E-Class (W212) 2010 - 2016: E 350, E 550

Dash Cams?

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Old 06-12-2018, 02:10 PM
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Dash Cams?

Any good dash cams worth buying right now? I don't want to spend more than a $100 but maybe I will have too. I keep hearing horror stories of accidents or hit and runs... I want to have something on at all times... Thanks!
Old 06-12-2018, 02:25 PM
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Search eBay for
A118C - B40C 1080P FHD 170 Degree Lens 1.5Safe Capacitor Car DVR Dash Camera

Dirt cheap and surprisingly dependable. I have 3, each in a different vehicle, oldest are 2 yrs old now. No issues with hot TX sun. I bought an sd cards for each one, playback is good enough to get license tag if needed. Came in handy on an accident causing truck that took off.
These come with cig lighter plug but I modified the plug to fused hard wire and hid the power cord.
There's higher dollar versions out there but that's my experience with this camera. I like it and it works quite well.
Old 06-12-2018, 02:26 PM
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If you want true quality with parking mode, you're going to have to shell out some coin. i have the Blacksys CH200 setup with front and read, and it's on the lower end of high quality setups. If you want ultra budget with no parking monitor, go for the Yi. It's a SOLID cheap camera. I have mine in my car still facing the cabin so it captures out the windows when I'm driving. The image quality is very good, and they're cheap enough you can mount front and rear without breaking the bank. My dashcam setup in my old c230 saved me from someone trying to commit fraud which made me realize that it was worthwhile to upgrade to the system I have now. The Yi is in the link below.

Amazon Amazon
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Old 06-12-2018, 04:33 PM
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I've gone back and forth about getting one of these. Because of that I'd probably start on the low end with something like the A118C and then upgrade later if it seems worth. Features like parking mode and wifi connection to view videos sound great but add significantly to the cost.
Old 06-12-2018, 06:46 PM
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There was an YI dash cam on ebay for 40 or 60 bucks. It also had a wifi. From what i saw... thats a really good deal. And im considering that to substitute my current camera with not so good quality.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F11 2951388247
Old 06-12-2018, 07:39 PM
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How are you guys wiring these?
Old 06-12-2018, 07:53 PM
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$100 will not buy quality. You want to buy a camera that can make licence plate readable and that usually goes over $200.
I bought one at Costco on sale, with front and rear camera.
The subject is like scanners. Technology changes faster than you can post forum reply
Old 06-12-2018, 09:17 PM
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Originally Posted by kajtek1
$100 will not buy quality. You want to buy a camera that can make licence plate readable and that usually goes over $200.
I bought one at Costco on sale, with front and rear camera.
The subject is like scanners. Technology changes faster than you can post forum reply
Disagree completely - we captured the hit and run vehicle tag clearly with our cheapie camera. Also got several other vehicle details. Clearly.
Technology change is absolutely a changing animal, I'm lucky to get a glimpse as it rushes by.

Last edited by Mud; 06-12-2018 at 09:34 PM.
Old 06-12-2018, 10:24 PM
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I was like yourself; I wanted a dash camera for about $100 bucks. My requirements were discreet, good video quality, and expandable storage. I ended up getting this camera
DDPai Mini2P 1440P DDPai Mini2P 1440P
from Amazon and have it hardwired with a micro usb cable kit to the cigarette power in the glove box (along with my radar detector). All the wiring is tucked into the headliner so no exposed wires. DIY install takes about 1 hour or so. This one is WIFI based and only records when the car is turned on (DDPai does have other models with the records when parked or when it senses impacts if you're wanting those features). A cool feature I like is that this includes a small wireless button remote that when you press it takes a screenshot and then records a video clip for a preset amount of time (that you can choose). Helpful for being able to take a picture and make a video clip on a moments notice. I know there are a lot of options out there but having used this for the past 2-3 months it has been all I could want in a dash cam while not spending an unreasonable amount. P.S. The pic I posted from the camera wasn't at the highest quality. I should probably change the settings lol.







