Introduction
When it comes to cars, dashcams or dashboard cameras are the most convenient accessory you can purchase. They are a primary source of evidence for accidents and any traffic violations and can also identify robbers easily.
Dash cams are installed in vehicles on a dashboard or near the rearview mirror. They can be used for recording full videos or take a photo snapshot of an accident. These cameras have features like loop or continuous mode recording, parking mode, road safety camera and accident detection. One of the important features is the parking mode that helps in providing proof of any theft attempts when the vehicle is parked in public places.
This article will review the aspects of a dashcam recording in parking mode and assess the conditions of the car battery, i.e., its power and usage.
Dash Cams
Dashcams are the perfect solution for drivers who want to keep their vehicles safe while parked and those who drive on highways. Dashcams record video of the car’s surroundings so that drivers can see what is happening just before an accident.
Parking Mode in a Dashcam
The parking mode feature allows dashcams to continue recording while the vehicle is parked, without worrying about draining the battery. Even when the car is in this mode, the camera might take a picture every 15 minutes on average. The car will switch to parking mode when it’s parked for more than 4 hours. The recorded videos are stored in a memory card which is inserted into the camera. This helps in providing evidence if some of the drivers decide to steal or vandalize your car.
What Are the Benefits of Parking Mode?
1. Parking mode allows the vehicle’s memory card to be ejected and removed without recording. However, this does not happen when the car is being moved in slow motion or reverse.
2. In parking mode, the dashcam cannot record at night. The camera only records in daylight and in garages where there is sufficient visibility.
3. The parking mode also helps in keeping the battery charged. The time that a car battery lasts is dependent on the size of the battery and how much it is used.
4. When parking mode is on, drivers can return to their vehicles to find no evidence of theft or vandalism. Parking mode will also help identify suspicious caught-on-tape behavior such as people attempting to hide from the camera when they see it recording them or people performing flashy maneuvers while driving past a dashcam’s field of vision.
Does The Dashcam Drain The Car’s Battery?
The dashcam can record a video while the vehicle is parked. The recording can be done with a parking mode feature instilled in it and it will use low power. So, if you have a parking mode feature, it will not drain your car’s battery even if it remains parked for few days. In addition, if you use a dashcam that clips on the window, then it will not drain your car’s battery at all.
Requirements for Parking Mode Activation
1. The parking mode feature can only be possible if the dashcam is attached to a battery. The battery’s capacity should be 900mAh or more which will last for 2 to 5 days.
2. The dashcam should have an event trigger that starts recording when the vehicle’s parking brake is applied for more than a specific period of time.
3. The dashcam should be installed with an active GPS. In addition, if the memory slot for a dashcam is almost full, it will stop recording videos. To prevent this from happening, either upgrade your storage space or remove some videos from your memory card before parking your vehicle.
4. Your car needs to have a 12V cigarette lighter socket or accessory socket. It can also have a USB port.
5. Ensure that you do not leave any loose objects behind when you park your car, which can interfere with the parking mode functionality.
6. Most dashcams require a few seconds to warm up before they can begin recording. It needs to be able to detect motion within one-second intervals for reliable functionality. You can find out if your dashcam takes more than 1 second to start recording by using the search function on YouTube.com to look at the reviews made by other users.
7. Most dash cams with parking mode have looping features that will overwrite the saved video files as needed.
8. Power supply is essential for a dashcam with parking mode because the device must have enough power to last for the time of recording.
9. You should use the parking mode feature on clear nights where there is minimal chance of interference with the camera’s motion sensor or in dark areas without obstructions, provided there is additional light surrounding it.
10. If you drive a car with tinted windows, you need to consider whether you can see through it while the vehicle’s engine is running. Also, you should make sure that your car is parked in an area with minimal dust and debris, such as a garage or underground parking lot.
How to Use This Feature
This feature can be enabled or disabled, depending on what you want and what your surroundings allow. To use this feature:
1. You will need to start the car’s engine, then go to the menu on your dashcam and turn on parking mode.
2. The motion sensors of the dashcam will be on and the camera will continue recording whenever there is any motion in the field of vision.
