Best dashcam for car under Rs.4k?

Ssreek

Ssreek

Adept
Looking for a good dashcam under Rs.4k.
There are various options ranging from Qubo, 70mai, ddpai and nexdigitron and it is a little confusing to choose.
Should be able to identify vehicle numbers in the video, atleast to an extent.
Parking monitoring, obd kit, hardwiring are not compulsory. Just connecting to USB slot or 12v socket is fine.

Buying this for the first time, have some questions.
  • Are all the dashcams record only 1 min video clips?
  • Is it compulsory that we have to connect a phone to dashcam everytime to make it work? I am thinking like, let it record and later if I need to access, I will just remove the sdcard and access it directly. Is this possible?
  • How is dashcam compared to a phone? I have this old spare android phone that can record fhd video, but doesn't have video stabilization.
 
Ssreek said:
Are all the dashcams record only 1 min video clips
Click to expand...
Nope. There will be an app that helps you connect to the Dashcam. In that settings, you'll have option to record 1m or 3m or 5m videos, depending on the Dashcam brand .
Ssreek said:
Is it compulsory that we have to connect a phone to dashcam everytime to make it work
Click to expand...
Why? Not needed. Dashcam when installed just turns on along with the car and records the video. That's it.
Ssreek said:
I will just remove the sdcard and access it directly
Click to expand...
Yup. This is the quickest way. Or , as I mentioned above, there will be a mobile app that can connect to your Dashcam wirelessly. There you can view or download the video
Ssreek said:
How is dashcam compared to a phone
Click to expand...
Dashcam is built for this purpose.

One piece of advice. Make sure to buy one with a super capacitor instead of a battery one (I think) as the former can withstand higher temperature than the latter.
 
I have bought and tried all 3 between my 2 cars and one i gifted to a friend,honestly there isnt much difference.
The qubo has a slightly higher priced version at 4.5K with gps, but it has a battery
nexdigitron has a reasonably priced hardwire kit combo if you are interested to go in that direction
ddpai goes on sales with the best prices and has a lot of accessory options - CPL filters, mounts etc.
 
greenhorn said:
I have bought and tried all 3 between my 2 cars and one i gifted to a friend,honestly there isnt much difference.
The qubo has a slightly higher priced version at 4.5K with gps, but it has a battery
nexdigitron has a reasonably priced hardwire kit combo if you are interested to go in that direction
ddpai goes on sales with the best prices and has a lot of accessory options - CPL filters, mounts etc.
Click to expand...
Not really looking for hardwiring, I have to find a reliable mechanic for that who will understand how to install it without damaging anything. Hence only looking for usb type connection.
Except qubo pro x, other brands are offering that extra 1296p resolution.
 
nsas02 said:
One piece of advice. Make sure to buy one with a super capacitor instead of a battery one (I think) as the former can withstand higher temperature than the latter.
Click to expand...
I second this. Lithium batteries don't like heat. A car parked under the sun can get very hot and the battery might get damaged at best, or ignite/explode at worst. Definitely get one with a super capacitor.

Ssreek said:
Should be able to identify vehicle numbers in the video, atleast to an extent.
Click to expand...
Day time number plate legibility is easy enough on any camera, but at night almost all will have motion blur and it will be unreadable. You should get into the habit of leaving the audio recording on, and read out loud the other vehicle's number so it is picked up by the mic.

Ssreek said:
Not really looking for hardwiring, I have to find a reliable mechanic for that who will understand how to install it without damaging anything. Hence only looking for usb type connection.
Click to expand...
If you don't want parking mode (recording when car is off i.e. no power to 12V socket), you don't need to hardwire.
Con: you need a dual output USB or have multiple 12V sockets to charge your other devices.
 
Check which one suits your needs also video quality sample is present for some models.
docs.google.com

Dashcam Suggestions

Sheet1 Dashcams on Amazon Model,Price,Link,Features,Video Quality Sample REDTIGER F3 1080P,2,699,<a href="https://amzn.to/3tttYE4">https://amzn.to/3tttYE4</a>,<a href="https://youtu.be/Fpk1XnHTIFI?si=xeoUudUMMSSIKA1X">https://youtu.be/Fpk1XnHTIFI?si=xeoUudUMMSSIKA1X</a> REDTIGER F5,3,200,<a hre...
docs.google.com docs.google.com
 
n1r0 said:
If you don't want parking mode (recording when car is off i.e. no power to 12V socket), you don't need to hardwire.
Con: you need a dual output USB or have multiple 12V sockets to charge your other devices.
Click to expand...
These dashcams consume 12v or 5v?
 
Ssreek said:
Not really looking for hardwiring, I have to find a reliable mechanic for that who will understand how to install it without damaging anything. Hence only looking for usb type connection.
Except qubo pro x, other brands are offering that extra 1296p resolution.
Click to expand...
usb type c doesnt really mean anything. installation is fairly straightforward. you can figure it out from a few youtube videos. I literally fitted a DDPAI N1 dual for a friend in his new Kiger today during my lunch break.
 
n1r0 said:
The actual camera probably operates at 3.3V
But it needs 5V USB input
But your car only provides 12V
Click to expand...
There are additional usb ports in the car, but as per the input you've provided, it should basically work with a powerbank as well.
 
greenhorn said:
weirdly, nexdigitron one accepts 12v directly
Click to expand...
It might have a 12V -> 5V convertor in the plug itself. This way you can't use a dual USB to power 2 devices at once.

