It’s about time car manufacturers put a USB port or two behind the rear view mirror so we can plug these things in without running wires all the way down to the “cigarette” lighter socket. There’s already power to that area for cabin lights, rear view mirror, etc. (And yes, I’m sure there are conversion kits for the DIYer… let’s just say I have two left thumbs, and that’s just counting my right hand…).
@carl669 I don’t know why, but both of my dash cams use mini-USB. Certainly strange, but since it’s just going to be installed, I wasn’t really worried about a more modern connector.
@carl669@smigit2002 We have 3 dashcams, and all are mini-USB, which I think is because it is so much more robust and less likely to fail than the micro connecters- a few of which I have seen fail and render the phone [or Kindle] useless d/t inability to be recharged…
@carl669@smigit2002 Most mechanical keyboards still use mini-USB, although there are a few manufacturers starting to shift to USB-C. The reality of interfaces is that there’s no reason to change if it’s not bottlenecking your data transfer speeds, especially since the other end is almost universally going to be USB-A (which can range from USB 1.0 [1.5Mbps] to USB 3.1 [10Gbps]).
Yup, plus, when that suction cup stops suctioning (every couple months in the Florida heat) the whole device and mount combo then dangles from the cable. MinUSB ftw!
I got a dash cam after I followed and pulled over (with the help of another motorist) some crazy drunk bitch that almost wrecked 5+ times. A week later, I saw a dumbass run a red light because she was on her phone, and crashed into an oncoming car.
@mike808 My goal was under $50 for something that could prove an accident wasn’t my fault. This would do both. Vava has some good reviews with sample user video on Amazon, not sure if it’s this specific model or not.
I just look at as a 1 time insurance fee to protect my investment. If you’re looking between this and nothing, get this. If you’re looking for something for sure and it’s between this and something else, then I have no idea.
Has anyone ever mounted their dash cam on the actual dash instead of the windshield? I’ve always been a bit concerned about it obstructing my view when mounted on the windshield.
@annwat It’s just a Name it was never meant to be mounted on the dash but on the windshield instead put it behind the mirror where it’s directly in the middle.
Putting it on the dash itself you’ll loose about half your screen as the bottom half will be focused on your hood robbing you of any protection against side impacts
Ideally you want to be able to see the whole front end in the frame
@annwat@yeppers We have one mounted behind the rearview mirror, and one on the rear windshield- neither of which in any way restricts or interferes with my vision.
I’m well known by friends and family to be kind of CDO about anything even mildly obstructing my view out of the car- so if they were I’d have deep-sixed them already.
Not sure if you were actually joking or not but if not
Don’t do that as not worth the risk as it’s considered tampering with evidence and obstructing officials business which will lead to THOUSANDS In fines, probation or jail time vs maybe a $200 ticket, 2 points on your license an insurance deductible and rate bump.
When I responded to vehicle accidents and video is present I ask them to send me the FULL UNEDITED clip but the 5 minutes before and after the accident and I watch the time stamp carefully and if I see tampering I won’t use it and I’ll inform the insurance company not to use it either which most cases will lead them to deny your claim especially if it’s the other parties insurance and the judge won’t allow it into evidence.
Luckily only two people have attempted to try this, first guy was so matter of fact with it I found it funny how stupidly obvious it was I just informed the insurance company and they denied his claim.
The second guy was real slick that I almost missed it, he laid a new time stamp over the old one to change the time and length of the video he was charged with tampering and obstructing and lost his claim and had to pay out of pocket for all repairs
@ConcealedPsycho I was joking, but serious question I’ve had about these cameras - what if an accident was your own fault, and you removed your own card? Is that a crime, or is that just using your own property as you see fit?
This seems to not take a micro SD card bigger than 32GB. Many devices with that limit will take a 64GB card if it is formatted to FAT32 on a PC. Using a 128GB formatted FAT32 card is less likely to work but possible, I will test when they arrive.
@andrewj How much video do you want to record? Keep in mind that if you are in an accident and you tell the officer that you have it on video, he may take your SD card as evidence. Do you want the police to be in possession of a month’s worth of recordings of your activities in the car?
