Which In-Car Video Camera Recorder ? (1 Viewer)

scotjimland

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They range in price starting from around twenty quid on ebay with most of the features I want ..

To my way of thinking you only get what you pay for but I'm not looking for high quality home video , just a record of the journey and for evidence if involved in an accident ..

so is it a 20 quid punt on ebay, or shell out on something more expensive. Anyone have one that they could recommend or ones to avoid .. ?
 
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Apr 18, 2009
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Not long enough!
I am very interested in this as well Jim as I have had a accident recently that wasn't my fault but due to lack of witnesses, cost me dear. My question is, is this sort of thing admissable in court???
The only other thing I think it needs is gps:winky:
 

grumps147

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This blokes tested a lot Jim. I now have two, one front and one rear. Have them on all the time in MH, and if visiting one of the scam accident town/cities then they go in the car.

Mine record to S D card in 15 minute blocks, they just start again when full.

I took his advice and got them from the China site he uses, cost almost £40 each, I think hey are cheaper now.

There are other links on here, will find one for you.

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Landy lover

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So much depends on what you want out of it Jim - the cheap ones only record the basic video footage - the top of the range ones record the basic video plus GPS info as to where you were date and time stamped and link with google earth to show and prove where you were they also record your speed as mph and kph and as a trace line on a graph - they also acknowledge any rapid movement - ie braking / acceleration / swerving etc and hold that as a separate file so many seconds either side of the incident - they also continue to record for so many seconds after an event so in the case of an accident they will not shut off at the moment of impact.

From our own experiences photo / video evidence must show conclusive evidence. We had an issue with a 7.5 tonne lorry where a young inexperience driver lost control of his vehicle on a bend and wiped out the front and side of our lorry - the photos we took and presented to the insurance company were rejected as only showing the final location of the lorry not at the time of impact. It was also pointed out that many of them could be taken following the accident. They were not casting doubts on us but pointing out the way they would be looked on in a court case.

We now have the top cameras in our vehicles as they are the only ones that can protect you in event of an incident - just remember to grab the SD card out of the camera if you think its your fault :Eeek::Eeek:
 
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grumps147

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These seem to be an updated version of mine, no GPS but mine have time and date. Least reliable parts are the original windscreen sucker brackets I had, I have had to replace them. My replacements look more like the ones shown in the vide link he has for these cameras.

I also need to ensure the 12v cigar connector stays firmly in place, very bumpy roads and they can work loose.

http://www.techmoan.com/blog/2012/4/8/two-smartcams-for-your-car.html

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schojac

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Unfortunately I too have been a victim of an accident where I swerved to avoid a complete idiot. £2.5K of damage to my car, non to his as I swerved. Warning! -
"did you hit him?"my claims advisor enquired.
"No I would have killed him for sure and seriously injured my wife and I"
"Oh dear, were there any witnesses?"
"Nope!"
"Oh dear, oh dear, this could be awkward"

and yes it bloody well has been, still not settled since March.

Increased premium on three vehicles; cost me £150 excess, £150 in increased premiums.:cry:

Bought myself a camera from Ebay £40.00 150785448670. picture not too bad, 1080P and you can read number plates as long as you do not use the digital zoom (waste of time). I now see that it's imported - mine was from UK

Easy to set up and I now have it up and running within 15 secs. Have recorded some incidents including a near head on (had to be sensored)

Nitty gritty - not too sure about the quality that's available, only ever seen mine but I think it was worth it. Whether it would stand up in court I don't know but it must improve the chances.
 
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scotjimland

scotjimland

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Thanks for the most informative replies and to grumps for the link to the previous discussion..

The Roadhawk DC-1 .. nice demo here Link Removed

looks like a decent bit of kit .. very impressed with it, I particularly like the software that integrates with Google Earth in real time.
The only box it doesn't tick for me is the video quality.. more than adequate as a 'black box' recorder, but not so good if you want to use some of the footage for a road trip.. I read in one review that there were plans to upgrade it to Full HD ..
 
