Vandalism - Dash cam advice

neilmcl

Nasqueron wrote: »

Break into a car to steal a dashcam worth less than £100 that probably won't even sell down the pub? Not had an issue with mine in 2 years, it's not hugely obvious but if you look you can see the lens easily enough

Some scrotes will break into a car to steal a couple of quid in change left on the centre console, they wouldn't bat an eyelid breaking into an old fiesta to nick a cheap dash cam.

neilmcl

Jamiesmum wrote: »

Oh and it does say online (I didn't ask instore) it comes with a magnet mounting system. So I *think* potentially I could still bring the dash cam part inside with me of an evening if I wanted too. I won't know for sure until I get it fitted in today.

Not much use for it's intended purpose to stop vandalism then

neilmcl

Nasqueron wrote: »

Hard wiring is good for keeping the wires tidy, you don't want the cable running from lighter port to dashcam as it's distracting

Depends how it's done. In mine the wires are perfectly hidden in the headlining, A pillar, and down the door frame and footwell. Took 10 mins and you wouldn't know there was a camera installed.

agrinnall

Jamiesmum wrote: »

Oh and it does say online (I didn't ask instore) it comes with a magnet mounting system. So I *think* potentially I could still bring the dash cam part inside with me of an evening if I wanted too. I won't know for sure until I get it fitted in today.

Yes you can. Basically the power cable attaches to the mount, which is attached to the windscreen with a sucker. The cam then slots onto the mount and is held there magnetically (although personally I'm not sure that the magnet part isn't a marketing gimmick), and you can remove it whenever you want to. I tend to take mine off when I'm parked and put it out of sight in the glove box, then put it back on when I return to the car.

Nasqueron

neilmcl wrote: »

Depends how it's done. In mine the wires are perfectly hidden in the headlining, A pillar, and down the door frame and footwell. Took 10 mins and you wouldn't know there was a camera installed.

That's a tidy way of doing it though, not just the short cable that goes from lighter port direct to dash cam which comes with the unit which is what I was referring to. I wired mine with a 5m cable from the USB adapter in the centre console under the seat and around the frame like that so the cable is not visible externally but the camera is. I suppose I could even get one of the lens extenders and have the camera body hidden away but it seems a bit excessive now I finally have it working with the DAB

Nasqueron

neilmcl wrote: »

Some scrotes will break into a car to steal a couple of quid in change left on the centre console, they wouldn't bat an eyelid breaking into an old fiesta to nick a cheap dash cam.

Cash is easy though, smash, grab and go. Stealing something that you then need to try and sell down the pub without wiring, manual and possibly mount etc is not so easy especially if you don't know what the camera is worth. I'm sure some people would break in and steal anything but removing the dash cam loses any chance you have of catching someone who bumps your car and runs (assuming it's got motion detection)

Jamiesmum

neilmcl wrote: »

Not much use for it's intended purpose to stop vandalism then

No it wouldn't be. But I said earlier in the thread idk now if it'll be any good for the night time because the lady said it will only run at night if there is a knock to the car.

I'll find out tonight.

I bought it anyway because I've been meaning too get one for sometime. I drive alot so I guess it's a handy thing to have.

Jamiesmum

Nasqueron wrote: »

Hard wiring is good for keeping the wires tidy, you don't want the cable running from lighter port to dashcam as it's distracting

Sadly as above what you want the dashcam for isn't what a dashcam will do. Perhaps with a rear cam that was constantly recording that could pick up someone walking towards it, the vandalism happens and then front records as they walk away but even then it's not proof they did it.

Agree CCTV is better or perhaps move your car for a couple of days further away and see if the same car parks in that spot instead and I'd hazard a guess you'd have your culprit - someone who thinks you stole "their" space

I wish this was the case as it would be much easier to find out who done it. But almost everyone on the road has a drive way and at the end of the evening there is maybe 4/5 cars parked on the road from people who have visitors or a 3rd vehicle. All my neighbours have big drives or only one car. I park directly outside the front garden since I moved in, it's long enough for at least 2 cars if someone wanted to park in front or behind me. 3 cars, maybe, but may block part of a neighbours drive.

I'm hoping (now I'm calmer) it may just be terrible bad luck. Seems unlikely though. That a car knocked the drivers side off then drunks/teens on the Saturday. I can't guarantee when the scratches happened could of been when I was working.

Stoke

Good luck. I was having my car vandalized and stupidly decided (against my better judgement) to phone the plod. They informed me that despite knowing who it was (apparently a serial vandal in the area), they weren't keen to do anything about it.

I said "no problem, I'll stick a dash cam in my window and record them and go above you, cheers".

"Oh Sir, I'm afraid you cannot do that. Operating a dashcam while you're not in the car amounts to voyeurism. We would have to remove that from you".

Yup That's exactly what I was told by Cheshire Police.

System

Jamiesmum wrote: »

It's parked on a road though, so I would assume they need to walk down the path in vision of the car, at some point?

How do you decide if it was the person who did the damage or just someone walking down the street from the video from the dash cam given that both would look exactly the same?