Wiring and Testing
I spec'd out three 7.5 A and one 15 A fuse. The "stop light" has a 7.5A fuse, and each power outlet uses a 15 A fuse.
Combine that with two 7.5 A fuses to hook up the power magic pro, you get the four I spec'd out.
If you decide to use different circuits you may need different sized fuses.
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-43 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-44 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-45 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-46 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-47 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-48 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-49 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
Reassembly
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-50 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-51 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-52 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-53 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-54 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
Tuning and Results
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-55 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-56 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
Thoughts after some use
Overall the camera works very well. There isn't much to set and most of it happens automatically.
Pro Tip: once you are set on the angle of the camera use a permanent marker to mark the position so if you remove the camera you know where to reinsert it.
+ The unit will always start with normal mode. It will record everything.
+ After the ignition is cut, if there is no movement/event for 10 minutes it enters parking mode. It will only record when there is movement or an event.
+ When the ignition turns on, the unit reenters normal mode after about 10-20 seconds of driving.
+ @1080p you can record about 4-5 hours of video before it loops on itself
+ Having a power button via the power magic means I can turn off the camera without having to unplug the wires.
+ The video I get is on par with all the other videos posted on the internet. It is a good dash camera
+ The alternate viewer software is awesome. Plots on map, speed, times for scrolling.
~ The microphone isn't very sensitive.
- You need the original Blackvue viewer to configure the device
- The unit does run extremely hot. See the picture below.
20120901-LolaBlackVue400DIY-57 by
VictorN07, on Flickr
Update:
Wanted a more stealth look. I moved the camera higher on the windshield (picture to come) and I Aperture Science the LED ring.
Used racer's tape for science. Left a little opening so I can still see the camera status.
Blackvue Sticker by
VictorN07, on Flickr