How To Install A Dashboard Camera

Dashboard cameras are named funny, because they don’t actually go on your dashboard – a better place for them is actually your windshield!

All the dashcams we carry are very easy and straightforward to mount.

They all come with simple suction cup holders that you can use to stick the dashboard camera on the windshield, much like you’d place a cellphone mount or a GPS mount.

There are however a few things you should keep in mind.

Tips to mount a dashcam on your windshield

Don’t let it disrupt your field of vision

• When you attach your dashcam to the windshield, you need to place it in such a way that it doesn’t mess up your view of the road – the dashcam is meant to protect you, after all, not jeopardize your driving!
• A good place to mount it is towards the center of the windshield and close to the dashboard – this way it doesn’t really get in your field of view and still captures good video.
• Another handy place to mount it is right behind your rear-view mirror. We are used to this area not being visible anyway, so placing it there will get you good video and not be in your way.

 

Point it for optimal video quality.

• The sun’s glare can mess up an image from even the best cameras, so you want to point your dashcam in such a way that the sun’s glare doesn’t effect it too much – otherwise your colors will be washed out and the video will be too bright or too dark, and pretty much useless.
• A good way to work around this problem is to point your dashcam slightly downwards so that the sun’s glare doesn’t hit it directly, and you can see a bit of your car’s hood from the camera feed.
• Once you think your positioning is right, just play back a video and see how it is(under sunny conditions when you’re facing the sun), and adjust as necessary.

Powering your dashcam

Powering your dashcam is pretty simple, too. The dashcams we carry are all powered using your car’s 12V adapter – just plug it in and you are good to go.

Another option is to hardwire your dashcam into the car itself.

This requires a fair bit of electrical work, and if you aren’t too confident doing it yourself, you best take it to an auto shop where they will do it for you. Why? Because the slightest mistake may cause a lot of other things to stop working in your car!

This video is an example of how to conceal the wire from your dashcam running to your 12V adapter: