Hardwiring a dashcam - not enough power?

bob_a_builder

Doesn't have to be a 5 amp one - since that contraption is just extending the the connections to/from the fuse box - could be used with any fuse of the right physical size
The camera itself is being  protected by the purple 3A

bob_a_builder

You say you have tested it via the lighter socket - was that using the  red and black wire from the control box ?  i.e so you know that the control box is good ?  or via a normal cigar / usb connection, so no control box in circuit

Does it work ok if you connect control box directly to battery terminals, - holding the connections would be enough just to test - to confirm control box is ok or not

On the face of it the earth connection looks ok - but again you could test it by just holding that connector to the silver interior of the cigar lighter 
You could do same with the red wire to the centre of the cigar lighter (tricky to get to from the front )
But do those one at a time to decide if positive or negative connection is giving the problem

Working_in_pyjamas

bob_a_builder said:

You say you have tested it via the lighter socket - was that using the  red and black wire from the control box ?  i.e so you know that the control box is good ?  or via a normal cigar / usb connection, so no control box in circuit

Does it work ok if you connect control box directly to battery terminals, - holding the connections would be enough just to test - to confirm control box is ok or not

On the face of it the earth connection looks ok - but again you could test it by just holding that connector to the silver interior of the cigar lighter 
You could do same with the red wire to the centre of the cigar lighter (tricky to get to from the front )
But do those one at a time to decide if positive or negative connection is giving the problem

Thanks, I tested it via the lighter socket using the original cable - now that I know I've not done anything glaringly wrong in setting it up I think I'm just going to return it and get a branded one. Because I have no clue about car/electric stuff I didn't know if there was something onbvious that I hadn't done or had done incorrectly so this thread has been very useful.

Working_in_pyjamas

UPDATE: I've given up and removed it, Nextbase one now ordered which isn't ideal as the micro USB right hand is at the wrong angle and it doesn't come with the low profile fuse tap but you can apparently email and they'll send one out

getmore4less

Sounds like you did not test it before you installed it.

Have you tested it since you you took it off?

Test the new one before doing anything else

Working_in_pyjamas

getmore4less said:

Sounds like you did not test it before you installed it.

Have you tested it since you you took it off?

Test the new one before doing anything else

I did test it, I thought I was being smart by starting at the power end rather than fiddling about hiding it under the trim before realising it doesn't work.

When I first fitted it it didn't work at all as the earth point had plastic trim on the top. I then moved the earth point to the screw and straight away the lights came on so I knew it had power... what I didn't realise that although it had power it didn't have enough reliable enough power to record - which is kind of the whole point of a dashcam! Then fiddled around for a further hour moving the earth point to the same one as the Youtube video to no effect.

It still works with the original cable in the cigarette socket. The new one is Nextbase, so a 'known brand' so fingers crossed it works.

EDIT: The Nextbase kit works perfectly so looks like it was dud kit from Amazon