Parking mode is like your cars very own security guard. When it’s activated, your dash cam goes into surveillance mode, recording video footage while your car is off. These recordings can give evidence in hit-and-runs or vandalism.
Types of Parking Modes
There are different types of parking surveillance, here are the main differences between them:
| Feature | Motion Detection | Impact Detection | Time-Lapse |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it Does | Activates recording when motion is sensed around the car | Records when a sudden impact is detected | Captures still images at intervals to create a sequence |
| Ideal For | Quiet neighborhoods, monitoring around the car | High crime areas, hit and runs, parking garages | Cities, busy areas with heavy traffic, low storage dash cams |
| Benefits | Energy-efficient, saves car battery | Acts immediately on impact, good reflex mechanism | Storage-efficient, provides a quick summary |
| Considerations | May miss initial moments due to wake-up time | Only records what happens after impact | Does not capture real-time events |
| Recording Type | Active recording based on motion | Reactive recording based on G-sensor | Still images in intervals for a fast-paced summary |
| Energy Consumption | Medium, records when motion is detected, varies on location | Very low, only records when necessary | Low-Medium, depends on continuous recording settings |
| Effectiveness in Different Scenarios | Best for monitoring when there’s little expected activity | Areas where accidents or bumps are more likely | Best for busy areas |
Motion Detection
First up is motion detection mode, which switches a sleeping-camera to an actively recording camera when it detects motion around your car. Motion detection mode is perfect for:
- Quiet neighborhood parking where suspicious activity’s rare.
- Constant audio recording.
- Watching people lingering around your car.
This mode is particularly energy-efficient, as the front or rear camera only ‘wakes up’ when there’s something happening, saving car battery life.
Since a dash cam needs a moment to awaken from sleep mode to start recording, it might not capture the initial moments of the incident.
Impact & Car Accident Detection
Next, let’s talk about Impact detection. Instead of proactively recording like motion detection does, impact detection acts more like a reflex.
Your dash camera starts recording when it senses a sudden impact like car accidents or an unexpected bump using its built-in G-sensor. Dash cams with impact detection spring into action upon sensing something happening to your car.
Impact detection mode is good for:
- High Crime Areas
- Hit and runs
- Parking garages (door dings, car scratches, etc.)
Time-Lapse
Then, we have Time Lapse Parking Mode. When your dash cam is in Time Lapse Mode, it captures still images at regular intervals, creating a fast-paced sequence that gives you a condensed view of what happened around your car.
Time-lapse mode is a great for:
- Parking in cities / crowded areas with heavy pedestrian & car traffic.
- Dash Cams with low storage capacity microSD cards.
- Getting a quick summary of what happened around your parked car.
Even though time lapse doesn’t capture events in real-time, it’s great for watching a parked cars’ surroundings in a busy area. Not to mention it’s storage-efficient because it’s not continuously recording.
How is Parking Mode Activated?
Ignition Triggered Activation
It’s activated in most dash cams when the ignition turns off. Like sleep mode on a computer. When you turn off your car, the dash cam senses the lack of power and switches to parking mode. It’s also known as sentry mode or standby mode.
G-Sensor Activation
With G-sensor activation, dashboard cameras feel a cars movement and then wake up to record incidents. If a reckless driver bumps into your parked vehicle the dash cam will immediately start recording.
This activation method isn’t as helpful as a constantly recording parking guard like Ignition Triggered activation because the camera shoots video footage after the fact. G-Sensor Activation is typically useful if you park your car in a parking garage and are trying to capture a video clip of minor scratches and bumps.
Manual Activation
Some dash cams also provide the option for manual activation. So, if you prefer having control, you can manually switch the dash cam to parking mode before leaving your car.
Items Needed
Hardwire Kit
Sometimes referred to as a parking mode kit, a hardwire kit supplies power to your dash cam when your car’s ignition is off. It connects the dash cam directly to your car battery.
Most dash cams come with a standard power supply that plugs into the cigarette lighter. But here’s the catch: this power source typically shuts off with the car’s ignition. If you want your dash cam to keep working even when the car is off – a hardwire kit is a must.
Power Cables
Taking the conversation forward, let’s talk about OBD-II power cables. These are specialized power cables that plug into your car’s OBD-II port, a standard diagnostic port found in vehicles produced from 1996 onwards.
Why are we considering OBD-II cables? Well, they’re a brilliant alternative if you’re not keen on messing with your car’s wiring with a hardwire kit. They’re also excellent for people who switch cars frequently, as they can be easily unplugged and moved to another vehicle.
Battery Packs
Lastly, let’s shine some light on dash cam battery packs. They’re like the dash cam’s personal power banks, ensuring it doesn’t drain your car battery in parking mode.
Here’s the thing: consistently drawing power from your car’s battery can eventually lead to a dead battery – something none of us want. That’s where dash cam battery packs come in. They charge while you’re driving and then provide power to the dash cam when your vehicle is off, preserving your car battery life.
These battery packs are especially handy if you often park for extended periods. They’re like the energetic security guard who takes over the night shift, ensuring constant surveillance without overworking your car battery.
