Re: Dash Cam Suggestions + Power?

I'm looking for a dash cam (front only) which will hide behind the rearview mirror. It looks like the Vantrue E1 Pro (4K) may fit the bill.

Rather than run the USB-C up and around the whole front glass, I'm thinking of buying one of these:

DC-DC 24V/12V To 5V 5A Step Down Power Supply Buck Converter Replace LM2596S Adjustable USB Step-down Charging Module For Phone
Link on AliExpress

My thought is to tie into the courtesy lights in my 2000 Boxster and connect at the top. I know that it won't work when the car is parked (I'm fine with that).

Any thought? Is there a better solution? Will there be space up there to hide this?

Andrew

I hard wired my radar detector in my 2002S. It has been awhile, but I think I pulled out the motion sensors to get at the screws that cover the electrical bits around the roof latch. There is power in there that you can tap to run the camera. I don’t remember if the power is switched or full time, but that is the cleanest way to get 12V power up there.

The dash cams run on usb. Any thoughts on my widget to convert from 12v?

The courtesy lights (if that’s the right name) are not constant power.

Andrew

Yeah, the converter looks like a good option. It is pretty small, which is good. Are you thinking of mounting it to the camera? I’m not sure where else you could hide it.

I was hoping it would fit inside the space within the lights. No?

You will just have to pull it apart and take a look!

You're no fun .

Andrew

I use tiny 12v → USB C adapter boards similar to what you linked but with USB C as the output. They work great.

You have a part number for your adapter?

I tried searching in my AliExpress order history but they only keep the last two years. I understand that the USB C buck converters are harder to find so using USB A and a USB A → C cable will work fine. If you do find the USB C one make sure it's not Power Delivery (PD) as those usually don't work with "dumb" devices.