[The Gonz]

OK, folks, so the reversing camera displaying on my rear view mirror has been a great success. Now I'm bored again and seeking more gadget fun for Firty.

I'm hitting the bottom end of eBay for the range of$12 cameras, trying to ensure I get just the right combination of specs for my hard earned cash.

1080p, 2.3", night vision, g-sensor, etc seem to be achievable even at that price. Any tips?

[Dazzler]

Did you miss a 0 out Gonz?  Even I wouldn't probably go lower than $80!

[Surferdude]

Did you miss a 0 out Gonz?  Even I wouldn't probably go lower than $80!

His puppy stole it. 

[The Gonz]

 

Cheapest found, it's all up from here!

[CraigB]

@The Gonz  I've got an unused Mini 0806 cam here if you're interested, works well...I just don't need it.

$80 with CPL and a sandisk extreme pro 64gb card and it's yours + postage

[John B]

You might be able to by a mounting sucker to stick on the screen for $12 . 

[Dazzler]

@The Gonz  I've got an unused Mini 0806 cam here if you're interested, works well...I just don't need it.

$80 with CPL and a sandisk extreme pro 64gb card and it's yours + postage

Hi Craig, If Gonz doesn't buy it, I'm a bit tempted!

[CraigB]

Hi Craig, If Gonz doesn't buy it, I'm a bit tempted!

@Dazzler Gonz was on 3 hours ago so I guess he's not interested first in wins the prize

[Dazzler]

Try it in the wanted to sell 1st Craig. I have that K and N filter coming and just bought a new weather station. Trish might growl! 

[CraigB]

No worries

[The Gonz]

Hey, I had to go offline until now to attend a nephew's confirmation (reason for drive to Adelaide) and didn't see Craig's offer until now.

OK, I'll take it. I'll probably devise my own mount off the mirror fixture rather than a $12 suction cup ( @John B ), so pack it all up and send it my way, Craig. Address in the next PM.

[CraigB]

Hey, I had to go offline until now to attend a nephew's confirmation (reason for drive to Adelaide) and didn't see Craig's offer until now.

OK, I'll take it. I'll probably devise my own mount off the mirror fixture rather than a $12 suction cup ( @John B ), so pack it all up and send it my way, Craig. Address in the next PM.

Great

Cam has two new stickies for the mount, works best and most discreet stuck to the windscreen behind the mirror.

Here's the spec's

[John B]

@The Gonz , no $12 sucker then  . Great little camera with good quality footage. I have had one for some time but the model before the one you are getting ( more improvements on your one ). I used it on my Falcon before I got the GD i30 and I am now using it as a rear camera. Try to mount it so you don't have to keep sliding the camera out of the base plate mount that contains the G.P.S. Sliding the camera in and out of the base plate can make the contacts play up. When I first got the camera it was on and off every couple of days to view the footage, after a while I forgot it was there, now it is rarely taken off, that being the case I dont think the contacts would be a problem.

[CraigB]

I set the cam up so B slot is used for the micro card which is easier to remove from the bottom of the cam so no need to remove the cam it's self, I also threw a sandisk card adaptor in with the kit to put the micro card into for viewing footage via SD card slot on computer

The only time it should be necessary to remove the cam itself is for firmware updates but I don't think it gets them anymore

[John B]

Craig I dont know if I am doing the right thing but if both of my cameras are working ok I dont bother doing firmware updates. Have not done firmware for yonks and both cameras working beautifully. Someone on dash cam talk did update and bricked his camera, scared me a bit.

[CraigB]

Craig I dont know if I am doing the right thing but if both of my cameras are working ok I dont bother doing firmware updates. Have not done firmware for yonks and both cameras working beautifully. Someone on dash cam talk did update and bricked his camera, scared me a bit.

Depends on what fixes are included in the firmware updates, usually new cams will get some updates that fix issues and give new options or better battery life and sensor optimisations  but just like computer drivers the updates are only released for 6 months to a year.

I've only ever used the mini cam and the two firmware updates I did on that never had problems, looks like a newer firmware update has been released since I last used the cam so @The Gonz  can play with that one mini0806 Dash Camera - UPDATE

[The Gonz]

Now that I have Craig's nice little dashcam, I'm hanging out to custom wire it without using the bulky cigarette lighter power adapter.

After a brief search across the 'net, here's what's on order:

12-5V 3A DC-DC Converter

It's tiny, solders up directly to 12V and even has the USB socket for a standard microUSB cable. As soon as this comes in, I'll wire it to the same point I'm using for the in-mirror reversing camera, hidden in the space above the sunglass holder.

Try finding anything better than a 3A USB car charger for $1.23 delivered!

[CraigB]

Cant beat the price cheaper than the hardwire kit Original A119 A119S A118 A118C A118C2 0801 Car Dashcam Hardwire Kit Mini Vehicle | eBay

[Dazzler]

Nice one Gonz. I have my camera nicely mounted high on the windscreen but haven't gotten around to channeling the power wire to it yet! 

[The Gonz]

You'll have to drive up my driveway and get a custom job done, Dazz.

[Dazzler]

You'll have to drive up my driveway and get a custom job done, Dazz.

Hope to be in Victoria late October but wrong side of Melbourne

[The Gonz]

All done!

My awesome $1.20 3A USB power modules arrived yesterday ( one of them will be custom-mounted between the 12V outlets as a dedicated USB socket ) and this morning (home sick with some fluish thing ) I soldered a couple of fine leads to it.

I twisted them to the same two leads I made for powering the mirrorcam. These went back into the same points on the overhead console power connector. I then used the short USB to microUSB cable that came with the dashcam kit ( thank you again, @CraigB ) and popped it out through the lining beside the mirrorcam's power lead.

It's now mounted so that the lens is dead centre ( no need for the offset wedges ) and the camera is still tucked high ahead of the mirror with the mount only just below the shade patch. You really wouldn't even know it's there from the outside - or inside, for that matter.

Elena has just driven out with it to go shopping, so she gets to experience the maiden beeps and clicks. Being the good driver that she is, I don't think she'll be sampling the lane deviation warnings just yet, and if she comes back with a stored video capture, that would be a bad thing.

[CraigB]

Sure...you’re sick, any excuse to stay home and play

Good job on the install be interesting to see if the LDW works as I never turned it on, thought it might be annoying 

Did you end up doing the latest firmware update ?

[The Gonz]

Nah, didn't do any upgrades for fear of spending any more time without it installed. I didn't even play with the settings!

[CraigB]

Firmware would have been the first thing I'd done as soon as the cam arrived Elena wont be pestered by lane departure warnings then if you haven't touched the settings, the only extra I turned on before sending it to you was the GPS.

[The Gonz]

@CraigB, I've just had a look at the 0806 update page and there are 9 updates listed.
Can you confirm which updates you've added or will the camera tell me in its display somewhere?

[CraigB]

The firmware version will be listed in the settings, if you install the last update it will contain any fixes from previous revisions 

[The Gonz]

Well, I got the latest firmware on, tweaked the settings and re-mounted it.

I also went ahead this afternoon and added another of those 3A USB converters to the space between the existing 12V supply sockets.

A neat rectangular window dremeled into position with the original 2-screw bracket in the back used to keep the socket tightly in place, and now there's one less cigarette lighter adapter clogging up my tray space, cable already plugged in and powering any phone as required.

[CraigB]

Good job were you sick today too

[The Gonz]

Good job were you sick today too

Yeah, I went in to work for an hour, just long enough to hand over some work to another colleague for meetings in Wagga while at the same time picking up my itinerary for a week in QLD using my Spanish at the Intel school - can't say more.