[arvind71181]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Few queries regarding the product:
1) Does it have a battery or is it a capacitor type?
2) Does it have a wifi? Or should the card be pulled out to check the videos
3) Is it a pain to check the display screen due to its mounting as you would have to look up to see the screen?

Answering based on my experience with the DR02, previous generation:

1. It is a capacitor type camera
2. The DR01 did not have, not sure if this one has
3. You have an option to switch off the screen if you find it disturbing, so that should not be a problem

Edit: I think I misunderstood question 3. No, it is not a pain to view the screen on my cam, I have got used to it. Playing and identifying number plates on the small screen is a torture though.

[gk1234]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Few queries regarding the product:
1) Does it have a battery or is it a capacitor type?
2) Does it have a wifi? Or should the card be pulled out to check the videos
3) Is it a pain to check the display screen due to its mounting as you would have to look up to see the screen?

1) Capacitor.
2) No wifi. You’ll have to use a MicroSD card reader/adaptor to transfer the files to your PC.
3) I mounted the cam behind the IRVM so that it wouldn’t block my view of the road in my normal seating position. It was intentional to keep the cam/display out of my sight, and rather forget about the device itself once it’s installed. It’s not a pain to see the display, but at 1.5 inches, it’s a tiny screen, so I would have to lean forward to see what it’s recording exactly.

[tejas08]

Thanks for posting a review of this. I was definitely on the lookout for a dashcam for almost a year now. This review made me take a decision.

Surfed a little over the internet. Amazon India shows the price as Rs. 9500. I just randomly thought of looking it up on Amazon US and got a Lightning deal. Ended up with this same dashcam of less than Rs. 4000.

The downside of this Dashcam is 'No WiFi'.

[JoshMachine]

Already loving this product while viewing it here and your simplified review approach.
Few queries regarding the buying decision / initial research:-

• Which other products did you review and what were your views around them?

• Amazon site mentions a certain Aukey "6-lane" wide angle dash cam also. Did you consider that variant?

• Do you plan to hard-wire the dash cam or leave it connected to the 12V socket? Any particular reason?

• Do you suggest buying the GPS antenna also as a mandatory accessory?

[R2D2]

OK so I just ordered my first dashcam, the Aukey DR02. I realise it's best to have this gadget fitted much like one should wear a seatbelt or a helmet. Better safe than sorry on Indian roads considering how people drive/ride & even jaywalk. Thanks to the eye opening reviews and use based feedback from T-BHPians on how these little gadgets can save your skin in an untoward incident.

I will also be ordering a Yi, possibly the Ultra model, for the second car (from Aliexpress, this Amazon seller is a rip off) OR another Aukey DR02.

Thanks for helping me select a dash camera @gk1234.

[gk1234]

Originally Posted by tejas08

Thanks for posting a review of this. I was definitely on the lookout for a dashcam for almost a year now. This review made me take a decision.

Surfed a little over the internet. Amazon India shows the price as Rs. 9500. I just randomly thought of looking it up on Amazon US and got a Lightning deal. Ended up with this same dashcam of less than Rs. 4000.

The downside of this Dashcam is 'No WiFi'.

Congrats on the good deal; nothing like getting a product for its true price. Also, while you're at it, I suggest you also try to buy a High Endurance MicroSD card. The last time I checked, Amazon US was offering a SanDisk 64GB for about $20 USD, and I doubt you'll find similar pricing on Amazon India.

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Already loving this product while viewing it here and your simplified review approach.
Few queries regarding the buying decision / initial research:-

• Which other products did you review and what were your views around them?

• Amazon site mentions a certain Aukey "6-lane" wide angle dash cam also. Did you consider that variant?

• Do you plan to hard-wire the dash cam or leave it connected to the 12V socket? Any particular reason?

• Do you suggest buying the GPS antenna also as a mandatory accessory?

