Mini DVR 2

[TimO]

Has anyone else tried the DogCam Mini DVR 2 (aka KL-509) ? I just bought one, and there are a few little odd anomalies.

The manual is a bit pants, it's clearly translated from the original Chinese, badly, since it has things like "Setting the video time", but with absolutely no explanation of what this time is (I think it's the maximum size of the video files that it produces, but why you would want to set this to anything other than the maximum 30 minutes I don't understand).

There's a slide switch on the side that will place the unit directly into recording mode, but regardless of what the motion detection setting is set to, it seems to record multiple files, I think each one starting when there is motion in the image. Rather annoyingly, if the vibrate is turned on, it buzzes each time.

I believe that you have to power the device on, and then slide this button to make it record in a mode where it ignores the other buttons, and which doesn't seem to record dozens of video files.

It came with a few cables, most of which make sense, but there's one which I can't fathom. At one end it has the four way jack socket which is used for AV in and out, but at the other end it has two female phonos (one red, one yellow) and a small power jack. The other AV cable has three phonos, red, yellow and white, which makes sense as composite and R/L Audio, but I have no idea what a power jack is doing on an AV cable. The manual doesn't mention it, does anyone know what it's for?

I've yet to really try out the camera, other than filming bits of the room, but I'll post some samples when I've used it "in the wild".

 

[TimO]

There's a slide switch on the side that will place the unit directly into recording mode, but regardless of what the motion detection setting is set to, it seems to record multiple files, I think each one starting when there is motion in the image. Rather annoyingly, if the vibrate is turned on, it buzzes each time.

OK, a little odd replying to my own message, but it is a motion detection mode. If it sees no motion for about ten seconds (if I put it against the desk, so it's just all dark), it vibrates once and ends the recording. When you start moving again, it vibrates three times, and starts recording, with up to 20 seconds of video from before the movement was detected. The vibration is a bit annoying, since the internal mike picks it up, and records it on the audio track!

I'm not sure if this is useful or not, although I guess it saves a bit on memory and batteries, but since I've got 32G of SD card in it, which is good for 25 hours of recording, I may not bother! Likewise the batteries are supposed to last for three hours of recording, so the two should be good for six hours.

I'm planning on using it for the FNRttC tonight, so it'll get a test in dark conditions (or as dark as London's roads are), and later on, nearer sunrise, when I'll put the second battery in, and see what it's like in daylight.

 

[MrOtford]

Hello TimO

How have you got on with the DVR2? I'm particularly interested in it's low light performance or, even better, it's no-light performance, as I intend to take it caving. The people at DogCamSport tell me it switches to monochrome at light levels below 0.1lux.

TIA

Richard

 

[TimO]

How have you got on with the DVR2? I'm particularly interested in it's low light performance or, even better, it's no-light performance, as I intend to take it caving. The people at DogCamSport tell me it switches to monochrome at light levels below 0.1lux.

Unfortunately, the camera failed on me, and it needs to go back to DogCam for a replacement.

What experimentation I have done, suggests as you say, that it goes in B&W at low light levels. A lot of the footage I took weren't really that low light, with street lights, bike lights, and motor vehicle lights in the view a lot of the time, and they tend to make the overall image a bit crap (lots of blooming). I'll look through what I do have from the FNRttC, and see if there's anything which is fairly dark.

 

[Tinuts]

If your camera has to go back to DogCam you should definitely ask them what they've got coming in as it might be worth exchanging for a different model. I recently had a very interesting conversation with someone there which has persuaded me to wait a few weeks before upgrading my kit.

 

[dogcam]

If your camera has to go back to DogCam you should definitely ask them what they've got coming in as it might be worth exchanging for a different model. I recently had a very interesting conversation with someone there which has persuaded me to wait a few weeks before upgrading my kit.

Hi All,

Just to let you know the new kit finally arrived and can be found here:
MiniDVR h720 New Bullet Camera System

TimO, how are you getting on with your MiniDVR2? We've had a lot of good feedback from that kit and very few faulty returns considering how many have been sold (sorry yours was one of them)
You should be able to disable the vibration from the menu system.

Even some of the most expensive bullet camera systems will struggle a bit in low light conditions with bright on coming lights. The lens apertures in bullet cameras are the limitation.

More than happy to answer questions....have a great weekend.

Mark

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Wish I'd known about this new system, I'd have waited for it!

So far my HQ1 system (with Archos recorder) has done a good job, apart from a few niggles:

1. The cables are pretty naff, the part where they enter the actual 'sockets' on the AV cable end are coming away from the cable already... and it doesn't look like they can be repaired.. this means that sometimes I get sound, sometimes I don't.

2. The external power pack which I paid extra for seems to intermittantly charge up when connected to the power supply... so sometimes it lasts a few rides, other times it cuts out after about 10 minutes when it should be fully charged!

3. The microphone has required disassembly and resoldering already as the cable came apart after a couple of weeks.

This new system seems to have more resilient cabling (and less of it) and a simpler setup to maintain... and would have been cheaper (what with the extra cost for the power pack, the Archos recorder and the Travel Adapter on the recorder to allow the camera to interface with it).

Grrrr!!

Dogcam... any chance I can return my kit and swap it for a system with less problems?

 

[dogcam]

Hi Sharky,


Yep, we were never keen on Archos setups. More trouble than they're worth but then we would have told you that if you had spoken to us!

Of course we'll get you up and running one way or another.

Give us a call sometime soon and ask to speak to me (Mark) and we'll see what we can do for you.

Cheers.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Hi Sharky,

Yep, we were never keen on Archos setups. More trouble than they're worth but then we would have told you that if you had spoken to us!

Of course we'll get you up and running one way or another.

Give us a call sometime soon and ask to speak to me (Mark) and we'll see what we can do for you.

Cheers.

Well that's very decent of you, I may have to take you up on that offer.

I've not had any issues with routing cables etc. (although there are a lot of the buggers!) or the Archos recorder itself, it's just the quality of the cables and the mic that have caused the problems. I spent £190 on the camera and optional external power supply (which seems to have its own issues too!) but would have happily spent an extra £60 for the upgraded DVR-2 HD setup you have.

 

[MrOtford]

Unfortunately, the camera failed on me, and it needs to go back to DogCam for a replacement.

What experimentation I have done, suggests as you say, that it goes in B&W at low light levels. A lot of the footage I took weren't really that low light, with street lights, bike lights, and motor vehicle lights in the view a lot of the time, and they tend to make the overall image a bit crap (lots of blooming). I'll look through what I do have from the FNRttC, and see if there's anything which is fairly dark.

Hi TimO

Thanks for your reply. Friend and I have bought a pair of the DVRH720 (aka DVR3). Can't say how they perform as both failed to operate! They're on their way back to those nice people at DogCam as I type.

Richard

 

[BentMikey]

iw00t!!!!

That would make a fine rear facing camera, LOL!

 

[Gramza]

Hi TimO

Thanks for your reply. Friend and I have bought a pair of the DVRH720 (aka DVR3). Can't say how they perform as both failed to operate! They're on their way back to those nice people at DogCam as I type.

Richard

Hi Richard


I also bought many DVRH720 and the new type mini DVR3 from Dogcamsport. Good performance for both till now,light weight and good video quality specially the DVR3,as the record bitrate up to 13mb/s. Its camera is low light possible for me. Both are good for motion detection. But i need to know very well about the units operation so i will buy more to finish it.

Gramza