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Old 06-13-2018, 10:53 AM
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i have this one,
Goluk Goluk
from amazon, very similar to elohite above. the image is exact. only downside is the parking mode pulls some current and the supplied low limit regulator is something like 11.7volts????
Old 06-13-2018, 09:43 PM
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Is there a direct wire I can tap into from the overhead console maybe? My car has been parked outside my apartment while I am out of state. My neighbor calls me saying someone towed your car for parking in a construction zone when I didn't and he agreed also that I was fine where I was.
Old 06-13-2018, 11:18 PM
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I've been looking at cameras too. I got scratched pretty bad in the garage at work. I don't want to spend a lot of money but so far my research lead me to BlackVue. They are not the cheapest but they have some good features and check all the boxes for wifi, front rear 1080p.
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Old 06-14-2018, 06:02 AM
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Originally Posted by Gee_115
I've been looking at cameras too. I got scratched pretty bad in the garage at work. I don't want to spend a lot of money but so far my research lead me to BlackVue. They are not the cheapest but they have some good features and check all the boxes for wifi, front rear 1080p.
Check out the BlackSys CH200. I have that system, and it is a little more feature rich, but doesn’t have the LTE connection. It’s cheaper, and parking mode has two settings. You can have it run constant in time lapse, or on motion like I have it. It’s also 1080p front and rear with the newer sony sensor in each camera.
Old 06-14-2018, 08:11 AM
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Originally Posted by djrabbi
How are you guys wiring these?

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...50-1-chan.html
Old 06-14-2018, 04:25 PM
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This is why I need a dash cam with good parking options. Some a**hole got me and took off. I came out after work to find this. I parked so far away from everyone, I don't know why someone would leave all those spaces and come next to me. I even parked on the line on the drivers side because I knew anyone backing out would likely hit me on the passenger side.

I've also been getting a lot of hate on the road. A few dirty looks, a few guys flipped me off for no apparent reason, and two people fake swerved as I approached. I don't know what's the deal, maybe cause I'm young driving a CLS. My wife thought I was paranoid until she witnessed it. Anyone else experienced this?

Last edited by Gee_115; 06-14-2018 at 04:28 PM.
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Old 06-14-2018, 05:33 PM
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Man, I thought it was bad in Florida. You don't have some rival football team vanity plate or something.
Old 06-14-2018, 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted by thefisch
Man, I thought it was bad in Florida. You don't have some rival football team vanity plate or something.
Does not matter where you live. If I park my ride a block from the store with not a car near me within a 100 feet when I come out of store some idiot parked right next to me. and there is no other car near. People are just idiots. No sense of what they should or should not do. I gave up. If it gets dented it gets dented that is a fact of life. Usually the car next to mine looks like it was bought at a junk yard. You cannot win.
Old 06-14-2018, 07:08 PM
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Originally Posted by dbldpr
Does not matter where you live. If I park my ride a block from the store with not a car near me within a 100 feet when I come out of store some idiot parked right next to me. and there is no other car near. People are just idiots. No sense of what they should or should not do. I gave up. If it gets dented it gets dented that is a fact of life. Usually the car next to mine looks like it was bought at a junk yard. You cannot win.

gave up a long time ago. Just like u said , if it happens it happens. (Which it did many time lol)
Old 06-14-2018, 11:22 PM
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Originally Posted by thefisch
Man, I thought it was bad in Florida. You don't have some rival football team vanity plate or something.
Nope, no vanity plates, no driving crazy (I do that in my BMW). Just driving down the street like a regular individual.
Old 06-15-2018, 08:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Gee_115
This is why I need a dash cam with good parking options. Some a**hole got me and took off. I came out after work to find this. I parked so far away from everyone, I don't know why someone would leave all those spaces and come next to me. I even parked on the line on the drivers side because I knew anyone backing out would likely hit me on the passenger side.

I've also been getting a lot of hate on the road. A few dirty looks, a few guys flipped me off for no apparent reason, and two people fake swerved as I approached. I don't know what's the deal, maybe cause I'm young driving a CLS. My wife thought I was paranoid until she witnessed it. Anyone else experienced this?
When I moved from a C Class to an E, people started doing more aggressive maneuvers around me. I have a stockpile of clips from my dashcam that I'm waiting to make a compilation on. One thing that I highly recommend, even if you don't carry a gun, is putting the sticker I have on my back window on your car. In Texas people tailgate and get right on your bumper at stop lights. So, I put a sticker on the back window of both my old and new Mercedes. It resolves 99% of the problem instantly. I have friends that put it on their cars and they don't even carry. I am a firearms instructor, so it's appropriate for me. You can see and buy it below.

