Sushi Plug-in Mod 2: BlackVue Dash Cam (question about running wire through the hatch boot)

Loving my 127mpg commute to work, and I'm sure I can do better. In the mean time...

I have previously installed a BlackVue dash cam in my Subaru so it's time to install it in my PiP. Since this is a plug-and-play kind of accessories I can't really call this one a "mod". But I do have one question for all you experts here. But first, a little background on the dash cam (disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this company and I am not gaining anything from this post. Just sharing my personal experience)...



It is a WiFi 2 Channel dash cam, it has two cameras, one pointing forward, one pointing backwards. If you have seen all those YouTube dash cam videos, they are more than likely taken in one of these. It has a 16GB micro SD card that records and split files in 1 minute interval, and a G sensor that when a user-defined threshold is reached, will trigger an "event", it will automatically save 15 seconds before the event and seconds after in a separate event file. Got this after a fender-bender accident whereby the party at fault was trying to argue his way out of liability. His insurance company eventually accepts liability but the thought of having a video evidence if that ever happens again appeals to me. So here I am recording away...

Now comes the installation. I've found that my PiP has a much better secured headliner than my Subaru. When I was running the wire in the headliner on the Subaru, it was a easy 1 minute job because it's secure point weren't by the edge of the liner. I can just grab the edge of the liner and it has enough play for me to just tug the wire in. But in the PiP it was a lot harder to pry loose the headliner. Took me good 10 minutes to finish hiding the wires in place. But now I realize the hatch opens really high, so my rear cam wire was hanging loose.





I want to run the wire through the boot now, but the head of the plug is a little big to fit through the one on the right. Any advice on how I can do it? I haven't tried the left one yet, but it looks like it is for the rear window washer.

BTW, in case you are wondering about the video quality...

 

Yes there's two. But the rear one connects to the front one via a AV cable and the front is the main control with the MicroSD card to record. The top picture of the post is a picture of both cameras, not the same one front and back.

 

Yeah. This one is separate, the rear one gives me good video if someone were to rear-end me. Or someone were to tailgate me that ended up in an accident. Probably not as necessary as I've heard most insurance default liability to the one doing the rear-ending...

 

Hi @rogerv. The AV cable that came with the package carries both Power and AV signal to the rear camera.The front camera has two plugs, one for power and one for AV and power signal to the rear channel. I have their 2 channel DR530W





I just looked up your model and it isn't a 2 channel, it looks like you only have one plug for power. So you won't be able to add the rear camera to your unit. Sorry...

So sorry to hear about your hollowing experience. That definitely sounded scary and I'm glad you walked away from it. The 2 channel model I have was definitely more expensive, but if and when an accident happen I hope it'll be all worth it.

BTW, did you wire it directly to the battery to get constant power for parking mode? I didn't and was thinking about doing it (well not directly to the battery per se, but I know they sell something that will tap into a constant power source, and the dash cam will be able to detect low power on the 12v battery and shut down to prevent draining the battery.

 

In my wife's van I had an older version of BlackVue cam and those get really hot. In fact when they first came out with these dash cams, cooling was a huge issue, it got so hot that after a while it would degrade the video quality.

The DR530W I have doesn't get nearly as hot, still feel somewhat cool to the touch after driving, so I think they must've solved the issue.

 

Yes, the sun isn't from the sunlight, but rather the hardware itself. It's a known issue but I think the newer model has better cooling.

So I ran the wire through the boot last night. Turns out the bigger tube are just wires, but I still can't get the fat plug through so I decided to cut a small opening on the boot to get the wire through. Then I duct taped the opening so hopefully it's water tight enough to prevent moisture coming in the roofline...

 

Humm.. Not sure Nick, I did this install myself...

 

Sure @Accordlayingkit here is the link : BlackVue on ebay. The camera is set up to record at all times when driving as it is plugged into your 12v plug, which is controlled by your ignition. If you also want to record while parked, you will need to purchase something that will tap into your fuse box for constant power. The BlackVue units has a battery level shutoff feature, I don't exactly know how they do it, but if the voltage starts to drop the recording will stop.

All of the BlackVue that I know of uses only MicroSD card, but it also comes with a SD card adapter so you can insert it into a regular SD slot in your computer. Hope this helps.