Dash camera?

[bevans6]

I have the idea that I would like to mount a video camera on my dash, so that it can run continuously while I am driving basically recording on a loop.  For example, a 30 minute loop that records the last 30 minutes of my journey.  Does such a thing exist?

Brian

[Jeremy]

I saw a cyclist with a camera mounted on his helmet yesterday - I don't know if there's off-the-shelf recording systems available for cyclists, but worth a Google

Jeremy

[Seayfam]

They do, it is called GoPro
I use one on my snow machines. They are about 300.00 for the good ones.
It has wide angle lenses and is small with many ways to mount it. Mine is on my helmet.

[Lin]

Something like that could save you from a lot of liability or greatly increase it-- depending on how things fall.  I would wonder if insurance companies have a particular stand on this for their clients.

[Sean]

Hundreds of 'em on eBay.  Search on "Dash cam."

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[rv_safetyman]

As was pointed out, the camera could work against you.  Certainly if you were in an accident where someone was injured, you could be asked to produce the tape as a part of the investigation.

As a side note, starting with DDEC IV, the ECM records some engine parameters in a loop.  If you are in an accident, you might be requested to produce your ECM for data retrieval.  I have the Detroit software and when I was playing with the data, I saw the graphs of engine speed (and I think some other parameters) as the truck that supplied my second Series 60 crashed.  I believe that capability was mandated by DOT for all big truck engines. 

Jim

[Stormcloud]

I have one. Records the last 5mins, 10 mins or 15 mins in a loop on an standard SDcard. (User programmable)
Starts automatically when it sees the increase in supply voltage, and shuts down automatically too.

Records both video and sound. Suction cup mount. Small LCD monitor to show what is happening/has happened, or remove the SD card and put in a PC. The SD card was actually more $$ than the camera.

Yes, it can also work the other way, but I'm more concerned with protecting me and my family against idiots.

[ruthi]

I believe jack Conrad uses one.

[Boomer]

Back in the late 90's, before these recording devices became cheap we used our REI Scenic View Cameras to record what the camera was seeing onto the coach VCR.  I also devised a way to record audio onto the tape so that I could monitor what the driver said (ie safety briefing, narration, etc).  This worked wonderfully as long as the tour clients were not requesting that a video be played.  The tapes that the drivers turned in could be matched with the information that I downloaded each week off the DDEC IV driver report features.  So....if I detected excessive idle time, hard brakes, or busting our company speed limit I could fast forward the tape to that particular time stamp and visually see what caused it.  The drivers initially grumbled but then bought into the program and really tried hard to soften up brake applications, idle time and improve MPG.  I intend to install a dash cam in my current coach.  In 2001 we had a kid cross the center line and head on one of our coaches; combined impact 110 mph.  It wiped out all the electrical at the LF of the coach but we were able to jump power to the ECM and download the driver reports for a few minutes before impact.  It showed everything perfect, speed, throttle position, brake ap before impact, the whole works.  Detroit Diesel also has a feature called IRIS that will automatically down load the ECM info as you pull through the shop bay via infra red.  The info can be sent directly to your computer.  Technology is great sometimes.  Accident investigators are savy now about downloading ECM info, especially if a fatality is involved.

[luvrbus]

You can run about any camera through a DVD recorder my backup camera is on the tv and recorder we turn it on for recording when away from the motor home for a few hrs come back watch it and delete it and commercial free lol

[bottomacher]

I won't leave home without mine. With the number of idiots who jump in front of a bus or truck, stomp on the brake, and make a right turn, it's the best witness I've seen yet. Great for insurance scams, too, like the ones in south Georgia a few years back, which involved a pro getting rear ended by expensive-looking motorhomes.

[JackConrad]

I use a Tachyon camera. This was my first waterproof helmet camera and only recorded at 640 x 480. I purchased a different mount and installed it on the dash of our coach and power it from a cigarette lighter adapter. It has several settings including 30 FPS as well as a photo every 2, 5, or 10 seconds. A 32 Gb SD card gives me 8 hours of video at 30 FPS.  This seems to playback slightly faster than actual speed.  Once downloaded, I can save any excerpts I want and delete the rest. Here is a short video I did as a test of the installation.  Jack

Bus Ride .wmv

[lostagain]

I would not bother with one.

We've had them for 20 years in our gas stations, C stores. We used to change VHS tapes every morning. We kept 7 so we had a week's worth. Now it's all digital and keeps a week's worth on a hard drive. It's only helped us once that I can remember. It helped convict a cashier with her fingers in the till. Other times when we get break-ins, either the damage is less than the insurance deductible, or once or twice it has been more, and the police sends the tapes to their lab and it is not good enough to identify the low-lives, or the cops say it will not hold up in court, etc, etc... Several times, we've given tapes to the police for a reason or the other, and they say they don't have time or the resources to investigate them... The only time they would look at tapes seriously is if there was a murder or something really bad.

I notice how Jack's video doesn't have a time or date on it. A judge in court would not even consider it as evidence. And it doesn't look like you could make out a license plate number.

So the way I see a dash cam, and that's only me, all you can do with the footage is view it for yourself, or post it on utube, but the reality is it might, maybe only help you once in a life time. So it is not worth the expense and maintaining another system for the iffy benefits. So I'll just enjoy driving my bus around without worrying about another gadget.

JC