Amazon Amazon
Old 06-15-2018, 03:10 PM
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Originally Posted by huewish
When I moved from a C Class to an E, people started doing more aggressive maneuvers around me. I have a stockpile of clips from my dashcam that I'm waiting to make a compilation on. One thing that I highly recommend, even if you don't carry a gun, is putting the sticker I have on my back window on your car. In Texas people tailgate and get right on your bumper at stop lights. So, I put a sticker on the back window of both my old and new Mercedes. It resolves 99% of the problem instantly. I have friends that put it on their cars and they don't even carry. I am a firearms instructor, so it's appropriate for me. You can see and buy it below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z100022..._t2_B00JAI8PE6
I don't know any firearms instructors or lawyers in the field of self-defense that would recommend having a "THINK TWICE / BECAUSE I WON'T" depicting a loaded, pointed revolver sticker on your car.

My assumption is that everyone carries. I act accordingly. Don't get into bar fights, don't get into road rage incidents. If you're in a car, you almost always have an escape path - critical for self defense claims. If you don't, you haven't planned accordingly. Don't play stupid games and you won't win stupid prizes.
Old 06-15-2018, 04:35 PM
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Sorry you guys are getting such hate on the road. My last car was a Prius - maybe I just got used to people treating me rudely (tailgating, cutting off, generally assuming you'll drive slow) on the road after driving that car for 8 years. People are so weird. Thinking back, I recall getting a little more road respect in the MB. Plus it helps when I can pass them at the drop of a hat now.
Old 06-15-2018, 04:57 PM
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[QUOTE=Gee_115;7479087]This is why I need a dash cam with good parking options. Some a**hole got me and took off. I came out after work to find this. I parked so far away from everyone, I don't know why someone would leave all those spaces and come next to me. I even parked on the line on the drivers side because I knew anyone backing out would likely hit me on the passenger side.

I've also been getting a lot of hate on the road. A few dirty looks, a few guys flipped me off for no apparent reason, and two people fake swerved as I approached. I don't know what's the deal, maybe cause I'm young driving a CLS. My wife thought I was paranoid until she witnessed it. Anyone else experienced this
[/QUOTE

Damn, dude I’m in the same boat I park so damn far from all parked cars and some guy will find a way to park beside me with his sh*t box. I’ve got a few door dings and scratchs from this completely stupid folks who can’t drive but some how want to park beside a car worth 10x theirs. No respect or mental capacity to even be on the road.

Sorry to hear about your road experience. You’renot alone.


-Patel
Old 06-15-2018, 06:15 PM
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I have changed my parking lot parking habits because of what you all have described. I don’t park far out anymore. I literally look for spaces that are between 2 4-door cars and park there. I make a note of the vehicles and in 90% of the cases I leave before either of them do. Parking far out just surrounds you with A holes.
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Old 06-15-2018, 06:19 PM
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Originally Posted by exTDI
I don't know any firearms instructors or lawyers in the field of self-defense that would recommend having a "THINK TWICE / BECAUSE I WON'T" depicting a loaded, pointed revolver sticker on your car.

My assumption is that everyone carries. I act accordingly. Don't get into bar fights, don't get into road rage incidents. If you're in a car, you almost always have an escape path - critical for self defense claims. If you don't, you haven't planned accordingly. Don't play stupid games and you won't win stupid prizes.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that point sailed well over your head. The point of having the sticker on my car is to PREVENT road rage/tailgating/aggressive drivers from doing stupid things around me, as well as to prevent a violent encounter. Not everyone has your ability to assume everyone is armed. Most people presume that if you’re driving anything but a lifted truck that you probably aren’t carrying a firearm on your body or in your vehicle.

With that said, I don’t condone, nor do I participate in road rage, tailgating, or aggressive driving. The first thing I teach students is to avoid situations that would put them in a situation that would lead to deadly force. It’s pretty easy to let road raging/tailgating/aggressive drivers simply go their own way. Change lanes, slow down, turn off, do whatever is necessary to avoid escalation.

You would be be amazed how something as simple as a sticker prevents these things from occurring. I don’t get tailgated daily anymore. Rather, it happens maybe 4 times a year, and I simply move to another lane. People that would try to provoke me into road rage see the sticker, and they change their mind...quickly. Aggressive drivers avoid me as well. Why? A sticker.

There is one other added benefit (at least in Texas), and that is law enforcement’s reaction. I train with and around LEOs, and they love it. They say that if they see something like that they know the person driving can take care of themselves. I’ve also had police fall in behind me when I have been speeding, seen the sticker, and left me alone. Thus, it serves many purposes.

Lastly, I don’t know how many instructors you know, but all of the ones I’m friends with, or have worked around have similar stickers on their vehicles. So, maybe things are different in your area of Virginia, and I would say if you live close to DC, that’s probably why any lawyers or instructors you know would be “triggered” by (pun intended) a sticker...


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