A229 Pro Overheating

[Agie]

Will be interesting to see, but looks like this may be verification of what I found earlier this year with the A229 Pro myself that it doesn't cope well with the summer heat.

 

[mentadent]

I was thinking of upgrading from A139 Pro to A229 Pro for the improved rear camera, but I think I'll hold off until this gets figured out.

 

[Agie]

I was thinking of upgrading from A139 Pro to A229 Pro for the improved rear camera, but I think I'll hold off until this gets figured out.

Not sure it will, shame cos the rear camera in my testing doesn't get as hot (probably cos it faces away from the sun a lot of the time) but it seems the Yanks here will verify the heat issues I had a few months back.

It's for protection of the camera I understand, just wish there might be something done to better dissipate the heat as the VS1 doesn't have these issues. Probably cos it's only pushing 2K rather than 4K and less heat generated. It might be out of Viofo's control though...

 

[mentadent]

Does reducing the resolution reduce the heat? Is there an option for it?

 

[Agie]

Does reducing the resolution reduce the heat? Is there an option for it?

It would I'd say because you're reducing the bitrate and work the processor has to do in capturing footage. But if you step it down to 2k then what is the point, may as well get an A229 Plus instead you know

 

[Mtz]

Does reducing the resolution reduce the heat? Is there an option for it?

The A139 has no screen and bigger case which results in a better cooling.
The A229 Pro has on the secondary camera a separate chipset for its video encoding and in this way some power and heat are also on the rear camera. But the main heat generator is the 4K encoding.
For 1 and 2CH I don't see heat problems even if the camera is used in parking mode during summer. The problem appear when he natural cooling of the camera is affected by some external action, like using an windshield sun shader. Or laying down the original car sun shader over the camera.

I know a case when a guy started complaining about his 2CH dashcam not working because of heat and finally he discovered that not the camera was the problem but the HK3 which was mounted improperly, the vent holes covered resulting in an overheat of the HK3. After he resolved the problem with the HK3 camera started to working as expected.

I know very well the Viofo products and when something is happening with the dashcam it is user fault. Just imagine that a lot of Viofo dashcams are sold in hot areas of USA or in Australia and we don't see hundreds of posts of cameras stopping working because of heat. 99.99% is because of some external factor, not the camera.
I can see a problem with overheating of a Viofo dashcam only if during manufacturing the CPU radiator was not well attached on the CPU but I don't see that because the rear cover of the dashcam is pressing the radiator so it is staying in touch with the main chipset.

Another problem which can happen is that the dashcam is under very hot conditions because of sun visor or windshield sun shader for a period. In that period the thermal paste can lose its properties because of too much heat and the contact between the CPU and the radiator is damaged forever. Because of this even when it is not too hot the camera will start to fail working. The processor is not cooled properly anymore by its radiator. If the thermal paste is damaged and radiator cannot transfer the heat to the camera case for cooling, the camera will start to fail.

 

[Nedla]

Is there a “parasol” for the VIOFO models to buy anywhere on the market? Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything yet.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Is there a “parasol” for the VIOFO models to buy anywhere on the market? Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything yet.

Ask @rcg530 he has a 3D printer and has been experimenting making just such a device.

 

[Mtz]

Is there a “parasol”

So you want an official killer for their own dashcam?
If you will look on the rear and sides of the dashcam there are some vent holes. That vent holes must not be obstructed by anything because from there the hot air inside cam is going out into the interior of the car and there it is expected the air to be colder compared to the case temperature.

If you want to try anything to not obstruct the natural cooling of the camera try some aluminium film and glue it to the windshield in some way the solar rays to not hit the camera. Maybe something like 10x15cm to be attached to the windshield and then attach the camera in the middle of it. In this way the solar rays will not touch even the GPS mount.
But I don't see anybody will want to drive with an aluminium rectangle on the windshield. Maybe it is even illegal.


I saw some idiot using a windshield sun shader and making a hole where the lens is popping out to record in parking mode. Just another dashcam killer because that sun shader will stay in contact with the camera, obstructing the hot air to go out in the car and cooling.

