Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community - FT86CLUB - DIY Blackvue DR400G-HD/Power Magic Pro Dashcam

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DIY Blackvue DR400G-HD/Power Magic Pro Dashcam

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.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8170/7...539c436a_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-43 by VictorN07, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8030/7...f66e9490_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-44 by VictorN07, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8459/7...babf716f_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-45 by VictorN07, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8179/7...337c8c1b_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-46 by VictorN07, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8177/7...fb893472_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-47 by VictorN07, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8318/7...566d87f1_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-48 by VictorN07, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8173/7...03e718aa_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-49 by VictorN07, on Flickr

Reassembly
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/7...3eac4bc2_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-50 by VictorN07, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7...f1f23a03_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-51 by VictorN07, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/7...50172489_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-52 by VictorN07, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/7...d20a01cf_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-53 by VictorN07, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8458/7...de2aca47_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-54 by VictorN07, on Flickr

Tuning and Results
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/7...2c1ea957_c.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-55 by VictorN07, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7...befa471e_c.jpg
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.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8320/7...680b7591_c.jpg
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.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8171/7...b34ae78f_c.jpg
Blackvue Sticker by VictorN07, on Flickr

Great topic, I am replacing the link to my installation in the DIY directory with this one.

DIY Directory
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7365

My old installation topic:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15167

What a great DIY, thanks!

Just got my Blackvue from Korea today so we'll see how it goes!

Quote:

Originally Posted by F1point4 (Post 417139)

Back again. This time we will cover how to install the Blackvue DR400G-HD combined with the Power Magic Pro monitoring system.

Great work, and a quality DIY. If you were closer I would pay you to do this for me!

I notice with the add-a-circuit you cannot close the cover all the way. Doesn't our fuse box have useable but non-used circuits that don't require the use of an add-a-circuit (like a fuse for heated seats that aren't in the FRS for example)?

Would like to close fuse box cover all the way that is all.

Also:
Low Profile add-a-fuse:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LATEST-LOW-P...item4abb89b83e

Quote:

Originally Posted by rice_classic (Post 421298)

I didn't test the empty slots. The concern is how to secure the wire into the empty slots. There is only mm of clearance under of the lid. Most hardwire installs will present a challenge in closing the lid.

Every fuse that is marked in the manual and fuse box lid has a fuse installed, regardless of if that feature is present in the car (heated seats in frs)

The low profile add-a-circuit is great! Still won't let the box close though.

Because of your diy post, i stopped procrastinating, and dropped $250 for camera and power pro.

The blackvue camera I bought is a "session 2" version, which supposedly addresses the overheating issue.

Thanks for this great post.

Installed mine today, just ran to the glove compartment 12V power for now. Quality of the recordings is amazing but they are large files!

The only thing I wish they would change is the camera should be black and not silver. As it stands, it's a little more noticable from outside the car than I would like.

Otherwise a good buy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by brzranger (Post 422006)

Can you let us know how hot yours gets? You might be the first person here with a Season II version!

Mind sharing where you purchased it from?

Quote:

Originally Posted by brzranger (Post 422006)

Only place I've seen the "Season II" models is on ebay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossman (Post 423679)

The only thing I wish they would change is the camera should be black and not silver. As it stands, it's a little more noticable from outside the car than I would like.

Sounds like a candidate for Plasti-dip!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foobar (Post 425207)

Sounds like a candidate for Plasti-dip!

I considered this but I wouldn't be able to do the part where the sticker attaches it to the window...the part where it most looks like ass.

Also these things do get pretty hot not sure I would want to add another layer of possibly insulating material.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foobar (Post 425207)

Sounds like a candidate for Plasti-dip!

I think the flash point of Plasti-dip may be too low for this camera, given a hot day in the sun.

Nice write-up and most creative use of a piano EVAR!

Curious why you put a sticker over the LED, you can just turn off the LED using the software?

The LED is an easy way for me to know what the camera status is. Otherwise I would have to rely on the voice, which doesn't happen very often.

I've only heard her speak

Memory card error
Unit turning on
Unit turning off
Normal Mode to Parking Mode
Parking Mode to Normal Mode

If the LED is how you tell the status then why would you cover it with tape...?

