What Dashcam? Needs auto on/off

[98elise]

A couple of years ago I wanted to fit our cars with dash cams. We stuck one on my wife's car but it flattened the battery if you left it plugged in, so every journey you needed to remember to plug it in, start recording, then unplug it at the end. It soon got ignored so I didn't bother with the other cars.

I now want to look at it again so ideally I want a camera that will automatically power up/record (and power down) on each journey? I just want to wire it in and forget about it. I don't even want a built in screen or any other features.

Is that a feature on any dash cams?

[Captain_Morgan]

Why not just wire it to a switched live supply?

[GuyW]

Any dash cam will work.

You'll just need to hardwire it and tap it off a fuse that'll only be on with the ignition. I suspect it differs for most cars.

[rigga]

Even cigar lighter/accessory plug is normally only live when ignition is on, our camera plugs into there for power.

[GranpaB]

I thought most cams had a parking mode so needed to be powered up all the time? Or do they sense a knock and then power up to record?

[juggsy]

rigga said:

Even cigar lighter/accessory plug is normally only live when ignition is on, our camera plugs into there for power.

It varies, the cigar lighters in my wife’s Skoda Karoq are all live permanently, and it took me a lot of trial and error to find a fuse which was only live with the ignition.

[98elise]

Captain_Morgan said:

Why not just wire it to a switched live supply?

Because that means wiring 4 cars, and it's something that should be easily achieved by the camera (either by voltage drop, or motion sensing).

It also doesn't guarantee the camera will start recording. My wife's one doesn't when you first power it on.

[98elise]

rigga said:

Even cigar lighter/accessory plug is normally only live when ignition is on, our camera plugs into there for power.

Ours are on all the time.

[98elise]

GranpaB said:

I thought most cams had a parking mode so needed to be powered up all the time? Or do they sense a knock and then power up to record?

Even if they do, not all cars have a permenant live feed. I would hope that a dash cam would be able to function with either a switched or non switched supply.

[Captain_Morgan]

98elise said:

Captain_Morgan said:

Why not just wire it to a switched live supply?

Because that means wiring 4 cars, and it's something that should be easily achieved by the camera (either by voltage drop, or motion sensing).

It also doesn't guarantee the camera will start recording. My wife's one doesn't when you first power it on.

Ah you did say you just wanted to wire & forget it, not I just want to plug into the cigarette socket & forget it

98elise said:

I now want to look at it again so ideally I want a camera that will automatically power up/record (and power down) on each journey? I just want to wire it in and forget about it. I don't even want a built in screen or any other features.

Given the ease of wiring to the fuse box these days & the ubiquity of switched 12v accessory sockets I suspect you will not have a easy time for filling your requirements

[98elise]

Captain_Morgan said:

98elise said:

Captain_Morgan said:

Why not just wire it to a switched live supply?

Because that means wiring 4 cars, and it's something that should be easily achieved by the camera (either by voltage drop, or motion sensing).

It also doesn't guarantee the camera will start recording. My wife's one doesn't when you first power it on.

Ah you did say you just wanted to wire & forget it, not I just want to plug into the cigarette socket & forget it

98elise said:

I now want to look at it again so ideally I want a camera that will automatically power up/record (and power down) on each journey? I just want to wire it in and forget about it. I don't even want a built in screen or any other features.

Given the ease of wiring to the fuse box these days & the ubiquity of switched 12v accessory sockets I suspect you will not have a easy time for filling your requirements

Fair point, I didn't mean permenantly wire it in, I meant run a cable to the accessory socket.

It not massively difficult to wire it to the fusebox, but when you have 4 to do it's going to take a while. Its just something I would rather not do if there is a simple alternative. It's not remotely difficult to do for the manufacture so I assumed it would be something at least a few would feature.

It wouldn't even be that difficult to incorporate into a USB adapter. Simply cut the USB output when the voltage drops to battery level.

[RenPug]

Just use one of these and slot it in to the fuse box in a switched live feed has to be a simple way surely.

[donkmeister]

98elise said:

rigga said:

Even cigar lighter/accessory plug is normally only live when ignition is on, our camera plugs into there for power.

Ours are on all the time.

I didn't spot what the 4 cars are (assuming you don't drive 4 1998 Elises!), but the options are very car dependent...
If you are using the cigar socket, some cars set the cigar lighter to permanent/switched live by position of a fuse in one of the fuseboxes.
On some cars, the fusebox has extra spades or sockets that can be used to tap into permanent and ignition 12V (especially good for parking mode cam wiring!).
On other cars it's pretty easy to add an extra fuseway instead of using a piggyback.
On quite a few cars there is a fusebox conveniently close to the base of the A-pillar, with space to secure any power supplies etc safely and keep the wiring hidden behind trim.

[Spare tyre]

RenPug said:

Just use one of these and slot it in to the fuse box in a switched live feed has to be a simple way surely.

Just make sure you get it the right way, it’s 50/50

I always test it by removing the fuse for the camera and seeing if it powers on. Hard one to explain, but you can put them in the wrong way and the camera won’t be fused. The circuit you take the tap off will always be fused regardless of the orientation

My favourites to use are heated seat or electric window circuits

Have a look in your fuse board and see if you have any unused slots for features your car doesn’t have

[normalbloke]

My dashcam has an adapter that plugs into the OBD port, to get its power needs from there. It’s a Blackvue.