Thinkware F770 dash cam in the RX450h
#46
Racer
I use the b-124, hard-wired...tried at first with the cigarette lighter connection but charged way to slow.. hardwired-charges really quick as advertised. I can get about 14 hours recording time with both cameras on. I’m planning on installing the power magic pro also with a relay to get more recording time since you can program it to cut off at a certain voltage and or time. I’m planning on also hardwiriring my Verizon mifi hotspot the same way to keep it always powered up.... I’ll post more pics when I can finally get around to doing this.. wife and I love our 350L... great car!
I was curious about the Power Magic Pro but am paranoid about draining my battery, even with the voltage protection. Fortunately, I do carry a portable jumpstarter in the trunk (which has helped out a dozen other folks over the years more than myself, lol). I am glad to hear of your experience with the B-124 recharge rate. I know the B-124 has the option to add on another battery pack but that is ridiculously expensive...but I can see myself justifying the cost for convenience, lol. Glad to meet other dashcam enthusiasts and I enjoy following your adventures with the DR900S.
#47
#48
Intermediate
I had loved my F770. However, this past week the dashcam kept asking to reformat the SD card every time I started the car.. This is a very loud announcement and is repeated three times. this announcement cannot be turned off. The dashcam also lost settings and could not keep the date and time. After exchanging several e-mails with Tinhkware, I find out from Thinkware that this dashcam uses a soldered battery on the board to power the real time clock. Thinkware would replace this $2 battery (in low volume. In high volume is under $1) by charging $100 repair fee. This is a simple two lead battery and the desolder and desolder takes less than opening the dashcam.
Given that this issue happened after two years, I could not recommend Thinkware dashcams anymore. If you are looking for dashcam, search on the web and ask the manufacturer if they use a CMOS battery. If they do, inquire the cost of the repair since eventually these dashcams will stop keeping track of date/time and require these reformat card messages. Given that these dashcam are on the windshield expose to cold and heat, these batteries will degrade quickly. Not sure why they do not use a supercap...
Given that this issue happened after two years, I could not recommend Thinkware dashcams anymore. If you are looking for dashcam, search on the web and ask the manufacturer if they use a CMOS battery. If they do, inquire the cost of the repair since eventually these dashcams will stop keeping track of date/time and require these reformat card messages. Given that these dashcam are on the windshield expose to cold and heat, these batteries will degrade quickly. Not sure why they do not use a supercap...
#49
Racer
I had loved my F770. However, this past week the dashcam kept asking to reformat the SD card every time I started the car.. This is a very loud announcement and is repeated three times. this announcement cannot be turned off. The dashcam also lost settings and could not keep the date and time. After exchanging several e-mails with Tinhkware, I find out from Thinkware that this dashcam uses a soldered battery on the board to power the real time clock. Thinkware would replace this $2 battery (in low volume. In high volume is under $1) by charging $100 repair fee. This is a simple two lead battery and the desolder and desolder takes less than opening the dashcam.
Given that this issue happened after two years, I could not recommend Thinkware dashcams anymore. If you are looking for dashcam, search on the web and ask the manufacturer if they use a CMOS battery. If they do, inquire the cost of the repair since eventually these dashcams will stop keeping track of date/time and require these reformat card messages. Given that these dashcam are on the windshield expose to cold and heat, these batteries will degrade quickly. Not sure why they do not use a supercap...
Given that this issue happened after two years, I could not recommend Thinkware dashcams anymore. If you are looking for dashcam, search on the web and ask the manufacturer if they use a CMOS battery. If they do, inquire the cost of the repair since eventually these dashcams will stop keeping track of date/time and require these reformat card messages. Given that these dashcam are on the windshield expose to cold and heat, these batteries will degrade quickly. Not sure why they do not use a supercap...
#50
Intermediate
Completely agree. I made sure my dashcams used super capacitors. Even then, both of my VIOFO A119S started losing date/time. I contacted VIOFO and they sent me two pairs of super capacitors for free and a link to the repair video. I have my own soldering iron and replaced the caps myself.
So far, I have found that all I the dashcams I have checked use a rechargeable battery for RTC. The best of these batteries are specified for -20 to 85C. However, the majority of these batteries are specified for -20 to 60C.
#51
Intermediate
I just lowered the headliner remover the grommet and pushed the cable through it. The headliner was easily popped off, but it took a while to figure out where after removing the rubber piece at the end. Its been a couple of years, so hard to remember all the steps. I looked at lexuspartsnow.com to see the pieces of the headliner to get me started.
#52
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: CA
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I have done somewhat of a similar install, sometime ago for the ThinkWare F770 2 channel dashcam. i chose to hardwire it to the fusebox instead of increasing my cost of buying a battery backup. This way it is still getting a constant power even if my ignition is off. I must say that running the cable from the front cam to the rear was a pain especially the part where it attached to the back glass. I have also made a video to help other fellow Lexus RX owners.
#53
#54
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The most difficult part for me was to fish this camera power/comm cable through the conduits that are in the trunk door. There was i) just not enough space and ii) the close to the 90-degree bend of those conduits makes it even difficult and to put the cherry on the cake the camera power/comm wire is also pretty thick at the connector area. However, the way I accomplished this was to find the conduit that had less number of wires already through it and then put a zip tie around the camera power/comm wire connection and fished the zip tie through the conduit and pull the zip tie from the other end. I found this to be the easiest way.
#55
On my 2018, the only real difficulty that I found at the rear installation was that, inside and under the headliner, the grommet makes a 90 degree turn toward the driver, but I wanted to run the wire over to the rear side of the passenger side rear door. So I used a very small knife blade and cut a slit in the bend so my camera wire could go out in the direction I wanted. I used electrical tape and taped the end of my wire to protect the connector, and silicon spray on the inside of the grommet to help work the wire through. To pull it over to the rear top behind the rear door on the passenger side, I took a long stiff wire, bent a small loop at the tip, pushed it under the headliner to the back edge of the headliner which I had loosened so I could drop it down an inch or two, and I taped the camera cable to the loop, and pulled it through. Make sure to go behind the air bags, not in front.
* ran the cable to the rear on the passenger side of the RX
* ran the cable under the roof/atop the headliner, and away from the side of the vehicle
(that's how I read it, but you also said to go behind the air bags, not in front. That's one area where I'm confused.)
* pulled the headliner down some, apparently disconnecting the fasteners in a few places
My biggest concern for the rear camera is airbag interference. It seems like a really bad idea to just tuck the cable into the headliner above the front window, around the B-pillar, above the passenger window and into the joint between the headliner and fascia running to the rear door. Unless I'm wrong, doing so guarantees airbag interference. It doesn't sound like that is what you did, but I'm not quite understanding your method. So, a couple of questions:
How did you drop the headliner a couple of inches?
Can you restate how you ran the rear cable, where it lays with respect to the side and centerline of the vehicle and how you avoided the side curtain airbags in the front and rear?
Thanks. There's a virtual beer on the way to you!
#56
Hi Bamalam -- better be careful with your beer offers, I'm not that far from WV ....
For rear cam, I started at the rear, did the fishing through the rubber grommet bit and then over to the rear passenger-side pillar and down that pillar to the bottom and then under the door trim of both doors, and up the A pillar under that airbag, which was kind of a pain because of the plastic "harness" that keeps the trip from whacking you when that airbag blows. After that it was easy to tuck it under the headliner trim. Power cable down the drivers side A pillar -- same PITA with the trim over the airbag. I positioned the camera so the lens is just to the right of the black screen at the top center of the windshield.
For rear cam, I started at the rear, did the fishing through the rubber grommet bit and then over to the rear passenger-side pillar and down that pillar to the bottom and then under the door trim of both doors, and up the A pillar under that airbag, which was kind of a pain because of the plastic "harness" that keeps the trip from whacking you when that airbag blows. After that it was easy to tuck it under the headliner trim. Power cable down the drivers side A pillar -- same PITA with the trim over the airbag. I positioned the camera so the lens is just to the right of the black screen at the top center of the windshield.
Last edited by dibl; 03-24-21 at 01:39 PM.
#57
Hi Bamalam -- better be careful with your beer offers, I'm not that far from WV ....
For rear cam, I started at the rear, did the fishing through the rubber grommet bit and then over to the rear passenger-side pillar and down that pillar to the bottom and then under the door trim of both doors, and up the A pillar under that airbag, which was kind of a pain because of the plastic "harness" that keeps the trip from whacking you when that airbag blows. After that it was easy to tuck it under the headliner trim. Power cable down the drivers side A pillar -- same PITA with the trim over the airbag. I positioned the camera so the lens is just to the right of the black screen at the top center of the windshield.
For rear cam, I started at the rear, did the fishing through the rubber grommet bit and then over to the rear passenger-side pillar and down that pillar to the bottom and then under the door trim of both doors, and up the A pillar under that airbag, which was kind of a pain because of the plastic "harness" that keeps the trip from whacking you when that airbag blows. After that it was easy to tuck it under the headliner trim. Power cable down the drivers side A pillar -- same PITA with the trim over the airbag. I positioned the camera so the lens is just to the right of the black screen at the top center of the windshield.
#58
I was concerned that the cable for the rear camera might not be long enough -- misplaced concern. The excess ended up coiled behind the trim and airbag on the passenger side A pillar.
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bamalam (03-25-21)
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