Dashcam front camera position

[Tiggy777]

Hi all

In the process of considering whether to get a front and read dashcams fitted.

The model the dealer fits is the Kenwood Back Edition and wondered is anyone has had one fitted and has any pictures from the drivers seat/side. (don't want it causing any form of distraction)

Would be interested to see 'yours' in situ. .

I appreciate it's a bit of an ask but thanks for your help and time.

Regards

Tiggy

[pharaoh]

Not going out to take a pic as it's raining here. However, my dash cam is fitted high up on the windscreen to the left of the rearview mirror. It causes no distraction, but any decent dashcam will have a facility to make the screen go black after a short period, so although the device is still recording, you don't see it on the screen.
I can't comment on the Kenwood unit except to say it's bloody expensive, so with dealer fitting cost you'll be paying way over the odds.
I can recommend the Nextbase 322 GW that I have which has the facility to connect a rear facing camera on the side of it.
If you have the nous, self fitting is a piece of cake and will save you a fair amount of money.

[Tiggy777]

Thanks pharaoh

I am up for self fitting but it's getting power to it which I would need to look into

Regards

Tiggy

[pharaoh]

Thanks pharaoh

I am up for self fitting but it's getting power to it which I would need to look into

Regards

Tiggy

My Nextbase is designed to plug into the cigar lighter socket so is not hard wired, which is a good thing because it would flatten the 12V battery in my HEV.
Because I'd done my own installation on previous cars, I found fitting the cam into the Tucson pretty easy, although I found the trim in the Tucson was tighter fitting than I was used to. However, it was relatively easy with common sense and patience.

There is (or was) a connector available from the USA that two or 3 folks here used to wire in their cams. There's a small removable panel on the plastic casing around the rearview mirror, which when removed reveals a connector into which this accessory fits. This saves running cables around and behind trim panels and had I not already wired mine in, I would have bought one myself.
If you do a search in the forum, you might find reference to it, but hopefully one of the members will see this thread and give you more info. I seem to remember it was around £36 to buy.

I have taken a couple of pics of my cam location and where it's plugged in especially for you

[pharaoh]

I meant to mention; If you are going to fit your own dashcam, whilst the little trim tool that is usually provided with most cams is handy, I bought myself a trim tool set from Amazon which I found most useful when fitting wires behind trims in the Tucson.
Like these https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=car+trim+t ... _sb_noss_1

Can also be useful for other fiddly jobs as well.

[alan sh]

My Nextbase is fitted much higher up. Works fine.

[Al94]

Just remember that if you hardwire a dashcam in your vehicle you have to inform your insurance company as it's classed as a modification.

[Tiggy777]

Hi all

Thanks for the useful advice and information.

Regards

Tiggy

[Berty]

The previous posters are referring to the Connector which is called Dongar that makes it very neat.

I bought this myself, delivered from the USA. At the time it was on Amazon UK but out of stock by some seller for a few £s more. Yes, the install was easy, open the rear view mirror housing and attach connector and then run the the wire to the dashcam and done. Of course it will only work when the car has power so won't work in "parking mode" but I wasn't bothered by this. My previous car was a Seat and I had this hardwired to the fuse box and I did it myself. I am not an electrician and it was not a hard job. I had the wiring hidden behind the A Pillar, if you have an airbag in the A Pillar you need to be concious of this.

You can then chose a fuse that always receive power such as alarm or something and use a kit you can buy which has things called "piggybacks" which means you take out the fuse of the fuse you want to use, put that in the piggyback and then put the piggyback in where the fuse came out of, then ensure the other end of the connector is "grounded" to a metal part of the car.

I think the Seat took me maybe 40mins to do, the Hyundai Dongar connector maybe 5 mins as it was fiddly ensuring the plastic went back on flush on the rear view mirror trim area.

I myself have a Halo Angel which I bought from Amazon which is a 2K resolution and doesn't have a screen. I have it stuck to the windscreen immediately below the, I'm sure I added a picture of it someplace else on this forum.

[Yorkie]

Some pictures in this thread, although I moved mine as I originally stuck it to the plastic trim and it kept falling off.

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