How to Purchase and Install a Dash Camera
Determine which one to buy., Determine where to mount camera in car., Mount Camera with provided adhesive strips Make sure to line up mount evenly, so the video appears level, and make sure that camera view is clear of obstructions., Set up wires in...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine which one to buy.
Websites like amazon and eBay are flooded with many different cameras, and the quality of many of these cameras can be questionable.
While you can get a dash camera for $20
-$30, the quality of these cameras are probably very poor.
Most high quality cameras are around the $100 price point.
The extra cost is worth the investment, since it might make the difference of being able to read license plates with the camera or not, which would be extremely important in a hit-and-run accident.
A good site that lists many common dash cameras is dashcamtalk.com.
This website provides in depth information regarding quality of cameras, as well as reliability and where to get them on secrool.com.
In addition to buying a dash cam, you will need to buy a microSD memory card to go along with it.
You can purchase this from various local brick and mortar retailers. -
Step 2: Determine where to mount camera in car.
Usually in a place out of sight from the driver and passenger is best, behind rearview mirror.
You will want to see what the camera placement will look like from both the driver’s seat and passenger seat, to make sure that both views are not blocked by the camera, which could be distracting. , A good rule of thumb here is the old saying measure twice, cut once, since most adhesive mounts will not allow adjustment after being affixed to the windshield.
Once you feel confident that the camera is correctly lined up, go ahead and mount it with the adhesive strips provided. , Another option that you can use is semi-permanent plastic hooks.
Using this method works well at holding the cables up, but allows you to easily remove them if you needed to. , Most dash cameras have the ability to start / stop recording when it receives power.
Depending on your make and model, power either shuts off when you turn your car off or stays on even when the ignition is switched off.
If your car turns the power to the cigarette lighter off automatically, then all you have to do is plug in the power adapter and forget about it.
If your vehicle does not automatically do this, then you will have to unplug the camera’s power cord when you park your car, and plug it back in when you start it up next time. , If you are involved in a crash, you can review the footage on the unit itself, as long as it has a screen on it.
If you need to review the footage on a computer, either take the unit from the car and plug it into your computer via a provided USB cable, or remove the microSD card from the unit and plug it into your computer.
Once you have the device/card plugged into the computer, open the files with a video player such as Windows Media Player or VLC media player.
Most cameras break down clips into small intervals, such as in 1,3, or 5 minute segments. -
Step 3: Mount Camera with provided adhesive strips Make sure to line up mount evenly
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Step 4: so the video appears level
-
Step 5: and make sure that camera view is clear of obstructions.
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Step 6: Set up wires in a clean manner Use adhesive tape or other measures to make wires less noticeable.
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Step 7: Plug into cigarette lighter and you’re ready to go!
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Step 8: Review footage in the event of an incident.
Detailed Guide
Websites like amazon and eBay are flooded with many different cameras, and the quality of many of these cameras can be questionable.
While you can get a dash camera for $20
-$30, the quality of these cameras are probably very poor.
Most high quality cameras are around the $100 price point.
The extra cost is worth the investment, since it might make the difference of being able to read license plates with the camera or not, which would be extremely important in a hit-and-run accident.
A good site that lists many common dash cameras is dashcamtalk.com.
This website provides in depth information regarding quality of cameras, as well as reliability and where to get them on secrool.com.
In addition to buying a dash cam, you will need to buy a microSD memory card to go along with it.
You can purchase this from various local brick and mortar retailers.
Usually in a place out of sight from the driver and passenger is best, behind rearview mirror.
You will want to see what the camera placement will look like from both the driver’s seat and passenger seat, to make sure that both views are not blocked by the camera, which could be distracting. , A good rule of thumb here is the old saying measure twice, cut once, since most adhesive mounts will not allow adjustment after being affixed to the windshield.
Once you feel confident that the camera is correctly lined up, go ahead and mount it with the adhesive strips provided. , Another option that you can use is semi-permanent plastic hooks.
Using this method works well at holding the cables up, but allows you to easily remove them if you needed to. , Most dash cameras have the ability to start / stop recording when it receives power.
Depending on your make and model, power either shuts off when you turn your car off or stays on even when the ignition is switched off.
If your car turns the power to the cigarette lighter off automatically, then all you have to do is plug in the power adapter and forget about it.
If your vehicle does not automatically do this, then you will have to unplug the camera’s power cord when you park your car, and plug it back in when you start it up next time. , If you are involved in a crash, you can review the footage on the unit itself, as long as it has a screen on it.
If you need to review the footage on a computer, either take the unit from the car and plug it into your computer via a provided USB cable, or remove the microSD card from the unit and plug it into your computer.
Once you have the device/card plugged into the computer, open the files with a video player such as Windows Media Player or VLC media player.
Most cameras break down clips into small intervals, such as in 1,3, or 5 minute segments.
About the Author
Tyler Martinez
Experienced content creator specializing in organization guides and tutorials.
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