I must be missing something obvious...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossman (Post 425569)

If the LED is how you tell the status then why would you cover it with tape...?

I must be missing something obvious...

haha, it is confusing is it. I didn't cover the entire ring. I left a tiny bit open so i can still see it. Goal was to make the camera stand out less while on in my car.

I've been getting questions around where to acquire the items

Camera and Power Magic Pro
There are very few distributors in the USA that sell the camera. Our best bet is to order from Korea via eBay. Search eBay for DR400G-HD and look for listings for the season II model. To make things easier during shipping customs, contact the seller directly (through the eBay mail) and ask them to price out the unit with the power magic pro. Once the arrangement is agreed, the seller will send you a paypal invoice. Takes roughly a week to come if you get it expedited. I will admit its kind of a crapshoot picking a reputable seller. Choose at your discretion.

Fuses
The fuses found on the inside of the car are of the low-profile mini type. Check out the fuses at this link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuse_(automotive)

The type of fuse you will purchase will be dependent on the add-a-circuit used. I found out accidentally that low-profile mini fuses and mini fuses types are compatible.

In terms of size, you'll need fuses for the circuits that are tapped into, and fuses for the camera.
For the tapped circuits, check the manual for that. Most of the fuses are 7.5A, 10A, or 15A.

The season I camera has a maximum 4W power draw. The season II is 3W power draw. Taking into account the battery outputs 12.7V at full charge you'll need a fuse that can cover between 0.24A - 0.32A. Therefore a 1 Amp fuse should be plenty. Not sure if they sell fuses that small though. Because I planned on tapping into circuits that were 7.5A, I used them out of convenience. Keep in mind if you use fuses too large, a power surge could break the camera but not the fuse. That would defeat the purpose of having it in the first place haha.

Any automotive parts store (Autozone, O'Reilly's) is your best bet for purchasing fuses.

Add-a-circuit
So far I've seen versions that come in low-profile mini and mini fuse types. You can buy them at a variety of places local and online.

Mini Type
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QRSBW0/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00"]Pico 0956pt Mini Fused Circuit 16 Awg 10a : Amazon.com : Automotive[/ame]

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...ier=32416_0_0_

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...d=fuse+circuit

Low-profile mini type
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LATEST-LOW-P...item4abb89b83e

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossman (Post 425569)

If the LED is how you tell the status then why would you cover it with tape...?

I must be missing something obvious...

Quote:

Originally Posted by F1point4 (Post 421997)

For science
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8171/7...b34ae78f_c.jpg
Blackvue Sticker by VictorN07, on Flickr

Top right of the ring is still exposed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by F1point4 (Post 425745)

I've been getting questions around where to acquire the items

Camera and Power Magic Pro
There are very few distributors in the USA that sell the camera. Our best bet is to order from Korea via eBay. Search eBay for DR400G-HD and look for listings for the season II model. To make things easier during shipping customs, contact the seller directly (through the eBay mail) and ask them to price out the unit with the power magic pro. Once the arrangement is agreed, the seller will send you a paypal invoice. Takes roughly a week to come if you get it expedited. I will admit its kind of a crapshoot picking a reputable seller. Choose at your discretion.

Fuses
The fuses found on the inside of the car are of the low-profile mini type. Check out the fuses at this link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuse_(automotive)

The type of fuse you will purchase will be dependent on the add-a-circuit used. I found out accidentally that low-profile mini fuses and mini fuses types are compatible.

In terms of size, you'll need fuses for the circuits that are tapped into, and fuses for the camera.
For the tapped circuits, check the manual for that. Most of the fuses are 7.5A, 10A, or 15A.

The season I camera has a maximum 4W power draw. The season II is 3W power draw. Taking into account the battery outputs 12.7V at full charge you'll need a fuse that can cover between 0.24A - 0.32A. Therefore a 1 Amp fuse should be plenty. Not sure if they sell fuses that small though. Because I planned on tapping into circuits that were 7.5A, I used them out of convenience. Keep in mind if you use fuses too large, a power surge could break the camera but not the fuse. That would defeat the purpose of having it in the first place haha.

Any automotive parts store (Autozone, O'Reilly's) is your best bet for purchasing fuses.