@andrewj@cajun Sure- that’s why you disable the GPS and other things that could implicate you for violations [GPS can give away speeding and your personal business by documenting your location history, if those are things you worry about sharing.]
I don’t have a car. If I mount this on my forehead, would it be able to save me from weirdos when I’m riding Metro? And would I be able to use my Senior Metro Farecard if I have this camera on my forehead?
Product Name: VAVA Dash Cam 1080P Car DVR Dashboard Camera
Model: VA-VD017
Condition: New
1080P @ 30fps video quality, even in high-speed driving
140° wide recording angle and 3" LCD screen
With a built-in battery, this dash cam will automatically power on and record a short video after detecting a shock or vibration when your car is parked
With a built-in G-sensor, the dashcam will automatically lock & save the video when detecting a collision
The video will not be overwritten
Slim metal construction with a 3-inch compact screen will not block your sight, and the included power cord sports a super-long cable for routing alongside your windscreen for discreet factory-like installation
I use my dc5 charger for my gps. since this stays off til needed, how long does it hold a charge? can i plug this in when i get it, juice it up, and let it lie in torpor til it activates, saving me a bunch of money, or not? if yes i’ll buy i t
@boygenius1991 Ignore Narfcake they’re clueless but Sadly the batteries inside these cameras suck and the few I’ve owned will only hold maybe an hour to hour and half before dying without being plugged in
Why not just get a dual plug? So you can plug in both at the same time?
It’s what I do
$8 on Amazon - [Upgraded Version] Electop 1 to 2 Car Cigarette Lighter Splitter Adapter Power Charger Port, 12V 24V Plug Socket 2-Way Splitter Y Adapter, 10 inch Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord 16AWG with 15A Fuse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HEV8LHG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6oi9Db5B57RP4
I want a rear mounted camera that’s always on, which comes with a separate video display that I can place on my dash, so I can essentially use it as a rear view mirror. Has anyone ever seen anything like this?
@hutchnow yes, yesterday. It covered the whole rvm and part of the sell was a wider view - but I don’t remember if it was woot or some random thing off clickbait. Have to get on a desktop to see if it is in my history
@hutchnow (fixed link) Here is what I was thinking of: Rexing M1 HD Dual channel rear view 10" ips touchscreen. Https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07LC6HY3K/ but wouldn’t any of the back-up camera replacement viewers work? You could mount the camera higher than the license plate, or probably use any camera you want (wired yellow composite plug)
@CANNONFODDER Thanks for the link. While it’s not quite what I’m looking for, you’ve definitely given me a direction in which to continue my search. I have an FJ Cruiser. These things have the video screen for the backup camera built into the rear view mirror itself. It the size of a postage stamp…but I’ve gotten used to it. I wouldn’t mind placing a device such as this over it, but my garage door opener buttons are integrated into the mirror as well and I don’t want to lose access to those. I could mount this above my current mirror, perhaps. The problem I run into is a lack of information regarding one or more of the following. Is the camera always on (which I require), or is it strictly a backup cam. How good is the video streamed by the camera at night?How is the display powered. What do the power connections look like? What video inputs are available if I want to use my own camera? I have WASPcam ROX I bought on Meh that I wouldn’t mind using. At the moment, I can’t remember if has any video outputs or if it just streams video to your phone via a wifi connect. Their higher end cameras show an HDMI connection on the camera in a pic,but it isn’t mentioned anywhere in the product description or specs. I don’t know if it can stream live video, or if it just sends videos save to the SD cards. Sorry for the long winded reply. Thanks again for the link. It might be just what I’m looking for…I’m going to spend some time looking deeper to see if I can find answers to my questions.
Although I think the rear-view dash-cams and separate displays will be better suited … if pressed, I wouldn’t worry about the back-up part – because unless it plugs into the OBDII, it likely triggers off the back up lights - adjusting that could be as simple as using a jumper or manual switch, and at worst (if the camera is completely powered by the backup lights) you run a new 12v power line.
