VIOFO A229 PRO Duo 2 camera - Question Hardwire or BlackBoxMyCar Battery?

I have decided to add a VIOFI A229 PRO Duo 2 channel dash cam with backup cam to my 2019 Tacoma. I could use some input on whether to hardwire it or to get the BlackBoxMyCar (PC8) PowerCell 8 Battery Pack ? I want to be able to use the "parking mode" option on the dashcam, but I am concerned if I hardwire it, that the battery draw would be too much, and I don't want to go to start my truck one morning and have a dead battery...Ughh!

I am having the VIOFO A229 professionally installed next week, so any input from you all would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

There are way too many crazy, reckless drivers here in Central Florida Orlando area, with many out-of-state, and even out-of-the-US drivers navigating the roads here. I've recently had 5 separate occasions where drivers in parking lots have intentionally pulled up behind my truck and stopped waiting for me to pull out, knowing it is hard for me to see them...yep...and yet plenty of empty spaces for them to pull into...the last time this happened just last week, when I got out of my truck to ask a guy why he was sitting behind me for such a long time, he said he was waiting hidden behind my truck because he thought he knew me. WTH?!?!?
Hence adding the camera!

 

I had a kenwood deck with the kenwood dashcam that was hardwired. Shortly after the install, maybe 2 months, my battery started having issues and wouldn't start the truck one day. The sensors in the dashcam are so sensitive that just touching the wiper blade would cause it to turn on to record. If your dash cam can set the sensitivity to not turn on if a mouse farts nearby, then you might be ok. Also, consider if you work on the truck regularly. If you do, that will also cause the camera to turn on and record. I've since installed a different dash cam and only have it turn on while I'm driving. No more battery issues either. I do run an interstate AGM battery and I had to put a tender on it to fully charge, but no issues since I removed the kenwood camera. Not sure if it's coincedence.

 

it all comes down to how much you drive the truck, and how often you expect it to record when it is parked.

that battery pack is absurdly expensive so I would personally not get that. If you drive the truck daily, you won’t have any issues.

 

Thanks "Revelations" and "destin_meeks". Appreciate the input

 

If you have an AGM battery like Rev mentioned, you can run into a lot of problems without an upgraded charging voltage from the alternator. AGM batteries need a higher voltage to charge so even if you drive the truck every day, the battery will never be fully charged without the appropriate upgrade to the charging system. That’s why he needed a tender to get a full charge.

if you don’t have an AGM, you’ll be fine.

 

According to the Interstate Engineer I emailed with, 13.2v-14.6v is within the accepted charge range for the agm battery I have. I think what might have happened was the camera had depleted enough of the battery and my commute is very short, so the battery was not getting charged properly. I haven't had any start problems since using the tender that one time and removing the camera.

 

I recently installed the A229 Pro 2 CH in my Tacoma. I used the Viofo hardwire kit, which comes with a low voltage cutoff switch that can be set for between 11.8v and 12.4v. I won't be parking my truck on the street overnight, so only anticipate using the parking mode feature for a few hours when out shopping, etc.

 

That’s cool, I didn’t know it had a voltage cutoff. That adds huge peace of mind

 

VIOFI has a hardwire kit that takes power from a constand battery source and a switched accessory source and a selector to pick a cutoff voltage so if the battery gets to low it will turn off to save the battery

if you run your truck a few times a week hardwire should be fine
if you only run your truck once every few weeks the the BBC battery is probably the better option

 

It also helps to know what "parking mode" means to you. Many cameras have different functions for "parking mode," some even allowing you to choose between the different functions. Do you intend for "parking mode" to be a video recording 24/7, a short video recording for an "instance" (begins recording when incident detected), a time-lapse of photos at whatever interval when parked, etc?

Determining that may help determine what type of secondary power you may or may not need. Given the camera will have a voltage shutoff function, you wouldn't need to worry if you just intended to use an "instance" type of parking mode. If you intend to record/time-lapse full time, get a secondary power source.

 

Thanks for the reply. By parking mode - I wanted to use the camera 24/7. My truck is either at the Orlando airport, parked at my complex or often in a some form of a parking lot. The last time it was hit was at my doctors office - an older man (who did not even realize he hit my truck - luckily his wife made him stop and she came into the doctor's office to find me) $1850 dollars later...Time for a dash cam in case the potential next person is not as honest!

 

Again, your power options are dependent on which parking mode you intend to use. You'll be choosing between time lapse options (camera takes photo at certain frame rate per second, making a time lapse video), impact options (camera begins recording when an impact to vehicle is detected), motion detection options (camera records when motion detected), or just straight up video recording (at a lower bitrate than normal). I'm sure there are countless options to choose from between these different versions of marking mode, and each variation may have drastic differences in power consumption/needs.

To put it simply, if you intend for your camera to be in a "sleep" state while parked, and for it to begin recording when an impact is detected, your trucks battery would be sufficient, because its only going to record a clip, or a couple clips, of the truck being hit. If you intend for it to be in a sleep state while parked, and for it to begin recording when motion is detected, its probably going to be recording alot in parking lots/airports, and you'd want a secondary battery/power bank installed. If you intend for it to time lapse the entire time its parked, I'd also recommend a secondary power source. If you intend for it to video record the entire duration it is parked, well you probably need multiple power sources. Leaving the truck unattended at an airport with video recording the entire time would blow through a secondary power source in probably 6-8 hrs if I had to guess. It'd be fine for overnight parking, and you'd recharge the power source while driving, but extended amounts of time, thats why the other parking modes exist.

Not to rain on your parade, but parking mode isn't designed to be the same thing as your daily driving/continuous recording settings. BUT, it is possible if you want to do it - it'll just take more power and money than you'd expect to spend, and your budget wouldn't be considering Viofo for that task. You should also consider the amount of space video files take up. Dashcams are designed to overwrite previous files. While parking mode is designed to write files to a saved and protected folder, not to be overwritten, continuously recording on an endless loop seems to do its toll on SD cards. The last thing you want is to go to retrieve your parking incident videos, and the files be corrupted. My advice is talk to your installer; tell them exactly what you're wanting. If they're halfway decent, they should be able to talk you through your options, but don't be discouraged if they recommend something else as a solution. Just go ahead and buy once/cry once if you're wanting 24/7 continuous video.

 

Off Topic Guy - Thanks for the detailed reply...I really appreciate it! As my post said, with a few incidences with crazy drivers and parklot insurance scammers, I'm getting a dash cam installed on Monday. I'll take your advice and talk to my installer.