 

[Dashmellow]

One option for shielding a dash cam from direct sun is to use a piece of static cling window tint film. These tints are easy to cut to size and apply, can be easily removed and will keep your camera cooler than without it. Using window tint film won't in any way block the camera's ventilation. I've used this method for several years now for the rear facing camera in my truck. Originally, my motivation was to make the camera as stealthy as possible so I installed a 4 inch tall by 1 foot wide strip of 5% tint film across the top of the center glass panel of my truck's rear window with a square hole cut in it for the lens to see through that doesn't in any way block what the camera can see. You can cut the film to work around the point where the camera's GPS mounts to the glass as well as provide for the lens opening. My installation is discreet and makes the camera nearly impossible to see from outside my vehicle while also effectively shielding the camera from direct sunlight. Keep in mind that you're not looking to apply tint to your entire windshield here, only a small area around your camera.

You'll find this product on Amazon, automotive supply store or big box stores.

Amazon.com : static cling auto tint film

It is available in a variety of light transmission and heat blocking strengths.

 

[Karagandinez]

This is how the models are installed in my car: Mini 2 on the left and A229 Pro on the right of the rear view mirror.
This dot silk screen protects them from direct sunlight. Not as much as we would like, but at least something.

 

[Dashmellow]

This is how the models are installed in my car: Mini 2 on the left and A229 Pro on the right of the rear view mirror.
This dot silk screen protects them from direct sunlight. Not as much as we would like, but at least something.

View attachment 72267

You can buy a product that looks much like windshield frit but is actually a static cling film like I posted about above that can be cut to size and used in the same way,

 

[Karagandinez]

You can buy a product that looks much like windshield frit but is actually a static cling film like I posted about above that can be cut to size and used in the same way,

Silkscreen printing is enough for me. Direct rays of the sun do not pass through it.

 

[Dashmellow]

Silkscreen printing is enough for me. Direct rays of the sun do not pass through it.

FWIW, the frit on your window isn't really silk screening. It is a mixture of silica and fluxes which are fused at high temperature to the glass. That's why they have a texture.

I do the same as you on my front facing cameras. I only suggested it as an alternative for someone who wants to protect the whole camera from direct sunlight if they might be be interested in having the camera viewing through a hole cut in the heat protective film.

 

[Mtz]

This dot silk screen protects them from direct sunlight.

As I said, you are a very lucky car-dashcam owner. Viofo should buy such windshields for the Viofo beta testers. Viofo wedge dashcam was created for such windshield and all people with should buy only wedge type dashcams no matter if they are Viofo or not.
In theory also the lens part should be protected from heat but at least on the 4K models the lens part is cooler compared to all other parts of the dashcam. So the direct sun should not affect it in parking mode. I know Viofo are afraid about CMOS overheating but I hope they will pass over this and do the correct things for future model.

 

[Karagandinez]

As I said, you are a very lucky car-dashcam owner. Viofo should buy such windshields for the Viofo beta testers.

The thing is that this photo was taken in one car, and the latest videos from the A229 Pro were taken in another car.
One car has an A229 Pro installed, the other has an A229 Plus, and from time to time I swap them,
because one car moves more during the day and the other at night.

 

[mentadent]

I'd buy a replacement Starvis 2 rear cam for my A139 Pro if they made them.

 

[rcg530]

An update on my A229 Pro 2CH (w/rear camera) that is turning off on its own. Between power down event 1 and event 2, I switched the battery pack that supplies power to the VIOFO HK4 hardwire kit (last week's test) and it still powered down. For this week's test, I swapped out the VIOFO HK4 hardwire kit for another "optimized" HK4 hardwire kit. During today's drive, the A229 Pro powered down at almost the exact same place in the parking lot.

I'm going to put together a video demonstrating the issue with the A229 Pro powering down along with four other dash camera acting as witnesses to the power down event. It seems that if I remain parked with the engine on, the A229 Pro remains in normal recording mode, but when I start driving and make a right hand turn in the parking lot, it powers down. The last things to try are replacing the A229 Pro GPS module or it's the A229 Pro front camera.

 

[rcg530]

Here's my unlisted video of today's A229 Pro power down event.

 

[Mtz]

Try this: remove the rear camera cable from main unit and and power it from that port and not GPS port.
Waiting for the feedback.