Thinkware Dashcam

[EVCar]

So I've gone ahead and started install of a Thinkware Dual Channel dash cam in my car. The glass canopy significantly complicates the idea of "hiding" the cables. Started it yesterday, hope to finish it today. Might post a video of the install if the video comes out right.

Give us your assessment of the Thinkware.
How do you power it?
Thanks.

 

[martinjlm]

Give us your assessment of the Thinkware.
How do you power it?
Thanks.

I can do that easily. I've been using Thinkware since 2017. First F750 in my Camaro and my wife's Volt. Then I upgraded the Camaro to the F800 and put the F750 in my SRX. Then somewhere along the line I must've upgraded the Volt to F800. I say that because the Volt was totaled and I took the cameras out of it and left them in a box in the basement. The replacement for the Volt was a Model Y that already had Sentry Mode. The hardware from the Volt is what I am putting in AIR0GNT and it's clearly an F800 setup.

In all applications I have powered the cameras from hardwiring to the fuse box. For AIR0GNT I'm adding the Thinkware BAB-50 external battery. I don't want the parking surveillance mode to compromise the 12V battery.

Lucid Air has (3) fuse boxes. The one to use is in the front passenger footwell. It is fuse MB10, the fuse that powers the trunk 12V socket. I find this interesting, since one of the fuseboxes is located near the trunk battery, right under the 12V socket. I would have expected the fuse power the 12V to be there, but it isn't.

 

[Aka-none]

I can do that easily. I've been using Thinkware since 2017. First F750 in my Camaro and my wife's Volt. Then I upgraded the Camaro to the F800 and put the F750 in my SRX. Then somewhere along the line I must've upgraded the Volt to F800. I say that because the Volt was totaled and I took the cameras out of it and left them in a box in the basement. The replacement for the Volt was a Model Y that already had Sentry Mode. The hardware from the Volt is what I am putting in AIR0GNT and it's clearly an F800 setup.

In all applications I have powered the cameras from hardwiring to the fuse box. For AIR0GNT I'm adding the Thinkware BAB-50 external battery. I don't want the parking surveillance mode to compromise the 12V battery.

Lucid Air has (3) fuse boxes. The one to use is in the front passenger footwell. It is fuse MB10, the fuse that powers the trunk 12V socket. I find this interesting, since one of the fuseboxes is located near the trunk battery, right under the 12V socket. I would have expected the fuse power the 12V to be there, but it isn't.

View attachment 41603

Where you place a fuse depends on what you are protecting. So it’s protecting everything from that fuse back to the 12v, and that fuse block probably is where that socket gets its power

 

[Pragmatic]

Where you place a fuse depends on what you are protecting. So it’s protecting everything from that fuse back to the 12v, and that fuse block probably is where that socket gets its power

The batteries are in the rear. So power for the power outlet is running forward to front fuse box from there back to the back for the power outlet. Or am I missing something?

 

[Aka-none]

The batteries are in the rear. So power for the power outlet is running forward to front fuse box from there back to the back for the power outlet. Or am I missing something?

I’m not sure what we’re missing except a wiring diagram. I don’t know where the power is com8ng from or going to. But I do know that the fuse location, in the circuit, is to protect the power source. So fuse it as close to the source as possible. Hence why you have a fuse/breaker panel and all circuits terminated there in one place. And each circuit can protect against failures in wire, sockets, load, whatever. So one side of a fuse is the source that’s being protected and the other is the load.

 

[Pragmatic]

I’m not sure what we’re missing except a wiring diagram. I don’t know where the power is com8ng from or going to. But I do know that the fuse location, in the circuit, is to protect the power source. So fuse it as close to the source as possible. Hence why you have a fuse/breaker panel and all circuits terminated there in one place. And each circuit can protect against failures in wire, sockets, load, whatever. So one side of a fuse is the source that’s being protected and the other is the load.

Yes and 12V sources are the rear batteries. So a fuse in the rear supplying front fuse box (sub-panel). Fuse in the front protecting rear outlet with wiring going to the back. I'm sure it makes sense, and I'm missing something, but it would seem wiring could be saved having fuse for power outlet in the rear.

 

[Aka-none]

Yes and 12V sources are the rear batteries. So a fuse in the rear supplying front fuse box (sub-panel). Fuse in the front protecting rear outlet with wiring going to the back. I'm sure it makes sense, and I'm missing something, but it would seem wiring could be saved having fuse for power outlet in the rear.

Well we know there are 12v batteries in the back, but we don’t know is if there is another source of 12v power up front. Alternatively that wire could be the source for 12v up front and that wire is a “buss”. All speculation without more information.

 

[tmichael]

Well we know there are 12v batteries in the back, but we don’t know is if there is another source of 12v power up front. Alternatively that wire could be the source for 12v up front and that wire is a “buss”. All speculation without more information.

Let me check my service manual - Oh, that's right - I can't get one!

 

[maractwin]

It could be that everything run on that fuse panel are non-critical accessories, and it draws power from the wunderbox down-converting the main batteries, rather than directly off the 12V batteries that likely only power critical management systems.