• This is my first dash cam purchase, so I had nothing to compare the Aukey with, although I did shortlist a couple of models from other companies, including Blaupunkt, Transcend, and Yi. I relied mostly on the Amazon.com ratings to identify good models. However, I did end up reading a little more about dash cams before actually ordering this one, and it helped me decide that no matter what, I wouldn't risk getting a battery operated dash cam. The wifi feature, or the lack thereof, wasn't a deal breaker, for I am happy to swap memory cards if and when required for backup (not denying its obvious benefits, though). Likewise for 4K resolution: I think its overkill for something as mundane as dash cam recording (that said, in hindsight, I am sure it wouldn't have been such a bad idea to invest a little more and get Aukey's DR02J, but more on that in a bit).

• If 170 degrees isn't wide enough to cover 6 lanes, then I don't know what is. I think all the Aukey models, bar the 4K model DR02J, use the same Sony Exmor censor offering wide angle 170 degrees view, and from what I can see, mine offers the same "six lane" view as well, although to be honest, don't expect the footage quality around the edges to be anywhere as good as the main area of focus, which is the road ahead and the lane you're driving on (It's no one's fault, really. I see plenty of wide angle cam footage online and they all seem to share this trait).

• As of now, I have no plans to hard wire the cam. The reason? I can't risk Skoda pulling a smart one on me by blaming the dash cam's hardwiring, lest (and god forbid) something should happen to the electronics/mechanics of my car. I know, I know, I am being paranoid here, but its an expensive car, and why take a chance with something that could affect my car's warranty? Also, I did speak with a Skoda Service personnel about hard-wiring the cam, and he wasn't very enthusiastic about it, restating my aforesaid concerns. I do, however, and as pointed out previously, intend to extend the USB power cable all the way across to the boot, as discreetly as possible, and leave it connected to the 12V power socket located therein. Hopefully, I'll not have to bother plugging/unplugging the cam every time thereafter.

• I don't, simply because it isn't inexpensive and that it doesn't appear to add much value. The speed recording feature doesn't appeal to me as much, and I have little to no use for GPS coordinates of my route.

Originally Posted by R2D2

OK so I just ordered my first dashcam, the Aukey DR02. I realise it's best to have this gadget fitted much like one should wear a seatbelt or a helmet. Better safe than sorry on Indian roads considering how people drive/ride & even jaywalk. Thanks to the eye opening reviews and use based feedback from T-BHPians on how these little gadgets can save your skin in an untoward incident.

I will also be ordering a Yi, possibly the Ultra model, for the second car (from Aliexpress, this Amazon seller is a rip off) OR another Aukey DR02.

Thanks for helping me select a dash camera @gk1234.

Happy to help, and congrats on your first dash cam purchase. Hope it serves you well.

As regards your plan to buy an additional cam, if you do end up buying the Yi Ultra, do share some 1080p video footage to compare the recording and censor quality, especially at night.




Some thoughts on the 4K model of the dash cam, model DR02J, as seen on the website and Amazon listing:
I checked Aukey's website for the differences between their 4K model and DR02, and I realised that the 4K model actually carries a non-Sony branded censor, with a wide-angle lens of "only" upto 157 degrees, whereas the DR02 offers the Sony Exmor censor with a wide angle lens upto 170 degrees. Do I know whether the 4K cam is better or worse than the one I have? Nope. Does the Sony censor make any difference to the quality of the footage? No clue. That said, the DR02 appears to be sufficient for my purpose, and its been doing a decent job so far (fingers crossed). Also, interestingly, the 1080p cam (the one that's reviewed here - DR02) has something called the Night Vision which, presumably, improves low-light video capture. This feature, however, to my knowledge, is conspicuous by its absence on the 4K model DR02J. Is it just a goof-up on the website feature list, or is it something to do with the censor and the lenses, I guess I'll never know. To be honest, I hadn't even noticed these differences while opting for the 1080p model, which is noticeably cheaper than the 4K model.

[balan]

Hi
Is this aukey dr02 similar to viofo a119 V2?

