So, I've been in the market for a dash camera for awhile. Since there are so many different cameras out there it was hard narrowing down the model that fit my requirements. Those being...
1. Dual Camera (Front and Rear)
2. Discrete and small
3. Captures video 24/7 even when the car is parked
4. High quality video (1080p)
5. Motion Detection
6. Light weight
7. Has great reviews
I ended up with a BlackVue dual camera system. They have a number of dual camera systems but this one is all black and fits nicely on the windshield where it doesn't obstruct my vision or garner unnecessary attention.
In addition to the camera I purchased the Power Magic Pro system which enables you to hardwire the camera system to the vehicle. So even when the car is powered off it continues to monitor and record when the motion sensor or g-shock sensor are triggered. The unit also does other things too such as provides the user the ability to specify how long the camera will run for after the car is turned off and automatically turns off the camera system when the battery voltage reaches a certain level. In my case I have the system set to never shut off and have the auto shut off kick in when the battery reaches 11.6 Volts.
The installation is pretty straight forward but I thought id take some snapshots incase someone was interested.
1. Mounting the front camera. I mounted the camera in the center of the windshield (of course) underneath the mirror. The great thing about the blackvue cameras is that they are tiny and can get into tight spaces. In one of my photos below you can see the view from the driver side. For a 5' 10" guy like me I cant even see the camera. Of course this is somewhat dependent on how your adjust your seat but for me its perfect.
The camera mounts with double sided tape, it sticks very well and if needed it comes off clean with no residue. The package also comes with extra double sided tape incase you need to readjust something.
2. Power Cable Wiring. I began wiring the system from under the dashboard on the drivers side. The first step was to remove the driver side airbag pillar panel. Its pretty easy to remove just needs a little force and some pliers. Start pulling at the top of the pillar until the fastener releases. Now you will need to get yours pliers behind the panel the twist the remaining fastener to release the pillar (A flashlight will really help here). Once that is done the panel should come off no problem. A part of the air bag will still be attached to the pillar, there is no need to disconnect it. From here you can run the power cable.
The idea here is to run the cable from underneath the dashboard up to the top of the dashboard. The reasoning for this comes from the fact that the power outlet is much to large to fit through the holes between the windshield and under the dashboard. You will need to drop a weighted line from the top of the dash board to under the dashboard. This way you enlist the help of gravity and will be able to fish the small end of the power cable up through the dashboard.
Once you have the power cable figured out you can connect the cable to the front camera. Run the wires up into the headliner and tuck the wires between the headliner and the front windshield. There is more than enough space and the wires will stay put. For extra security you can add some cable clips or whatever you like, just make sure the cable and clips are out of sight. Also be sure to leave some extra slack for when you want to detach and reattach the power cable to the camera.
3. Connecting the Power Magic Pro. Since I am hardwiring the system I decided I would connect the ACC, Battery and Ground cables to the fuse box in the engine compartment instead of the fuse located under the steering wheel. Either way will work but for a cleaner install the engine compartment works better when adding fuse taps. The fuse box under the steering wheel is pretty tiny and with fuse taps connected the fuse box wouldn't be able to close.
Of course I'm just making work for myself but at the end of the day I'll be slightly happier. So in order to get the cables from under the dash to the fuse box in the engine compartment the Battery, ACC and Ground cables from the Power Magic Pro (PMP) are going to have to be extended. Don't extend them yet!! The cables are roughly 20 gauge but since I didn't have any I used 18. Its ok to go with larger wires but not the other way around.
The trickiest part of this entire installation is running the cables through the firewall. The idea is pretty simple but actually doing it is much tougher. The hole in the firewall is tiny and will take some pulling to get the cables through. I noticed there was an unused route and decided to use that one, you can see it in the picture below. I straightened out a metal clothes hanger and used that as a guide for the cables. I taped 3 new cables of appropriate length (Power, ACC and ground, also be sure to label them) together the then taped them to the hanger. I started feeding the wires from inside the engine compartment towards the inside of the cabin. Once you can spot the wires from inside the cabin you can gently start pulling them through. Now just attach the new cables to the existing cables on the PMP.
