Dash cam install
Discussion
Great believer in the peace of mind dashcams can provide but they are now getting very expensive and had not really thought about putting one in the Alpine until I ordered one for my sons 1st car.
Got pointed in the direction of this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BS4YRX4X?psc=1&r...
Seemed to get decent reviews and at £59 with the current £20 voucher it was worth a punt, even more so when I discovered it had a micro SD provided too, even cable clips and a trim removal tool were included
Arrived within 24 hours and so impressed with the quality I decided to keep it and use it in the Alpine, buying another one (the upgraded Pro version with rear camera as well) for my sons car
Few things I detest about most dashcams:
1. Bulky appearance - especially when they come with the suction mounts
2. Installation - did not want the hassle of hard wiring in but also hate having cables trailed everywhere
Bought a couple of extra bits I needed to get an unobtrusive install:
1. A 5m USB to USB C cable with the USB C being a right angle plug to keep it neat - 5m is actually far too long, 4m would be ideal
2. A 12V USB charger for fitment in to the 12V socket in between and behind the rear seats
Literally a 20 minute install:
1. Run the cable under the front of the headlining, down the passenger side A pillar, after removing the door seal in that area and under the dashboard
2. Feed cable in to gap at top of lower dash / centre console join and run down to where it meets the carpet in the footwell
3. Run the cable along the centre console / carpet join, pushing it under the console by gently easing the alloy trim up and back
4. Remove two bolts holding the rear storage cubby (if fitted) at the back of centre console, jiggle it about to create a gap wide enough to feed cable through
5. Plug in USB charger and job done
Dashcam automatically switches on when car is powered up and shuts down when car is switched off
Not quite sure if parking mode will work as its not hardwired in but never felt a real need for that anyway
Really easy to set up unit - no GPS but the twin camera version at £100 has this, all the basic features I need for a dashcam without the expense and the alloy trim sits neatly with the rest of the interior, only cable visible 5-6cm where it plugs into the USB charger
Got pointed in the direction of this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BS4YRX4X?psc=1&r...
Seemed to get decent reviews and at £59 with the current £20 voucher it was worth a punt, even more so when I discovered it had a micro SD provided too, even cable clips and a trim removal tool were included
Arrived within 24 hours and so impressed with the quality I decided to keep it and use it in the Alpine, buying another one (the upgraded Pro version with rear camera as well) for my sons car
Few things I detest about most dashcams:
1. Bulky appearance - especially when they come with the suction mounts
2. Installation - did not want the hassle of hard wiring in but also hate having cables trailed everywhere
Bought a couple of extra bits I needed to get an unobtrusive install:
1. A 5m USB to USB C cable with the USB C being a right angle plug to keep it neat - 5m is actually far too long, 4m would be ideal
2. A 12V USB charger for fitment in to the 12V socket in between and behind the rear seats
Literally a 20 minute install:
1. Run the cable under the front of the headlining, down the passenger side A pillar, after removing the door seal in that area and under the dashboard
2. Feed cable in to gap at top of lower dash / centre console join and run down to where it meets the carpet in the footwell
3. Run the cable along the centre console / carpet join, pushing it under the console by gently easing the alloy trim up and back
4. Remove two bolts holding the rear storage cubby (if fitted) at the back of centre console, jiggle it about to create a gap wide enough to feed cable through
5. Plug in USB charger and job done
Dashcam automatically switches on when car is powered up and shuts down when car is switched off
Not quite sure if parking mode will work as its not hardwired in but never felt a real need for that anyway
Really easy to set up unit - no GPS but the twin camera version at £100 has this, all the basic features I need for a dashcam without the expense and the alloy trim sits neatly with the rest of the interior, only cable visible 5-6cm where it plugs into the USB charger
Surprisingly, this actually was a half hour install! 
I found it easiest to remove the footwell panel:
Which then gave access to the bottom edge of the centre console. The only additional thing was that the wire was pinched between the rear edge of the console and the cupholder moulding, so I removed the latter and made a small cutout with a needle file, which will be barely visible if the cable is ever removed.
I found it easiest to remove the footwell panel:
Which then gave access to the bottom edge of the centre console. The only additional thing was that the wire was pinched between the rear edge of the console and the cupholder moulding, so I removed the latter and made a small cutout with a needle file, which will be barely visible if the cable is ever removed.
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