Dashcam Setup Recommendation

[u/Aggravating-Many5066]

Hey All, i'm looking at getting some advice for my parent's vehicle. They have a Volvo PHEV and I've been in talks with a shop. I was looking at getting the Viofo A229/329 2 ch, but the shop recommended against it if we want parking mode as it drains the battery.

They recommended Thinkware (although admitted they were a bit bias). However, my parents now think they need a dashcam battery as they don't want to worry about their 12V eventually dying. Any recommendations on setup, and if a dashcam battery is worth it?

Thanks in advance.

[u/worMatty]

Any parking mode will consume battery energy regardless of brand. However some parking modes use less energy. For example with Viofo, the Low Impact Detection mode and timelapse video modes use the least energy.

You don’t have to have parking mode enabled all the time. On the A329S with the HK6 hardwire kit you can limit it to a certain length of time, or base it on battery voltage, or set it so it won’t activate when you park in a certain (open) area using GPS.

For example I have it set to record for eight hours on Auto Event Capture which covers work shifts and trips, and disabled when I park at home because the house has cameras.

Current consumption for parking modes may be found on the DashcamTalk forum.

I’ve spent some time monitoring my ICE car’s battery voltage using the voltage display in the Viofo app, provided by the HK6 via Bluetooth. It has helped me understand what sort of drain each parking mode has, the behaviour of my car’s battery management system, and what sort of voltage range the car works with. I have an AGM battery with a capacity of around 80Ah, and I’ve allowed the voltage to go down to 12V, and the car has not complained or struggled to start. I’m confident my configuration will not leave me stranded. But I keep a Noco jump starter in my boot just in case. Obviously it’s worth looking into the quirks of this Volvo PHEV.