Add-a-circuit
So far I've seen versions that come in low-profile mini and mini fuse types. You can buy them at a variety of places local and online.

Mini Type
Pico 0956pt Mini Fused Circuit 16 Awg 10a : Amazon.com : Automotive

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...ier=32416_0_0_

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...d=fuse+circuit

Low-profile mini type
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LATEST-LOW-P...item4abb89b83e

Wouldn't an Add-a-circuit like this be ideal?

Edit: And huzzah! 2 Amp fuses!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smudgeous (Post 426160)

Wouldn't an Add-a-circuit like this be ideal?

Edit: And huzzah! 2 Amp fuses!

Yes both of those would be ideal in this application. The concern is that they are hard to find at reputable dealers.

For the Session 2, I have a 3A fuse, can I use them in place of the 7.5A? If so, would I just follow exactly the install you posted?

Quote:

Originally Posted by F1point4 (Post 425650)

haha, it is confusing is it. I didn't cover the entire ring. I left a tiny bit open so i can still see it. Goal was to make the camera stand out less while on in my car.

Ah cool, I haven't driven at night with mine yet so I don't know how irritating it is ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by brzranger (Post 426201)

For the Session 2, I have a 3A fuse, can I use them in place of the 7.5A? If so, would I just follow exactly the install you posted?

Yes, actually I think you should use that fuse (something smaller than 7.5A). Everything else will be the same.

Quote:

Originally Posted by F1point4 (Post 426233)

Yes, actually I think you should use that fuse (something smaller than 7.5A). Everything else will be the same.

To be sure, like this?

Quote:

Originally Posted by brzranger (Post 426255)

To be sure, like this?

Spot on.

Installed, thank you! Checked it after a couple hours, the heat seems minimal, definitely lower than what you were showing.

Also, word of caution, be careful on placing the sd card into the slot... i put my sd card in and it didn't seat properly, and broke off inside the camera. Didn't affect anything other than having a broken sd card inside. i used a spare 16gb class 6 in there, which seems to work fine, but it's not a class 10 like the one provided, so I think I am having a lower quality video.

Seems like this session 2 version does not run very hot, but it is warm to the touch. I got a 3 year squaretrade warranty, seems like there are some reliability issues reported. No problems so far.

Good to hear that the version II of the camera is working well.

I do have one issue with mine. My camera records all the time, even in parking mode. I watched the video and i can't find anything that would set it off. I'll report back if I can figure out a solution.

Quote:

Originally Posted by F1point4 (Post 437784)

That's an odd bug and would certainly drain your battery quicker than parking mode.

I ordered my camera and have all the fuses so we should be good to go in a week or two. Just let me know when you're free. If you want there is a garage in Alvin we can meet, it's fully air conditioned.

Looks like my spare SD card pooped out and stopped recording. Ordered a 16gb class 10 through Amazon.

Also, yes, my camera records everything when parked, like my pitch black garage. I am not sure how to change the settings for that part.

My power LED and GPS don't seem to work. GPS would be nice for the maps.

My suspicions might be concerned. The configuration program might not always save the settings. I'll figure out the manual way to do it and report back.

Yes, my settings have not been getting saved either, thought it was my SD card.

Blackvue DR400G-HD Configuration

Useful Files
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/7...d82645cc_z.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-25 by VictorN07, on Flickr

Formatting Memory Card
+ If you are formatting an existing memory card backup all the folders except the Record folder. See folder structure below
+ Unzip the SDFormatter and Install it
+ Run the tool, select the drive, leave the options alone and hit Format
+ If you made a backup, copy it back. Make sure an empty Record folder is created.

Setting up a New Memory Card
+ Run the DR400G-HD_v1.037E(2011_1130)_Setup.exe and follow the prompts
+ It installs in two phases, memory card setup and the Blackvue Viewer.
+ For the memory card setup, select the card and follow the prompts
+ When the prompt for the viewer comes up, if you already have the viewer installed or don't want it, you can just cancel out.

Memory Card Folder Structure

Quote:

+ Memory Card
L Blackvue

L Application

L Data

L Config

L Doc

L Software

L System

L upgrade

Visual setup
If you need a visual interface for configuring the camera, install and use the Blackvue Viewer.