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Look at Old Mo's post 'That was close', if you could record something like that Jim you could probably sell it for a small fortune:RollEyes:

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schojac

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Hi,

attached is a screen shot from the dash cam in my previoous post. Closing speed 100mph (average camers road so no speeding) and number plate is easy to read. Quality I feel is quite good fo £40
 

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pudseykeith

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Hi . We have the Road Hawk with the 16 hour chip. The info it provides is all embracing. Road view, saterlight view,shock sensor tosense an insident and puts that info into a seperate file, speed recording, [which tend to make you stick to speed limits] a graph showing exeleration anb deexeleration, which is an evident demonstration of how good or bad you are as a driver. I give the Road Hawk full marks. You only get what you pay for. Quality always costs more.
Pudseykeith
 
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Unfortunately I too have been a victim of an accident where I swerved to avoid a complete idiot. £2.5K of damage to my car, non to his as I swerved. Warning! -
"did you hit him?"my claims advisor enquired.
"No I would have killed him for sure and seriously injured my wife and I"
"Oh dear, were there any witnesses?"
"Nope!"
"Oh dear, oh dear, this could be awkward"

and yes it bloody well has been, still not settled since March.

Increased premium on three vehicles; cost me £150 excess, £150 in increased premiums.:cry:

Bought myself a camera from Ebay £40.00 150785448670. picture not too bad, 1080P and you can read number plates as long as you do not use the digital zoom (waste of time). I now see that it's imported - mine was from UK

Easy to set up and I now have it up and running within 15 secs. Have recorded some incidents including a near head on (had to be sensored)

Nitty gritty - not too sure about the quality that's available, only ever seen mine but I think it was worth it. Whether it would stand up in court I don't know but it must improve the chances.
Even if it did stand up in court, it only tells a small part of the story. The reason that the car in front swerved was because a cyclist jumped the red lights. Or a cat run out in front, didn't your cam see that. Cameras in cars at close range have tunnel vision. They could help but not to be relied on. Witnesses are much better evidence.

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Letsgetaway

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Hi
Just something to consider when thinking about a camera. I have one of these (Hero 2 which I use mainly for my kit car but also put it in the camper and everyday car) and my theory was, if you're going to spend money out on a camera why not get one that will not only record your journey but then is capable of doing all this when you get to your destination Link Removed
It's well worth watching a few of the vidoes if only to see the quality - DON'T FORGET TO CLICK ON FULL SCREEN:whatthe:. I've had a few cheap ones off EBay and had to send them back because they have been rubbish. Ok we might not all be so energetic as some in the videos but even if it's just gentle bike ride, it's still good to have a record of your holiday and I think you'll agree the quality is second to none. You quite often see these cameras used on TV programmes (stuck on someone helmet etc) as it's broadcastable quality. Sorry if I'm going on a bit but I'm really chuffed with mine :thumb:

I haven't posted this to advertise for him but my brother-in-law sells these cameras in his shop, from the Hero 1 upto the Hero 3. Each camera does a little more than the previous one but all take exactly the same quality footage and photos. I'm positive all come as standard with a waterproof case. I'm sure if there were enough of you interested he would do great discount if I asked him.

Cheers Simon
 
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what upin card camera/dvr

I have had 2 of ebay and both packed up, then i watched the Techmoan web site, and then purchased the Crocolis HD which is very good and use it everytime I use the motorhome, please see link
http://www.chinavasion.com/china/wh...ction_Camcorders/Sports_Action_Camera_Full_HD

The only problem with this is you have to fold the screen down whilst on 12volt power, apart from that its good
 

mattam

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car video recordering

Hey guys,
I'm looking for recommendations and opinion on DOD car cameras.
Has anyone got one?
:Smile:

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navman

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From our own experiences photo / video evidence must show conclusive evidence. We had an issue with a 7.5 tonne lorry where a young inexperience driver lost control of his vehicle on a bend and wiped out the front and side of our lorry - the photos we took and presented to the insurance company were rejected as only showing the final location of the lorry not at the time of impact. It was also pointed out that many of them could be taken following the accident. They were not casting doubts on us but pointing out the way they would be looked on in a court case.

Not too sure I would agree with what you were told. Any Police Accident Investigation Officer will arrive after the accident and take photos etc. These are then used in court.... All you need to do is make a statement with the time and date they were taken......

