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Overall install took probably close to an hour with about 30 minutes spent struggling with the a-pillar cover and 20 minutes figuring out how to fit the power wires in the mirror (until i finally cut some of the nylon webbing off)
Sad part - now that I have it installed, I haven't really bothered looking at the videos.
Rain sensor cover removed
Thread power line through same hole as wires powering the mirror. I threaded the wire above (can't remember why since now it seems i could have done it below the plug.) Had to cut off the nylon webbing protecting the dashcam power wire for the upper half of the rain sensor/mirror cover to fit over everything - there's still a thick rubber sleeve protecting the inner wires even without the webbing.
test fitment before cutting off the webbing - the mirror power plug is supposed to fit into the metal bracket so threading the wire above the plug pushes the plug out and makes it harder to fit the plastic cover back on - hence cutting the webbing.
threading down the a-pillar - velcro tied it to the brackets holding the big red tube (not sure what the tube is for.)
down into the fuse box to tap-a-fuse (or two) and grounded via the metal nut you see in the pic
external view
external view
inside view - the camera drops a bit lower than the original rain sensor cover. sometimes a bit disconcerting from the corner of your eye - keep thinking my ezpass is in the wrong position and about to fall off.
poor focusing - but color match is spot on with the grey trim (not sure about the black version of the camera.)
Looking great. Thanks. Why is the webbing and cable so large? Video and other output cables in addition to power? Do you think it would be easy to cut off all wiring off exempt power and tap in the console with the lights and sun roof controls? I believe that could be my next project in this car.
Let us know if you have some sample video or a review for the video quality. Thanks again.
That's a really nice install! I'd love to see a sample of the video quality as well.
I may have to swing by for some help with an installation as wiring definitely isn't my thing LOL.
wiring isn't that hard - it's the a-pillar cover that's a pain. will try to upload some videos as soon as i figure out how and where.
Will help with the wiring if I can get a test ride Spent some time in the wife's f30 and even with stock suspension, was totally surprised how much faster it could take highway on ramps (been a while since I drove a sedan.) Would love to see how h&r's with b8's handle.
actually have some footage of dealer service work (just had the brake fluid replaced and an alignment done.) - though i am probably due for some paint correction anyway (even with opticoat) should probably avoid dealer washes - caught them using a pretty dirty looking rag to dry the cars.
Looking great. Thanks. Why is the webbing and cable so large? Video and other output cables in addition to power? Do you think it would be easy to cut off all wiring off exempt power and tap in the console with the lights and sun roof controls? I believe that could be my next project in this car.
Let us know if you have some sample video or a review for the video quality. Thanks again.
As far as I can tell, webbing and cable are arbitrarily thick to protect the internal wires - actually good quality though may be overkill - that and it includes ground, accessory power, constant power, and video out wires. The cable attached to the camera unit actually attaches to the rest of the power cable via a slim adapter (fits through the mirror bracket hole.) This is pretty convenient for installing the unit and wiring it to your fuse cluster as two separate tasks. if you're looking to hardwire it to your console lights, i don't think you'd have an issue just cutting off the adapter end and cutting open the protective sleeve. However, it needs both an accessory and constant power source to sleep when the vehicle is off and turn on and record when the accelerometers are triggered even if the vehicle is off (though with the camera pointing to the front, it may be of limited value.)
have yet to play around with the other settings - android app provides necessary functionality though there is some lag when viewing in real time on your phone. Will have to try out a CPL filter recommended in another thread to hopefully get rid of any windshield reflections - but overall, pretty happy with the video quality. Wouldn't mind higher frame rates though not sure if you can find many dashcam options over 30fps unless you dive into action cam territory. Hopefully this unit becomes more popular and we'll have custom firmware / option hacks available.
One thing to note - at least on my unit - clips didn't attach into the top oem plastic cover perfectly. Everything fits but had to use a right angle pick to pop the camera cover clips into the top oem cover before pushing everything up against the glass (hard to describe but if you do get the unit, play around with getting the clips to attach before installing everything.)
Is this the Amazon ASIN# B01H05O9NG by "Car Rover" ? And if not which one is it?
You might want to check out the video files. When I see dashcam files from any camera that has a great 170-degree panoramic view, I find there's only one problem. You can see what's coming at you from the sides, but there simply is not enough image detail, even in hi-res modes, to read a license plate. Not even when it is standing still in broad daylight right in front of your car.
nah - bought amazon asin B01AUJJD7Q by uniway. Can read license plates fairly well on smooth roads hence thinking higher frame rates may improve quality. Per the video - can read the license plate in fairly low light about 15ft away (car wash video.)
Thanks.
Lens size and camera sensor dpi are only two factors affecting resolution, so while that chart may have some uses, I wouldn't swear by it either. Bottom line is that a wider picture needs more pixels in order to hold detail in the image. Contrast, pixel quality, imaging speed ("shutter" speed) all count, but if you try to stuff ten pounds of anything in a five pound bag...Well, you know what happens.
The images posted with the online review certainly seem clear enough, maybe that Sony Exmor sensor really is the trick.
Kind of wondering, if the camera only knows "on" and "off", is it really necessary to hook up anything more than the switched +12V and ground wires? And just leave it set to run automatically when it has power?
And of course, some states STILL haven't gotten the message about why we use license plates. They still choose illegible color combinations, scrunched up letters, unclear typestyles...I'm pretty sure a whole lot of bastard nephews have been given contracts to redesign license plates over the years, because the "rules" for legibility (which technically is not the same as readability, either) are long and well known.
Last time I tipped off the cops about a probable hit and run offender, it was gone before they could arrive. Cop says "Did you get the plate?" and I said "Funny thing, in this state they won't even sell you one for the front, let alone require it like other places do. And all I could see was the front end of the car." He just nodded and said "Yeah, we're not very happy about that either."
05-20-2016, 10:31 PM
uniway sv13 - oem-like dashcam installed
Spent some time in the wife's f30 and even with stock suspension, was totally surprised how much faster it could take highway on ramps (been a while since I drove a sedan.) Would love to see how h&r's with b8's handle.