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Thanks, Foosh... I can usually associate your name with helpful replies.
I don't get warm fuzzies from looking at the Owl Cam. Why?
It's not for sale on Amazon, so I can't get any idea of how purchasers like it.
Their website kind of sucks--finally found the specs on it (but another link in their site called "specs" only listed a diagram of what the cam looked like (and where the mics, etc. were).
Their video showing how it protects against break-in (three of them at least) seem weird. The first one shows the guy's face as he sits in the driver seat--that's cool--but the other two videos (where the thieves don't enter the car) don't show any evidence of what good the camera does.
The biggest dashcam site (DashCamTalk) doesn't even list it (wow).
I see they charge you fees to really make proper use of it (and in-app purchasing).
So, I think I'll put this one on the "back burner" and check out the alternatives. Not ruling it out but... a bit leery.
Got it. I have the DR750S. The 900 came out several monthes ater I had mine installed. Foosh is using the Owl system and seems pleased with it. Good luck on your selection. Hope you get what you are looking for.
Thanks. Yeah, Foosh is usually helpful. I just replied to him about the OwlCam. Spent at least nearly half an hour looking for info on and about it.
@ 18% one-star reviews and following one reviewer's suggestion to Google "Blackvue 900 overheat", it seems to be a legitimate problem (and one search result was an admission from Blackvue of the problem and that they are working on a solution). At the price they charge, I'm not going to take the chance. Temps can get quite hot in Atlanta and my Corvette is more of a dark color than a light color. so...
So, I did Google Blackvue 900S overheat. Not many results for me to be worried about. Some results are same person on different sites (user in2ndo on Amazon and a couple of external sites). Having owned some cheaper dual channels, the 900S specs blow anything I had out of the water.
Thanks, Foosh... I can usually associate your name with helpful replies.
I don't get warm fuzzies from looking at the Owl Cam. Why?
It's not for sale on Amazon, so I can't get any idea of how purchasers like it.
Their website kind of sucks--finally found the specs on it (but another link in their site called "specs" only listed a diagram of what the cam looked like (and where the mics, etc. were).
Their video showing how it protects against break-in (three of them at least) seem weird. The first one shows the guy's face as he sits in the driver seat--that's cool--but the other two videos (where the thieves don't enter the car) don't show any evidence of what good the camera does.
The biggest dashcam site (DashCamTalk) doesn't even list it (wow).
I see they charge you fees to really make proper use of it (and in-app purchasing).
So, I think I'll put this one on the "back burner" and check out the alternatives. Not ruling it out but... a bit leery.
Thanks
OwlCam is a fairly new start-up company by former Apple geeks. They are following the original Apple marketing model, so they do all their own distribution, no Amazon, or retail outlets currently. Support is outstanding, installation takes about 5 minutes, it's an elegant design, wires are totally hidden easily in the C7, video-quality is excellent, like Apple products it just works perfectly, and is completely intuitive without needing to be a techie.
If you are not perfectly satisfied, they will accept a return and fully refund your money including supplying shipping label for return. There's no downside to trying it. I've never run across anyone who bought it and didn't like it.
All video is available within the app on your phone, there are no SD cards to mess with, and it's a Wi-Fi and 4G LTE based system. You can use one or the other. After the first year free 4G LTE subscription expires, if you don't want to pay $99/yr to renew and access your video that way, you can still use it while sitting in the car, which allows you to pair with the internal OwlCam Wi-Fi. That's free foreover. The LTE subscription allows to you access your video 3000 miles away from the vehicle, but many don't want or need that.
All video is saved in their cloud for 7-10 days, and if you want to save a clip, you just download it to your phone, save it on any computer, and keep it forever it you want.
So, I did Google Blackvue 900S overheat. Not many results for me to be worried about. Some results are same person on different sites (user in2ndo on Amazon and a couple of external sites). Having owned some cheaper dual channels, the 900S specs blow anything I had out of the water.
(smiling)... Don't misunderstand... Love the specs !
OwlCam is a fairly new start-up company by former Apple geeks. They are following the original Apple marketing model, so they do all their own distribution, no Amazon, or retail outlets currently. Support is outstanding, installation takes about 5 minutes, it's an elegant design, wires are totally hidden easily in the C7, video-quality is excellent, like Apple products it just works perfectly, and is completely intuitive without needing to be a techie.
If you are not perfectly satisfied, they will accept a return and fully refund your money. There's no downside to trying it. I've never run across anyone who bought it and didn't like it.
All video is available within the app on your phone, there are no SD cards to mess with, and it's a Wi-Fi and 4G LTE based system. You can use one or the other. After the first year free 4G LTE subscription expires, if you don't want to pay $99/yr to renew and access your video that way, you can still use it while sitting in the car, which allows you to pair with the internal OwlCam Wi-Fi. That's free foreover. The LTE subscription allows to you access your video 3000 miles away from the vehicle, but many don't want or need that.
All video is saved in their cloud for 7-10 days, and if you want to save a clip, you just download it to your phone, save it on any computer, and keep it forever it you want.
Thanks again for your reply (and time). I appreciate the "background" info on the company.
As to the subscription:
Without the subscription, if someone walks to the front of my car, pounds on the hood putting a dent in it and spits, will there be video for me to access to and provide to the police? (again, WITHOUT the subscription?)
IF someone breaks the glass and reaches inside and steals my sunglasses, will a notification and video be sent to my phone IF I DON'T have a subscription?
IF someone steals my OwlCam, I know I will receive another one for free but will I have video I can access showing the person who did it (WITHOUT having to pay Owl for a subscription)?
I'm assuming the subscription with them pays for "cloud storage". On top of those fees, I need to pay for phone access (4G or LTE) as well?
Thanks, Foosh. Hopefully, you can understand my questions...
Yes, without the subscription, if your phone is near the cam (e.g. sitting in your car), you can pair with the internal OwlCam Wi-Fi, download video to your phone, and send it via email just like to do any photo. That capability is free forever. Cloud storage of your video history for a few days after recording is also free forever. The time-frame covered is a function of how much your drive. For most people it's 7-10 days of video, but if you take a long road trip, it will be much less.
The only thing LTE gives you is the capability to do that remotely, as well as monitor your vehicle remotely. 4G LTE is free for the first year, so you have that long to decide whether you like that feature enough to pay $99/yr for it. That's the only extra charge after the first year.
Perhaps the most convenient feature is the ability to instantly save a clip to your phone by voice. If you say "OK Presto" right after an event you want to capture, it automatically saves that video to the phone app immediately preceding the event, the event itself, and right after.
Are there any units that are super small and maybe mount to the mirror or somewhere where they are kind of out of sight? I always think having a thing like that mounted on the dash or stuck to the windshield looks totally geeky and I would never put one on my car.
I have used various cheaper models from Amazon. Most have had problems with writing over old files or other problems.
Use Garmin Dash Cam 45 now (a little more expensive but worth it for my Vette) and seems to work very well. An Accessory cable for "parking" mode allows it to record when car is parked if needed. Have it mounted to the passenger side of the center rear view mirror so it is not in my (driver's) line of site.
Last edited by agapsdiver; 10-23-2018 at 01:10 PM.
Are there any units that are super small and maybe mount to the mirror or somewhere where they are kind of out of sight? I always think having a thing like that mounted on the dash or stuck to the windshield looks totally geeky and I would never put one on my car.
I think (because I don't have a camera system in my C7 yet), that most are using the Blendmount products. That's my plan anyway.
Are there any units that are super small and maybe mount to the mirror or somewhere where they are kind of out of sight? I always think having a thing like that mounted on the dash or stuck to the windshield looks totally geeky and I would never put one on my car.
If I understand what you are asking that is kind of a difficult thing to answer. Define "super small". The BlackVue system (whether it is the 900 or 750S) are relatively inconspicuous. They are cylindrical in shape probably 3 to 4 inches in length and can be mounted on the windshield or directly under the rear view mirror. As stated earlier the wiring is completely hidden. They also can provide you with alerts when the car is hit, bumper or tampered with. They system is in record mode at all times and has the ability to allow you to view what it is recording via a phone (iOS or Android) or tablet, also with a subscription or within a certain distance of the car (without going through the cloud). Personally I cannot speak for the OWL but from what Foosh was saying it has similar capabilities.
I think (because I don't have a camera system in my C7 yet), that most are using the Blendmount products. That's my plan anyway.
My BlackVue is mounted without the use of the Blendmount. Attached directly to the bottom of the mirror with 2 or 3 screws. Tied into the cars electrical when driving and its own battery when parked and shut off.
