I had a look at the dashcam thread and most responders seem to be using Nextbase.
Which models are you using, and why did you chose that particular model, please?
I am going abroad in a bit and using a hire car and I am wondering if a dashcam would be a wise investment?
I've never really looked at them so don't know if they do front and back, or just front.
Any information welcome.
Cheers
Dave R
Addendum:
All the Nextbase dashcams seem to have a sticky pad to attach to the screen.
As we have booked 3 hire cars for different parts of the trip at a minimum I would need a supply of pads, next best is an easy way to remove the pad to not annoy the hire car company, best is the ability to reuse the pad several times.
User experience welcome.
I thought I was sorted after looking at the Which? reviews until I say the attachment method.
Cheers
Dave R
I've seen advertisements for front/rear devices that have both cameras in one unit. This obviously requires that there is an unobtrusive position on the windscreen which has a clear rear view regardless of back seat passengers, cargo etc. As far as I can see, that's a non-starter. Other front/rear cameras have a separate rear camera which has to be mounted and the cable routed to the front unit, which also seems to me to be difficult in modern cars.
I would probably go for a separate rear unit, powered from the rear cigar lighter, sorry, 12V power socket. Surely if it's not supposed to be a lighter, a completely different and fairly sane 12V connector could have been chosen? The cigar lighter plug is on a par with SCART connectors, as far as I'm concerned. I suppose the XLR-4 is too expensive for a domestic product.
Difficult to say much more, I went for a cheap Chinese one that does
1080p. Even getting power to it isn't easy, I'd have thought a 5V/12V power socket on the interior light housing would have been a good idea.
Better to go for one with a suction pad for your use. The sticky pads are very tenacious and are not reusable.
With many many years experience I would respectfully disagree.
All the suction devices I have used (phones, sat navs and dashcams) have invariably managed to succumb to gravity on me. The worst being a sat nav which managed to hit me in the 'nads and briefly double up.
My last car I clamped the dashcam holder to the rear view mirror bracket.
Looks as though you can get a suction mount to go with the sticky mount. Strangely, Nextbase web site sells there but doesn't seem to sell the 222X which is a bundle of the 222 with a rear facing camera. I have asked them why.
Next conundrum is if I can get parked up collision detection using a power bank, because the internal batter is tiny.
Cheers
Dave R
If it were for fitting in my own car, I would go for the sticky pad. However, in the situation of wanting to hire three cars on one trip and to be able to remove the mount cleanly, that simply isn't going to work.
IME they usually last at least a few days, which seems to be all that is needed here.
The internal battery is only intended to last 10 to 15 minutes.
I went for Z-Edge Z1 (HD 1920 x 1080 dashcam with 16GB SDHC card) which was much cheaper than any of the recommended brands. It continues to work well over 7 years since I bought it. It doesn't have GPS, and the internal clock isn't accurate, but optically and electronically it's fine. For power, I use a USB lead fed under the rubber trim at the side of the windscreen.
As for mounting, it uses suction. The trick is to use a smear of washing-up liquid on the cup, and push it on to the window as the same time as using the lever. IME, it lasts at least a couple of months even in high summer before it dries out.
Whatever you decide on, read as many reviews from different sources as you can.
I have a Nextbase, with a rear-view camera attachment. It is easy to find a location next to the rear-view mirror that provides a clear view for the camera. I thought that the sun visor would obstruct it, but it doesn't. But I rarely carry rear passengers. The suction cup attachment, as has been mentioned, will last a long time if lubricated/wetted at the time of installation. I only stopped using mine because it is considerably larger and more obtrusive than the sticky pad. My only problem has been the occasional loss of electrical contact between the rear-view camera and the base unit, but a quick wiggle of the connection sorts that out. If it works when you plug it in, it is good.
As for the original question, yes, a dashcam would be a good investment for a trip abroad. Just make sure it is removed each time.
Whilst others, & reviewers, poo-poo different models, IMO, any camera is better than none. They are mainly there to show the circumstances of what led up to an event & give evidence rather than one person's word against anothers.
And, with many many years experience I would respectfully disagree with you.
My budget dashcams have always been attached by a suction cup & they fall off perhaps once a month. They need to use a clear, unused section of the windscreen (some have shading around the interior mirror) which needs to be scrupulously clean & the suction cup rim moistened - I lick my finger & run it round the rim.
Check to see if they are legal in the country you intend to visit.
In a few countries they are illegal and some impose very stiff fines.
I had such a cup for a mobile phone clamp. After about 18 months the material in the cup spontaneously turned to snot.
Like the case on an HP laptop, that simply *crumbled* after about 10 years.
I am thinking of a 3D printed phone holder adapted to fit the car perfectly...
My experience with the suction cup is that the dashcam fell off around twice a year and usually on a very hot day when the car had been left in the sun, without shade, for a lengthy period of time.
But its better if they also provide evidence of the scrote who attempts to break into or steal your parked car or just gouge ot bump it when parking next to you.
And better if they aren't visible so you can say nothing about it after an accident that is you fault.
I forgot to say that there are reports of police in the UK getting officious if the driver can see the dashcam screen.
Is enforcing the law "officious" ?
Mine sits behind the rear view mirror on the passenger side. Driving the screen cannot be seen. The passenger can view the screen.
Mine runs with the screen off.
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