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Mark Hinchliffe·
Gear/accessoriesBike accessories
··17 Comments·2 min read

New dashcam recorder for motorcycles

Dashcam 1

More and more dashcam evidence is convicting traffic offenders and protecting vulnerable motorcyclists involved in SMIDSY crashes.

Riders have a few options:

The latter is becoming more popular, especially for commuters as they are a fixture, difficult to steal and will start recording as soon as you start the bike.

Basically they are a set-and-forget option … until you need them! 

Then they supply looped intervals of recordings so you can easily find the bit you need.

Latest bike dashcam

Dashcam 1
Click here to buy this dashcam NOW!

A new dashcam with the easy-to-remember name “Model MCDV2HD-W2G” is now available through our online shop for $320.

Not that you will need a professional installer.

Installation is easy with a Smart Power module that connects directly to the battery and switches power to the dashcam automatically after the engine starts and switching off when it stops.

With more bikes now using CANBus (a simplified wiring loom) and not having easy access to accessory/ignition power, the Smart Power module solves this issue.

The unit consists of two small front and rear cameras which are permanently fitted and difficult to see on most big bikes.

The front camera is a full HD 1080P device with a Sony IMX323 sensor that has a low light facility while the rear camera is a HD 720P unit.

This new model has a weatherproof main unit (IP65) and, of course, weatherproof cameras (IP67).

One of the niftiest features is that it has built-in Wi-Fi so you access it from a smartphone app (iOS or Android).

That should make it easy to access recordings while out on the road.

It includes GPS included to automatically confirm time and location of an event.

Click here to buy this dashcam NOW!

The handlebar controller is retained from previous models to allow the rider to save particular files in a simple-to-find format.

You won’t need to search through a large number of video files to find just the one or two events that were notable. Pressing the button saves a file with a different prefix to allow quick and easy sorting and location. 

Data storage is by Micro SD card up to 128GB.

Distributors Chipatronic recommend and supply Samsung cards when you order (SD cards cost extra and depend on the size you order.) 

Video files can be re-played using the smartphone app or the card can be connected to a Windows PC where the files can be accessed and viewed in the same way as any external storage device.

Files are saved in MOV format which can be played by most up to date media player software including Windows Media Player, Photos, VLC and others.

To be able to view the maps from the GPS data on PC the user will need to download a free software package.

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Mark Hinchliffe
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17 Comments

  1. If it plays in VLC, it should be able to be viewed on operating systems other than Windows (I use Linux Mint as I hate how bloated and slow Microsoft O.S.’s are). Shame about the unit having WiFi, because otherwise I’d buy one.

    1. It seems to be a lot more advanced than the twin camera unit i’ve been using for the last 5 years, and if it’s more reliable, I’ll buy one anyway. I think you should probably be able to disable wifi anyway, but having wifi for me is a plus. MOV format isn’t a problem at all.

        1. Apologies for missing your email and I have replied now.
          The Wi-Fi is able to be turned off in the device settings so no signal is present then.
          This does of course mean that you would need to remove the storage card every time to check the files but as that is the same as older models it should not be difficult as long as there is easy access to the main unit.

          1. Brain tumours, heart problems, DNA mutation and other cancers.

            Countries that aren’t as retarded as Australia have been recognising for some time the perils of microwave radiation (WiFi, Bluetooth, cordless telephones) on human (and animal) health and have been implementing laws to limit exposure, particularly in schools, where there are stringent restrictions, particularly for younger students. Those with a vested interest are using the same tactics the tobacco companies used in the fifties, sixties and seventies to deny the problem, similar to what the climate deniers (again with vested interests) are doing now. It all comes back to human greed and a disregard for the welfare of others.

  2. A warning on set and forget cameras
    Some of them especially ones with GPS write a text file in addition to the video files.
    These text files do not get over written and eventually fill the storage so you can’t record anymore.
    So you will need to format the storage regularly.

    1. Most dashcam devices are largely the same in that they create files which are tagged and as such not over-written and this is one reason why most manufacturers recommend to format the storage cards on a regular basis.
      The other issue can be with the storage cards themselves as flash memory (micro SD and SD) can be limited with the number of times it can be over-written (durability) and the rule of thumb is that the cheaper the card the less this can be done (although this is not absolutely the case).
      We supply and recommend Samsung cards as they provide clear durability information on their cards and mostly exceed the specs of other commonly available cards as well as having good read/write speeds.
      Low quality cards will give you jumpy video which is the card not being able to write the data fast enough and not a fault in the dashcam/dvr device.

  3. I’m in the market for something like this. I could live without a screen after setup, or if I can put it not-on-handlbars (though as an additional ‘rear mirror’ it might be interesting).

    Regarding wifi (and Bluetooth if it gets that) my concern would be security and power drain for something you don’t need on whilst riding.

    1. The LCD turns off automatically after 1 minute and does not come back on unless there is some input from the touch keys so it cannot be used as a vision aid, it is really too small for that anyway.
      Some models with Wi-Fi have completely dropped the LCD as it is not required but as per your further comment, some users prefer to disable the wireless so in that case an LCD with buttons is still necessary.

      As the DVR unit only runs while the machine is (running) the issue of power drain is not a particular concern as it is minimal, 350 – 400mA.
      The security of the Wi-Fi should not be a major concern as a passcode is required to access this the first time, just like most access points and as the bike is moving most of the time while the DVR is operating the SSID is not going to remain visible to external sources for any real length of time so it is not even likely that any attempt to gain access is going to be successful and without the App there is nothing visible anyway.

      1. Good points. I’d look to turn wifi off though, as most of these IoT devices have poor security and will get no updates, though what someone would gain from controlling this device would likely be minimal aside from spamming nearby devices (unless they really want that sweet footage of you carving turns)? (Dont forget to change the SSID and passwords!)

        On topic though, I really would be in the market for a front and rear camera. Whilst rolling capture on a gopro is OK, battery is an issue, and a cabled power supply from the bike is cumbersome. Just need to save some coins for 2019.

  4. Dash cams are great for you in an accident “BUT”
    Be very aware the vision & data can be used to firstly set the plod onto you for any misdemeanour you have done but even worse is you friends could also be targeted by the plod if there are number plates visible.
    I have one on my Ultra that doesn’t have GPS so there is no speed data record to incriminate me or my friends.
    The camera is on the bike for my benefit not the plods!
    Thinking I will carry an extra SD card in my pocket with parked vision on it in case I get a demand to hand it over.
    Question is, can they demand or confiscate it?
    I like the newer vid quality but all the other data recorded is of little value to you or your friends if you have been playing with mates!

      1. Thanks Mark

        Answers my question, yes it is a problem when it could incriminate friends when it’s real purpose is to protect you from someone else’s behaviour!
        Like I mentioned, my cam doesn’t have GPS so no usable data will be available but of course if the plot was to forensically work with the images they would likely be able to estimate speed, I can live with that, since I still see the usefulness of what the camera would provide if I was to have an accident outways the negatives.
        They don’t need speed data to see a car pull out in front of you!

  5. Thanks Mark

    Answers my question, yes it is a problem when it could incriminate friends when it’s real purpose is to protect you from someone else’s behaviour!
    Like I mentioned, my cam doesn’t have GPS so no usable data will be available but of course if the plot was to forensically work with the images they would likely be able to estimate speed, I can live with that, since I still see the usefulness of what the camera would provide if I was to have an accident outways the negatives.
    They don’t need speed data to see a car pull out in front of you!

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