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Does anyone power their dash cam and radar detector by tapping the mirror power (MY19 or 20)? I have seen posts here about hardwiring to the fuse box under the right side backseat, but am interested in a "shorter wire" solution. Cheers.
Does anyone power their dash cam and radar detector by tapping the mirror power (MY19 or 20)? I have seen posts here about hardwiring to the fuse box under the right side backseat, but am interested in a "shorter wire" solution. Cheers.
The dashcam I installed has front and rear window cameras, which required routing a cable between the two. So routing two cables - power and rear cam - from the mount location wasn't much more effort. I routed the power cable down the front door seal, across the top foot well, along the bottom center console to the cig-lighter outlet in the second row. I removed the ashtray cup to make room for a compact size 12V/USB adapter, so the ashtray door closes. All the wiring is concealed, and the power adapter is hidden. Congrats to you if you managed to remove the radar/camera cover behind the rear view mirror - that was the toughest part of the install, but allowed me to mount the camera mechanically instead of suction cupping it to the glass.
I've been wondering this too, but everybody I've spoken to on the forum uses the fuses under the rear passenger seat.
I've hardwired both camera and V1 in my current vehicles using the overhead console, so it's likely possible but no instructions that I have seen have been posted.
@streborx Thanks-I like what you did! Do you mind sharing the link to your compact 21V/USB adapter?
Also, didn't quite understand your last sentence--how did you mount your radar detector and dash cam? a pic would be great I also want to avoid using a suction cup.
Be careful what you tap into up there as those cameras that are there would be really costly if they fail and the warranty is voided due to aftermarket wiring. I ran my wire to the back seat fuse panel and have no wire showing and a quick disconnect fuse should I need warranty work. It took a few hours to do it correctly, but I didn't have confidence that I would get the proper voltage from those components located near the mirror and on the windshield itself.
@streborx Thanks-I like what you did! Do you mind sharing the link to your compact 21V/USB adapter?
Also, didn't quite understand your last sentence--how did you mount your radar detector and dash cam? a pic would be great I also want to avoid using a suction cup.
The 12V/USB charger I used is sold at Walmart under the "onn" brand, and is only about 1-3/4" long. I cheated a bit -- there isn't sufficient clearance to accommodate a USB plug, so I opened up the charger, de-soldered the USB receptacle, and soldered a short adapter cable directly to the charger's circuitry. Removing the ashtray cup avoided having to drill a hole through it to feed the cable. I cut a small piece of styrofoam (not shown in photo) to fit the cup's opening so that the adapter cable doesn't rattle around. The photo below shows how it turned out. The ashtray door closes completely and all the wiring remains concealed and protected. I considered trying to tap into the USB socket just beneath the 12V socket, but this USB socket is powered all the time.
For the dashcam's physical mounting, I removed the plastic cover the encloses the radar/camera assembly above/behind the rear view mirror. I removed the suction cup from the dashcam's mount, and drilled 4 small holes that align with the air vents in the radar/camera housing. I used four #2-56 screws/washers/nuts -- these screws slip through the air vent louvres without drilling. The photo below shows the inside view of the plastic housing with the screw locations prior to re-installing. The dashcam weighs only a few ounces, so it hardly stresses the housing. I did this electrical and mechanical installation so that it could be undone without evidence of ever having been installed should I ever want to remove it.
Be careful what you tap into up there as those cameras that are there would be really costly if they fail and the warranty is voided due to aftermarket wiring. I ran my wire to the back seat fuse panel and have no wire showing and a quick disconnect fuse should I need warranty work. It took a few hours to do it correctly, but I didn't have confidence that I would get the proper voltage from those components located near the mirror and on the windshield itself.
I totally agree. I thought about this possibility, but after removing the radar/camera housing and seeing the cables and connectors, I didn't want to start probing around trying to find power and ground to tap into. So I just ran the power cable to the rear seat cigarette lighter socket behind the center console.
@streborx Man it looks neat! Curious which dash cam/radar detector you are using? I am considering Blackvue DR900X-2CH 4K UHD, Viofo A129 Pro Duo, and Garmin mini.
@streborx Man it looks neat! Curious which dash cam/radar detector you are using? I am considering Blackvue DR900X-2CH 4K UHD, Viofo A129 Pro Duo, and Garmin mini.
Shopping for dashcams is the same as shopping for OBD scanners -- the variety and choices are overwhelming beyond the point of total confusion. Eventually, you decide you're wasting more time than the item costs, so you buy one and see what happens. I bought the Z-edge Z3D (www.zeroedgetechnology.com) because of its dual camera configuration, integral GPS, and 128GB micro-SD storage that can record 12 hours (with an over-write option) of full motion video from both cameras (now only $100 on Amazon). It is provided with a PC application for playback that features all the relevant information (GPS, nav map, time-of day, vehicle speed) you might need in the event of an event. The camera records in 3-minute time/date stamped segments, so it's much easier to find a video segment than scanning through 12 hours of continuous recording. The video format is *.mp4 so it's easy to save and view segments that you want to keep. I've installed this same camera system in my Lexus and G550, and am pleased with how they perform. I've heard some camera brands don't do well when the get hot in a parked car. I use a Weathertech reflective sunscreen that keeps the sun off my camera with the way I've mounted it.
@streborx Man it looks neat! Curious which dash cam/radar detector you are using? I am considering Blackvue DR900X-2CH 4K UHD, Viofo A129 Pro Duo, and Garmin mini.
One more point -- I'm not currently equipped with a radar detector, but I'm sure one can be tandem mounted with the dashcam without too much difficulty. Back in the days of 55 mph, I never left home without my Passport radar detector. Then, the troopers began deploying laser speed guns, the first laser detectors were not entirely reliable, the driving points system was developed, states began exchanging information and insurance companies knew your point score. Then America finally came to its senses, and 75 mph became the norm (although some of us still had to slow down). Currently, I don't find many posted speed limits overly imposing, so I just don't bother trying to eek out a couple extra mph relying on a radar detector. There's always somebody passing me no matter how fast I'm going, so I let them pull the ticket. I'm learning to enjoy the scenery more.
One more point -- I'm not currently equipped with a radar detector, but I'm sure one can be tandem mounted with the dashcam without too much difficulty. Back in the days of 55 mph, I never left home without my Passport radar detector. Then, the troopers began deploying laser speed guns, the first laser detectors were not entirely reliable, the driving points system was developed, states began exchanging information and insurance companies knew your point score. Then America finally came to its senses, and 75 mph became the norm (although some of us still had to slow down). Currently, I don't find many posted speed limits overly imposing, so I just don't bother trying to eek out a couple extra mph relying on a radar detector. There's always somebody passing me no matter how fast I'm going, so I let them pull the ticket. I'm learning to enjoy the scenery more.
I’m running a Valentine One Gen 2 in both of my vehicles.
I wrote the DIY for the fuse connection under rear passenger. Would still be the way to go for me if I had to do it again. But I did have some pictures of when I removed the housing. Mirrortap seems easily doable. It would be the larger bundle of wires to the left. Then use a multimeter. Note I did not do that here. And of course, don't use the camera/sensor wiring to the right. Looks expensive.
Last edited by johndong888; Nov 11, 2020 at 12:42 PM.
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I also want to avoid using a suction cup.
