Hi all,
Used this forum a few times to get my head around prospective purchases. Initially had a 312GW for intended use for independent front and rear cams but noticed they don't include the intelligent parking modes which you can hard wire to a perm live fuse.
Anyway, current issues I'm having and seen already a thread about one of them.
Parking mode - Battery life and G Sensor - 512GW
Brand new 512GW purchased as a 'Christmas' gift second week into December, fitted my 'upgrade' 512GW on Christmas (naturally..) @ ~5pm using pre-existing nextbase hard wire kit.
Due to replacing a 312 I already knew the drill about fully charging the battery for a minimum of 2 hours, formatting the SD card, installing the latest firmware, set up all the settings including parking mode, tested in the house on a fitted glass mirror on my wardrobe with any movement. Topping back up to full charge with 3 hours of charging.
G sensor set to low. Parking mode on, tested again in the vehicle for 2 clips worth and shut down. It went off after I closed my doors and that is the last footage seen.
Within the next 2 days, someone did a hit and run and I was relieved knowing the dash cam was there. Came back to the 512 that would not turn on! Started panicking and thinking it maybe did not catch the incident.
Took the memory card out and plugged into my laptop, to find no footage since me closing the door on the 25/12...
After working out how expensive the repairs were going to be, and how useless the upgrade was (3 months old 312 would have captured it), I then proceeded to fully charge again. Once charged I placed back into my vehicle. (4 Hours this time)
It seems that some light/medium intensity rain had set it off 8 times back to back. Rendering the camera battery dead again (at least it captured something, albeit useless!)
Went back to Halfrauds being the retailer I purchased from second week of December, they suggested that the memory card being used was maybe at fault for the battery dying!? (UHS-3, Samsung Evo Plus 64GB - from reputable retailer)
Furthermore, "the battery of the Nextbase is expected to go flat within a day or two as it's not plugged into charge", some absurd stuff was said. It's worse when you have a technical background. Unless a battery is faulty, how can said battery deplete without being turned on or consumed within a day and a half!? Surely the low power sensor isn’t causing the camera to lose its entire charge over a day or so?
Either way I have to return to Halfords for them to contact Nextbase to initiate a RMA during their opening hours..
I know what a RMA is but I was a little shocked to hear that I couldn't return outside of Nextbase hours to a retailer who sold me the product under 2 weeks ago. Having asked what are my options in the meantime bearing in mind I've already had a hit and run occur, I asked if they could organise this between themselves and Nextbase, got a blank "Sorry for any inconvenience but you have to return during their opening hours, otherwise here is their contact number".
I've purchased a lot from Halford's, this is one of few rare instances where they've really dropped the ball. They tried to compare to having a faulty TV and trying to return to Curry's lol :/
iOS CamerViewer app
This honestly has to be one of, if not the worst app I have used in a long time. General UX interface is great and simple, it's the connectivity that brings it down to 1/5, if only 0/5 could be given...
The below is based on 4 dash cams, 312GW, 412GW x 2 and 512GW. All purchased within the past 2 months and on latest firmwares.
Once you turn the dash cam into the WIFI mode, you are presented with a password (the same password on all models!) to enter into your phone. The counter argument on a security front could be that it's only accessible when you press the button, but if I am in the knowledge that someone has a Nextbase camera, and is checking out their footage, or I happen to stumble across the wifi SSID, I can immediately access that network without any hassle. Even if you do this in the confines of your home, your neighbours still posses the ability to do so.
Anyway, back to the point. Once connected and you launch the app, you are greeted briefly by a screen asking you to either connect your dash cam or continue, this mostly takes you to the homepage if already connected. 2/10 times from a NEW connection you are able to see the dash cam in its current position and even click into the view of the camera, even start recording or take an image.
Attempting to view videos will nearly always present you with a rolling loading wheel that does not get you to the intended destination. If dash cam settings is greyed out despite being on the home page, forget about trying to get access to any media. Restarting the app, disconnecting (forgetting password), restarting the camera rarely help with troubleshooting or fixing the problem. For the 312GW I usually have to go to "Downloaded" first, then access media on the dash cam. If this is successful I wait a few moments prior to going back to the home page, then selecting app settings. Out of the 3, the 312 has been most reasonable in consistency using the app.
412GW.. I have to start a fresh connection, by this I mean the following
1.) Forget password
2.) Turn camera on
3.) WIFI Mode
4.) Connect phone to WIFI network and wait 2 minutes after confirming connection
5.) Open app
6.) Go to downloaded media section, wait 30 seconds then load Device media.
7.) Can view 1 video clip only, once press done homepage mentions to "connect to dash cam"
512 loses connection often, but can navigate between windows more successfully than the above 312GW, and 412GW
Here's a 3-4 minute video illustration of the problem, further to the above write out, this is the 412GW.
PENDING - need to blur out personal information switching between screens.
NIGHT TIME quality recording of my 512GW (again the 312GW seemed to give better quality)
Last but not least, anyone else have to return/exchange a faulty Nextbase to any retialer, what was their process? The response I got was something I'd expect 3 months+ into a problematic product.
