Dash Cams are a waste of money, do this

I've finally stopped buying dash cams. I got so tired of them malfunctioning. After several months, they stop recording, the SD cards claim they are full. Then, to find a video you have to navigate through a horrid menu, very irritating. If I ever were in an accident, I was always worried if the video would actually be there.

Now, I bought an extra cheap smart phone. It's a Samsung, cost me about $100.00 bucks, and bought a cell phone mount for $10.00-$20.00 at best buy. All data records directly to the phone, and I have the option of transferring files to the SD card.

All in all, I'm very pleased. Seeing video is a breeze, and these apps are free. I can get speed and GPS coordinates, and can easily save or upload videos, all straight from the phone if I have service, OR if I elect to not have service and simply use my other cell phone as a wifi hotspot.

Battery life is way better. These cheap dash cameras have a battery life of 1-3 minutes when they are unplugged. A cell phone is different. Plus, a cell phone does not look like a dash camera either.

Would I waste my money on a dash cam? Not any more, I've tried so many brands from the truck stop, and they've all failed me. Even the cheap eBay ones, they fail. At least a cell phone can take the heat, these dash cams either generate excessive heat on their own from use, or heat up from the sun. Just use a cell phone, buy a mount, and you're good to go. You can do it for the same price or less then buying a dash cam, and have a much more high quality product.

 

I will not be posting any video. You can use any smart Android cell phone, and any suction or dash mount that allows your camera to see the window without being blocked.

I've used Blue Tiger, Cobra, Garmind, Top Dawg, eBay cheapies, I've even got some that were not on eBay, but Amazon for example. I don't have the names. I've gone through around 8 dash cams in the last 4 years, I'm done with it.

I don't care what the top 10 dash cam videos are, I'm not interesting in buying them.

All the cameras I purchased plugged into the cigarette lighter. In my OTR days, the camera would stay up on the windshield 24/7. I got a new gig I've been running for the past few years, slip seating. The camera is up 1-2 days and down at the end of the day when I'm home.

I even shaded my last camera with a piece of card board, it was still hot, from general use even at night time. As far as circuitry goes, it used a cigarette lighter, with other items connected that charged other electronic items. It shouldn't make any difference what so ever.

Heed my warning and advice, save your money, buy a cell phone, or use an old cell phone, for NOTHING but the purpose of a dash cam.I don't know why I didn't do this sooner.

DriveCam or a cell phone, two quality items. Dash cams are a joke. The SD cards eventually fail do either heat, or constant writing and rewriting to the cards. I'm just done wasting money on them.

Hope this helps.

 

First, you don't need to have a monthly cell phone plan. If your cell phone has no service plan, meaning you're not paying for a plan, the dash cam app will work fine with out it.

You just have to connect to wifi to down load the application.