The form factor looks similar.

Thanks and regards

[PetaWatt]

I have been using this camera from last 2 months after I ditched my SJCAM SJ5000+ because of multiple battery issues. Thanks for writing this detailed review, now I don't need to write one.

Originally Posted by gk1234

As of now, I have no plans to hard wire the cam. The reason? I can't risk Skoda pulling a smart one on me by blaming the dash cam's hardwiring, lest (and god forbid) something should happen to the electronics/mechanics of my car. I know, I know, I am being paranoid here, but its an expensive car, and why take a chance with something that could affect my car's warranty? Also, I did speak with a Skoda Service personnel about hard-wiring the cam, and he wasn't very enthusiastic about it, restating my aforesaid concerns. I do, however, and as pointed out previously, intend to extend the USB power cable all the way across to the boot, as discreetly as possible, and leave it connected to the 12V power socket located therein. Hopefully, I'll not have to bother plugging/unplugging the cam every time thereafter

I took the wire though the roof lining, through left side A pillar and under the dash using the small sticky wire holders provided in the box. I have flexibility to remove the adapter when needed from the driver seat itself. It is plugged-in by default, and I remove it on the fly, whenever I don't want to record.

[gk1234]

Originally Posted by balan

Hi
Is this aukey dr02 similar to viofo a119 V2?

The form factor looks similar.

Thanks and regards

Sure, the form factor looks similar, but the sensor and the lens used are different. Besides, it supports 4k recording, unlike the DR02.

Originally Posted by PetaWatt

I have been using this camera from last 2 months after I ditched my SJCAM SJ5000+ because of multiple battery issues. Thanks for writing this detailed review, now I don't need to write one.

Glad to help. By the way, which memory card are you using? Have you had any durability issues? Also, has the adhesives managed to withstand cabin heat so far?

Originally Posted by PetaWatt

I took the wire though the roof lining, through left side A pillar and under the dash using the small sticky wire holders provided in the box. I have flexibility to remove the adapter when needed from the driver seat itself. It is plugged-in by default, and I remove it on the fly, whenever I don't want to record.

That's a neat trick, and do consider posting pics of your set up.

As much as I want to do something to hide the wiring permanently, I am not sure I can do that without the assistance of the my car service centre fellow. Trying to convince the guy to do what he can to hide it the next time I visit the service centre.

[PetaWatt]

Originally Posted by gk1234

By the way, which memory card are you using? Have you had any durability issues?

I never had any durability issues with the memory card I am using in all my cameras (Drift Stealth 2 on bicycle/motorcycle helmet, SJCAM SJ5000+ previously and Aukey DR02 currently in my car). I am using this card in all the cameras I got.

Originally Posted by gk1234

Also, has the adhesives managed to withstand cabin heat so far?

Yeah, going good so far. Last month I drove to Coorg (from Bangalore) when the Sun was really hot. Even parked the car in uncovered parking a few times for the whole day. You might be facing issue because of the trapped air between the DST(Double Sided Tape) and the windscreen.




The expansion of trapped air with the rise in temperature will decrease the area of contact between the DST and windscreen and camera will eventually fall because of its weight.

Check my setup without any trapped air.

Originally Posted by gk1234

That's a neat trick, and do consider posting pics of your set up.
As much as I want to do something to hide the wiring permanently, I am not sure I can do that without the assistance of the my car service centre fellow. Trying to convince the guy to do what he can to hide it the next time I visit the service centre.

As this is not hardwired, you can try doing yourself. But if you are not confident enough, you can get it done by some guy with expertise. Here are the few photos of my setup that can be useful.

Routing part 1: No, its not hardwired. I am using it this way.




Routing part 2: As the surface is not glossy, the plastic clamp DST couldn't hold the grip for a minute. A part of wire is folded and hidden behind the plastic to manage the extra length




Routing part 3: Using clamp on glossy surface. Selected passenger side for routing to avoid any risk of wire getting loose and messing with car controllers (aka: Clutch, Brake and Accelerator)




Route part 4: Wire is hidden behind the door beading. Yellow lines indicate the hidden wire path.




