When they first came out, I thought dashcams were a bit of a novelty, but as time passed, they have developed into a more versatile role.

Dash Cam

Dash cams record events in very high quality and now include features that can help make you a safer driver. 

The latest version of Uniden’s Webcam brings WiFi connectivity and higher resolution. It also has Ai sign recognition, which reads speed signs and alerts the driver if they are exceeding the limit. This is a feature of many new vehicles, but is a welcome addition for drivers of older vehicles. 

The Uniden IGO CAM 75 version comes with front and rear cameras with wide-angle, high-resolution recording. The front camera includes a 3-inch screen with the front view as the main feature and a smaller rear view panel to check camera alignment. This can be changed to full frontal or full rear view as desired. The system simultaneously records the cameras as individual files onto a micro SD card. The files can be downloaded to your smartphone through WiFi via the iGo app. 

The direct download onto the app allows incidents to be replayed and shared immediately without removing the SD card. A built-in GPS antenna in the camera enables geotagging of the recording to show speed, direction of travel, and the location coordinates. A program for PCs even shows the image overlaid on a map. 

The kit includes all the wiring and brackets you need for installation. The cameras mount on two plastic clips that attach to the windows with 3 M-style adhesive strips. The first task is to select an appropriate place near the rearview mirror. A bit of trial and error before fixing the clip will ensure you can see the screen without impeding your line of sight.

Wires lead to the rear camera and to a cigarette lighter socket, and to keep things neet the kit includes a handy tool to fit the wires behind the trim around the windows and doors. It took about twenty minutes to get things looking ok, but an auto electrician could probably set it up quicker.

There’s an optional kit to bypass the cigarette lighter input and permanently wire the camera into the car’s electrics. This allows the camera to record by movement activation when parked to help track down anyone hitting your vehicle in a car park.

Setting up the options list was simple and allowed a mix of safety alerts to be deployed, including a driving time alert, speed sign advice, speed and red light camera location and the choice of either a large display of your speed or the camera view. You can also set the camera's resolution and the length of each recorded file. A 16gb card will record about 45 minutes of video at the high resolution, while a 128gb card should run for 320 minutes. 

The camera starts recording when the ignition is turned on, and a supercapacitor powers the system to ensure any recording is stored safely once the ignition is turned off.

I didn’t find the WiFi connectivity all that easy, but once sorted with the right program, the phone could control and set parameters on the camera, and downloading was easy. The image quality of the recordings was extremely clear, with all the information about speed and location on show. I hadn’t realised the camera also records sound, so it was a surprise to hear the conversation as we drove along — that could be a bit of fun for recalling who said what and when.

 

Ready to Drive Safer and Travel Smarter?

Find your dream van online at OnlyVans.com.au! 

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This article was written by and photos provided by John Ford and previously appeared at TradeRVs.com.au, now powered by OnlyVans.com.au. 


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