Suggestions on Viofo A139 Pro

hjin on 21/09/2023 - 00:07

Hello, wanted to get people's experiences using the Viofo A139 Pro. Some specific questions:

  1. How does the dashcam handle Summer heat? Reports are that the heat-dissipation is not very effective in comparison to A119 for example.

  2. Aside from the hardwire kit, and an external battery, what is required for parking mode?

  3. Recommendations for an external battery.

  4. Power consumption is reportedly quite high. Has this caused any issues or concerns?

I am planning to get it hardwired to use parking mode outdoors in the Summer. As I would like to keep it for a few years, I am concerned with reliability due to reports of heat and power concerns. Would the A229 Pro (new) or older models be more suitable and reliable? Much appreciated.

Automotive Dash Camera VIOFO

Comments

  • CrushJelly on 21/09/2023 - 08:51
    +2

    https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/viofo-a139-3ch-review

    This review is for the non-pro version, but could still be useful.

    https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/viofo-t130-3ch-in-depth-…

    I personally run the A139 non Pro in 2 channel configuration. 2K 60 FPS for the front camera, which the T130 can't do. So even though the T130 form factor is newer, I believe the A139 chassis is superior. I have not tried the A139 Pro personally. I prefer 2K 60 FPS vs 4K 30 FPS.

    Re: your heat question:

    In the A129 range, the issue with the Pro vs the 2K Plus version is that the rear camera does not have its own processor, therefore would put more load/heat on the main camera unit.

    Although we have yet to test the VIOFO A129 Plus Duo in a Beat the Heat experiment, we tested the A129 Pro and we were quite surprised to find that the A129 Pro was pretty heat-resistant. We expect the A129 Plus to be the same if not better in terms of heat resistance because the A129 Plus Duo rear camera has its own chipset and does its own video recording and encoding. What this means is, the main unit (front camera) now doesn't need to work as hard and will generate less heat and making it less likely to overheat.

    There have been reports of issues with Pro versions, but I currently have A129 Pro Duo in 1 car and A129 Plus Duo in about 3 other cars, with no issues with any of them.

    Some more of my commentary below:
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/13927242/redir

  • CrushJelly on 21/09/2023 - 08:55
    +1

    To answer your other questions

    1. Hardwire kit and battery is all you'll need.

    2. I have Cellink Neo in 3 cars, oldest one is about 2 years old. No issues in any of them.

    3. Power consumption shouldn't matter, as long as the battery can keep up in parking mode. You might want a larger capacity battery depending on how long you need to record for.

    • hjin on 21/09/2023 - 11:09

      Thanks for the reply. Based on testing from Dashcamtalk forums, the A139 Pro's heat measured 68.3°C/61°C in 10°C/12°C environment (respective) after prolonged use. Our Summer's get hot, especially outdoor parking, so am worried about it causing issues.

      Question about the Cellink Neo, on average how long does it last in parking-mode, and how do these external battery packs recharge?

  • Evil-Elmo on 21/09/2023 - 09:29
    +2

    Aside from the hardwire kit, and an external battery, what is required for parking mode?

    and

    Hardwire kit and battery is all you'll need.

    I don't have a dashcam but am also interested in this model and have similar questions. I thought the hardwire kit used the car battery, rather than an external battery?

    Edit: or can you put an external USB battery bank in between?

    • hjin on 21/09/2023 - 11:02

      AFAIK the external battery is utilised by the dashcam when the car is switched off (parking), hence, no power supply from the car battery. I'm unsure how the external battery pack is actually charged.

      Re: USB battery pack, there are concerns of heating issues as they're not designed for prolonged use (lithium-ion battery issues I presume)

      • chcse on 21/09/2023 - 11:15
        +1

        External battery pack connects to cigarette charger so it charges while car running (you can also hardwire it to the car battery). The external battery pack then powers the dashcam via hardwiring so that it automatically goes in and out of parking mode.

        I also use Cellink Neo. First one I bought in 2019, no issues at all. Recently got a second one for family's car but that one I am trying to get a replacement from manufacturer as I think there is issue with it (but the build quality is nicer than my original one).

        My original Cellink Neo can do around 30 hours with a Viofo A129 Duo. The newer ones have larger capacity (6000mah vs 7500mah). Well worth it as I caught someone hitting me in a car park while I was away and they didn't leave a note. I got the rego plate to forward to insurer and police so I didn't need to have an at-fault claim.

        • hjin on 21/09/2023 - 19:16

          Makes sense, thank you. I'm curious to know how the video quality was on the hit-and-run on the A129? As I'm wanting parking-mode, my concern with getting a 1080p dashcam is number plate visibility when someone hits my car.

          The A129 Duo looks like a good alternative to the Blackvue 750X Plus, which I've nearly decided as a local auto-electrician sells and install. I'm worried about after-sales support with Viofo, as I'm assuming if there are faults it will need to be shipped back to their warehouse overseas. Have you run into any issues with the HK3 hardwiring kit (known to be faulty)?

          • chcse on 21/09/2023 - 19:31
            +1

            @hjin: My hit and run was at night, but managed to still get the number plate, even if it was a little bit blurry. Main thing was that I still managed to get the numbers and letters. Daytime quality is really good, night time for front is good, rear is okay but it will always be hard for any rear camera when they have the car headlights shining straight into them. I think they only sell the A129 Plus Duo now (2K front and 1080p rear) which is pretty solid. Viofo support in general is fairly good from what I could look online (but mostly overseas feedback). I managed to get them to send a replacement power cable really easily when the one that came with my order was faulty.

            For HK3 hardwiring kit, there was a bad batch from Jan22 to around Sep22 or so where they would have a high failure rate. It's been fixed now so any batches after would be fine (I got one last month and it was dated Jul23), there's also the "Topgear" one which apparently is also official by Viofo from what I could tell online.

  • brad1-8tsi on 21/09/2023 - 12:54

    I have a Viofo A129 front / rear.

    Handles the heat fine - have been to NT and Sydney summers. The only failure has been the adhesive on the rear camera - not helped by thousands of km of corrugated roads.

    I have the hardwire kit. The car sits for days and there is no noticeable effect on the car battery

    • Evil-Elmo on 21/09/2023 - 16:21

      After doing some research after OPs post, it appears the A139 has bigger heat issues. This is likely due to the higher resolution and processing requirements.

      • hjin on 21/09/2023 - 19:03

        Correct, seems like 4K dashcams in general have heating concerns due to higher power consumption. I guess it can be avoided by reducing bitrate/quality, but then what's the point of purchasing a 4K anyway then?

  • billy72 on 22/09/2023 - 14:47

    1. Viofo handles heat quite well. even better than Blackvue IMO

    2. Parking mode of Viofo is shit and doesn't even have the option to turn it on/off manually. So if you want parking mode, don't go with Viofo

    3. Cellink neo or Blackvue.

    4. Not too high, but an external battery pack can not handle 24 hours of normal recording.

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