DIY : Nissan Sunny Dash Camera + Hard Wiring


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A little about car dash cam
A dash cam, dashboard camera, car DVR, or car black box is an onboard camera that continuously records the view through a vehicle's windscreen. It may be attached to the interior windscreen or to the top of the dashboard, by suction cup or adhesive-tape mount. Dashcams may provide video evidence in the event of a road accident. During parking, some dashcams still can capture video evidence if vandalism act is detected.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashcam

thedashcamstore.com-dvr-r300-18.jpg
Image source: Google
 
Thread Starter #2
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Re: DIY : Nissan Sunny Dash cam + Hard wiring

Background
I was using a Chinese dash cam for around 1 year and it failed recently. Cheaper ones were good (at least above average) at day light and almost useless even at dawn and dusk. I was looking for a decent and better dash cam and I came across many positive reviews on Viofo A119.

A119 1440P 30fps Car Dash Cam - VIOFO LTD

Viofo.jpg

Spec
Spec.jpg
- Full HD
- No batteries (capacitor powered)
- GPS logger (optional)
- 2" screen
- Inbuilt microphone
- CPL compatible
- Adjustable lens

Package
Package.jpg
Includes couple of windshield mounts, GPS mount (optional), charger and cable, mini USB cable (for data transfer) few wire holders

Where to buy?
Available at most of the eCommerce sites including eBay, Amazon, Gearbest, Aliexpress, etc. Better offers are available through Aliexpress.
I got mine from eBay for a little over USD 100 (including GPS mount and Hard wiring kit)
 
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Thread Starter #3
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Re: DIY : Nissan Sunny Dash cam + Hard wiring

Parts and Tools required
- Dash cam (with regular / GPS mount, memory card)
- Hard wiring kit
- Fuse tap with additional fuse (of relevant spec)
- Fuse puller
- Heat shrink sleeves
- Soldering station
- Crimping tool
- Circuit tester (or multimeter)
- Screw driver(s)

Package received after customs clearance
01.JPG

02.JPG

Samsung Evo+ 32GB card from Amazon
03.JPG

Few fuse taps (from eBay)
04.JPG

Came along with a additional fuse and sleeves
05.jpg

Hard wiring kit (from eBay)
5a.jpg

Circuit tester - 6~24V ((from eBay))
06.JPG
 
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Thread Starter #4
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Re: DIY : Nissan Sunny Dash cam + Hard wiring

Installation

Finding the Fuse box
Most common locations of in-cabin fuse box
- Driver side / passenger side under the dashboard
- Behind the glove box
- Extreme sides of dashboard

In Nissan Sunny (and Micra) fuse box is located on the passenger side dashboard. Open the cover with a flat head screw driver
07.jpg

Fuse box cover, with fuse layout.
1st fuse is for the power socket
08.jpg

Make sure to check with the circuit tester if the fuse is powered directly from battery or through 'ACC' mode
09.jpg

Ignition in 'OFF' mode
10.jpg

In 'ACC' & 'ON' mode
11.jpg

Use fuse puller to remove the fuse
12.jpg

15A fuse for power socket
13.jpg

Fuse tap installed to check if it fouls with around parts.
-ve is tapped from the screw (ground) marked in RED
14.jpg

+ve terminal of hard wiring kit prepared and sleeved
16.jpg

Door rubber removed
17.jpg

Cable routed through A-Pillar
18.jpg

Intention is to fix the dash cam over the IRVM (marked in RED) but camera with GPS mount is interfering with either IRVM or roof lining. So moved it below the IRVM
19.jpg

View from driver seat
20.jpg

Camera in action
21.jpg
 
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Re: DIY : Nissan Sunny Dash cam + Hard wiring

User review

Cost (4.5/5)
Best VFM dashcam under $100 as per my experience and other user reviews in internet.

Quality (4/5)
Plastic quality, charger and cable are above average. USB cable is little pathetic.

User friendly (4/5)
Be it installation or the usage, it is easy to handle. Navigation within menu is far better than the previous chinese cam I used

Performance (4/5)
Daylight video quality (including time-lapse mode) is good (or far better)
 
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Those image quality is more than enough to record the events,

I have some doubts here:
When the recordings happen, the files take storage space in your memory card right? So is it that you have to erase them frequently when the storage gets full?

Is there an option to record at specified occasion, say when you're going in a forest road and want that stored in your computer?
 

allhyundaicars

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@ mr. boss - excellent information. can you post ebay links for the fuses and the kit ?

also i use cameras with novatek 96650 chipset which has really good day and night quality and cheaper around 50$.

Those image quality is more than enough to record the events,

I have some doubts here:
When the recordings happen, the files take storage space in your memory card right? So is it that you have to erase them frequently when the storage gets full?

Is there an option to record at specified occasion, say when you're going in a forest road and want that stored in your computer?
it overwrites the previous files(loop recording). if you think about it you need just few seconds of footage in case of a mishap.

your second query , yes you can protect the files which you don't want to lose. but you will have to press that button (which protects\put the files into a different folder) at the start of every video.
the protected files are saved in a different folder which are not re-written.
 
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Thread Starter #10
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I have some doubts here:
allhyundaicars answered both your questions, I hope that's clear.

@ mr. boss - excellent information. can you post ebay links for the fuses and the kit?
Fuse tap
Mini Car ACN + A Circuit Piggy Back Pluggable Standard Blade Tap Fuse Holder | eBay

Circuit Tester
DC 6V 12V 24V Auto Car Circuit Voltage Tester w/ 10 Blade Fuse Test 3A to 30A | eBay

Camera + Hard wire kit
Car Dash Camera DVR A119 Capacitor Novatek 96660 2K HD+ GPS Logger +Hard Wire | eBay
Earlier it was $103.99 and now the price had gone up.
 
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Hi Boss,

Arrey waah, I was waiting for a thread like this, As I got a Yi Dash can and I am using the same with power point provided by the company. Being a Ford, it will never switch of. I remove and re-plug every time getting into or outing from the car.

I will check your thread in detail and hard wire mine also, I got a back up cam at home (a cheapo one) and I will fix that at the rear too with this method.

Will update this thread with questions and comments, please help me too :)
 
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