New toy arrived today - F770 2ch

[Alex c]

Well done looks great so far and hopefully the rear one doesn't cause you too much hassle to fit. I actually put my dvr on the other side of the mirror passenger side. Not central but seem to work well with the angle that side which might be worth a try.

Thanks Neil, the F770's lens is to the left of the unit, but will defo have a look - I've got another spare 3M pad.

Will have a go at this tomorrow. Cable running to the rear pilar will be fine - I just don't want to damage the rear window panel trim when I try to pop it off. Will be handy if anyone knows where the first bit of pressure needs to be applied! I may even try to purchase a shorter micro usb cable today, so I don't have any potential DAB problems via coiling the spare length around the boot lid.

[Neil-A]

Oh ok see what you mean with the lens position. Im using a wedge type A118 front dashcam which fits and works better on left of the mirror, so out of my sight and can adjust the mirror better too. I do need a rear fitted dashcam but im just going to fit another dashcam but powered from the rear boot 12v socket.

As for dab interference not sure on our cars but this does happen, a friend of mine kept having issues on his LR discovery with the dab cutting out. We managed to sort this in the end with a much better power cable and lots of trial and error rerouting. Hopefully you want have a problem with dab interference as the f770 is much better quality kit overall than he was using

[pxr5]

Looks good. I've ordered the f770 from the RAC website. It's being fitted on the first August. I'm not experienced enough to wire it in myself. It will be interesting to see which side the installer puts the main camera.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Alex c]

Looks good. I've ordered the f770 from the RAC website. It's being fitted on the first August. I'm not experienced enough to wire it in myself. It will be interesting to see which side the installer puts the main camera.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Just got back from my trip to France.

Initial thoughts on it all:
- The angle of both the front and rear screens on the A7 really isn't the best when it comes to filming. Plenty of reflections. (May look at the filter option)
- Front - best place would be central under the rear view mirror - but that would annoy my wife, as she'd have it in her line of sight. And I didnt want it to be too obvious from the outside.
- Front - feels slightly aligned to the right - but not much choice - unless the rear view unit can be dismantled and 'doctored' to accommodate? (Even I wouldnt try that)
- Front - Bit too much like a fish eye view for me.
- Rear - sits nicely and unobstructed in the middle - and hidden if you have tinted rear screen (apart from a small blue LED when operating).
- Rear - can clearly see both sides of the rear window - not sure whaty you could do apart from mount it halfway down the window!

Lane departure and Collision warning systems. Useless, do not buy for this function! The warning delay will be too late to react on both accounts, irrespective of setting adjusted.

Speed camera GPS function - love it. Works well, and can be updated from the website. France isnt available as its illegal - and selecting the Europe file, eliminates the UK! So I need to reload the UK file back on.

All functions are pretty smooth and work well when selecting via the unit - but you have to have constant power to use the wifi selection, when viewing in the car (to review/download when no PC is available). The App is pretty cool, even on iphone.

Warns you to format the chip - which is just pressing a button on the unit - takes 30sec. Easy peasy.

Quick video attached from the front camera - will download one from the rear, when I get back in the car to show you.

Main unit could be smaller, but no real regrets - works fine, and does the job... well, err hopefully never!

[pxr5]

Well that didn't go well. I've just had an F770 fitted into my car. The fitter was from Chameleon (UK) and the cam was ordered from RAC. I was just setting up the camera and it lost wifi connecton and the GPS light went out (it had been working for about 10 minutes). On trying to power it back up (with the ignition on), I get the start up tone then a beep - then nothing at all.


I treid to reset with the reset pin on the side and the Rec/Format together, still not starting up.


Am I doing something basically wrong or is it bricked. I tried to ring Chameleon, but their offices are closed


Thanks

[Alex c]

Well that didn't go well. I've just had an F770 fitted into my car. The fitter was from Chameleon (UK) and the cam was ordered from RAC. I was just setting up the camera and it lost wifi connecton and the GPS light went out (it had been working for about 10 minutes). On trying to power it back up (with the ignition on), I get the start up tone then a beep - then nothing at all.


I treid to reset with the reset pin on the side and the Rec/Format together, still not starting up.


Am I doing something basically wrong or is it bricked. I tried to ring Chameleon, but their offices are closed


Thanks

Hmm, doesn't sound great.
Couple of things to check, which I read up on before purchasing. Double check your SD card, and make sure it's a Thinkware one. Apparently if it's not, there have been cases of the camera not functioning properly (something to do with the way the data is accessed and written). Doesn't mean that other SD cards wont work - just eliminating potentials.
Maybe try formatting the card on the unit, and then attach the SD card to your computer, and reload all the latest firmware from their website:
Download | THINKWARE
Then try reinserting into the car - it takes about a minute or so to update.

Fingers crossed, otherwise maybe there's a way to hard restart if it was disturbed the last time, when installing the firmware?

[pxr5]

Hmm, doesn't sound great.
Couple of things to check, which I read up on before purchasing. Double check your SD card, and make sure it's a Thinkware one. Apparently if it's not, there have been cases of the camera not functioning properly (something to do with the way the data is accessed and written). Doesn't mean that other SD cards wont work - just eliminating potentials.
Maybe try formatting the card on the unit, and then attach the SD card to your computer, and reload all the latest firmware from their website:
Download | THINKWARE
Then try reinserting into the car - it takes about a minute or so to update.

Fingers crossed, otherwise maybe there's a way to hard restart if it was disturbed the last time, when installing the firmware?

Thank Alex. The SD is the one that came in the box - a 32GB Thinkware.

