DIY hardwire dashcam installation

Titchy

Active Member
Jun 10, 2017
520
208
Buckinghamshire
Anyone had any experience with the below cams

Thinkware F770

Blackvue DR590W

Both are same price range i like the look of the blackvue however their hardwire kit seems difficult.
 

Maypack

Ambassador for Cumberland Sausage
Apr 20, 2014
3,175
2,327
Gods Country - West Cumbria
Anyone had any experience with the below cams

Thinkware F770

Blackvue DR590W

Both are same price range i like the look of the blackvue however their hardwire kit seems difficult.

I’ve got the BlackVue DR590W and I like it a lot. Very stealthy cam imo only given away by sticky mount on windscreen. Mine is connected and powered via the OBD port as it has a parking mode. On starting the engine, the camera actually tells you if there has been an impact whilst it has been parked up.
 

marty_34

Active Member
Apr 21, 2012
1,183
2
TEESSIDE
i opted for a next base, got a 32gb memory card, great field of view the quality of the videos is first class, the other option is you can piggy back off the ignition as well as the cigarette lighter, some of the newer cars it throws up an error if you go through the ignition for the live feed. managed to get mine quite high up behind the mirror so it isn't obvious that it is there. had mine installed for a year now its already repaid money as it captured debris falling off a wagon that caused paint damage on my car. evidence presented to the 3rd party insurers, paid out no quibbles
 

Keyzer Soze

Active Member
Sep 18, 2016
123
3
Newcastle upon Tyne
Great guide, got my Christmas dashcam fitted today using the method at the start with a hardwire kit from eBay. I went for the Toguard dashcam integrated into the mirror https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/183308756986 it's a neat unit with a nice screen and good field of vision.

There is a bit of an issue, every time the car auto starts when pulling away, the camera feed appears in the rear view mirror, guess it needs a permanent supply, either that or I turn stop/start off
 

Persmash2

Active Member
Jan 7, 2019
1
0
Hi everyone,
I've bought viofo a129 dual dashcam and its parking kit which I can use it to connect directly to my fuse box.
You can check the cable from the link below.

https://www.banggood.com/A129-Car-Camera-3-Wire-ACC-HK3-Hardwire-Kit-for-Parking-Mode-p-1379471.html

My question is that I dont know which fuses should I use for the yellow and red cables. As far as I know yellow should be connected to one of the fuses which gets currect even the car is off and for the red one when we insert and round the keys halfly. Does anyone has a knowledge regarding to that? Sorry for my English.

Thanks in advance.
 

steedy27

Active Member
Oct 30, 2017
20
2
I’ve got the BlackVue DR590W and I like it a lot. Very stealthy cam imo only given away by sticky mount on windscreen. Mine is connected and powered via the OBD port as it has a parking mode. On starting the engine, the camera actually tells you if there has been an impact whilst it has been parked up.

Hello - Looking at getting the same dashcam - is the ODB port in the MK3 permanently live then so you can power the dashcam from it while parked?. You can get this version on the ODB power cable which also stops battery drain, is this the one you have?. https://www.blackvue.com/power-magic-ez
 

Maypack

Ambassador for Cumberland Sausage
Apr 20, 2014
3,175
2,327
Gods Country - West Cumbria
Hello - Looking at getting the same dashcam - is the ODB port in the MK3 permanently live then so you can power the dashcam from it while parked?. You can get this version on the ODB power cable which also stops battery drain, is this the one you have?. https://www.blackvue.com/power-magic-ez

The OBD port is live yes. I actually use this https://www.halfords.com/technology/dash-cams/dash-cam-accessories/blackvue-obd-power-pro-cable which works the same way as the item you linked to. It has battery protection and can be switched to allow recording when parked or just whilst the car is moving.
 

bunziboy

Active Member
Jan 17, 2019
39
17
Fitted my dashcam today and thought I'd write it up. There are various ways to hardwire but I tapped into the cig lighter so it comes on/off with the car.

Parts

dashcam01.JPG


Dashcam
USB cable
Piggy back fuse tap and fuse for the camera (I used a 3 amp fuse) - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251650492205
12v to 5v USB step down module - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161152971980
Various tools (torx screwdriver, trim pry tool, zip ties)

Installation:

Drop down the glovebox by pusing in the tabs on the side, this will give you access to the fuse box, locate the cig lighter fuse (its the yellow 20 amp that is lower down that the others in the same row)

dashcam02.JPG


Remove the fuse, plug the dashcam fuse into the fuse tap in the slot inline with the live cable and the 20 amp cig lighter fuse into the other slot. Place the fuse tap back into the car

dashcam03.JPG


Crimp the live cable from the fuse tap to the live cable on the USB module and attach securely to the car using double sided sticky pads and zip tie. I took the side dash panel out for easier access and for a place to mount the module. Attach the ground cable to screw circled.

dashcam04.JPG


At this point I connected the dashcam and started the car to check both the dashcam and cig lighter worked.