Ssreek said:
There are additional usb ports in the car, but as per the input you've provided, it should basically work with a powerbank as well.
Click to expand...
Yes, 5V DC is 5V DC no matter where it comes from.
Powerbank is how parking mode should be used to avoid risking draining the car battery (extended parking).
Eg. "pro" product link: https://www.blackboxmycar.com/collections/battery-packs

But like I said, leaving anything with a Lithium battery in your hot car is a fire hazard.
 
n1r0 said:
It might have a 12V -> 5V convertor in the plug itself. This way you can't use a dual USB to power 2 devices at once.


Yes, 5V DC is 5V DC no matter where it comes from.
Powerbank is how parking mode should be used to avoid risking draining the car battery (extended parking).
Eg. "pro" product link: https://www.blackboxmycar.com/collections/battery-packs

But like I said, leaving anything with a Lithium battery in your hot car is a fire hazard.
Click to expand...
So a dashcam with super capacitor connected to a powerbank would work for parking monitoring and is safe?
 
Ssreek said:
So a dashcam with super capacitor connected to a powerbank would work for parking monitoring and is safe?
Click to expand...
Only if the powerbank is using a relatively safe battery chemistry like LiFePo4. Li-ion and Li-polymer are a major cause of car fires when they are exposed to heat. The temperature inside a car parked under the sun can get way higher than ambient. I don't let anyone leave their phones in the car if, let alone a powerbank.

Since LiFePo4 is expensive, I use old 12V lead acid batteries from my PC UPS for extended parking mode, which can handle heat better than Lithium.

Now you see why hardwire kits exist - it allows you to just use your car's battery for parking mode. But if the kit doesn't have a low voltage cut off or if it fails, it will drain your car battery and leave you stranded.

And remember, we live in a hot, sunny region, all these big powerbanks are meant for colder regions.


To summarize:
  • get a dashcam with super cap, power it via car's switched 12V acc. socket
  • don't leave powerbank in car. The most horrific hit and run is cheaper than a car fire
  • for shorter periods of parking mode (say less than an hour), get the hardwire kit. Limit camera to record max 1 hour in parking mode
  • Keep in mind car batteries are designed to provide short bursts of high current to start the engine, where upon they immediately get recharged. They are not meant to be deep cycled like UPS batteries. Discharing it below even 95% IIRC permanently damages them. If parking mode is important, get a dedicated and safe battery for it
  • no matter what you do, your car will inevitably gather dings and scratches over the year when parked. The primary use for dashcam should be in case of accidents while driving
 
n1r0 said:
Only if the powerbank is using a relatively safe battery chemistry like LiFePo4. Li-ion and Li-polymer are a major cause of car fires when they are exposed to heat. The temperature inside a car parked under the sun can get way higher than ambient. I don't let anyone leave their phones in the car if, let alone a powerbank.

Since LiFePo4 is expensive, I use old 12V lead acid batteries from my PC UPS for extended parking mode, which can handle heat better than Lithium.

Now you see why hardwire kits exist - it allows you to just use your car's battery for parking mode. But if the kit doesn't have a low voltage cut off or if it fails, it will drain your car battery and leave you stranded.

And remember, we live in a hot, sunny region, all these big powerbanks are meant for colder regions.


To summarize:
  • get a dashcam with super cap, power it via car's switched 12V acc. socket
  • don't leave powerbank in car. The most horrific hit and run is cheaper than a car fire
  • for shorter periods of parking mode (say less than an hour), get the hardwire kit. Limit camera to record max 1 hour in parking mode
  • Keep in mind car batteries are designed to provide short bursts of high current to start the engine, where upon they immediately get recharged. They are not meant to be deep cycled like UPS batteries. Discharing it below even 95% IIRC permanently damages them. If parking mode is important, get a dedicated and safe battery for it
  • no matter what you do, your car will inevitably gather dings and scratches over the year when parked. The primary use for dashcam should be in case of accidents while driving
Click to expand...
These are some great points. Thanks for putting these up.

n1r0 said:
Only if the powerbank is using a relatively safe battery chemistry like LiFePo4. Li-ion and Li-polymer are a major cause of car fires when they are exposed to heat. The temperature inside a car parked under the sun can get way higher than ambient. I don't let anyone leave their phones in the car if, let alone a powerbank.
Click to expand...
That means only in the sun there will be a problem but during night times it shouldn't be a problem with regular powerbanks right?

n1r0 said:
  • no matter what you do, your car will inevitably gather dings and scratches over the year when parked. The primary use for dashcam should be in case of accidents while driving
Click to expand...
Agree, I don't need parking monitoring usually as I live in apartment and there is security guy anyway. But parking in small malls or some parks in outdoor area, definitely needs parking monitoring I guess.
 
Ssreek said:
That means only in the sun there will be a problem but during night times it shouldn't be a problem with regular powerbanks right?
Click to expand...
Yes. But see what I wrote about night time recording above. There's very few cams that can give readable videos in low light.
 
Sry, I forgot to put this question in first post. Parking monitoring means, we have to be in the wifi-hotspot or bluetooth range of the dashcam and connect to it's hotspot in the app to watch video live?
 
Dashcams are not like CCTV where you need someone to sit and monitor it in real time.

Parking mode merely means the camera continues to record even when the engine is off (needs hardwire kit or external battery). Using WiFi to stream live is not the intended use case as it will cause excess battery drain + camera overheating.
 
Here's an update. Bought the Nexdigitron A3 pro usb model.

Video quality isn't so great when compared to a phone, but of course phone heats up a lot so better to use dashcam which is made for the purpose. Number plates visibility is fine. Will have to buy a cpl filter later to reduce glare. Feel free to ask if any of you have questions regarding this.
 

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