Yes, without the subscription, if your phone is near the cam (e.g. sitting in your car), you can pair with the internal OwlCam Wi-Fi, download video to your phone, and send it via email just like to do any photo. That capability is free forever. Cloud storage of your video history for a few days after recording is also free forever. The time-frame covered is a function of how much your drive. For most people it's 7-10 days of video, but if you take a long road trip, it will be much less.
The only thing LTE gives you is the capability to do that remotely, as well as monitor your vehicle remotely. 4G LTE is free for the first year, so you have that long to decide whether you like that feature enough to pay $99/yr for it. That's the only extra charge after the first year.
Perhaps the most convenient feature is the ability to instantly save a clip to your phone by voice. If you say "OK Presto" right after an event you want to capture, it automatically saves that video to the phone app immediately preceding the event, the event itself, and right after.
Then, if I understand you correctly, IFI have NO subscription to Owl / them AND IF I haven't paid for some kind of data plan to get LTE or 4G ability for the cam, THEN IF I am in Walmart or eating dinner and someone tries to steal my car, I will NOT be notified via my phone app from Owl. IF I am correct in my understanding of this, IF I am not notified because I didn't add a data plan and didn't buy a subscription from them, when I walk out and find my car gone, I will have no video of it to retrieve nor will there be any video of it stored anywhere (because I didn't pay for a subscription to them or pay for a data plan to store it with them).
IF so, that's a pretty expensive dashcam to invest in. $349 to start with (because they force you to buy a year subscription), and then, basically, $100 every year to store data and then, what, $25 a month for an extra data plan for it?
Again, if I seem a little incredulous, it's not because of you, it is them.
I have a "Hello" doorbell from Nest. Damned expensive thing. Basically, it ALSO is not worth a damn unless you buy a data-storage plan from them (which, at least is only $50 / year). And, at least it connects off existing WiFi in my home. But the doorbell is somewhat worthless without the storage plan if you are gone overnight or a few days at a time. Don't want to get sucked into another situation like that (and one that's more expensive as well).
Well now, without spending money for 4G LTE, then what you'd have is essentially every other dashcam on the market, right? In a stolen car situation, you'd be SOL with them too without a data plan and with your dashcam gone along with the car.
It's $99/yr. and that is the LTE connection and data plan. There is no other charge for storage or anything else. And without a plan, the phone app connects directly to the internal Wi-Fi in the cam, but you need to be inside the car. When the phone is in the car, it's always paired with the cam. You seem to be having difficulty comprehending that.
Again, all the LTE subscription gets you is the ability to do everything remotely, and then you'd be able to download video of your car being stolen and whatever else the bad person does with it until the camera gets unhooked, but you'd still have the video recorded up until that point.
If I understand what you are asking that is kind of a difficult thing to answer. Define "super small". The BlackVue system (whether it is the 900 or 750S) are relatively inconspicuous. They are cylindrical in shape probably 3 to 4 inches in length and can be mounted on the windshield or directly under the rear view mirror. As stated earlier the wiring is completely hidden. They also can provide you with alerts when the car is hit, bumper or tampered with. They system is in record mode at all times and has the ability to allow you to view what it is recording via a phone (iOS or Android) or tablet, also with a subscription or within a certain distance of the car (without going through the cloud). Personally I cannot speak for the OWL but from what Foosh was saying it has similar capabilities.
Yes, that’s more what I was thinking of. I was referring earlier to when I get in a lot of peoples cars and they have the little screen going that is suctioned cupped to the windshield or dash etc. It Looks like azz to me, and I would never have it no matter how good it does. That BlackVue looks interesting though and I love the Blenmount systems.
Last edited by Frankie2blue; 10-23-2018 at 03:00 PM.
Yes, that’s more what I was thinking of. I was referring earlier to when I get in a lot of peoples cars and they have the little screen going that is suctioned cupped to the windshield or dash etc. It Looks like azz to me, and I would never have it no matter how good it does. That BlackVue looks interesting though and I love the Blenmount systems.
My BlackVue is mounted without the use of the Blendmount. Attached directly to the bottom of the mirror with 2 or 3 screws. Tied into the cars electrical when driving and its own battery when parked and shut off.
Would you post some pics of your mounting method please?
I like the idea of the Owl except that it's powered by the OBD, which interferes with a Range device.
10-23-2018, 10:20 AM