That’s a difficult question because there are a lot of variables. Video is almost always compressed because it generates an ungodly amount of data. That’s what codecs do, and there are a lot of different codecs out there to meet a lot of different use cases. I bought a little $20 1080P security camera a couple of years ago, and it generates video at around 100-200KBPS. Assuming the same level of compression on this camera, an 8GB card could hold as much as 24 hours of video. If it only runs while you’re actually driving, that could range from 3 days in Boston, MA to 3 months in Baird, TX
@therealjrn My Subaru is also old, especially the interior and the tires are worn out. This time I’m looking to buy another luxury one for my wife and look for a set of all-season tires for the Subaru. I am wondering between BMW and Mercedes. As for the tires for Subaru, I’m looking at some sites like tirebuyer.com, tirerack.com, or like https://tiredeets.com/best-all-season-tires-for-suv/
but I still haven’t chosen which one is suitable for quiet, handling and comfort
@kdvette that happened to me with a different dashcam. You can get a functional replacement on eBay under $10. Search " dash cam mount" and choose a US seller. Look at the pics and find one with the right “foot” to slide on your camera. But most dashcams have the same “foot”. There is also a different type that fits on the stem of your rear view mirror and does not use a suction cup. That type is more secure and won’t fall off the windshield or break the suction cup it doesn’t have. That is the type I use now.
What a horrible purchase and brings back bad memories, I’ve bought 180 items from Meh and this one was one of just a handful that was a complete waste of money. I bought it as a gift that hadn’t been opened prior to the warranty expiration. Needless to say, this dashboard camera was DOA, aka DEAD ON ARRIVAL!! A complete waste of $30 and when I asked Meh Customer Service about it, they said sorry, too late to return. I get they can’t just take back everything whenever, but I’ve learned my lesson, never buy anything from a discount place like this without opening up the item to confirm your expectations with enough time to return in case something isn’t right!
I can’t believe the phrase “VAVA Vroom” wasn’t used somewhere related to this product.
@djslack That’s a little too “on the nose”.
It’s about time car manufacturers put a USB port or two behind the rear view mirror so we can plug these things in without running wires all the way down to the “cigarette” lighter socket. There’s already power to that area for cabin lights, rear view mirror, etc. (And yes, I’m sure there are conversion kits for the DIYer… let’s just say I have two left thumbs, and that’s just counting my right hand…).
the year 2000 called and wants its mini-usb port and cable back.
@carl669 I don’t know why, but both of my dash cams use mini-USB. Certainly strange, but since it’s just going to be installed, I wasn’t really worried about a more modern connector.
@carl669 @smigit2002 We have 3 dashcams, and all are mini-USB, which I think is because it is so much more robust and less likely to fail than the micro connecters- a few of which I have seen fail and render the phone [or Kindle] useless d/t inability to be recharged…
@carl669 @smigit2002 Most mechanical keyboards still use mini-USB, although there are a few manufacturers starting to shift to USB-C. The reality of interfaces is that there’s no reason to change if it’s not bottlenecking your data transfer speeds, especially since the other end is almost universally going to be USB-A (which can range from USB 1.0 [1.5Mbps] to USB 3.1 [10Gbps]).
@carl669 @PhysAssist @smigit2002
Yup, plus, when that suction cup stops suctioning (every couple months in the Florida heat) the whole device and mount combo then dangles from the cable. MinUSB ftw!
@carl669 @jester747 @smigit2002 Yup yup, you!
/giphy For the win [FTW- had to be careful because apparently, that’s got a whole 'nother meaning]
I got a dash cam after I followed and pulled over (with the help of another motorist) some crazy drunk bitch that almost wrecked 5+ times. A week later, I saw a dumbass run a red light because she was on her phone, and crashed into an oncoming car.
Definately worth the investment.
@lichme The question is this dash cam worth it?
Honest question. What is the current quality/features/price point of good value?
@mike808 My goal was under $50 for something that could prove an accident wasn’t my fault. This would do both. Vava has some good reviews with sample user video on Amazon, not sure if it’s this specific model or not.
I just look at as a 1 time insurance fee to protect my investment. If you’re looking between this and nothing, get this. If you’re looking for something for sure and it’s between this and something else, then I have no idea.
@lichme “Definately!”
We don’t need no state surveillance. Just sell it to us cheap enough so we can do it ourselves. Gotta love capitalism.
Just an FYI, the Amazon link is actually $35 as there is a $10 coupon right there on the page at the moment.