Used this forum a few times to get my head around prospective purchases. Initially had a 312GW for intended use for independent front and rear cams but noticed they don't include the intelligent parking modes which you can hard wire to a perm live fuse.
Anyway, current issues I'm having and seen already a thread about one of them.
Parking mode - Battery life and G Sensor - 512GW
Brand new 512GW purchased as a 'Christmas' gift second week into December, fitted my 'upgrade' 512GW on Christmas (naturally..) @ ~5pm using pre-existing nextbase hard wire kit.
Due to replacing a 312 I already knew the drill about fully charging the battery for a minimum of 2 hours, formatting the SD card, installing the latest firmware, set up all the settings including parking mode, tested in the house on a fitted glass mirror on my wardrobe with any movement. Topping back up to full charge with 3 hours of charging.
G sensor set to low. Parking mode on, tested again in the vehicle for 2 clips worth and shut down. It went off after I closed my doors and that is the last footage seen.
Within the next 2 days, someone did a hit and run and I was relieved knowing the dash cam was there. Came back to the 512 that would not turn on! Started panicking and thinking it maybe did not catch the incident.
Took the memory card out and plugged into my laptop, to find no footage since me closing the door on the 25/12...
After working out how expensive the repairs were going to be, and how useless the upgrade was (3 months old 312 would have captured it), I then proceeded to fully charge again. Once charged I placed back into my vehicle. (4 Hours this time)
It seems that some light/medium intensity rain had set it off 8 times back to back. Rendering the camera battery dead again (at least it captured something, albeit useless!)
Went back to Halfrauds being the retailer I purchased from second week of December, they suggested that the memory card being used was maybe at fault for the battery dying!? (UHS-3, Samsung Evo Plus 64GB - from reputable retailer)
Furthermore, "the battery of the Nextbase is expected to go flat within a day or two as it's not plugged into charge", some absurd stuff was said. It's worse when you have a technical background. Unless a battery is faulty, how can said battery deplete without being turned on or consumed within a day and a half!? Surely the low power sensor isn’t causing the camera to lose its entire charge over a day or so?
Either way I have to return to Halfords for them to contact Nextbase to initiate a RMA during their opening hours..
I know what a RMA is but I was a little shocked to hear that I couldn't return outside of Nextbase hours to a retailer who sold me the product under 2 weeks ago. Having asked what are my options in the meantime bearing in mind I've already had a hit and run occur, I asked if they could organise this between themselves and Nextbase, got a blank "Sorry for any inconvenience but you have to return during their opening hours, otherwise here is their contact number".
I've purchased a lot from Halford's, this is one of few rare instances where they've really dropped the ball. They tried to compare to having a faulty TV and trying to return to Curry's lol :/
iOS CamerViewer app
This honestly has to be one of, if not the worst app I have used in a long time. General UX interface is great and simple, it's the connectivity that brings it down to 1/5, if only 0/5 could be given...
The below is based on 4 dash cams, 312GW, 412GW x 2 and 512GW. All purchased within the past 2 months and on latest firmwares.
Once you turn the dash cam into the WIFI mode, you are presented with a password (the same password on all models!) to enter into your phone. The counter argument on a security front could be that it's only accessible when you press the button, but if I am in the knowledge that someone has a Nextbase camera, and is checking out their footage, or I happen to stumble across the wifi SSID, I can immediately access that network without any hassle. Even if you do this in the confines of your home, your neighbours still posses the ability to do so.
Anyway, back to the point. Once connected and you launch the app, you are greeted briefly by a screen asking you to either connect your dash cam or continue, this mostly takes you to the homepage if already connected. 2/10 times from a NEW connection you are able to see the dash cam in its current position and even click into the view of the camera, even start recording or take an image.
Attempting to view videos will nearly always present you with a rolling loading wheel that does not get you to the intended destination. If dash cam settings is greyed out despite being on the home page, forget about trying to get access to any media. Restarting the app, disconnecting (forgetting password), restarting the camera rarely help with troubleshooting or fixing the problem. For the 312GW I usually have to go to "Downloaded" first, then access media on the dash cam. If this is successful I wait a few moments prior to going back to the home page, then selecting app settings. Out of the 3, the 312 has been most reasonable in consistency using the app.
412GW.. I have to start a fresh connection, by this I mean the following
1.) Forget password
2.) Turn camera on
3.) WIFI Mode
4.) Connect phone to WIFI network and wait 2 minutes after confirming connection
5.) Open app
6.) Go to downloaded media section, wait 30 seconds then load Device media.
7.) Can view 1 video clip only, once press done homepage mentions to "connect to dash cam"
512 loses connection often, but can navigate between windows more successfully than the above 312GW, and 412GW
Here's a 3-4 minute video illustration of the problem, further to the above write out, this is the 412GW.
PENDING - need to blur out personal information switching between screens.
NIGHT TIME quality recording of my 512GW (again the 312GW seemed to give better quality)
Last but not least, anyone else have to return/exchange a faulty Nextbase to any retialer, what was their process? The response I got was something I'd expect 3 months+ into a problematic product.
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