Blackvue DR900S-2CH Dashcam DEAD!

[Neal]

The Blackvue in my RV is still working great. For some reason I decided to check on my TOAD Blackvue which is the front/rear model (2 channel) as I do rely on this for campground security especially with the new e-bike purchase. Last recording was 3/22 and it's dead! I checked fuses at the fuse panel where the parking magic pro connects, all fine there. There is a fuse in the 12V adapter and that fuse is blowing. And all spares have blown in an effort to see what's going on. I suspected maybe my four legged shark chewed the rear channel wire. Nope. Seems others have had problems as well so I think the unit is a goner.

New unit is on the way, the DR900X-2CH and I'm hoping I can drop in the cameras and use existing wiring. One cool thing is it appears they removed the need for the parking magic pro add-on and can have the camera stay on until a preset voltage or timer which is what the parking magic pro did. I can still use the PMP but I have to figure out if that may have been a source of the problem.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08D99FZ29/?tag=rvf01-20

Sadly Amazon doesn't sell insurance for this otherwise I would have bought this. The RV unit is going strong for probably 3 years now. The TOAD made it 1 1/2 years I'm guessing.

 

[Scooterfan]

That doesn't seem like an acceptable life span for a product like that. Does the manufacturer offer any support? I would certainly reach out to them, and make sure you you let them know how much influence you have in the RV community ?

 

[Neal]

That doesn't seem like an acceptable life span for a product like that. Does the manufacturer offer any support? I would certainly reach out to them, and make sure you you let them know how much influence you have in the RV community ?

I think they are a South Korean company, I'm definitely going to check into it. I've heard sending it off for repair isn't that expensive. I've heard of fees around $70. Will contact them today before I open the new unit and/or get out of the return window. Will let you know what I find out.

 

[Neal]

Very easy to get ahold of support. They are checking into the issue, may be a board issue in the camera. Awaiting for call back after they research it.

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[redbaron]

Very easy to get ahold of support. They are checking into the issue, may be a board issue in the camera. Awaiting for call back after they research it.

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Subscribed for results. I have 6 of the Dr900s units and so far not one failure.

I didn't like the PMP, so I made my own. I use it for several devices like my tailgate lights, etc. If left on, ensures will not kill by battery. Having it built into the camera makes sense and is a nice feature.

 

[Neal]

Well, I got more fuses, 5A and 15A but I think it's only a 2A in the 12V plug but couldn't find 2A at Walmart or AutoZone. 5A blew, 15A smoked and melted the plug My next test is to buy a new 12V power cord, obviously now I need one, as maybe that was bad. If I can find one and it's cheap I'll do it but I think the camera is dead, not sure if getting full AZ sun did some harm or not. RV one has been behind the magneshade.

 

[Neal]

Ordered new power cord for $20. Will be my last effort but still waiting to hear from Blackvue.

 

[redbaron]

@Neal ...simple test. Unplug the power from DVR and put in the smallest fuse you have. If it blows, then it's power cord shorting.

If not, then the DVR is internally shorted.

 

[Neal]

I heard back from Blackvue and also received my new power cable (12V). The procedure they recommended was remove the SD card and connect to my computer. Download the latest Blackvue Cloud Viewer Desktop software which was newer than what I had. The next step was to download the latest firmware and copy to the SD card. Place the SD card into the camera and power on. Fuse blew again!

I asked for a courtesy replacement. We'll see what they say. Even if I have to send this in for repair that is fine with me, I have another car at home that could use this one should I decide to use the new DR900X I have in my storage cabinet waiting for this troubleshooting to play out. I paid $500 for the DR900S-2CH so I'm not going to just throw it away. We'll see how Blackvue customer service plays out.

 

[Neal]

Heard back again from Blackvue, they offer an out of warranty repair (after 1st year) for $75. That's reasonable to me so that's what I'm doing. Now to return my other purchase.