@MindlessMachina Still no SD card. I know, an 8GB card is only a couple of bucks, but it’s still money.
Does it come with a helmet mount?
@notsofancy As this is a dash cam, no.
@notsofancy A dash as a helmet would work.
@notsofancy Yes. It’s called a suction cup. If it won’t stick to your helmet, remove it, shave your head and stick it to your cranium.
@notsofancy What’s that?
How good/crappy are these compared to your blurrycam Blyat videos?
@mike808 Some of those suka blyat videos have amazingly good dash cams.
@mike808 @yakkoTDI It’s like I always say: the higher the stakes, the сука the блять.
How many megapixels is the image sensor?
@mike808 Yes.
@mike808 The closeup of the front says 2.0…
?
Has anyone ever mounted their dash cam on the actual dash instead of the windshield? I’ve always been a bit concerned about it obstructing my view when mounted on the windshield.
@annwat I put mine behind the rear view mirror, where it’s pretty much out of sight.
@annwat It’s just a Name it was never meant to be mounted on the dash but on the windshield instead put it behind the mirror where it’s directly in the middle.
Putting it on the dash itself you’ll loose about half your screen as the bottom half will be focused on your hood robbing you of any protection against side impacts
Ideally you want to be able to see the whole front end in the frame
@annwat @yeppers We have one mounted behind the rearview mirror, and one on the rear windshield- neither of which in any way restricts or interferes with my vision.
I’m well known by friends and family to be kind of CDO about anything even mildly obstructing my view out of the car- so if they were I’d have deep-sixed them already.
@annwat @PhysAssist @yeppers the OCD in me about acronyms is firing up…
@ecanada @PhysAssist IKWYM
@annwat @ecanada @PhysAssist @yeppers CDO is because it’s better in alphabetical order.
@annwat That’s why I used CDO.
@ecanada IKYD! IKWYMT…
@yeppers Exactly!
/giphy OCD ought to be spelled CDO…
Does it come with video editing SW in case the evidence could be interpreted in a less-than favorable way?
@G1 Nope, you’ll have to find a free editing software to manufacture your fake evidence
Not sure if you were actually joking or not but if not
Don’t do that as not worth the risk as it’s considered tampering with evidence and obstructing officials business which will lead to THOUSANDS In fines, probation or jail time vs maybe a $200 ticket, 2 points on your license an insurance deductible and rate bump.
When I responded to vehicle accidents and video is present I ask them to send me the FULL UNEDITED clip but the 5 minutes before and after the accident and I watch the time stamp carefully and if I see tampering I won’t use it and I’ll inform the insurance company not to use it either which most cases will lead them to deny your claim especially if it’s the other parties insurance and the judge won’t allow it into evidence.
Luckily only two people have attempted to try this, first guy was so matter of fact with it I found it funny how stupidly obvious it was I just informed the insurance company and they denied his claim.
The second guy was real slick that I almost missed it, he laid a new time stamp over the old one to change the time and length of the video he was charged with tampering and obstructing and lost his claim and had to pay out of pocket for all repairs
@ConcealedPsycho Not if you do a really good editing job. Thats what my friend told me.
@bugger @ConcealedPsycho @G1
Cops do it all the time.
@ConcealedPsycho I was joking, but serious question I’ve had about these cameras - what if an accident was your own fault, and you removed your own card? Is that a crime, or is that just using your own property as you see fit?
@G1 late reply sorry, but if it’s found out you tried to conceal evidence you could be charged with obstructing
@ConcealedPsycho So if you have a dash-cam, you are free to self-incriminate?
This seems to not take a micro SD card bigger than 32GB. Many devices with that limit will take a 64GB card if it is formatted to FAT32 on a PC. Using a 128GB formatted FAT32 card is less likely to work but possible, I will test when they arrive.
@andrewj How much video do you want to record? Keep in mind that if you are in an accident and you tell the officer that you have it on video, he may take your SD card as evidence. Do you want the police to be in possession of a month’s worth of recordings of your activities in the car?
@andrewj @cajun :spark: :gurgle: :gurgle: :cough: wut?
@andrewj @cajun Sure- that’s why you disable the GPS and other things that could implicate you for violations [GPS can give away speeding and your personal business by documenting your location history, if those are things you worry about sharing.]
