You should discuss the voltage setting on the Viofo hardwire kit. As the Powercell 8 will drop in voltage as it discharges, this is an issue. I had mine installed( broken shoulder) and they set the voltage for 12.2v. As soon as the powercell 8 went below that, the dashcam shut off. Kind of defeats the purpose of the battery pack for parking mode. And since had I it installed, the installer hid the selector switch, so. Now I have to go back.
Is that mean the PC8 is no use? Please clarify abit more on the voltage and power inputs and output setup I really appreciated your professional and open to share
Hello @blackboxmycar I just purchased the PC8 but I have some great concerns on its installation on my 2024 brand new rav 4 to avoid any sad story even in its slightest as I deal with the fuse box. 1) The added fuse was said to be equals to or higher than the fuse originally found in the fuse spot of choice which contradicts what have learnt in the past as regards hardwiring into fuse box and views of many others from the installations have seen online... Pls could you please help clarify on this further? I am just so safety conscious with my brand new car. 2) Going through some reviews of PC8 app, there was an option of "charging current" selection which unfortunately was not present anymore in the new app I downloaded, which means there was no option to select the amp draw of choice in the charging process (left with just choosing between LOW or HIGH) So, pls what's the amprage draw in (a) Low and (b) High Thanks so much as I anticipate your professional response as I wait to conclude my ongoing installation of your product
Hi there, sorry to hear you've been so concerned over your installation, I can certainly help. 1. I can confirm that the fuse added in an add-a-fuse should be lower than the initial one, apologies if this was mis-stated. However, for battery packs, it should still be a larger fuse, ranging between 10A-20A 2. Yes, the charging current was able to be changed via the app at one point, but this proved unreliable. I can assure you that High Mode (9A charging) and Low Mode (5A charging) can be manually set through the physical switch. Generally High is for Hardwiring, while Low is for using the Cigarette Lighter adapter. With that being said, low is always safest, and some people keep charging at low when hardwiring to be safe.
@@blackboxmycar Thanks so much for your clarification. I finally completed the installation. Initially, I got the battery pack fully charged with the external charging cable I got from BBMC. After which I transfered it to the car for powering 2 dashcam unit (a 2 ch mirror dashcam:Pormido PRD80 & Viofo vs1). I finally went for a P socket fuse spot on the rav 4 with 15A and I also went for a 15A added fuse. I tune the power cell to low since I just need my car drive charging to be a topping up charge. If I ever need a rigorous Charing anytime (My in-house cable is in standby) So far my experience is awesome (leaving the 2 dash cam in parking mode (PRD80 in collision detection and VS1 in motion detection) over night left me with over 80%battery power remaining in the morning. And a 10minutes drive to work got it back to 100%. It's looking beautiful. I just want to have your professional final view on that. Thanks so much.
Nice to find this video! I have the same car and battery. Which fuse did you tap into? Do you know why the Powercell 8 green and red light keep flashing together after being turned on? Also I can’t get a Bluetooth connection to it through CellinkNeoPlus.
Hi there, glad you like the video. I don't quite recall which fuse we tapped into, I recommend an ACC connection rated between 20-30A for a battery pack. I can confirm that the red and green light flashing when being turned on is fully normal, and just indicates it's booted up. The Cellink Neo Plus doesn't have it's own bluetooth app, instead the capacity will be added to the Powercell 8's in the app, normally automatically, but sometimes you have to change the capacity in the settings.
Hi there, sorry for the delay. Choosing between the 2-channel and 3-channel setups really depends on your specific needs. Yes, the 3-channel will draw slightly more power than the 2-channel, but the additional draw is minor, and shouldn't be a significant factor to pick around.
I'm confused. You recommended using 20-30A fuse where possible, but installed this tap in the 15A Power No 1? How come? Was their not another suitable option?
Quick question, I see you guys used the 15 AMP fuse tap, and added on another 15 amp fuse tap for the add a fuse. Is this okay even though you guys recommend 20-30 amps for battery packs? I purchased power cell 8 battery pack , and i’m tapped into 15amp fuse on my car, and using a add a fuse of 20amps, is this okay, or should i make the add a fuse lowered to 15amps too? Thanks
It's okay since we set the battery charging to low. 20-30 amps is ideal if possible, but there are other factors, like how much power is actively going through the fuse already.
@@blackboxmycar Thank you. Does the “add a fuse” need to match the same amp, for example you guys used 15 amp add a fuse, with 15 amp fuse from the car, I’m currently using 15 amp from my car cigarette lighter fuse, added with the 20amp fuse tap you guys provided. Should I switch this to 15 amp fuse as well, I have spare ones already. Or it doesn’t really matter? (I set battery charging to low too)
Can I use the power from the ceiling light or rear mirror using a USB-C cable, instead if I don’t need the parking mode? Also, I wonder what the parking mode monitoring will help if the car is stolen as the dash cam will be gone as well.
I would not use the light, as the fuse is typically to low of a rating to now handle the added draw from the camera, plus it is typically not live unless the door is open or the button is pushed to make the light activate. The parking mode is used to see if anyone either hits/damages your vehicle, or if someone breaks into the car and takes items. But yes, if your car is stolen and not recovered then your camera is also gone.
Normally, it will be ok if the power from your rear mirror is sufficient. But it is better to use the car charger included in the package and get a power from your cigarette lighter to avoid unexpected malfunctions.
Such a setup is feasible, and you can run it like this, though there's a few things to consider. The rear camera cable is 6 meters long, and the interior camera cable is only 1 meter long. Also, to be clear, these cameras are designed only for interior mounting, and should not be mounted outside. If you'd like exterior mounting, consider the Thinkware Multiplexer.
Hi there, you can certainly hardwire the dashcam directly to the car. However, I can confirm that the battery pack is fully compatible with the A229 Pro dash cam. You'll just need a special spliced cable that combines an unspliced output cable for the battery with a VIOFO hardwire kit for the camera, we even sell the pre-spliced on our website. Please consider speaking to our support team for more info at: info@blackboxmycar.com
You should discuss the voltage setting on the Viofo hardwire kit. As the Powercell 8 will drop in voltage as it discharges, this is an issue. I had mine installed( broken shoulder) and they set the voltage for 12.2v. As soon as the powercell 8 went below that, the dashcam shut off. Kind of defeats the purpose of the battery pack for parking mode. And since had I it installed, the installer hid the selector switch, so. Now I have to go back.
Thank you for the feedback! Very valid point.
Is that mean the PC8 is no use? Please clarify abit more on the voltage and power inputs and output setup
I really appreciated your professional and open to share
Hello @blackboxmycar
I just purchased the PC8 but I have some great concerns on its installation on my 2024 brand new rav 4 to avoid any sad story even in its slightest as I deal with the fuse box.
1) The added fuse was said to be equals to or higher than the fuse originally found in the fuse spot of choice which contradicts what have learnt in the past as regards hardwiring into fuse box and views of many others from the installations have seen online... Pls could you please help clarify on this further? I am just so safety conscious with my brand new car.
2) Going through some reviews of PC8 app, there was an option of "charging current" selection which unfortunately was not present anymore in the new app I downloaded, which means there was no option to select the amp draw of choice in the charging process (left with just choosing between LOW or HIGH)
So, pls what's the amprage draw in (a) Low and (b) High
Thanks so much as I anticipate your professional response as I wait to conclude my ongoing installation of your product
I really need this answer as well
Hi there, sorry to hear you've been so concerned over your installation, I can certainly help.
1. I can confirm that the fuse added in an add-a-fuse should be lower than the initial one, apologies if this was mis-stated. However, for battery packs, it should still be a larger fuse, ranging between 10A-20A
2. Yes, the charging current was able to be changed via the app at one point, but this proved unreliable. I can assure you that High Mode (9A charging) and Low Mode (5A charging) can be manually set through the physical switch. Generally High is for Hardwiring, while Low is for using the Cigarette Lighter adapter. With that being said, low is always safest, and some people keep charging at low when hardwiring to be safe.
@@blackboxmycar Thanks for your clarification. I really appreciate 👍
No problem! If you have further questions, feel free to reach out to our support team at info@blackboxmycar.com
@@blackboxmycar Thanks so much for your clarification. I finally completed the installation.
Initially, I got the battery pack fully charged with the external charging cable I got from BBMC. After which I transfered it to the car for powering 2 dashcam unit (a 2 ch mirror dashcam:Pormido PRD80 & Viofo vs1).
I finally went for a P socket fuse spot on the rav 4 with 15A and I also went for a 15A added fuse. I tune the power cell to low since I just need my car drive charging to be a topping up charge. If I ever need a rigorous Charing anytime (My in-house cable is in standby)
So far my experience is awesome (leaving the 2 dash cam in parking mode (PRD80 in collision detection and VS1 in motion detection) over night left me with over 80%battery power remaining in the morning. And a 10minutes drive to work got it back to 100%. It's looking beautiful.
I just want to have your professional final view on that. Thanks so much.
Nice to find this video! I have the same car and battery. Which fuse did you tap into? Do you know why the Powercell 8 green and red light keep flashing together after being turned on? Also I can’t get a Bluetooth connection to it through CellinkNeoPlus.
Hi there, glad you like the video. I don't quite recall which fuse we tapped into, I recommend an ACC connection rated between 20-30A for a battery pack. I can confirm that the red and green light flashing when being turned on is fully normal, and just indicates it's booted up. The Cellink Neo Plus doesn't have it's own bluetooth app, instead the capacity will be added to the Powercell 8's in the app, normally automatically, but sometimes you have to change the capacity in the settings.
Would you say that using the powercell 8 with the a229 Pro 3 channel is okay, or should I forgo the interior cam and just go for a 2 channel?
Hi there, sorry for the delay. Choosing between the 2-channel and 3-channel setups really depends on your specific needs. Yes, the 3-channel will draw slightly more power than the 2-channel, but the additional draw is minor, and shouldn't be a significant factor to pick around.
Which ACC fuse was used for this RAV4?
The one that is rated high enough to handle the camera draw and is on when the key is turned to the ACC position.
You are stating the obvious and what's stated already in the video. I am asking which specific fuse was chosen for this RAV4.@@jmackinjersey1
For this Rav4, we used the cigarette lighter fuse!
@@blackboxmycar Thank you.
I'm confused. You recommended using 20-30A fuse where possible, but installed this tap in the 15A Power No 1? How come? Was their not another suitable option?
Quick question, I see you guys used the 15 AMP fuse tap, and added on another 15 amp fuse tap for the add a fuse. Is this okay even though you guys recommend 20-30 amps for battery packs? I purchased power cell 8 battery pack , and i’m tapped into 15amp fuse on my car, and using a add a fuse of 20amps, is this okay, or should i make the add a fuse lowered to 15amps too? Thanks
It's okay since we set the battery charging to low. 20-30 amps is ideal if possible, but there are other factors, like how much power is actively going through the fuse already.
@@blackboxmycar Thank you. Does the “add a fuse” need to match the same amp, for example you guys used 15 amp add a fuse, with 15 amp fuse from the car, I’m currently using 15 amp from my car cigarette lighter fuse, added with the 20amp fuse tap you guys provided. Should I switch this to 15 amp fuse as well, I have spare ones already. Or it doesn’t really matter?
(I set battery charging to low too)
Can I use the power from the ceiling light or rear mirror using a USB-C cable, instead if I don’t need the parking mode? Also, I wonder what the parking mode monitoring will help if the car is stolen as the dash cam will be gone as well.
I would not use the light, as the fuse is typically to low of a rating to now handle the added draw from the camera, plus it is typically not live unless the door is open or the button is pushed to make the light activate.
The parking mode is used to see if anyone either hits/damages your vehicle, or if someone breaks into the car and takes items. But yes, if your car is stolen and not recovered then your camera is also gone.
Normally, it will be ok if the power from your rear mirror is sufficient. But it is better to use the car charger included in the package and get a power from your cigarette lighter to avoid unexpected malfunctions.
Hi, can I use the Viofo A229 Pro 3 channel, one camera on each side of my semi truck, and one camera facing the front?
Such a setup is feasible, and you can run it like this, though there's a few things to consider. The rear camera cable is 6 meters long, and the interior camera cable is only 1 meter long. Also, to be clear, these cameras are designed only for interior mounting, and should not be mounted outside. If you'd like exterior mounting, consider the Thinkware Multiplexer.
@@blackboxmycar thank you so much for your help
is there a way not to hard wire the dashcam to a car? I have a battery pack but seems not able to connect battery pack and a229 pro :(
Hi there, you can certainly hardwire the dashcam directly to the car. However, I can confirm that the battery pack is fully compatible with the A229 Pro dash cam. You'll just need a special spliced cable that combines an unspliced output cable for the battery with a VIOFO hardwire kit for the camera, we even sell the pre-spliced on our website. Please consider speaking to our support team for more info at: info@blackboxmycar.com
Does no one secure the battery pack in some way? I’m sure it slides around in a high horsepower vehicle…
The battery pack is secured with a velcro strap to the floor! 2 of these are included with every battery pack.