3. If you want to pause the recording, all you have to do is to push the parking brake into place again.
4. If you want to use your dashcam’s built-in GPS navigation system for driving directions while parked, you can enable this feature by going into your dashcam’s menu settings and pressing “yes”. Also, leave the vehicle in a straight and level position.
5. When in the parking mode, most dashcams will automatically start recording after a few seconds if a potential hazard enters their field of vision. Then they will stop recording again when nobody is around.
6. If you want to keep your dashcam running for a long period of time, then you can enable its motion sensor. This will allow it to continue recording when someone is around. In addition, this feature will also make it start recording when a door or window on the vehicle is opened.
7. You will be able to use your dashcam’s preview mode to see the time lapsed while it was recording.
8. To stop recording, you need to press the “stop” button on your dashcam remote control.
Best Parking Mode Dashcams
1) Hornet 2 Dashcam
The Hornet 2 Dashcam is a high-quality dashcam with 2 fish-eye lenses which capture beautiful HD recordings. It also has a parking mode feature which makes it great for keeping tabs on your valuables in the car. The Hornet 2 Dashcam has a built-in GPS and WiFi capability for downloading videos from the dashcam onto the computer. This parking mode dash cam comes with a 32GB MicroSD card, enabling it to record for up to 3 days. It records in 1080p and can also be used as a DVR Cam.
2) FalconZero F170HD Dash Cam
The FalconZero F170HD Dash Cam has a CPL filter that makes it the best dashcam for those who use it to drive on highways or in low-light situations. This parking mode dash cam comes with an attachable GPS and can be set up to automatically record when a motion is detected in its field of vision. Moreover, this parking mode dash cam also comes with an HD night vision system, enabling you to save potential accidents that occur at night or in low-light conditions.
This dashcam allows you to record parking videos for up to 10 days. It has various sensors such as motion detection, loop recording and auto on/off features. The camera has an emergency recording feature too.
3) Evermount G1 Dash Cam
The Evermount G1 Dash Cam has a built-in parking mode feature that turns the dashcam on and off when movement is sensed in front of the camera. This parking mode dash cam comes with a 120° wide-angle lens which ensures a clear recording video.
It has an emergency recording feature too. This is also one of the few parking mode dashcams which can be used as a DVR Cam. This dashcam records videos at 720p in parking mode for up to 10 days, and it has a built-in GPS and safe driving technology. It also records videos in the form of point-of-view videos so that you can see what is happening while driving.
4) ü Iridium Go Dashcam
The ü Iridium Go Dashcam is a durable dashcam that allows you to record parking videos for up to 30 days. The camera has a loop recording feature, and it automatically starts recording when there is a potential hazard in front of it. This parking mode dash cam also comes with an HD night vision system and loop recordings.
Another feature of this dashcam is its sensor-based auto-on/off technology, which turns off the dashcam when it detects motion or is out of the car’s view. It records continuous footage while parked for up to 60 days. Iridium Go can capture high-resolution video when parked and features an innovative parking mode that will not drain the battery.
5) Night Owl Micro Dash Cam HD
The Night Owl Micro Dash Cam HD has a parking mode feature. This dashcam is built to withstand all kinds of weather conditions and has a compact design. It also comes with night vision capability and can automatically start recording when there is a potential hazard in front of it. It can record continuous footage while parked for up to 10 days and videos in high-quality 720p HD. You can set the camera to parking mode or extended parking mode for up to 24 hours. It allows you to record footage even when the ignition is not switched on.
6) Yi Dash Cam
The Yi Dash Cam is a high-quality dashcam with loop recording and auto on/off features. It also comes with an HD night vision system which allows you to record footage in low-light conditions. This parking mode dash cam has a car mount that keeps the camera stable during driving and parking. It also comes with an automatic power on/off function to save battery life. It comprises of a design resembling a windshield wiper to keep away muggers from embezzling it.
