I'm paranoid about taxing the auxiliary battery. Is there any worry at all in running a dashcam powered via the cigarette lighter input? If there is any risk at all, I'll just run the cam with a power bank instead.
Yes, correct... The only time this would be an issue while driving is if your 12v battery was old and starting to die. But with a healthy battery there's no issue.
My 12v battery is about 5 years old, but seems to be healthy. However, if there is any risk in putting excessive strain on it, I'll go with the power bank option instead.
One advantage of it running on a separate power supply is if you get pulled over and a psycho murdering cop orders you to turn off your car before he shoots you so your dashcam can't record it.... Or another one is if you're in a major accident and your wires don't come unplugged it will keep filming after the car has shut down. Of course you'll have to have a bombproof auxiliary power configuration for that to survive a crash.
Why not just replace the battery? 5 years is a pretty good career for one of those. Drive paranoia-free!
I tend not to replace things when they show no signs of failure. I'm just interested in finding out if running a dashcam could contribute to the auxiliary battery wearing down.
The answer is no. The dc to dc converter can easily support a dash cam and fully charge the battery at the same time. Now a coffee pot?