Last night I re-installed the camera in the car (about 2 hours later). I heard some odd clicks after I switched it on and eventually it started up.

It worked this morning as it went into continuous mode, and parking mode after getting to work this morning.

There is something still not right though. When I got back from work earlier I turned off the car's igntion. The Camera did nothing for about 2 minutes (i.e. The GPS light stayed on; and it didn't go into parking mode like it did this morning). It then made that odd clicking noise again and it went dead. Then immediately restarted with the start-up tone and went into Continuous mode! Then it switched to parking mode.

I've been in touch with Chameleon already and they are arranging for the wiring to be checked and a possible replacement camera.

:EDIT: To add. Well, it's not switching on at all now and the recordings had bombed out half way on my journey home from work this pm. Not overly impressed tbh and I've removed the front cam from my to save any damage/battery drain. Hopefully Chameleon will rectify ASAP.

[Alex c]

Thank Alex. The SD is the one that came in the box - a 32GB Thinkware.

Last night I re-installed the camera in the car (about 2 hours later). I heard some odd clicks after I switched it on and eventually it started up.

It worked this morning as it went into continuous mode, and parking mode after getting to work this morning.

There is something still not right though. When I got back from work earlier I turned off the car's igntion. The Camera did nothing for about 2 minutes (i.e. The GPS light stayed on; and it didn't go into parking mode like it did this morning). It then made that odd clicking noise again and it went dead. Then immediately restarted with the start-up tone and went into Continuous mode! Then it switched to parking mode.

I've been in touch with Chameleon already and they are arranging for the wiring to be checked and a possible replacement camera.

:EDIT: To add. Well, it's not switching on at all now and the recordings had bombed out half way on my journey home from work this pm. Not overly impressed tbh and I've removed the front cam from my to save any damage/battery drain. Hopefully Chameleon will rectify ASAP.

Hmm, Im really not an expert, but I researched pretty heavily before tackling it myself (I just wanted to know exactly where and how the power was being tapped into).

Is the 'clicking' coming from the camera unit - or the fuse area (there are two to choose from - left and right at the ends of the dash). Or they may have tapped into the central light area for power? Clicking could be a relay circuit being engaged? Could also be the ground - it may not be as secure as possible, causing intermittent behaviour?

Defo let them revisit & repair, may be worth finding out more on how it was installed, as I've seen some pretty 'quick' routes on YouTube (like wrapping wires around fuse legs), but wouldn't necessarily say they've done that! You'd hope not!

Good luck, let me know how it goes - hopefully just a faulty unit.

[pxr5]

Hmm, Im really not an expert, but I researched pretty heavily before tackling it myself (I just wanted to know exactly where and how the power was being tapped into).

Is the 'clicking' coming from the camera unit - or the fuse area (there are two to choose from - left and right at the ends of the dash). Or they may have tapped into the central light area for power? Clicking could be a relay circuit being engaged? Could also be the ground - it may not be as secure as possible, causing intermittent behaviour?

Defo let them revisit & repair, may be worth finding out more on how it was installed, as I've seen some pretty 'quick' routes on YouTube (like wrapping wires around fuse legs), but wouldn't necessarily say they've done that! You'd hope not!

Good luck, let me know how it goes - hopefully just a faulty unit.

The clicking sound is definitely coming from the camera. I have no idea where the installer took the power from, but I'll ask him when he comes back on Saturday. I spoke with Chameleon earlier and they are also sending out a new camera as well as checking the wiring. What worries me a little is despite the installer saying he'd done some of these F770 installs before he still managed to put the rear camera upside down - something that I was aware of as the writing should be the wrong way round to make the camera correctly orientated. It's the same guy coming Saturday as lives not that far from me.

Oh well, I'll see in a couple of days and I'll update with more info then.

Also Alex,

The installer said the front camera has to go on the left of the rear view mirror due to visibility and wipers - whatever that really means. Also is the rear cam lens adjustable at all as when I was looking at recordings (for the short time it actually worked) it seemed to be pointing down and much of the screen was filled up with rear shelf? I could see everything fine in the recording but it needs to angle up slightly.

[Alex c]

The clicking sound is definitely coming from the camera. I have no idea where the installer took the power from, but I'll ask him when he comes back on Saturday. I spoke with Chameleon earlier and they are also sending out a new camera as well as checking the wiring. What worries me a little is despite the installer saying he'd done some of these F770 installs before he still managed to put the rear camera upside down - something that I was aware of as the writing should be the wrong way round to make the camera correctly orientated. It's the same guy coming Saturday as lives not that far from me.

Oh well, I'll see in a couple of days and I'll update with more info then.

Also Alex,

The installer said the front camera has to go on the left of the rear view mirror due to visibility and wipers - whatever that really means. Also is the rear cam lens adjustable at all as when I was looking at recordings (for the short time it actually worked) it seemed to be pointing down and much of the screen was filled up with rear shelf? I could see everything fine in the recording but it needs to angle up slightly.

Yep, you can just twist the rear camera to adjust where the lens is pointing.

There's a small printed sheet in the camera box, which tells you where you can and can't install a camera (blocking field of view etc). I haven't measured mine, but it clearly doesn't block any field of view. By placing on the left, the lens is aligned to the left of the unit too - so it'll be quite far to one side. Try and look into it before he installs it. You're allowed to place below the rear view mirror, but that is more obstructive when looking that way, and if you're shorter - it'll be directly in your field of vision. There was reference to the windscreen wipers and encroachment on their path (4 or 6cm?) - but again, depends what car you have, and you can buy different lengths of wiper, is it measuring the camera unit - or the adhiesive part etc- bit grey imo