Video of the accident will of course be much better.... I would still make notes at the time of all the details and how you handled the recording afterwards. There is, as I am sure you can imagine, reams of paperwork covering the handling of video evidence.
 

aba

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Even if it did stand up in court, it only tells a small part of the story. The reason that the car in front swerved was because a cyclist jumped the red lights. Or a cat run out in front, didn't your cam see that. Cameras in cars at close range have tunnel vision. They could help but not to be relied on. [HI]Witnesses are much better evidence[/HI].

maybe witnesses are better if they are honest and not been bought
its surprising how £20-£30 can change the pattern of events or make people forget or notice things.
 
Feb 9, 2008
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Thanks for the most informative replies and to grumps for the link to the previous discussion..

The Roadhawk DC-1 .. nice demo here Link Removed

looks like a decent bit of kit .. very impressed with it, I particularly like the software that integrates with Google Earth in real time.
The only box it doesn't tick for me is the video quality.. more than adequate as a 'black box' recorder, but not so good if you want to use some of the footage for a road trip.. I read in one review that there were plans to upgrade it to Full HD ..

Roadhawk now have a HD version, a little more expensive than the one you are referring to but with superb quality. I'm waiting for the next batch to come in at the end of the month and have one on order.
 

hilldweller

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Just bought this.....

Link Removed

Not sure if it's the one Graham bought but it was from his thread. The rear camera is separate with a long lead so it can be put in the rear screen. Initial impression is a good piece of kit let down by really poor instructions, though the Chinese have replied very promptly and politely to my requests for better ones, but failed to deliver.

Picture quality on the PC is 100%. Not got a GPS track yet but only been out with it for one short local journey. Supplied PC application is minimalist. The usual expected touches like remembering where the files are absent.

Anyone want a look, come to Newark or Chester.
 

Xabia

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Roadhawk now have a HD version, a little more expensive than the one you are referring to but with superb quality. I'm waiting for the next batch to come in at the end of the month and have one on order.

Be careful if you have a heated windscreen, bought a Roadhawk a couple of weeks ago to fit in my Jaguar and then transfer to the motorhome when needed, it couldn't pick up the GPS signals because of the heated screen, strange as my Talex can without any problem.

Had to return it for a refund.

Mike

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Feb 9, 2008
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Be careful if you have a heated windscreen, bought a Roadhawk a couple of weeks ago to fit in my Jaguar and then transfer to the motorhome when needed, it couldn't pick up the GPS signals because of the heated screen, strange as my Talex can without any problem.

Had to return it for a refund.

Mike

Mike, according to Roadhawk they are well aware of this problem and have overcome it by supplying a dedicated GPS Ariel for heated windscreens. I'm surprised they did not offer this solution to fix your problem.
 

WhiteCheyenneMan

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Just bought this.....

Link Removed

Not sure if it's the one Graham bought but it was from his thread. The rear camera is separate with a long lead so it can be put in the rear screen. Initial impression is a good piece of kit let down by really poor instructions, though the Chinese have replied very promptly and politely to my requests for better ones, but failed to deliver.

Picture quality on the PC is 100%. Not got a GPS track yet but only been out with it for one short local journey. Supplied PC application is minimalist. The usual expected touches like remembering where the files are absent.

Anyone want a look, come to Newark or Chester.

Where on your MH windscreen is this mounted Brian? Am I correct that you have a luton overhang on your Burstner? Have you had any problems with the GPS as a result?
 

GJH

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The camera I bought was like Link Removed. The current price is about a tenner more than I paid - it seems to fluctuate with the exchange rate.

I mount it in a similar manner to the sat nav.

In the car I mount it on one of those bean bag things resting on the dash (top of camera rests against the windscreen).

In the van I have a plastic clipboard which fits into the dash clipboard - see photo Here. The camera is mounted where the measurements label is shown in the photo, slightly nearer the windscreen than the sat nav mount.

We don't have a Luton in our current van but the photo is from our previous van which did have a Luton and we had no GPS problems with the Sat Nav.

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WhiteCheyenneMan

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The camera I bought was like Link Removed. The current price is about a tenner more than I paid - it seems to fluctuate with the exchange rate.

I mount it in a similar manner to the sat nav.

In the car I mount it on one of those bean bag things resting on the dash (top of camera rests against the windscreen).

