When a dash cam and its installation are mentioned, the first clear picture that pops into mind is a car filming accidents or traffic violations. However, this is usually not the only function that the camera can perform. A dash cam allows constant monitoring of the car even when it is stationary, which means there’s recording all the time.
Benefits of Leaving the Dash Cam Running 24 / 7
Protection Against Theft or Vandalism
Imagine getting back to your car only to find some fool mangling the body paint, a shattered windshield, or someone has even pocked some valuables. If a dashcam captures footage non-stop, you will likely have footage of the whole scenario and, more probably, the foe’s face. More often than not, this video footage assists the police in hunting down the suspect.
Accident logs
Accidents are not only confined to when one is driving. This occurs in places such as the middle of a parking lot or even on the road if the vehicles are parked before the impact. A dashboard camera fits this bill and will help capture such accidents for insurance companies if the dash is not turned off.
Sense of Security
Peace of mind with a dash cam that is on recording every minute of the day is what one hopes is unachievable. Whether the car is braced over the night or even through the day, resting in a work parking space, the knowledge that constant supervision is present in case worse comes to the worst is comforting.
Can All Dash Cams Run 24/7?
If you are thinking about setting the dash cam to record continuously, the first question you should ask is whether your present dash cam has that capacity. Continuous recording is not a feature available on all dash camera models. It is, however, primarily available in premium dash cams for cars in Sri Lanka.
The first example is continuous power supply. Here’s what staff usually have to check:
Power Source
A power source is also necessary for practically ALL dash cams to function correctly. Most people use the dash cams plugged into the car’s cigarette lighter socket, which provides power only when the vehicle is on. Hence, when you free the key from the ignition lock, the dash cam goes off. To make it stay on even when you are not driving, you will have to install another power source that is not needed (this will be addressed later).
Storage Capacity
The amount of time that the dash cam will be working means that a lot of footage will be recorded due to the many hours of operation and that storage space will be occupied quickly. You should plan in advance that your dash cam should have more than enough storage or have features such as loop recording, which allows it to overwrite the old recording once the memory card is full.
Heat Resistance
Most people have dash cameras these days, and it is advisable to check that the camera can withstand high temperatures, especially if you live in hot environments. As they are always used in vehicles, some dash cameras get overheated, especially on the windshield in the bright sun for long hours.
Powering the Dash Cam for Continuous Recording
For the dash cam to operate 24 hours a day, some competent power solution is needed, which must be operational even when the car is off. Here are the most used solutions to ensure that the dash cam is in constant operation:
1. Hardwiring Your Dash Cam to Your Car’s Battery
The best method of ensuring that the dash cam works without interruption throughout the day and night is to install it so that it will be permanently connected to the car battery. Hardwiring the knocking in your car means they are connected to the fuse box, etc., and the cameras can run even when the engine is turned off.
Here’s how it’s done
- To install the proper wiring looms, you must buy a hardwire kit. This kit gives you all the wiring you need to connect the dash cam to the fuse box.
- The dash cam is connected to the constant-on fuse even when it is off; hence, constant power is supplied through the car whether the dash cam is on or not.
- Most Hardwire Kit features also prevent battery discharge. With this function included, your dash camera won’t drain your car battery beyond usage. If the voltage level is lowered to a critical value, the dash cam will protect itself and valuable energy.
Hardwiring your dash cam is one of the best ways to ensure it is always on, but the installation can be pretty technical. In such cases, it is better to let experts install the unit for you if you are uncomfortable doing it yourself.
2. Use External Battery Packs
For those unwilling to hardwire their dash cam, an external battery pack is another quick and easy option to set up. External battery packs serve as a portable power source for the dash cam and are intended to allow users to record for long sessions. You can charge the battery while driving, and when you switch the ignition off, the power from the battery pack is supplied to the dash cam.
This is how it can be installed and used:
- You only need to attach the dash cam to the battery pack and drive it so that it charges.
- When you turn off your car’s ignition, the dash cam uses the battery-operated pack as its power source.
For most battery sizes, the dash cam can be used for several hours or an entire day before the battery needs to be recharged. This option prevents the car’s battery from being affected but requires recharging the external battery pack, as it will be drained over time.
