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Portable In - Car Dash Mountable Surveillance Camera with DVR | 
 enlarge | Brand: TS Microtech
Category: CE
Buy New: $89.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 16568
MPN: CAMCARDV01
ASIN: B0013IDN2U
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Up to 5 hour record time on a 2GB SD memory card | | • | 12V DC powered or battery operated | | • | Record objective evidence at the scene of an accident | | • | Record a trip in the countryside to share with friends | | • | Dashboard mounting hardware included |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Accidents can happen at any time without notice. Be prepared with a portable DVR that mounts on your car's dashboard and records constantly in order to capture crucial information about the scene of a collision. The portable DVR can record important details about the scene of an accident including the weather, road conditions, and the position of traffic immediately before and during a traffic collision. Video evidence is detailed and objective and could be useful for law enforcement and insurance companies. Arguing your side of what occurred during an accident is a whole lot easier when you have video footage to support your case. Powering the portable DVR can be accomplished using the included 12V DC power adapter or 3 AAA batteries (sold separately). Using the included power adapter means never having to replace batteries. Using 3 AAA batteries provides the convenience of wireless power so that you don't have to run a cord from your cigarette lighter socket to the DVR.
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| Customer Reviews:
O.K., but could be better.. May 27, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Pros: Camera size, good battery life, good mounting adhesive, steady image.
Cons: 50 min recording time between resets, focal range too close, usless laser aiming device, bad positioning of external power plug, tightening knob tends to loosen up, camera loop records over previous video on SD card.
The camera itself performs at advertised. The camera has a small footprint and doesn't obscure your forward view. Setup was easy (3 steps), and the mounting tape used is very dependable and is still holding well. Battery life is good (about 2.5-3 hrs), and a 12v lighter plug is included for external power. The image is very steady considering the amount of bouncing motion a typical car goes through.
The 50 min recording time is a minor inconvenience and is not noticeable during normal usage. The reset time is relatively short (a few seconds).
Unfortunately, the focal range is such that the vehicle ahead of you appears closer than it actually is (ie 30' between cars looks like 12'). This can be a detriment if the video is being used for insurance purposes (ie: following too close?).
The red laser used for positioning is pretty much useless in daylight. It also requires you to continuously hold down a button to use. This makes it impossible to accurately aim as the slightest hand movement throws off the aiming. This function is also dangerous to attempt while driving.
The external 12v power plug is located on the TOP of the unit! The bottom or rear would have been the most natural choice. Also, the tightening knob used to secure the camera to the mounting base often loosens up (road and/or engine vibration?), allowing the downward pressure of the plug to throw off the camera's aim.
Overall, the product is O.K. You'll just have to remember to:
1. Frequently tighten knob and check aiming.
2. Rely more on battery power to avoid 12v cord aiming issue.
3. Use between 1GB and 2GB card for longer continuous record times.
4. Unless needed, clear out the video images on the SD card after each
trip.
5. Give yourself plenty of room between cars to avoid perception
of "following too closely."
Not quite good enough May 26, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The one thing special about this camera is that it automatically deletes the oldest files as the memory card fills up. In other words, it acts like a cockpit voice recorder on a plane that keeps the last hour or so and deletes everything older. This is useful because most digital cameras require that you delete some files if they fill up (and those cameras would stop recording every time this happens).
The big weakness in this camera is that it will not be useful in a big crash. If the 12V power gets cut, the video file disappears. (It is possible that the file hidden on the card in some form, but I could not find it with a flash file recovery utility.) If after a big crash the power is not cut (or if you have backup batteries in it) it will delete the file in an hour or so when the card fills up. In such a situation, who will remember to stop the recording and save your evidence?
 NOT Ok for the stated purpose May 18, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Update July 2008: after only four months of use the unit stopped working. I would update my rating to one star if I could. A mistake to buy. Avoid.
First off, I would like to note that the camera I received is slightly different from that pictured in that it has a blue LED indicator light rather than the green light in the picture. When the blue light is solid the power is on and when it flashes the unit is recording. There is also a red indicator light for low battery power.
The instructions, which consist of a small foldout card, are brief but essential to understanding how to operate the camera. It is certainly not intuitive that one records by pressing the play button.
The control buttons for the unit are very finicky. You have to press the power button at least twice and depress for several seconds each time to get the power to come on. The play (record) button needs to be pressed and held firmly to work. Operating the camera can be very time-consuming and difficult because it shuts off every time you turn off the ignition at a stop and you need to reactivate it when leaving.
There is no switch to select the power source. My new batteries were used up in a few days even though I had the dc adapter connected and the ignition on most of the time the camera was on (note without batteries you cannot record when the ignition is off). I believe that the camera will always draw power from the batteries if they are present rather than the adapter.
The picture resolution is not great but probably adequate for the intended purpose. I have not attempted to view the output when driving at night.
A big problem for me is that if you mount the unit on the dash as suggested it does not have enough clearance to see objects near the the front bumper: that means you cannot view license plates of vehicles stopped in front of you. It would be better to mount the unit at the top of the windshield, perhaps attached to the rear view mirror, but I have not yet figured out an elegant way of doing this.
It is slightly annoying that the unit does not come with a memory card.
All in all an adequate product and I do not see any direct alternatives, but I would be quite willing to pay more for a better quality product if one were available.
 GREAT camera GREAt price! April 16, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I want to briefly respond to other reviews I have read on this camera.
I bought one of these.
It actually is a pretty decent little camera!
Especially like other reviews say....for the price.
I have experienced same things as other reviewers,with this camera,EXCEPT!
The difficulties with camera,were MY fault!
Yes it does seem to be recording,at times.....when not.....but my experience with this camera has shown me,it is ONLY when battery is low.....and I failed to put in new batteries quick enough.
Also I did experience a small delay,in recording.....couldnt seem to get the thing to start recording....and light up......that was because the thing is defragmenting its dvr...and this never takes more than a minute or two.....which it says all of this, in the instructions.
Overall,this is a DYNAMITE! camera! and I could NOT live with out it......for my own reasons.
If you need this camera,to prove somthing.....this camera will do it,TIME AND TIME AGAIN.......if ya follow the instructions!
Worth the money April 1, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Put the camera on my dashboard and the very next week, a car pulled out in front of me, I hit them (not my fault) and I got the whole thing on tape. This camera is already well worth the price I paid for it in protection.
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