may want crazy HD for some reason. :p

The reason you want super high resolution is because anything that happens (unless it's you getting into an accident) is going to be somewhat further away, and if you want to upload it to youtube or what not, then you'll need to crop heavily (and the details would be kind of hard to get.

Same thing if you want to read a plate off of that car 3 cars away from you.

Here's a sample for you, it's 1080p BlackVue footage(at increased bitrate even from stock) and still I needed to cut it to 360p and you can barely see anything, certainly cannot read any plates either. Now if this was a 4K footage (still looking for a 4k dashcam, but don't appear to be any) the picture would be a lot better.


 
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