Tab 1
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8042/7...a391bde5_z.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-26 by VictorN07, on Flickr

Tab 2 - If you have recordings, you can click on the advanced settings and fine tune your sensitivity settings.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8319/7...b179bb14_z.jpg
9-14-2012 10-30-00 AM by VictorN07, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8030/7...9e499331_z.jpg
9-14-2012 10-36-58 AM by VictorN07, on Flickr

Tab 3
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8178/7...4f412759_z.jpg
20120831-LolaBlackVue400DIY-27 by VictorN07, on Flickr

Manual Setup
I personally don't like the Blackvue viewer much. The Registrator 3rd party viewer is much better. The Blackvue Viewer configuration portion doesn't save my changes sometimes. Thus I want to highlight how to set up the camera manually. This will be useful for my Mac friends because the Blackvue Viewer doesn't work on mac.

The file you want is config.ini found in Blackvue -> Config. Fire it up in Notepad.

The file will look something like this. These are not the default settings.

Quote:

[Tab1]
TimeZone=143
ImageSetting=4
Brightness=0
NormalRecord=0
VoiceRecord=0
DateDisplay=0
SpeedUnit=2
NormalRecordTime=1
EventRecordTime=1
StorageSetting=1
StorageRate=17
AutoParking=1
FileFormat=0
[Tab2]
NORMALSENSOR1=20
NORMALSENSOR2=85
NORMALSENSOR3=30
PARKINGSENSOR1=80
PARKINGSENSOR2=80
PARKINGSENSOR3=80
MOTIONSENSOR=0
[Tab3]
LED1=0
LED2=0
NORMALCOLOR=0
PARKINGCOLOR=2
STARTVOICE=1
NORMALSTARTVOICE=1
EVENTSTARTVOICE=0
CHANGERECORDMODEVOICE=1
PARKINGMODEVOICE=1
ENDVOICE=1
VOLUME=100
AVOUT=0

Here are my observations on what the settings mean, how they correlate to the visual interface. These are the default settings.

Quote:

[Tab1]
TimeZone=306
--There are more regions that result in same time zone
--For example "America/Denver Mountain Time" is 91
--PST "America/Los_Angeles Pacific Time" 126
--MST "America/Phoenix Mountain Standard Time" 152
--CST "America/Chicago Central Time" 83
--EST "America/New_York Eastern Time" 143

ImageSetting=0
--Video Definition Setting
--"Full HD (1920x1080) @30fps" 0
--"Full HD (1920x1080) @15fps" 1
--"HD (1280x720) @30fps" 2
--"HD (1280x720) @15fps" 3
--"D1 (720x480) @30fps" 4

Brightness=0
--The slider from left to right
--0,1,2,3,4

NormalRecord=0
--Turning this off probably means it only writes files
--during a event triggered by the G sensor
--"Normal Record On" 0
--"Normal Record Off" 1

VoiceRecord=0
--I am not sure, probably toggles the recording of audio
--"Voice Record On" 0
--"Voice Record Off" 1

DateDisplay=0
--Embeds the Date Timestamp on the lower left of the recording
--"Display On" 0
--"Display Off" 1

SpeedUnit=0
--Embeds the speed sensed by the GPS into the lower left
--toggles which units of measure to use or not display the speed
--"kph" 0
--"mph" 1
--"Display Off" 2

NormalRecordTime=1
--For normal recording each file is this many minutes each
--1, 2, 3

EventRecordTime=1
--For event recording each file is this many minutes each
--1, 2, 3

StorageSetting=0
--I'm not sure what type does. Setting time names the file by the time
--"time" 0
--"Type" 1

StorageRate=0
--This specifies the amount of space on the memory card allocated to each type of file
--N for Normal recording (during active driving)
--E for event recording (for activing driving and parking)
--P For parking recording
--It is a huge dropdown with various ratios. I will not detail all of it
--I believe you can pick a number between 0 to 17

AutoParking=0
--The unit will switch to parking mode after 10 minutes of not sensing the ignition power
--"Auto On" 0
--"Auto Off" 1

FileFormat=0
I do not know what this is. Don't mess with it.

[Tab2]
NORMALSENSOR1=20
NORMALSENSOR2=30
NORMALSENSOR3=30
--NORMALSENSORx are sensitivity adjustment for normal recording
--Once the G-Sensor exceeds the specified threshhold (like a speed bump or accident)
--It will go into event mode
--NORMALSENSOR1 is Up/Down motion
--NORMALSENSOR2 is Side to side motion
--NORMALSENSOR3 is forward/backward motion
--In the screen it is different than in this file.
--The screen will show a number 100 minus <the number in this file>
--Low numbers are insensitive. High numbers are sensitive.
--valid numbers are 0-100

PARKINGSENSOR1=80
PARKINGSENSOR2=80
PARKINGSENSOR3=80
--PARKINGSENSORx are sensitivity adjustment for parking recording
--Once the G-Sensor exceeds the specified threshhold (like a speed bump or accident)
--It will go into event recording
--PARKINGSENSOR1 is Up/Down motion
--PARKINGSENSOR2 is Side to side motion
--PARKINGSENSOR3 is forward/backward motion
--In the screen it is different than in this file.
--The screen will show a number 100 minus <the number in this file>
--Low numbers are insensitive. High numbers are sensitive.
--valid numbers are 0-100

MOTIONSENSOR=40
--I believe this is only used in parking mode. When the camera senses movement over this treshold
--It will go into event recording
--Low numbers are insensitive. High numbers are sensitive.
--valid numbers are 0-100

[Tab3]
LED1=1
--This checkbox controls the LED ring around the lone button
--"Button LED" checked 1
--"Button LED" unchecked 0

LED2=1
--This checkbox controls the flashing recording light on the back of the camera
--"Recording Status LED" checked 1
--"Recording Status LED" unchecked 0

NORMALCOLOR=4
--THis radio box control lets you select the LED ring color during normal mode
--Red 0
--Orange 1
--Yellow 2
--Green 3
--Sky Blue 4
--Navy Blue 5
--Purple 6

PARKINGCOLOR=6
--THis radio box control lets you select the LED ring color during parking mode
--Red 0
--Orange 1
--Yellow 2
--Green 3
--Sky Blue 4
--Navy Blue 5
--Purple 6

STARTVOICE=1
--Check box to control if the girl tells you the unit is powering up
--"Power On" checked 1
--"power On" unchecked 0

NORMALSTARTVOICE=1
--Check box to control if the girl tells you the unit is switching to normal recording
--"Start Normal Recording" checked 1
--"Start Normal Recording" unchecked 0

EVENTSTARTVOICE=0
--Check box to control camera beeps when it is in event recording
--"Starting event recording (beep sound)" checked 1
--"Starting event recording (beep sound)" unchecked 0

CHANGERECORDMODEVOICE=1
--Check box to control if the girl tells you the unit is changing recording modes
--"Changing recording mode" checked 1
--"Changign Recording mode" unchecked 0

PARKINGMODEVOICE=1
--Check box to control if the girl tells you the unit is goign into parking mode??
--"Repeat parking mode state alarm" checked 1
--"Repeat parking mode state alarm" unchecked 0

ENDVOICE=1
--Check box to control if the girl tells you she is turned off by too much RACECAR
--"Power off" checked 1
--"Power off" unchecked 0

VOLUME=100
--EDIT* This changes the volume of the girl's voice.
--Higher numbers mean the audio will be loud, lower numbers means quiet
--I find 71 to be barely audible in the FR-S
--0-100

AVOUT=0
--Video Recording Standard, NTSC for North America, PAL for everywhere else.
--NTSC 0
--PAL 1

Troubleshooting
For parking mode, my camera seems to record all the time on the default settings. I tweaked the settings at random and through tests I find that

Quote:

PARKINGSENSOR1=66
PARKINGSENSOR2=70
PARKINGSENSOR3=70

seemed to work much better. I effectively made it less sensitive. It basically only recorded motion. However when I sit in the car and rock the car good, the event mode wont' kick in. I have to work on this some more.
Once i turn on the camera, I pressed the button to put it in Parking mode. Waited for the record light to stop blinking. Then rocked the car, closed the door, etc to see what makes the camera record.

Hope this helps.