Dash Camera Interference

Author
Discussion

V8 Animal

Original Poster:

5,921 posts

210 months

Saturday 22nd April 2017
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I've just wired up my dash camera normal route across top of s creen and down the pillar to a 12v
Instantly lost DAB
I've had this problem in previous cars I asssume the lead causes interference with digital pick up using the same route.
I can't be on my own with this issue??

trickywoo

11,779 posts

230 months

Saturday 22nd April 2017
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It's god punishing you for joining the Stasi.

sas782b

41 posts

90 months

Saturday 22nd April 2017
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It might be worth trying ferrite cores on the cables - just a suggestion not speaking from experience.

vikingaero

10,322 posts

169 months

Sunday 23rd April 2017
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Some cars can have the DAB aerial running up an A-pillar and across the top of the windscreen. Try running it on the opposite side/pillar.

V8 Animal

Original Poster:

5,921 posts

210 months

Sunday 23rd April 2017
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Not that easy as no 12v that side and mirror casing in the way.

gmaz

4,396 posts

210 months

Tuesday 25th April 2017
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I've just tried mine and realised the same thing has happened with my DDpai mini 2 camera, I'm going to try changing the 12v/USB adaptor first to see if that helps

gmaz

4,396 posts

210 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
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gmaz said:
I've just tried mine and realised the same thing has happened with my DDpai mini 2 camera, I'm going to try changing the 12v/USB adaptor first to see if that helps
Well changing the 12v adaptor didnt help, I think the reason is that the camera has wifi so it is this that is wiping out the DAB signal. I don't see any way to turn off the wifi in the settings.

I tried adding some magnetic RF chokes to the USB cable but that didn't help (as expected)

5ltr-chim

635 posts

257 months

Sunday 7th May 2017
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Most dashcams will emit a signal that can interfere with radio or Sat-nav signals.

I tried several on the Cayenne until I found one that didn't block the signal (The sat nav antenna unit is behind the rear view mirror).

This i the sort I found worked for me:
https://www.tinydeal.com/k6000-hd-1080p-24-tft-veh...

I also added some ferrites to the cabling and used an inductor from an old pc power supply to cancel signal down the cable to e sure.

Edited by 5ltr-chim on Sunday 7th May 18:16

V8 Animal

Original Poster:

5,921 posts

210 months

Sunday 7th May 2017
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Bought a snooper and using same USB doesn't work properly and interferes with DAB
So I guess accessory is the issue however I don't have another source.

5ltr-chim

635 posts

257 months

Sunday 7th May 2017
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Could be or could be both cameras!

I tried several until I found one I could use.

Try running from a seperate supply and also try moving the camera position. You might be suprised.


V8 Animal

Original Poster:

5,921 posts

210 months

Sunday 7th May 2017
quotequote all
5ltr-chim said:
Could be or could be both cameras!

I tried several until I found one I could use.

Try running from a seperate supply and also try moving the camera position. You might be suprised.
I would be as I only have 1 supply and the other is snooper not a camera.

gfmucci

1 posts

72 months

Monday 16th April 2018
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The rear camera on my newly installed dash cam is mounted in the top middle of the rear window, and coincidentally, just below the shark fin antenna. When the rear camera is plugged in, the radio signals are severely degraded. No static or buzzing, or pulsing, or anything like that. It's just a deteriorated signal on both AM/FM and on Sirius especially. I'm guessing the proximity of the rear camera just beneath the shark fin antenna has attenuated the signal.

Before I devote a week to trial and error repositioning the rear camera, has anyone experienced the ideal minimum distance the camera should be mounted from such shark fin antenna?

Thanks.
Jerry

gmaz

4,396 posts

210 months

Tuesday 17th April 2018
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gfmucci said:
The rear camera on my newly installed dash cam is mounted in the top middle of the rear window, and coincidentally, just below the shark fin antenna. When the rear camera is plugged in, the radio signals are severely degraded. No static or buzzing, or pulsing, or anything like that. It's just a deteriorated signal on both AM/FM and on Sirius especially. I'm guessing the proximity of the rear camera just beneath the shark fin antenna has attenuated the signal.

Before I devote a week to trial and error repositioning the rear camera, has anyone experienced the ideal minimum distance the camera should be mounted from such shark fin antenna?

Thanks.
Jerry
Have you tried just using the front camera, to rule out the power supply? Some cheaper 12v USB adaptors can be the problem rather than the camera itself.

