When mounting permanently (not using cigarette lighter), does this need power all the time or only when the car is on?
990482
It will automatically turn on and off with the vehicle if connected to switched power, so I would recommend that rather than using an always-on circuit and having to turn the camera on and off manually.
990483
Only when the car is on. Once you turn car off it shots off camera too. Camera has built on battery but does not lots charge it is enough to just finish the recording and shout the thing off. Just let you know that built quality is very cheep but video quality is very good and remember 5 min video takes about .6 gb space so get yourself at list 32 gb enaugh for about 4 hours
990484
It depends how you set it up and want to use it. If you want to power it on and of at your discretion and not set it up to go on and off with the car then you'll want constant power. If you set the system up to go on and off with the car then you only need power when the car is on.
990485
You should use cigarette lighter especially if your cigarette lighter turns off when key is out. The unit will then turn on and off so that you won't forget. Yes, it needs power all the time. The battery inside does not last that long.
1373664
Yes, I got a lighter socket from Radio Shack and wired it directly to the car battery. Just takes a small hole through the firewall to the engine compartment to run the wire. Then mountit under your dash. Works Great. Make sure to buy the large enough panel! (next size up from this one.
1612790
There is not much draw when turning it on or off. If you wire right from the hot side of the battery with a fuse protection to your switch to the solonoid you won't need any other power source.
753337
It remains on completely as long as its plugged to your car lighter. It even remains on when the radio is off, so ita not like you have to wait for it to turn on and such.
1478537
My outlet stays on when my vehicle is turned off. Most outlets are not powered when ignition is off in which case the lights would not work.
1762659
If it is the same as mine, the light is only on when it is providing charge to the car. It is not on all the time.
774413
That depends on whether your "power port" is always powered or only when the car's ignition is on. In most modern cars, the port is "on" only when the ignition is on. You can test that with any other power port connected device.
2131229
I'm not sure what you mean. If you're asking if it will still work without the car being either on or on accessory, every car I've ever been in does maintain power to the cigarette outlet even when the car is completely off. If that doesn't work, just turn your car on accessory and it will work fine. You just turn the switch on the invertor on. I'd recommend turning the interior lights off in your car while doing this or run the cord through the window to prevent running the battery dead. If you do that, you won't have a problem with your battery going dead, not even close.
1778534
Your 12-volt socket is probably not energized when the car is turned off, so not an issue. If it is energized with the car off, this unit would put a small drain on the battery, so you would want to unplug it when not in use. Obviously there is no issue if the car is running.
679880
MaryT are you sure?, On my unit the Power light is on all the time wether I am charging my car or not.
1007405
Yes, it needs to be plugged in to your car's battery directly, or your car's cigarette lighter, while the car is running. It comes with cables for both. it does not store power, as it does not have its own battery.
692508
I guess it depends on whether or not your vehicle sends power to it when turned off. My Nissan does not, but my Jeep does. I leave them plugged in in both and so far have had no issues.
1790861
Unplug it when you start the car. States a power surge could ruin the internals of the panel if left plugged in while engine is running/charging. Plug it in to charge when vehicle won't be driven for awhile. Unplug it before starting the car.
1717035
It depends on how you wire it, but, yes, if you have it powered and grounded while the car is running, then it will stay on all the time you are driving. In my case, I wired a relay into the ground circuit, where the contacts were normally closed when the Accessory supply was OFF. Thus when the car was running (accessories on) the ground circuit was DIS-connected and the sensor OFF.
991828
it is not mounted on battery. you can mount this anywhere in the car and wired to the battery. or on the car and wired to battery.
1526144
The car needs to have a battery that you can draw power from consistently. If you can run chargers, you can likely run this. It's connected directly to the battery, so it shouldn't be any issue. Mine is hooked from the battery, with the cord threaded under the hood through the dash area up by the steering wheel, on the farthest left side. I mounted it there, and I got a better switch for mine. In fact, mine can be run even with the car off, because batteries can power things if they are directly tapped in.
816754
As the others point out, just connect it to a switched power source. However, they also point out that you lose the parking mode. I have it always on, my truck sits for a week or two at a time and I have no issues. The camera goes to sleep and wakes up on impact. You have plenty of computers (clocks, radios, etc.) in your car that draw some power even when off.