If you haven't done so already, mount the dashcam to the windscreen. Plug in the USB cable to the dashcam and slot the cable into the headliner and run along to the passenger side A piller.

dashcam05.JPG


Continue to slot the cable along the top of the A pillar trim and into the door seal, it is tight at the top of the pillar, I got a bit frustrated and ended up pulling the pillar out.

dashcam06.JPG

dashcam07.JPG

dashcam08.JPG


Carry on running it all the way down to where you put the usb port. I ran the cable and port to the panel where the footwell light is so I can just unscrew the panel to access it.

dashcam09.JPG


Pic of it from drivers side and outside

dashcam10.JPG

dashcam11.JPG


The longest part for me was aiming the camera. The field of view is so wide and I wanted to mount it as high and as close to mirror base as possible but because the mirror base is so big it was getting into the camera shot.

Turn on, test, and enjoy!

Great help this thread. Just fitted a BlackVue DR650s-2CH.m to my Cupra ST. The rear camera was a pain, mainly due to the stiffness of the rubber seals and having to strip all the rear plastic. I fitted a Power magic pro power supply so had to fit a permanent live. I used a spare micro fuse. It’s important to get the polarity correct for the tap-in fuse adapter if you use an existing fuse.
 

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bunziboy

Active Member
Jan 17, 2019
39
17
Great help this thread. Just fitted a BlackVue DR650s-2CH.m to my Cupra ST. The rear camera was a pain, mainly due to the stiffness of the rubber seals and having to strip all the rear plastic. I fitted a Power magic pro power supply so had to fit a permanent live. I used a spare micro fuse. It’s important to get the polarity correct for the tap-in fuse adapter if you use an existing fuse.

Some more photos
 

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zeffania

Active Member
Nov 4, 2016
479
159
Numpty last night. Left a big gap whilst following and they were beeped from the other side even after I let them out

 

bigup

Active Member
Mar 25, 2019
127
42
Manchester
Chaps, thanks to this thread I know what fuse to piggy back on. But which fuse shall I use on the free slot on the piggyback adapter? Or is that not needed? Camera is a ddpai

Thanks
 

zeffania

Active Member
Nov 4, 2016
479
159
The piggy back has 2. One for the camera, should already have a fuse in and the one you remove in place of the adaptor. The slot you are using still needs that fuse to work
 
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JCM27

Active Member
Apr 15, 2019
57
12
What's the main difference between hardwiring and just plugging it into the USB port in the glove box? I currently use the USB plug which turns on when I unlock the car and off when locked.
 

Maypack

Ambassador for Cumberland Sausage
Apr 20, 2014
3,175
2,327
Gods Country - West Cumbria
What's the main difference between hardwiring and just plugging it into the USB port in the glove box? I currently use the USB plug which turns on when I unlock the car and off when locked.

Some Dashcams record when the engine is off and the car is impacted.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

JCM27

Active Member
Apr 15, 2019
57
12
Thought as much, thanks!
I had the dash running 24/7 on my old car and wanted it just for driving on this one so suits my needs just to use the USB socket.
 

bgb

Active Member
Jan 22, 2019
600
316
On my quest for a Perm. Live, would the attached pic and fuse position/theory on moving up one notch be applicable and the 'done' thing? On a Skoda forum it seems to be correct for the Octavia VRS, and a MK7 GTI by looks of it.

My Thinkware F770 seems to have the necessary gubbings to know when to activate parking mode, and switch off if the battery volt level gets too low..
attachment.php
 

IL Cattivo

Active Member
Apr 12, 2019
43
15
Oxford
Hi All,

I decided to opt for a Vantrue N2 Pro dash cam (256GB Mem, 1080P HD Front & Rear cam)
Getting it hardwired professionally on Wednesday so that I can benefit from the parking sensors it provides when the ignition is turned off.

Do dash cams with these parking sensors still kick in when it's raining, thus sensing that type of movement outside? Not overly worried as the hardware kit is supposed to monitor the battery level. Just wondered if anyone has experienced issues with weather like wind or rain with this function?

Cheers
 

Maypack

Ambassador for Cumberland Sausage
Apr 20, 2014
3,175
2,327
Gods Country - West Cumbria
Hi All,

I decided to opt for a Vantrue N2 Pro dash cam (256GB Mem, 1080P HD Front & Rear cam)
Getting it hardwired professionally on Wednesday so that I can benefit from the parking sensors it provides when the ignition is turned off.

Do dash cams with these parking sensors still kick in when it's raining, thus sensing that type of movement outside? Not overly worried as the hardware kit is supposed to monitor the battery level. Just wondered if anyone has experienced issues with weather like wind or rain with this function?

Cheers

Wind and Rain do affect my Blackvue and cause it to record the movement but it doesn’t register the impact of rain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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