The camera’s lens is segmented, and it has various features like motion detection and safety features that monitor driving behaviors such as speed, brake use, turn signals and lane usage. It also has a GPS for easy location tracking of the car and footage control buttons. The dashcam can record continuously for up to 3 days.
7) Cobra CDR 900 Ultra-High Resolution Dash Cam
The Cobra CDR 900 Ultra-High Resolution Dash Cam is a high-quality dash cam with a high-definition lens wide enough to capture footage from different angles. It has an electronic image stabilization feature for video recording in all conditions. With this dashcam, you can save videos in 720p with up to 30 minutes of continuous recording capacity. This parking mode dash cam has a windshield wiper and a button that detects motion or changes in the windshield angle.
This dashcam records at a high resolution of 1920 x 1080p, which is higher than other dashcams. It has an automatic on/off feature and can be set to record continuously for up to 72 hours without a memory card. It also has motion detection and loop recording functions.
8) BlackVue DR450-1CH
The BlackVue DR450-1CH is a 1-chip high-resolution dash cam that saves footage in 1080p HD. It has an auto-on/off feature and a parking mode feature that automatically starts recording when people approach the car. It also has a gesture sensing function that detects gestures and then starts recording when switched on. Moreover, it can record footage when the vehicle is not running.
This dashcam supports parking mode recording over 15 days in 2K resolution, making it the ideal camera for surveillance needs. The wide dynamic range allows for clear recordings at night and is excellent as a collision detection camera.
Statistics For Cars Based On Parking Mode Feature
The recent statistics show that over 75 percent of vehicle accidents are due to aggressive or negligent parking and other human error. This makes the need for a dashcam a smart one, especially if you want to protect yourself and your family. Various benefits can be gained when you have a dashcam installed in your car.
Other statistics show that thieves and muggers target parked vehicles for times, either to steal valuables or for carjacking purposes. Over 60% of carjackings and burglaries occur while the vehicle is left unattended, and you don’t want your vehicle to be a victim of such a crime.
You can protect your vehicle from theft or vandalism through parking mode recording when parked in an area with high criminal activity. It enables you to keep watch over someone who has been observing the car and the events that are taking place near it.
9 out of 10 vehicle thefts occur while the vehicles are parked and turned off. If your car’s engine is on and motion sensors work when you park your vehicle, your dashcam will start recording right away if there is movement around the vehicle. This recording could result in many videos that will end up filling up your SD card quite fast if you do not turn off the parking mode feature before parking.
The Effects of Parking Mode on a Vehicle Battery
Parking mode can be handy, but using it for prolonged periods can drain your car’s battery. If you use the parking mode feature to record footage while parked up for days, then your car’s battery may eventually become drained. Make sure that you turn off parking mode before leaving your vehicle for an extended time. It can be a costly endeavor in terms of repair and maintenance.
Conclusion
A dashcam makes for a great investment when it comes to protecting your car from criminal activity. With the parking mode feature, you get to capture footage of people who may approach your car or carry out a planned robbery or theft. As a result, you can use this evidence for legal documentation and ensure payback from the perpetrators.
So, what are you waiting for? Make sure that you find the best dashcam with a parking mode feature for your vehicle by considering its quality and features.
FAQs
Q. What type of battery is required for parking mode?
A. Most dash cams require a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Some have a built-in battery that can be charged.
Q. How long does parking mode last?
A. Parking mode will continue recording while the vehicle’s ignition is off and the parking brakes are engaged for up to 15 minutes in some cases, or continuously for seven days in others with some cameras.
Q. Do parking mode dash cams record audio?
A. Yes, they are capable of recording audio, but only while the car is in motion.
Q. How do I enable parking mode in my dashcam?
A. Most dashcams will indicate if the parking mode feature is available. You can enable it by pressing a button on the menu screen or steering wheel controls on the camera itself. Make sure that you read your camera’s manual before attempting to use this feature.
Q. Does parking mode record video while you are parked?
A. Some cameras do have this function, but most dash cams only record video when the vehicle is in motion since it is a safety hazard to leave your car running for long periods while parked on streets and in parking lots.