Route part 5: Wire is hidden behind the A-Pillar plastic cover and then under the roof lining. Yellow lines indicate the hidden wire path.




Route part 6: The final hop




Camera display is not visible from the driver seat, but as this camera is reliable I am living with this setup. Also, it avoids operating the camera unintentionally in the moving car. The whole setup is blocking very less view.




This is how it looks from outside.




And from Distance

[gk1234]

Originally Posted by PetaWatt

Yeah, going good so far. Last month I drove to Coorg (from Bangalore) when the Sun was really hot. Even parked the car in uncovered parking a few times for the whole day. You might be facing issue because of the trapped air between the DST(Double Sided Tape) and the windscreen.

Thankfully, I haven’t had any issues so far, I just wanted to know how well it’s holding up. That’s all. But you’re right about the trapped air. I might as well replace the tape and affix a new one properly and carefully.

Also, thanks for the detailed photo-explanation of how you’ve managed to hide the wires from plain sight. The end result is impressive, to say the least!

[naveen.raju]

Thanks to this excellent thread, I got the dashcam as well. Here are the details:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post4554915 (It came, I saw, We conquered - Our Hyundai Creta 1.6 Diesel SX(O))

[sunsbhp]

After shortlisting Aukey DR02 and similar spec'ed Rexing and higher spec'ed (and expensive) Garmin models, I picked Aukey DR02 from Amazon US for about 75$, which was quite cheaper than the India price (they have slashed it to 55$ now) :(

Motivation of course is to safe-gaurd from a false claim in an accident, and obviously to capture some special moments on the road. The trigger was such an incident when someone rammed on my parked car while I was waiting inside. Though I had all the photos from the scene, there wasn't much to pin the point that I was indeed innocent. Couldn't get the police onto the scene either, because the whole road was chock-a-block in few minutes, and I was forced to move.

Aukey seemed the best budget option, with very good video quality and features, based on the numerous reviews (and sample clips) I read last few weeks. It's really tiny - never had this size-impression until I opened the box. Good thing is, they have included black/grey 3M pads, which seems a better color than white pads.

Happened to read some reviews on SD Cards as well, and picked up a Transcend High Endurance 64GB model - which is hailed in many threads and reviews as the best for DashCams and Security Cameras. This also was quite cheaper from Amazon.COM. Picked up a larger size since I do long drives quite often and it seems tad easy if I can transfer the files at a lesser frequency. Need to also look for alternate transfer options to iPhone rather than to Laptop/Mac - suggestions on methods and accessories are most welcome.

Came across this DashCam Talk thread on Samsung EVO models, which seems not the best one for such use cases. Read the same in couple of other places as well.

Anyways, hoping to have a trouble free experience for quite some time.

Originally Posted by arunphilip

Let me shamelessly promote one of my threads - to hardwire your dashcam :-)

Getting ready to install this week-end I will have one or two Qs for you Arun before that, posted on your thread in the meantime!

[Leoshashi]

Thanks for the brilliant review gk1234! This model was always on my top priority, and your review just increased the trust.

Originally Posted by sunsbhp

(they have slashed it to 55$ now) :(

I picked two, one for my mom's car, at $52 each.



A friend will be coming to India next week, hopefully they deliver the item before his departure.

Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Thanks for the brilliant review gk1234! This model was always on my top priority, and your review just increased the trust.



I picked two, one for my mom's car, at $52 each.

Attachment 1861438

A friend will be coming to India next week, hopefully they deliver the item before his departure.

Regards,
Shashi

Received the cam yesterday. Initial review posted here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post4565897 (The love of my life - A 2000 Maruti 800 DX 5-Speed. EDIT: Gets export model features on Pg 27)

Regards,
Shashi