buffman
Member
I like the idea of having the trail/front cam used as dual duty and record/monitor like a dash cam.
See if someone comes up with a way to do it ?
See if someone comes up with a way to do it ?
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Front Trail Cam vs. Dash Cam
- Thread starter JourneyGirl
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AndySpill
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- Andy
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- 2018 JL Sahara
Happiness is...
Happiness is seeing a thread, IMHO, so well covered. @JourneyGirl Christie, I think, if you haven't already purchased a dash camera--assuming that's something for you--that the only value I can add is to advise you not on which one, but what factors to consider when getting one.
Some dash cameras only record will the engine is on. Others have the ability to also record while the vehicle is parked. It's best for you to decide which is best for you.
Of the types that record while the vehicle is parked, you will typically find them to have 3, not 2 wires that energize them. Two of those wires are "positive" and they share the completion of their circuit, i.e. the ground, on the 3rd wire.
That third wire's connection needs to ultimately make its way back to the negative post of your main battery. This can be as a result of you, or those who effect the installation for you, literally attaching that ground wire to the negative post of the main battery, or as it turns out many other places on the vehicle with exposed metal. You see, the entire vehicle is one big ground. The vehicle itself can carry that negative side of the connection through its body, to a point under the hood on the passenger's side fender, called the body ground, from where a cable then connects the body ground to the negative post of the main battery.
The two positive cables typical of dash cameras that are capable of recording at all times are typically referred to as "battery" and "accessory" wires. (Pardon me if I am telling you that you already know.)
The '"battery" wire is designed to be connected to a place that always conducts the battery's current, even if the vehicle is off. While the "accessory" wire is designed to be energized only when the vehicle is on.
Given this installation approach your dash camera will know you are in "driving mode" if both positives carry current, and "parking mode" if only the battery wire does.
And in parking mode, most cameras have an ability to stop recording if the battery voltage drops too low, often a voltage level you can set.
Places in your vehicle's interior that provide accessory power include the 12V plug in your dash. Places in your vehicle's interior that provide battery power, always on, include, if equipped, the 12V plug in your cargo area--which by default (although changeable) from the factory is always energized, and the ODB port near your left knee.
This port has typically 16 pins, and pin 16 is a direct positive battery connection, always energized as long as your battery has power. Most ODB ports on vehicles pin the 16th pin this way.
If you are getting the Auxilliary switches for your JL, these too are places that can be tapped for accessory or battery power, much that I'd reserve these circuits for aftermarket accessories if you are going that route.
Other factors on cameras include whether you can access them from your smartphone, whether they record to the internet, and whether they have a dedicated battery in parking mode, to name but a few. You can probably spend more here alone (in fact a lot more) than my dad did on his first car.
Although I am not affiliated with them, I've found the people at BlackBoxMyCar.com, a Canadian outfit, extremely patient with customers new to this, not even sure of what they want.
Happiness is seeing a thread, IMHO, so well covered. @JourneyGirl Christie, I think, if you haven't already purchased a dash camera--assuming that's something for you--that the only value I can add is to advise you not on which one, but what factors to consider when getting one.
Some dash cameras only record will the engine is on. Others have the ability to also record while the vehicle is parked. It's best for you to decide which is best for you.
Of the types that record while the vehicle is parked, you will typically find them to have 3, not 2 wires that energize them. Two of those wires are "positive" and they share the completion of their circuit, i.e. the ground, on the 3rd wire.
That third wire's connection needs to ultimately make its way back to the negative post of your main battery. This can be as a result of you, or those who effect the installation for you, literally attaching that ground wire to the negative post of the main battery, or as it turns out many other places on the vehicle with exposed metal. You see, the entire vehicle is one big ground. The vehicle itself can carry that negative side of the connection through its body, to a point under the hood on the passenger's side fender, called the body ground, from where a cable then connects the body ground to the negative post of the main battery.
The two positive cables typical of dash cameras that are capable of recording at all times are typically referred to as "battery" and "accessory" wires. (Pardon me if I am telling you that you already know.)
The '"battery" wire is designed to be connected to a place that always conducts the battery's current, even if the vehicle is off. While the "accessory" wire is designed to be energized only when the vehicle is on.
Given this installation approach your dash camera will know you are in "driving mode" if both positives carry current, and "parking mode" if only the battery wire does.
And in parking mode, most cameras have an ability to stop recording if the battery voltage drops too low, often a voltage level you can set.
Places in your vehicle's interior that provide accessory power include the 12V plug in your dash. Places in your vehicle's interior that provide battery power, always on, include, if equipped, the 12V plug in your cargo area--which by default (although changeable) from the factory is always energized, and the ODB port near your left knee.
This port has typically 16 pins, and pin 16 is a direct positive battery connection, always energized as long as your battery has power. Most ODB ports on vehicles pin the 16th pin this way.
If you are getting the Auxilliary switches for your JL, these too are places that can be tapped for accessory or battery power, much that I'd reserve these circuits for aftermarket accessories if you are going that route.
Other factors on cameras include whether you can access them from your smartphone, whether they record to the internet, and whether they have a dedicated battery in parking mode, to name but a few. You can probably spend more here alone (in fact a lot more) than my dad did on his first car.
Although I am not affiliated with them, I've found the people at BlackBoxMyCar.com, a Canadian outfit, extremely patient with customers new to this, not even sure of what they want.
