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Dash Cam installation

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,442
Location
Scottsdale
Well, I figured if it was good enough for all of those Russians to do, I would do it too. I decided to do a dash cam installation and I picked a camera that I could move between two vehicles with minimal effort. Both vehicles are hardwired with semi-permanent mounts.

I went with E-Prance Mini 0803 with GPS. There are several companies selling this exact camera - one Chinese manufacturer, many brands reselling. This one happens to have 8gb built in (that I really won't use) and GPS logging. I added a 32gb microSD card, the max it supports. Note that the card I used is Class 6 as they don't support Class 10.

To mount it, I used this EDO Tech hardwire kit for micro USB. As mentioned, I have this in two vehicles so I got an extra mount. Note that the GPS and non-GPS cameras use different mounts. (The camera did come with one mount.)

For power, I chose to to use the rear view mirror power since the camera draws so little. To do this, I needed male D-Sub crimp connectors that you can get from Radio Shack or Amazon. I got 100 of them so if you need some just send me a PM and I'll mail you some.
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I soldered the ends of the wire into the crimp connectors and then shrink tubed the ends. I was a bit sloppy and got solder onto the end of one connector and had to clean that off.
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Install:
Remove rear view mirror by removing T20 torx head screw from mount and sliding mirror up. Unclip the harness from the mirror and set the mirror aside.
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Run your cable through the headliner and store the extra cable up there. It's easier if you have a sunroof as you can pull back the weatherstripping and have a bit of access to the space.
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I used a coat hanger to fish the cables through the space
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Once through I ran the wires according to this diagram: #8 for Ground, #13 for power. Note that #13 is Ignition power, not just accessory, so you won't be recording while sitting and just listening to the radio. These cameras are set up (if you want) to turn on/off with a power source. They also have an internal battery that helps it shut down properly after the power is cut, or if you just want to pull down the cam and film Johnny Law through your driver's window.
mirror1-M.gif


With the little connectors, you can just shove them into the back of the wiring harness
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The base mounts with it's own 3M tape. I zip tied the cables to the rear view mirror cable after this pic was taken.
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Here's a quick video test. The second half of it was a tough test going into the sun. And yeah, I had the clock set incorrectly.
[video=youtube_share;RxCrUO2PX0U]http://youtu.be/RxCrUO2PX0U[/video]
 

RamRod

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,914
Location
AB, Canada
Looks like a great install!
I have looked into this bit haven't pulled the trigger yet


Sent from handheld smoke signal device
 

SedonaBound

Well-Known Member
Messages
743
Location
N AZ
Nice installation post. How long does it record with the 32GB card? Does it automatically record over the last file until the card is removed?
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,442
Location
Scottsdale
I'm not sure how long it's recording though I think it's about 3-4 hours. It automatically records over the oldest file when full.
 

rsc

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,087
Location
Tulsa
Thats pretty good video! I may have to get another newer model for the higher quality video, mine doesn't have good color definition.
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,442
Location
Scottsdale
Don't remember the cost, but it's pretty much just whatever dash cam you choose + sd card + wiring harness.
 

JPaul

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,400
Location
Way up north, UT
I did this with my H3 on Saturday, finally got around to hardwiring the dashcam instead of having a 20+ foot cord tangling up in the passenger floorboard. Plus I realized any time I left the camera on it'd cause interference with my remote locks. I probably need to splice the wires, since the pins I used don't do that terrific of a job with staying wedged in (if they get bumped at all they'll come loose and lose connectivity). But it's still a lot easier than running the cable up from under the dash or something.
 

humvee

Well-Known Member
Messages
507
Location
Doha, Qatar
I did this with my H3 on Saturday

Just installed a ROAV dash cam, I ran the cable from the cigarette lighter and up to the dash cam temporarily, and want to pull power from the mirror when the 12-5v connector gets here.

But something here is confusing. If the idea is to tap into the rearview mirror power cable+ground, why would you have to pass cables through the roof? Where do those connect on the other end?

What I was thinking was T-tapping into the mirror pos & neg, connecting the 12-5v converter with micro usb and put that in the dash cam.
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,442
Location
Scottsdale
If I recall correctly, there's a good sized adapter block in the USB cable that I wanted to hide so I stuffed it in the headliner. So it's not passing cables through the roof but hiding extra cable in the headliner.
 

H3V8

Well-Known Member
Messages
94
Location
Texas
I know it's not the same, but this is my dash cam setup that's worked well for me the last year with no issues. Using a Viofo a119s with GPS mount (makes it easy to remove if needed) + 64 Gb Samsung EVO card and an on/off button splitter since the H3's cigarette lighter is always on. Records several hours of 1080p footage before overwriting.

Ran the USB cord tucked in the headliner, down the door, then under the glove box. Didn't need to remove anything and no wires showing. Attached it to a splitter with an on/off button so I can easily turn the dash cam on or off with a simple button push. Works well since the cigarette lighter is always on 24/7 and the switch lets you turn off the dash cam when it's not needed. Plus, it still has the cigarette lighter free for use for charging phones or whatever.

Srtir1P.jpg


tobx07K.jpg
 

humvee

Well-Known Member
Messages
507
Location
Doha, Qatar
Very nice setup, and looks like you end up with some spare sockets. There's no way I'd remember to switch that off, and if I did I'd probably forget to switch it back on.

I need the dash cam because the locals here have very poor driving etiquette, they tailgate and flash their LEDs into your cabin, and if you don't move, some would overtake you and hit the brakes. The law in place now considers this attempted murder (if you can prove it), but they still do it anyway. Granted thats never happened to me while driving the Hummer, but you never know.

I'm also thinking about relocating the connections for my backup camera from the mirror to my double din. But thats for a different thread.
 

humvee

Well-Known Member
Messages
507
Location
Doha, Qatar
Since my dash cam cables are already neatly tucked into the ceiling trim and down the A pillar. I can utilize the the spare wire loom near the emergency brake.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I recall reading they’re intended for roof lights or other accessories, and others for the tow package wiring .
If I’m not mistaken, these only get power when the car is in ACC or running.

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JPaul

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,400
Location
Way up north, UT
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