In the van I have a plastic clipboard which fits into the dash clipboard - see photo Here. The camera is mounted where the measurements label is shown in the photo, slightly nearer the windscreen than the sat nav mount.

We don't have a Luton in our current van but the photo is from our previous van which did have a Luton and we had no GPS problems with the Sat Nav.

Same suppliers as Brian's but different system. It seems that the most legal position for any of these cameras is behind the rear view mirror, in other words near the top of the windscreen. it's important that it is positioned outside the sweep of the wipers or hidden behind the mirror. See http://www.incarcamerasystems.co.uk/UK_Law_Dash_Cameras.php

This is why I'm concerned about GPS reception so close under the luton overhang. I know someone with a Roadhawk which works fine in this position. But it's also nearly five times the price :Eeek:
 

GJH

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Same suppliers as Brian's but different system. It seems that the most legal position for any of these cameras is behind the rear view mirror, in other words near the top of the windscreen. it's important that it is positioned outside the sweep of the wipers or hidden behind the mirror. See http://www.incarcamerasystems.co.uk/UK_Law_Dash_Cameras.php

This is why I'm concerned about GPS reception so close under the luton overhang. I know someone with a Roadhawk which works fine in this position. But it's also nearly five times the price :Eeek:

I note that the company quotes Article 109 of The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986
109.—(1) No person shall drive, or cause or permit to be driven, a motor vehicle on a road, if the driver is in such a position as to be able to see, whether directly or by reflection, a television receiving apparatus or other cinematographic apparatus used to display anything other than information—
(a) about the state of the vehicle or its equipment;
(b) about the location of the vehicle and the road on which it is located;
(c) to assist the driver to see the road adjacent to the vehicle; or
(d) to assist the driver to reach his destination.
(2) In this regulation “television receiving apparatus” means any cathode ray tube carried on a vehicle and on which there can be displayed an image derived from a television broadcast, a recording or a camera or computer.
An in-car camera surely does display information "about the location of the vehicle and the road on which it is located" doesn't it? :Smile:
Also, as Acts contain sections not articles (so Section 109 not Article 109) I wonder whether the company knows as much about the law as it does about promoting its products over those of other suppliers :Smile:

The main reason I mount my camera at dash level rather than higher is that I didn't want to hard wire the power cable around the windscreen and certainly didn't want it dangling across the windscreen (which would obstruct vision).

The mounting position in the van is far enough away from the screen to mean that vision is not obscured as warned against.
 
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I have just fitted a Roadhawk HD, very good quality video, playback also shows directional g force, date, time, route on map/google earth, speed and saves event recording . External aerial is provided .:thumb:

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WhiteCheyenneMan

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......................The main reason I mount my camera at dash level rather than higher is that I didn't want to hard wire the power cable around the windscreen and certainly didn't want it dangling across the windscreen (which would obstruct vision).

The mounting position in the van is far enough away from the screen to mean that vision is not obscured as warned against.

Yours is fine I think. It's only illegal if it's mounted on the windscreen itself. Strictly speaking, such a camera would fail an MOT, if permanently on the windscreen and I assume simply leaving an adhesive mount would be sufficient for a failure. It's a bit like a chip in the windscreen (in the dark pink area in the link) so far as the MOT is concerned.

I doubt that the police would take any interest, unless involved in an incident. The same applies to SatNavs too I suppose. It's not about being able to see the SatNav, or camera, it's about maintaining an unrestricted view through the windscreen.
 

WhiteCheyenneMan

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I have just fitted a Roadhawk HD, very good quality video, playback also shows directional g force, date, time, route on map/google earth, speed and saves event recording . External aerial is provided .:thumb:

Is that high up the windscreen under the overhang Larry? Do you use the External aerial?
 

rainbow chasers

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We are soon to be stocking Roadhawk, so if their are any points you wish to find out about, do let me know as I am due to go to the factory soon and discuss the systems with them. From initial investigations, they are a prefect balance of quality and price when compared with an array of other systems we stock, which vary massively. The picture quality directly reflects another system, although slightly different configuration costs over £650 - this makes the roadhawk look good value!

Any concerns, or queries, let me know and I will come back with answers for you!:thumb:

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