I don’t have a car. If I mount this on my forehead, would it be able to save me from weirdos when I’m riding Metro? And would I be able to use my Senior Metro Farecard if I have this camera on my forehead?
@gertiestn I think if you’re wearing this on your forehead the weirdos will accept you as one of their own and leave you alone
Specs
What’s in the Box?
Price Comparison
$44.99 (for similar, without SD Card) at Amazon
Warranty
1 year VAVA warranty
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, July 9th - Monday, July 13th
I use my dc5 charger for my gps. since this stays off til needed, how long does it hold a charge? can i plug this in when i get it, juice it up, and let it lie in torpor til it activates, saving me a bunch of money, or not? if yes i’ll buy i t
@boygenius1991 The battery inside most dashcams are only good for a few minutes at most so it can save out the file while powering down.
@narfcake is it possible for me to use t his? my gps battery sucks so i need to keep it plugged in all the time.
@boygenius1991 Ignore Narfcake they’re clueless but Sadly the batteries inside these cameras suck and the few I’ve owned will only hold maybe an hour to hour and half before dying without being plugged in
Why not just get a dual plug? So you can plug in both at the same time?
It’s what I do
$8 on Amazon - [Upgraded Version] Electop 1 to 2 Car Cigarette Lighter Splitter Adapter Power Charger Port, 12V 24V Plug Socket 2-Way Splitter Y Adapter, 10 inch Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord 16AWG with 15A Fuse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HEV8LHG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6oi9Db5B57RP4
@ConcealedPsycho done and done. thanks bud. i didn’t know splitters exist but of course they do why wouldn’t they
Found a few reviews here and Meh will save you $10
https://www.bjs.com/product/vava-12mp-dash-camera/3000000000001425751
@jmbunkin Interesting how they advertise 12MP, while the accompanying photo of the front clearly says 2.0MegaPixels.
recording time?..ya know, since it can’t overwrite?..does it even work while driving?..or only parked…
@fastharrydotcom it does overwrite. It will stop overwriting in the event of an accident if the built-in “G-sensor” detects an impact.
@fastharrydotcom @Trinityscrew will the built in “g-sensor” be able to detect an accident vs the acceleration of my insanely fast car?
@Grammatis I’ve hit potholes that caused enough of a jolt to lock dashcam footage, so it’s very well possible.
/giphy ludicrous speed
@fastharrydotcom @Grammatis @Trinityscrew The sensitivity is adjustable, and may need to be turned down from default if it keeps locking up- per reviews…
/buy
@therealjrn It worked! Your order number is: wishful-blinking-home
/image wishful blinking home
@mediocrebot @therealjrn
/giphy wishful-blinking-home
I want a rear mounted camera that’s always on, which comes with a separate video display that I can place on my dash, so I can essentially use it as a rear view mirror. Has anyone ever seen anything like this?
@hutchnow yes, yesterday. It covered the whole rvm and part of the sell was a wider view - but I don’t remember if it was woot or some random thing off clickbait. Have to get on a desktop to see if it is in my history
@hutchnow (fixed link) Here is what I was thinking of: Rexing M1 HD Dual channel rear view 10" ips touchscreen. Https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07LC6HY3K/ but wouldn’t any of the back-up camera replacement viewers work? You could mount the camera higher than the license plate, or probably use any camera you want (wired yellow composite plug)
@CANNONFODDER Thanks for the link. While it’s not quite what I’m looking for, you’ve definitely given me a direction in which to continue my search. I have an FJ Cruiser. These things have the video screen for the backup camera built into the rear view mirror itself. It the size of a postage stamp…but I’ve gotten used to it. I wouldn’t mind placing a device such as this over it, but my garage door opener buttons are integrated into the mirror as well and I don’t want to lose access to those. I could mount this above my current mirror, perhaps. The problem I run into is a lack of information regarding one or more of the following. Is the camera always on (which I require), or is it strictly a backup cam. How good is the video streamed by the camera at night?How is the display powered. What do the power connections look like? What video inputs are available if I want to use my own camera? I have WASPcam ROX I bought on Meh that I wouldn’t mind using. At the moment, I can’t remember if has any video outputs or if it just streams video to your phone via a wifi connect. Their higher end cameras show an HDMI connection on the camera in a pic,but it isn’t mentioned anywhere in the product description or specs. I don’t know if it can stream live video, or if it just sends videos save to the SD cards. Sorry for the long winded reply. Thanks again for the link. It might be just what I’m looking for…I’m going to spend some time looking deeper to see if I can find answers to my questions.