How to Activate a Parking Mode Dash Cam
As long as you have the pre-requisites we mentioned in the the previous section, you have everything you need to get parking mode set-up and ready to go. If you don’t have what we’ve already mentioned though, that your first Lets break it down.
- Get a Parking Mode Dash Cam: Get a dash cam with parking mode, most modern brands have some kind of parking surveillance. Do your research and read dash cam reviews to make sure you’re choosing one for your needs.
- Proper Installation: The dash cam needs to be correctly installed to function optimally. Most dash cams plug into the cigarette lighter, but for parking mode, a hardwire kit might be needed to connect the dash cam to the car’s battery. Seek professional installation or read our full installation guide if you’re having trouble.
- Configure the Settings: Navigate through the dash cam settings and enable parking mode. Remember, some dash cams offer various parking mode options, such as motion detection and time-lapse. Customize settings for your preferences (alert messages, live even uploaded, voltage monitoring, etc.).
- Test Your Dash Cam: After you’ve set up the dash cam, it’s a good idea to test parking mode out. Park your car, activate parking mode, and try triggering it to ensure everything works as expected.
- Check the Recorded Footage: Finally, make sure you know how to access and review the recorded footage. It’s crucial to familiarize yourself with this process, so you’re prepared when you need it.
How Long Can Parking Mode last?
So, how long can dash cameras stay in parking mode? The answer depends your car battery’s energy efficiency and your specific dash cam model. The memory card you’re using also plays a role.
Your Cars Battery Health
Quality dash cams have a voltage cut-off feature to prevent it from killing your car battery completely, like a safety net for your car’s battery. Car batteries generally have a lifespan of roughly 3-6 years.
But as your car battery ages, the resting voltage can become so weak that it limits the parking mode duration to a few hours. If you’re struggling to get enough time from your dash cam in parking mode, lower the voltage cut-off. Or if you’re car battery is older than 3-6 years old, it might be time to get it replaced.
Outside Temperature
If your car is in the scorching sun or freezing in the biting cold for a long time, your dash cam might shut down to protect it’s components.
Not all dash cams operate at full capacity in extremely hot environments, and the same goes with cold. Once temperatures are back within its comfort zone, a dash cam in weather safety mode will turn back on.
Car Energy Efficiency
Different cameras and parking settings have different energy demands. Dash cams with radar detectors offer high energy efficiency and those with cloud connectivity are always online and therefore more power-hungry.
Although the motion detection setting is designed to be energy-efficient, it doesn’t always turn out that way. Why?
If your parking area has a ton of activity or foot traffic, motion detection is going to trigger frequently throughout the day/night and lead to an overall high power usage.
Other settings like the time-lapse mode, can end up consuming power due to un-optimal continuous recording settings. Then there’s features like LEDs, wifi, and cloud connectivity, which can increase the power usage of your dash cam.
Power
Just like how different car brands offer varying fuel efficiencies, different dash cam brands consume power at different rates. For instance, a standard battery pack would last differently across various 2-channel dash cam models.
One-channel models generally consume less power, while three-channel ones consume more. These estimates can change depending on factors like usage conditions and parking environment.
Parking Mode FAQs
Yes, it extends dash cam functionality for surveillance when you’re away. In hit-and-runs or vandalism, having recorded footage is unnegotiable – not only for insurance purposes but also for police investigation. The presence prevent thieves from stealing your dash cam. Parking mode’s a feature that’s worthwhile for security considering the protection it offers.
Yes, a dash cam in parking mode does use some power from your car’s battery. However, most modern dash cams come equipped with a voltage cut-off feature that helps protect your car battery from being fully drained. It allows the dash cam to only use the excess power in the battery, ensuring it does not affect your car’s ability to start and operate normally. If you’re concerned about battery drain, consider using a dash cam battery pack or a hardwire kit with an integrated low-voltage protection feature.
Yes, as long as your dash cam is hardwired parking mode provides vehicle surveillance when your car’s unattended. It captures evidence of theft, vandalism, and hit-and-runs. It watches out for your automobile when you can’t.
Parking mode and motion detection are two features of a dash cam that can work together to provide enhanced surveillance. Parking mode refers to the dash cam’s ability to record footage when the car is parked, while motion detection is a specific type of parking mode which prompts recording to start when movement is detected around your vehicle. Motion detection saves storage space and power consumption when the dash cam doesn’t loop record continuously & only when something is happening.
Buffered parking mode is a special feature in some dash cams that provides a more comprehensive view around your vehicle. When in buffered mode, your dash cam is constantly recording & updating a footage feed. The dash cam is always capturing but only saves video when a trigger event happens. Because of the buffered nature, when event triggering happens the dash cam doesn’t start recording from that moment. It has footage from minutes before to give you the full picture which is saved by the Gravity Sensor in parked car accidents.
The Importance of Parking Surveillance
Now that we’ve covered the nuts and bolts of dash cam parking mode, it’s worth emphasizing its importance. Parking mode deters vandalism, helps solve hit-and-run mysteries, and can even capture unexpected events.
In a world where automobile insurance fraud is increasingly common, owning a parking mode dash camera can provide the hard evidence needed to protect you.
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