Dash-Cam Man

125 posts

107 months

Tuesday 17th April 2018
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The most common issue ever - to the OP, what vehicle do you have?

In our opinion, ferret rings don't work unless they are within the first 5cm of the camera connection, which is usually pretty hard when you have routed the cables behind plastic interior trim and have less than a cm on display to the camera. Popping a ferret ring on the cable behind the plastic trim will most definitely cause the trim to sit forward and out of position.

In a ideal world, the first thing you do in a dash camera installation is locate the DAB module, and route your wire down the opposite side.

Front cameras don't tend to be the main issue, as plugging in your front camera to a cigarette lighter acts as an earth, and actually helps reduce the interference emitted from the MOSFET, it's the rear camera that's usually the issue, and the culprit of any DAB killings.

You can try various things, like wrapping the dash camera cable in 3M Aluminium foil tape, however, again, this isn't always guaranteed to work, and certainly only helps gain some signal back than fully restore it.

There is no 100% guaranteed method that helps here, it's just one of these things that you can try and prevent, by routing your wires away from DAB cables, but you can't remove interface by doing any one thing.

Thanks, Jay

Heidfirst

179 posts

87 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
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Just had a Thinkware F800 Pro front & rear fitted by Dash-cam Man/Jay. 1 of my worries (from on-line research before buying the Thinkware) was DAB interference but pleased to say that none evident so far. smile The Thinkware lead is apparently thicker (so better shielded?) than most & no doubt the very professional install helped.

Dash-Cam Man

125 posts

107 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
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Heidfirst said:
Just had a Thinkware F800 Pro front & rear fitted by Dash-cam Man/Jay. 1 of my worries (from on-line research before buying the Thinkware) was DAB interference but pleased to say that none evident so far. smile The Thinkware lead is apparently thicker (so better shielded?) than most & no doubt the very professional install helped.
Hi Scott,

Ah thanks for your kind words. The rear cable on the F800 is most definitely better shielded than the rear cable for the Blackvue DR750S. Glad you haven't had any DAB issues so far.

Thanks, Jay

Tomo1971

1,129 posts

157 months

Sunday 22nd April 2018
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I have been looking at car specific forums (Audi) for DAB issues - the DAB reception is intermittent and wife comments that her car in same areas doesn't suffer. Google seems to bring up a few threads about USB interference - low and behold, cheap USB plug branded as 'Scosche'. Drove around and found a DAB dead spot, took out the USB, DAB came in. Reinserted it, DAB lost.

Happy days.

gmaz

4,396 posts

210 months

Monday 23rd April 2018
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Tomo1971 said:
I have been looking at car specific forums (Audi) for DAB issues - the DAB reception is intermittent and wife comments that her car in same areas doesn't suffer. Google seems to bring up a few threads about USB interference - low and behold, cheap USB plug branded as 'Scosche'. Drove around and found a DAB dead spot, took out the USB, DAB came in. Reinserted it, DAB lost.

Happy days.
I've tried a few and found that this one gave the least interference

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charger-Adaptor-Protectio...


Dash-Cam Man

125 posts

107 months

Tuesday 24th April 2018
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Tomo1971 said:
I have been looking at car specific forums (Audi) for DAB issues - the DAB reception is intermittent and wife comments that her car in same areas doesn't suffer. Google seems to bring up a few threads about USB interference - low and behold, cheap USB plug branded as 'Scosche'. Drove around and found a DAB dead spot, took out the USB, DAB came in. Reinserted it, DAB lost.

Happy days.
By removing power to the item which transmits the conflicting frequency on the same bandwidth, you of course would restore DAB, plugging it back in would of course cause the dash camera to power back up and reinitiate the interference, therefore loose DAB. Your test is not conclusive.

Read up on MOSFET chips, you will find your answer there.


Dr Doofenshmirtz

15,220 posts

200 months

Tuesday 24th April 2018
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It's the switching frequency of the buck converter in the power adapter that causes the issues. They typically switch at around 150khz, and although this is miles away from DAB frequencies (~225.648 MHz) the cheaper units still produce enough noise to kill reception.
To confirm it's the power adapter (the bit you plug into the ciggy lighter) simply power the dash cam from the internal battery (not a USB power bank as these contain buck-boost converters which also produce switching noise) - if the radio reception improves, then you will know for sure it's the power adapter.
Fixing the issue usually involves either buying a good quality power adapter, or fitting capacitors on the input and output side, fit a common mode suppression choke on the input and wrapping the thing in tin foil smile