@hutchnow Then this link might be useful, they tested a bunch of cameras and at least one display.
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-backup-camera-and-displays/
Although I think the rear-view dash-cams and separate displays will be better suited … if pressed, I wouldn’t worry about the back-up part – because unless it plugs into the OBDII, it likely triggers off the back up lights - adjusting that could be as simple as using a jumper or manual switch, and at worst (if the camera is completely powered by the backup lights) you run a new 12v power line.
@CANNONFODDER Thanks for the link… I don’t know why I didn’t think to consult Wirecutter already.
How much time do you get on 8b before it loops over?
That’s a difficult question because there are a lot of variables. Video is almost always compressed because it generates an ungodly amount of data. That’s what codecs do, and there are a lot of different codecs out there to meet a lot of different use cases. I bought a little $20 1080P security camera a couple of years ago, and it generates video at around 100-200KBPS. Assuming the same level of compression on this camera, an 8GB card could hold as much as 24 hours of video. If it only runs while you’re actually driving, that could range from 3 days in Boston, MA to 3 months in Baird, TX
/giphy blight-frozen-blizzard
Shame that it looks like a giant point and shoot.
/buy
@pbjpenguin It worked! Your order number is: bedecked-plentiful-poinsettia
/image bedecked plentiful poinsettia
The SD card which was supposed to be included did not come with the camera
@marjstock did you message meh.com/support yet?
What kind of shit are you selling, first 1 out of box and it will not work, fuck this site.
@nopeonthedope did you contact meh.com/support?
Unfortunately I just bought one at an online shop for my Subaru
@Tonyjar Ha ha! I used to have a Subaru too! What kind is yours?
@therealjrn I own a Subaru Forester 2.5X, but I want to buy another car for my wife, a luxury one.
@Tonyjar I just bought a Lincoln. Do you like Lincolns? My other car is a Mercury.
@therealjrn My Subaru is also old, especially the interior and the tires are worn out. This time I’m looking to buy another luxury one for my wife and look for a set of all-season tires for the Subaru. I am wondering between BMW and Mercedes. As for the tires for Subaru, I’m looking at some sites like tirebuyer.com, tirerack.com, or like https://tiredeets.com/best-all-season-tires-for-suv/
but I still haven’t chosen which one is suitable for quiet, handling and comfort
@therealjrn @Tonyjar
@Thumperchick Yeah, I should have figured that out. Sorry I get a little too excited sometimes.
@Thumperchick I know this is an old thread that was bumped because of today’s offering but that’s totally spam Tonyjar left up there.
Crap Cams
I have the car cam and the mount suction cup broke. I can’t find an email address to send a request to get a replacement. Can anyone help?
@kdvette that happened to me with a different dashcam. You can get a functional replacement on eBay under $10. Search " dash cam mount" and choose a US seller. Look at the pics and find one with the right “foot” to slide on your camera. But most dashcams have the same “foot”. There is also a different type that fits on the stem of your rear view mirror and does not use a suction cup. That type is more secure and won’t fall off the windshield or break the suction cup it doesn’t have. That is the type I use now.
I can’t get the camera to loop record. The card fills up and the camera prompts me to format the card.
What a horrible purchase and brings back bad memories, I’ve bought 180 items from Meh and this one was one of just a handful that was a complete waste of money. I bought it as a gift that hadn’t been opened prior to the warranty expiration. Needless to say, this dashboard camera was DOA, aka DEAD ON ARRIVAL!! A complete waste of $30 and when I asked Meh Customer Service about it, they said sorry, too late to return. I get they can’t just take back everything whenever, but I’ve learned my lesson, never buy anything from a discount place like this without opening up the item to confirm your expectations with enough time to return in case something isn’t right!
@RICHY531
