Do you use a dash cam in your car?

[cameo]

After seeing all those Russian dash cam videos from Russia lately, those
cams just might get popular even in the US. I'd like to hear from
anybody using them and how useful (or nuisance) they are in practice.

 

[[email protected]]

After seeing all those Russian dash cam videos from Russia lately, those
cams just might get popular even in the US. I'd like to hear from
anybody using them and how useful (or nuisance) they are in practice.

The Russians have them because insurance fraud and hit-n-run are so
rampant that the companies won't pay unless you have proof of the
accident.

Besides, I heard that they attract meteorites. ...or was that AGW?

 

[Neon John]

After seeing all those Russian dash cam videos from Russia lately, those
cams just might get popular even in the US. I'd like to hear from
anybody using them and how useful (or nuisance) they are in practice.

I have a system in my vehicle. I originally bought it for the year I
spent driving a semi truck, seeing the country and getting paid for it
The DOT cops in some states are infamously corrupt so that was my
protection.

I got a 4 channel security system DVR that ran on 12 volts. I have
three cameras. One on the dash, one mounted at the rear of the front
window so it can see a cop and watch the rear view mirror and a third
one mounted above the rear window, designed to watch a cop doing a car
search and planting dope or something.

Fortunately I've never had to use the system for what it is intended.
It did save me a major hassle in the truck one night. This DVR system
had motion sensing where one could select an area of the screen to
monitor and it would alarm if motion was sensed.

When I went to bed at night I'd turn on the alarm that monitored the
rear view mirror. Seems a popular stunt to do to noob drivers is to
come around in the night and pull the trailer release handle. In the
morning when one does his hitch integrity check (tug the trailer with
the trailer brakes set), the tractor drives right out from under the
trailer, letting it fall on its landing gear. It is a major effort to
crank the landing jack back up enough to re-hitch.

Anyway, my alarm caught a guy doing that. I didn't make it out of the
sleeper in time to grab him but it did save me from driving out from
under the trailer.

Before the DVR, I always carried a little digital recorder in my shirt
pocket. Press one button to start recording. I caught a cop
soliciting a bribe during a traffic stop. Got him fired but
unfortunately not prosecuted.

As far as hassles, there really are none once the system is installed.
The DVR has a real time clock and runs a 2 week "loop" on the hard
drive.

I put a very high quality camera on the dash. One of the nice things
about that was that if I drove past some unusually interesting
scenery, I could later retrieve it to my laptop. I learned to put my
hand over the lens for a few seconds after passing the scene of
interest to give me some black to look for when searching the video
later.

I think that as cops continue to get more militaristic and corrupt,
some sort of video recording is going to be a must - just like in
Russia.

John
John DeArmond
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.fluxeon.com
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
See website for email address

 

[cameo]

I have a system in my vehicle. I originally bought it for the year I
spent driving a semi truck, seeing the country and getting paid for it
The DOT cops in some states are infamously corrupt so that was my
protection.

I got a 4 channel security system DVR that ran on 12 volts. I have
three cameras. One on the dash, one mounted at the rear of the front
window so it can see a cop and watch the rear view mirror and a third
one mounted above the rear window, designed to watch a cop doing a car
search and planting dope or something.

Fortunately I've never had to use the system for what it is intended.
It did save me a major hassle in the truck one night. This DVR system
had motion sensing where one could select an area of the screen to
monitor and it would alarm if motion was sensed.

When I went to bed at night I'd turn on the alarm that monitored the
rear view mirror. Seems a popular stunt to do to noob drivers is to
come around in the night and pull the trailer release handle. In the
morning when one does his hitch integrity check (tug the trailer with
the trailer brakes set), the tractor drives right out from under the
trailer, letting it fall on its landing gear. It is a major effort to
crank the landing jack back up enough to re-hitch.

Anyway, my alarm caught a guy doing that. I didn't make it out of the
sleeper in time to grab him but it did save me from driving out from
under the trailer.

Before the DVR, I always carried a little digital recorder in my shirt
pocket. Press one button to start recording. I caught a cop
soliciting a bribe during a traffic stop. Got him fired but
unfortunately not prosecuted.

As far as hassles, there really are none once the system is installed.
The DVR has a real time clock and runs a 2 week "loop" on the hard
drive.

I put a very high quality camera on the dash. One of the nice things
about that was that if I drove past some unusually interesting
scenery, I could later retrieve it to my laptop. I learned to put my
hand over the lens for a few seconds after passing the scene of
interest to give me some black to look for when searching the video
later.

I think that as cops continue to get more militaristic and corrupt,
some sort of video recording is going to be a must - just like in
Russia.

John
John DeArmond
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.fluxeon.com
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
See website for email address

Interesting stuff but I bet the gear costed you a fortune though.

 

[miso]

Cops? I worry more about the TSA VIPR. Homeland security is simply out
of control.

I had a good looking woman flash me on Flamingo in Vegas. Twice
actually, though the second flash was because I managed to catch up to
the car.

The flasher was in the back seat on the passenger side. The woman in the
front passenger seat might have been recording. Hard to tell, but I
never found myself on youtube, so maybe she was just watching.

 

[josephkk]

Interesting stuff but I bet the gear costed you a fortune though.

Really? I bet that can be done today for under us$1000. The price has
been coming down fast for almost 20 years though.

?-)

 

[[email protected]]

Anyway, my alarm caught a guy doing that. I didn't make it out of the

sleeper in time to grab him but it did save me from driving out from

under the trailer.

You should have emailed a still of the a-hole to the state police, chances are he was already known. Sounds like a high grade misdemeanor vandalism with upgrade to a felony on a second offense.

 

[cameo]

Starting at around $50 (probably junk). $100 to $150 seems to be the popular
price point.

Yes, that would be my expectation, too. Certainly below $200 for me.

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

Yes, that would be my expectation, too. Certainly below $200 for me.

If you get a Bluetooth OBDII adapter and a a holder for your Android
mini-tablet or smartphone with a back camera, you can overlay gauges
over the video and record on an SD or TF card. The former is not much
more than $10.

One Android app is called "Torque", Brit I think. It's something like
$5. A bit buggy so far.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

 

[Nico Coesel]

After seeing all those Russian dash cam videos from Russia lately, those
cams just might get popular even in the US. I'd like to hear from
anybody using them and how useful (or nuisance) they are in practice.

Interestingly these systems have spiked interest in several places. In
another newsgroup people where complaining that the lifespan of most
systems is short. A car is a hostile environment for electronics.

 

[cameo]

If you get a Bluetooth OBDII adapter and a a holder for your Android
mini-tablet or smartphone with a back camera, you can overlay gauges
over the video and record on an SD or TF card. The former is not much
more than $10.

One Android app is called "Torque", Brit I think. It's something like
$5. A bit buggy so far.

Thanks, but my car has OBDI only.

 

[cameo]

Interestingly these systems have spiked interest in several places. In
another newsgroup people where complaining that the lifespan of most
systems is short. A car is a hostile environment for electronics.

Hm, one more reason not to buy an expensive one?

 

[rickman]

I think that as cops continue to get more militaristic and corrupt,
some sort of video recording is going to be a must - just like in
Russia.

Interesting story.

Why do you think cops are getting *more* corrupt? There has always been
corruption and there will always *be* corruption. But has it increased?
My impression is that the police force has largely gotten less corrupt
in that many of the small town cons can't be done anymore. Speed traps
on major roads is a good example. If enough complaints come in someone
from the state will show up is my understanding.