I’m a very cautious driver, and very proud of the fact that I’ve never been involved in an accident of any kind. Unfortunately I can’t say the same for other drivers on the road, so to protect myself I’ve bought and installed a cheap AT700 HD Dashcam.
(Also sold as a G1W, Novatek and E-Prance dashcam – but they’re all fundamentally the same.)
Purchased from Amazon for a grand total of £40, this dashcam has all the functions I need for reliable video recording just in case the worst were to happen.
I also fitted a Class 10 32GB Micro SD Card (less than £15) to give me plenty of recording time. With the features of this specific camera though, that’s not too important.
You see, my favourite feature of the camera, aside from the 30fps Full HD recording, is the fact that it loops over old footage when the memory card fills up. This means you never have to unplug it from the car to delete the contents. Very handy.
Its wide lens captures almost everything with very good clarity, even at night. It also features a microphone to hear yourself sing along to the radio (hah!) or shout obscenities at passing vehicles.
Installation is very easy. There’s no need to hardwire it into the car as it will automatically turn on and off via ignition through the supplied cigarette lighter socket.
I hid the wiring away underneath the A-Pillar trim, and down behind the glovebox. The camera itself is just behind my rear-view mirror and held on with a very strong suction pad that still hasn’t detached over 2 years after fitment.
Inevitably it has its down sides – but only two. Upon plugging it into the lighter socket, the FM signal from the radio goes to hell. Thankfully I rarely listen to live radio, so this is a bit of a non issue for me. But definitely something to consider if you do.
Also, the unit sometimes doesn’t turn on along with the car, most often if you turn the ignition key and start the car too fast. But just unplug, and plug it back in and it’ll boot up.
Overall, this is a very worthwhile addition to your car. If you were to be in a no-fault accident with zero witnesses, the footage could be just what you need to prove your innocence.
