Refer to my previous deal on the BlueSkySea version. These have basically become the unofficial standard for budget DashCams. Featuring an all-black stealth look so they're not as obvious to surrounding drivers (especially when rear mounted!) plus a capacitor instead of a battery these are great little DashCams and as long as you use a Samsung EVO MicroSD Card and follow the config below you will enjoy solid hassle-free performance. Buy one and cover the road ahead or buy two and cover the action ahead & behind! The cameras come with Power Supplies and Suction Cup mounts however there are loads of different solutions for wiring these up permanently and neatly so you wont even know they're there! Refer to my front & rear install pics from the previous deal. I have personally bought dozens & dozens of these (some plain, others 'BlueSkySea' branded) and have fitted them in cars for friends & family and have never had a DOA or a faulty unit and most have been in use for many many months now. Fingers crossed these will be the same :) Can't recommend them enough.
Note: These cams appear as $54.44 on the product link however if you've never shopped with 'EverBuying' before and register then confirm your email address & update your Avatar then you get a credit of 120 points. This is the equivalent of $3.22 so follow the instructions to claim those points to bring the price down to $51.22. As a new user you also get a 10%-off Coupon however it will only work with the original price so you'll end up paying more so best not to apply that for this purchase. Also, please be aware that paying via PayPal bumps that lower price back up to $53.13. Not sure why but I assume it's their OS currency fee and this may also happen with Credit Card payments. All very confusing but all in all these are still the cheapest I could find right now. The next closest is another $6 or more from an eBay seller. As per all Chinese sourced products please be patient as these will most likely take 3-4+ weeks to arrive.
Associated accessories (personally used & recommended!):
- Samsung EVO 32Gb MicroSD Card ($13.75 inc. Postage) (props to AndreT)
- 3M Adhesive Mounts for a neater, cleaner install ($6.55 inc. Postage)
- Mirror Mounts in case the Suction or Adhesive mounts wont work for you ($2.45 inc. Postage)
- DC-DC Buck Converter to DIY convert 12V to 5V ($1.10 inc. Postage)
- MicroSD USB & OTG Card Reader ($1.00 inc. Postage)
Best 'Hassle-Free' Config (personally used & recommended!):
1st Menu
Resolution - 1080FHD (lower res offers longer recording time but blurry footage)
Loop Recording - 3 Minutes (each to their own but smaller files are more stable)
WDR - On (close to pointless but slightly enhances low light recording)
Exposure - +0.0 (default but feel free to experiment with this)
Motion Detection - Off (can fill up your card with locked files when switched on)
Record Audio - On (up to you but may be handy to record indicator & horn sounds etc.)
Date Stamp - On (advisable)
Gsensor - Off (can fill up your card with locked files when switched on)
2nd Menu
Date/Time - Must change format to YY/MM/DD before setting date! Change back once set. May not stick first few times but check back and re-set after regular use.
Beep Sound - Off (can get annoying as makes sounds during bootup/shutdown)
Language - English
TV Mode - PAL (menu exits after setting this. Press ‘M’ twice to re-enter menu)
Frequency - 50 Hz
Screen Saver - 3 Minutes (best set short to avoid the distraction)
IR LED - Off (white LED on this model so this feature is pointless)
Car Plate - Use up/down arrows to scroll characters and ’M’ to progress. Press REC when finished to save data.
Format - Formats SD Card (not critical but good to do this every now & then)
Default Setting - Reverts to default settings if required. Not ideal.
Version - Software version Info.
Enjoy!
Positive vote for the write-up! :)