We know you’ve seen it, dash cam footage of crazy accidents, comets cruising across the sky and even natural disasters unfold. Don’t be stuck without your camera, after all the average person spends over 4.3 years in a vehicle. Why not record your journeys along the way?
Xtreme Sport DV sells an optional Dash Camera Accessory Kit for the SJCAM SJ4000, SJ5000, M10, M20, SJ6 & SJ7 Series of Action Cameras. Use the included SJCAM frame mount and attach it to the optional suction cup window mount and your on your way to capturing everything around you as you drive down the road.
How to Install the Dash Camera Accessory kit
Installation is a breeze! Simply mount the suction cup window mount to your desired location on the windshield. This is commonly placed up near the rear view mirror in the center of your windshield. Be sure to clean the window surface before you suction the mount down. Any grease or debris will prevent the suction cup from having a tight seal.
Surface run the automotive charging cable to the nearest cigarette lighter and plug it in. Please note you’ll need to select a power point that turns off when the vehicle turns off. The SJCAM Camera while Dash Camera mode will automatically power on/off and start recording when the ignition is turned on. If your cigarette lighter keeps providing power after the vehicle is turned off you’ll have to unplug the automotive power adapter each time or else the camera will continue recording. Upon plugging the dash camera back in, it will automatically power on and start recording (When “Car Mode” is set to “ON”).
Step 1 – Dash Camera Settings:
Place the camera into “Car Mode” from the main menu. It’s also advised that you correctly setup the date/time and turn the “Date Stamp” on. Doing this will place a text overlay on your video with the date and time. This can be very useful if your going back and reviewing your dash camera footage.
Step 2 – Ready the Suction Cup Mount:
You can now go ahead and build the automotive mounting bracket and secure it to your desired location. If the suction cup doesn’t stick, clean the window and try again. Be sure to push down hard on the suction cup as your locking the suction switch.
Here’s an example image of the accessories required to build your mount. Please note that newer SJCAM cameras may include the “Frame Mount” instead of the “Holster Clip” as shown below.
Step 3 – Once the Memory Card Fills up:
Once the memory card is full a blue box with a “Memory Card Full” warning will appear. The quickest and easiest method of resetting the memory card is to “format” the memory card. This can be completed through the camera in just a few seconds by following the steps listed below:
- Navigate to the settings menu. (Press the mode buttons 3 times)
- Press the UP arrow a few times and find the “Format” option
- Press OK
- Select OK from the confirmation menu
- Done, that’s all there is to it! The memory card is now formatted and ready for recording, once you get the hang of this it only takes a few seconds to complete.
Why doesn’t this happen automatically? Well, we do this to protect your previously recorded footage.The camera is capable of doing so (see below) however, by default we wouldn’t want to automatically overwrite any past recording just in-case you didn’t have a chance to extract the footage. This could be detrimental, especially if it’s needed for an insurance claim. This manual format ensures you can confirm removal of past recordings.
Step 4 – Cyclic Record
The SJCAM Cameras include the option “Cyclic Record”. What is cyclic record? Well, when the cameras memory card fills up, with the cyclic record feature enabled the camera will automatically record over previous files. Starting with the oldest and continually deleting files as more space is needed.
There’s a few downfalls in doing this:
- For starters if you have important video footage saved on the memory card it’s in danger of getting deleted. The Camera DOES NOT notify you when files get deleted, it starts by deleting the oldest files first.
- Second, it “chunks” the videos into a user defined time limit. You can select from a Cyclic Record Setting of: off, 3, 5, or 10 minutes. By selecting any of the 3, 5, or 10 minute options the camera will automatically create a new video file every time your selection is reached. You’ll end up with tons of files on the memory card which can make it more difficult to sort through later.
We recommend you only turn on the cyclic record setting when you’re using the camera as a dash cam. Doing so will allow you to skip step 3 above and never have to format the card or remove any files. The camera will automatically do it for you. With that being said, in the event of an accident or a case where you have to extract the footage, do so immediately to prevent the video from being deleted.