1. Dual Camera (Front and Rear)
2. Discrete and small
3. Captures video 24/7 even when the car is parked
4. High quality video (1080p)
5. Motion Detection
6. Light weight
7. Has great reviews
I ended up with a BlackVue dual camera system. They have a number of dual camera systems but this one is all black and fits nicely on the windshield where it doesn't obstruct my vision or garner unnecessary attention.
In addition to the camera I purchased the Power Magic Pro system which enables you to hardwire the camera system to the vehicle. So even when the car is powered off it continues to monitor and record when the motion sensor or g-shock sensor are triggered. The unit also does other things too such as provides the user the ability to specify how long the camera will run for after the car is turned off and automatically turns off the camera system when the battery voltage reaches a certain level. In my case I have the system set to never shut off and have the auto shut off kick in when the battery reaches 11.6 Volts.
The installation is pretty straight forward but I thought id take some snapshots incase someone was interested.
1. Mounting the front camera. I mounted the camera in the center of the windshield (of course) underneath the mirror. The great thing about the blackvue cameras is that they are tiny and can get into tight spaces. In one of my photos below you can see the view from the driver side. For a 5' 10" guy like me I cant even see the camera. Of course this is somewhat dependent on how your adjust your seat but for me its perfect.
The camera mounts with double sided tape, it sticks very well and if needed it comes off clean with no residue. The package also comes with extra double sided tape incase you need to readjust something.
2. Power Cable Wiring. I began wiring the system from under the dashboard on the drivers side. The first step was to remove the driver side airbag pillar panel. Its pretty easy to remove just needs a little force and some pliers. Start pulling at the top of the pillar until the fastener releases. Now you will need to get yours pliers behind the panel the twist the remaining fastener to release the pillar (A flashlight will really help here). Once that is done the panel should come off no problem. A part of the air bag will still be attached to the pillar, there is no need to disconnect it. From here you can run the power cable.
The idea here is to run the cable from underneath the dashboard up to the top of the dashboard. The reasoning for this comes from the fact that the power outlet is much to large to fit through the holes between the windshield and under the dashboard. You will need to drop a weighted line from the top of the dash board to under the dashboard. This way you enlist the help of gravity and will be able to fish the small end of the power cable up through the dashboard.
Once you have the power cable figured out you can connect the cable to the front camera. Run the wires up into the headliner and tuck the wires between the headliner and the front windshield. There is more than enough space and the wires will stay put. For extra security you can add some cable clips or whatever you like, just make sure the cable and clips are out of sight. Also be sure to leave some extra slack for when you want to detach and reattach the power cable to the camera.
3. Connecting the Power Magic Pro. Since I am hardwiring the system I decided I would connect the ACC, Battery and Ground cables to the fuse box in the engine compartment instead of the fuse located under the steering wheel. Either way will work but for a cleaner install the engine compartment works better when adding fuse taps. The fuse box under the steering wheel is pretty tiny and with fuse taps connected the fuse box wouldn't be able to close.
Of course I'm just making work for myself but at the end of the day I'll be slightly happier. So in order to get the cables from under the dash to the fuse box in the engine compartment the Battery, ACC and Ground cables from the Power Magic Pro (PMP) are going to have to be extended. Don't extend them yet!! The cables are roughly 20 gauge but since I didn't have any I used 18. Its ok to go with larger wires but not the other way around.
The trickiest part of this entire installation is running the cables through the firewall. The idea is pretty simple but actually doing it is much tougher. The hole in the firewall is tiny and will take some pulling to get the cables through. I noticed there was an unused route and decided to use that one, you can see it in the picture below. I straightened out a metal clothes hanger and used that as a guide for the cables. I taped 3 new cables of appropriate length (Power, ACC and ground, also be sure to label them) together the then taped them to the hanger. I started feeding the wires from inside the engine compartment towards the inside of the cabin. Once you can spot the wires from inside the cabin you can gently start pulling them through. Now just attach the new cables to the existing cables on the PMP.
Last edited:
