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Best Dash Cams in Hot Weather Environments
This article reviews 4 of the best dash cams in hot weather environments.
The units chosen cover a range of budgets from the lower priced Aukey Dash Camera up to the premium brand Thinkware U1000.
Heat Resistant Dash Cams
If you live in Arizona, Texas, Florida, or any other state in which summer temperatures can go well beyond 90℉.
You should be familiar with how unbearable it can be inside the car if left out in the open.
On a hot summer day, the temperature inside the car can range between 110℉ and 162℉ degrees.
These extreme temperatures can affect a dash cam as they are exposed to direct sunlight.
Dash cam manufacturers have been struggling to find better ways to dissipate heat and make their products more durable.
Some design features to improve their resilience to extreme temperatures also included the hardware used inside the units.
Let’s take a look at 4 dash cams that have proved they can operate in extreme temperatures.
AUKEY Dash Cam FHD 1080P Car Camera
Operating temperatures and heat dissipation
The Aukey dash cam is a great budget solution. It has operating temperatures that range between 22℉ to 167℉. Heat is dissipated through two top-mounted vent grills, preventing heat build up inside the hardware.
Aukey uses EDLC supercapacitors designed to withstand and are more resilient to high temperatures.
The capacitors are estimated to have a service life 20 times that of a regular lithium battery. This adds to the Aukeys ability to operate in extreme temperature environments.
Hardware specs
Looking at the form factor, the camera is very compact. It uses a Sony sensor that captures clear 1080p video.
Although image quality during daytime is satisfactory, during nighttime the quality is mediocre but still more than acceptable at this price range.
The camera lens field of view is an impressive 170-degree wide angle.
This is very wide indeed and will have no problem covering any potential incidents that may occur in front and to the extreme sides of a vehicle.
Loop recording is a standard on all Aukey dash cams as you’d expect. The unit supports a number of micro SD card capacities up to 128 GB.
Aukey does recommend using either the SanDisk or Samsung high endurance memory card brands though.
Practicality
To reduce manufacturing costs and keep the camera price tag low, Aukey have not included a module for WiFi connectivity.
The lack of being able to use a dedicated mobile app does take away some practical uses for everyday use.
Managing the camera’s internal storage and menu options is done exclusively using the physical buttons beneath its small 2-inch display.
To access the video recordings, you have to take out the memory card and insert it into your mobile phone or a memory card reader and store directly from the card.
The camera itself is very small and easy to install. It does not come with a hardwiring kit but a third party one may be purchased separately.
- Low-profile ‘stealth’ dash cam sits unnoticed behind your rear view mirror, ready to back you up in the event of any incident on the road. Sony Exmor Sensor captures everything in super-sharp full 1080p resolution with super-wide 170° field of view and maintains strong performance in low-light conditions for nighttime driving. Captures video (with optional in-car audio) and stills
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Anker Roav Dash Cam C2 Pro
Supercapacitor and cooling vents
The Roav C2 dash cam does stand out in terms of how it handles extreme heat. Instead of using supercapacitors, it has an internal battery.
The steel frame beneath the plastic housing helps dissipate heat more efficiently compared to some regular low budget cameras.
To allow the heat to escape, the enclosure has small vents on the bottom side. This design aspect allows the camera to operate at temperatures ranging from 32℉ to 158℉.
When plugged into the lighter power socket the unit has an extended temperature range from -4℉ to 158℉. Ideal for extreme winter as well as hot weather.
WiFi and GPS Features
Despite being a budget camera, the Roav C2 Pro offers decent video quality.
The unit uses the Sony Starvis sensor for image capture.
Starvis chips are a popular choice amongst lower to mid-range cameras used by many dash cam manufacturers.
The dash cam records in 1080p, has loop recording, WiFi support, built-in GPS, and a 3-inch display.
The dash cam in this Pro version includes a 32GB micro SD card. Anker doesn’t state clearly what the maximum supported capacity is for SD cards.
However, operating the unit with both Samsung or SanDisk up to 128GB in capacity works well in practice.
Practicality
The dash cam has WiFi support which means it can be managed with a smartphone. Anker offers a dedicated mobile app that can be used to control the settings.
Some of the settings accessed via a mobile are parking mode, recording resolution, transfer of video files, still shots recording, internal storage management to name a few.
You can even share videos on social media websites or more importantly email video clips to an insurer in the event of an incident.
Compared to the Aukey, the Roav C2 it is noticeably larger. This of course makes it easier to spot through the windshield.
On the plus side the larger screen and physical buttons make it easier to navigate through different settings.
Lastly, the built-in lithium battery powers the dash cam while in parking mode for up to 3 days.
Compared to supercapacitor dash cams which are required to be hardwired to the fuse box for extended periods of operation while in parking mode.
- Total Night-Vision: A cutting-edge Sony Starvis sensor and NightHawk technology deliver superior performance to clearly capture speeding license plates—day or night.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Viofo A129 Pro Duo 4K Dual Dash Cam
Hot weather durability and heat dissipation
Viofo, as a brand, has dominated the mid-range market for some time. Their main selling points are practicality and also a degree of resilience to their dash cams, especially in hot weather.
The A129 Pro Series uses premium capacitors. Being a dual dash cam setup, most would assume that supercapacitors are used for the rear unit as well but that is not the case.
The front camera has larger capacitors that power the rear camera via a physical cable connecting the two units together.
Both cameras in this dual channel set up have vents on the sides and right next to the mounting point, enabling better internal heat dissipation.
With the capacitors and the vents, the A129 Duo can operate at temperatures between 15℉ 10 150℉.
Image Sensors & Hardware
Both the front and rear cameras use Sony image sensors.
The front camera has the superior Sony Exmor sensor while the rear one uses a Sony Starvis.
Both sensors and the image processors offer excellent video quality during both daylight hours and night time.
License plates are readable in low light conditions due to the quality provided by the Sony chips.
The main camera has a small 3-inch display and physical buttons that can be used to manage both cameras.
It has WiFi support and both cameras support 4K resolution which is a feature only seen on top of the range cams.
Functions & Practicality
The main front camera is quite large and the display can be difficult to see the way it’s mounted due to the angled position.
On the upside, the shape of the front camera does have a more stealthy profile making the camera less easy to spot from outside. The rear camera is much smaller and more discreet of course.
Hard Wiring Kit
Viofo makes a bunch of accessories that can be purchased separately. As the A129 Pro Series uses capacitors, for the parking mode, it is recommended to get their hardwiring kit if you intend to leave the car unattended for long periods.
There is also a Bluetooth remote that can be purchased which makes it much easier to instantly save video files more discreetly if necessary.
- 【Ultra HD Real 4K Dual Channel Dash Cam】 Adopt top quality Sony 8MP IMX317 Sensor on front camera and Sony IMX 291 sensor on rear camera, this dual dash cam captures super clear view at Ultra HD 4K 3840 * 2160 @30fps + 1920 * 1080P @30fps at the same time. 4K resolution offer amazing video quality, four time higher than a regular Full HD recording. Help you read most details from street signs, license plate etc. Give you peace of mind when youre driving.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Thinkware U1000 Dual Dash Cam 4K
Operating temperatures and heat dissipation
Thinkware made the choice to use capacitors for the U1000 dual dash cam. It has operating temperatures that range from 15℉ up to 140℉.
While the numbers may not seem that impressive on paper, the front camera has vent openings on the sides that prevent it from reaching extreme internal temperatures.
The supercapacitor in the main unit powers the rear unit similar to how the Viofo A129 Duo does.
4K Image Sensors
Both the main and rear cameras use Sony Starvis sensors that can record at 4K video resolution.
While recording at 4K may seem a nice feature to have, it requires a premium memory card with a higher endurance rating compared to 1080p recording.
In the lower 1080p and 2K resolutions, the video quality still makes it easy to read license plates even in poor lighting conditions.
Unlike the Viofo, the Thinkware has a built-in GPS module that tracks speed and location in real time.
WiFi is built in as standard and if it is connected to a mobile hotspot, the camera can be managed over the internet using the dedicated mobile app. It also has a G sensor that can detect impacts, plus a built-in microphone.
Mobile App
The mobile application makes it very easy to manage video files. It allows full access to all the camera settings as well as the storage. Videos can be transferred using the mobile app at relatively high speeds over the wireless connection.
Memory cards of up to 128GB are supported, however they will need to be high endurance micro SD cards to handle loop recording.
Parking Mode
For parking mode, the camera has 3 different settings but the most practical aspect is that it comes with a built-in voltmeter.
The camera is smart enough to detect the battery voltage when the car is turned off and shut down if the voltage is dangerously low.
The size of the main camera is similar to the Viofo A129. If the unit is installed correctly, it should be barely visible from outside the vehicle. The rear camera is very small and is practically unnoticeable from long distances.
- 【4K UHD 30FPS or 2K QHD 60FPS】Capture sharp detailed footage in 4K native UHD or switch to 2K QHD at 60fps to make license plate reading a breeze with the new and improved 8 42MP Sony STARVIS image sensor
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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