3. Using the OBD-II Port for Power
Another alternative would be to utilize the car’s OBD-II port as a power supply. The OBD-II port is commonly available in most vehicles, and as a rule of thumb, it is placed above the pedals on the dashboard. Several dash cameras have special wires that allow this port to be used as a power supply.
This is reasonably practical since using the OBD-II port makes it possible to have power even when the car is not on, and it makes installation quite simple because hardwiring is unnecessary. However, depending on your vehicle, the OBD-II port may only be powered for a while when the car is off, so it’s advised that you read the da fault specifications for your particular vehicle model and dash cam.
4. Cigarette Lighter Socket (with Limitations)
Most dash cams are perfect for use with a car’s cigarette light socket. However, this arrangement has one major disadvantage: the dash cam receives power only when the car is switched on. Immediately after you turn off the car’s engine, the dash cam switches off the recording.
This is not favorable in a 24-hour working configuration, but it is an excellent makeshift arrangement if recording while the vehicle is parked is not required.
Parking Mode
In such cases, when you want to use 24/7 dash camera recording but are too concerned with battery drain and memory space, look for a dash cam with parking mode and its options. Parking mode allows the dash cam to record only when movement or shock occurs, saving battery power and memory space.
The parking mode can be divided primarily into two categories:
Motion Detection: The device activates when motion is detected near the vehicle, i.e., as someone walks or some vehicle comes, it starts recording irrespective of the sitting arrangements. This is a way of provoking anything related to theft and vandalism.
Impact detection: A part of the dash cam or its whole begins to record once the device picks up vibration on the car, for instance, when someone bumps into your vehicle when it’s parked.
Of course, applying parking mode means the dash camera is not always functioning, but when the car is still, and anybody can go near it, it can record relevant footage. This method reduces power consumption and memory use and provides safety, too.
Heat and Weather Considerations
The main disadvantage of leaving your dash cam on all day is the exposure to extreme weather. Heat is disturbing, especially with dash cams mounted on the windscreen, usually exposed to the sun. Check out this guide on the best mounting positions for dash cams.
Here’s how to handle extreme weather conditions:
- Pick a dash cam that doesn’t overheat: Some cameras help with more aggressive weather continuity, so the camera will unlikely overheat.
- Use a sunshade: If you know you will be parked for some time, especially when it’s sunny, cover the dash cam with a glass sunshade to avoid exposing it to the sun.
- Some dash cams have built-in thermal protection, which automatically shuts off when the heat is overbearing.
Sometimes, in the winter season, your dash cam may not be able to withstand the extreme negatives. Not all models are effective in this environment, so you must consider the appropriate one.
Maximizing Storage for Continuous Recording
When continuous recording is carried out for 24 hours and at least seven days a week, the dash cam will produce loads of footage; hence, there is a need to ensure that storage space is adequate. Here’s how to prevent that from happening:
Use Loop Recording
For example, a 24-hour surveillance dash camera should have a loop recording option built into it. If the memory card becomes full, the dash cam will keep recording by overwriting the oldest footage with newer ones. This has been designed to ensure that the dash cam continues to record and does not run out of memory.
Choose the Right MicroSD Card
The size and capacity of the microSD card come in handy in continuous recording. A large card like 128GB, 256 GB, or more can also help, as the footage will last a while before the dash cam starts overwriting the old footage. A card of class 10 or higher is required for this purpose, as the card’s high write speed should be present after formatting.
Backup Important Footage
In case you witnessed an accident or robbery in real life and have such footage, you should save this footage on the hard drive and not on the DASH CAM because it would be lost in the next loop record. This way, you won’t lose it when the camera overwrites its memory and starts recording the duplicate old files without capturing new video.
Conclusion
If you reside in an area rife with theft, vandalism, or even hit-and-run incidents, the benefits of leaving your dash cam on 24/7 are pretty obvious. During your mission, you can set the dash cam to record nonstop without its battery running down or missing significant action coverage on the road.
It’s up to you to hardwire your dash camera to the power of the vehicle’s battery, use a battery pack, or rely on the parking mode. Nevertheless, you will feel relaxed knowing your car is being looked after daily. Remember always to pick the appropriate power system, storage, and dash cam model to satisfy your needs, and you will be fine. With the right arrangement, whether on the roadway or in the park, there is provision for any eventuality.
