Garmin’s NuviCam Takes GPS Tech One Step Further

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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If you are looking for a new GPS device for your older model car, give the nuvicam from Garmin a look. It’s not just your run of the mill GPS, but also incorporates a dash cam, enhanced navigational features, and driver-assisted features that are found in the newer luxury vehicles.

The nuviCam LMTHD goes beyond helping drivers get from Point A to Point B. The intuitive driver-assist features not only lessen the stress of getting you to your destination, but the nüviCam also provides peace of mind in knowing that your commute is being recorded and can be referenced should you need it.
 
2015 and still using a dedicated GPS instead of a smartphone... *shakes head*
 
There is a big market for dashcams. You would have thought the GPS makers would have jumped on it years ago since their market has been slashed by smart phones.

They took so long that there's a few Chinese companies that make damn good camera systems (front and back 1080p). It's been interesting to watch the Techmoan (YouTube) reviews over the years as they've evolved from crappy cameras to impressive sensors and features.
 
There is a big market for dashcams. You would have thought the GPS makers would have jumped on it years ago since their market has been slashed by smart phones.

They took so long that there's a few Chinese companies that make damn good camera systems (front and back 1080p). It's been interesting to watch the Techmoan (YouTube) reviews over the years as they've evolved from crappy cameras to impressive sensors and features.
The dashcam market is starting to dry up too, as there are apps that can handle that, and smartphones are starting to have really awesome quality camera systems on them so might as well put them to use.

Take a Galaxy S6 for example. Get yourself a wireless charging mount, and just set it that when it goes on a charger it automatically starts up automotive interface mode showing GPS and starting video recording in an infinite loop.

big.jpg
 
I prefer a dedicated GPS and camera. Mounting and un-mounting a phone is a pain in the ass.

https://dashcamtalk.com/

https://shop.pier28.com/index.php/d...an-sgzc12sgsk-panorama-g-gps-starter-kit.html
I am using a Panorama G with CPF filter and a Lukas LK-290 battery discharge prevention device set to 12.4 volts, so it records when parked. The Panorama G has a Zoran Coach 12P processor with a Sony Exmor IMX122 CMOS sensor. It has a super capacitor to mitigate heat problems, GPS, accelerometer, and motion detection. Not the smallest or best visual quality but gets the job done. Pier28 provides unmatched US support and the manufacturer seems to be actively making changes to the hardware and firmware.
 
I prefer a dedicated GPS and camera. Mounting and un-mounting a phone is a pain in the ass.
With wireless charging? Mine just flops right in place, held on by friction of the foam and the rubberized case, and gets topped off on the way to work.

For my tablet its a magnetic wireless charging mount, so its even easier to put it on-off.

I have two dedicated dashcams too (morpheus), but only really because I already bought them quite some time back.
 
I used to prefer dedicated in-car GPS...but the fact that maps on the phone are constantly updated and the phone can give traffic updates (and even auto-rerouting) kind of made my decision for me.
 
Why would I want a dash cam? I can see what's in front of me does it illuminate dark roads or what?
 
Up here in northern michigan, data connection is spotty at best. Dedicated GPS always works.
2015 and not understanding Google cached maps for offline use (or apps that only use offline maps)... *shakes head* ;)

And yes, while phones have A-GPS for added accuracy using cell tower triangulation, smartphones still have GPS chips.

In fact on my phone it uses a Broadcom BCM4773 GPS which is far superior to anything you'll find on a $100 Garmin for obvious reasons. The screen is better. The camera is better. The processor is better... I mean, if you have a 1994 Nokia flip-phone, then by all means it makes sense to get a Garmin. But if you're carrying around $600 in hardware, why not use it instead of cheap crap that's 1/6th the price and quality?
 
Why would I want a dash cam? I can see what's in front of me does it illuminate dark roads or what?
Because people are a-holes, that's why.

Uninsured driver hit me through gross negligence, wouldn't pull over, finally cops caught up to us and pulled him over, and what does he do... denies EVERYTHING. And this idiot gets out of his car, then after talking to the cop explaining that he's self insured (sure you are, when you look poor as hell you can prove you have enough money in your savings account to cover self-insurance), he goes back to his car reaches in the passenger side and then goes back to the cop who is sitting in his police SUV clicking away on his computer and OPENS THE DOOR. And people wonder why young black men keep getting shot by the police.

And it has entertainment value too, so you can say "hey look at this jackass today" and upload it to youtube to publicly shame them. ;)
 
2015 and not understanding Google cached maps for offline use (or apps that only use offline maps)... *shakes head* ;)

And yes, while phones have A-GPS for added accuracy using cell tower triangulation, smartphones still have GPS chips.

In fact on my phone it uses a Broadcom BCM4773 GPS which is far superior to anything you'll find on a $100 Garmin for obvious reasons. The screen is better. The camera is better. The processor is better... I mean, if you have a 1994 Nokia flip-phone, then by all means it makes sense to get a Garmin. But if you're carrying around $600 in hardware, why not use it instead of cheap crap that's 1/6th the price and quality?
Those GPS chips in smartphones you mention seem to stop working once you leave coverage range of your provider :rolleyes:
 
Those GPS chips in smartphones you mention seem to stop working once you leave coverage range of your provider :rolleyes:

This. And unless your provider starts with "Veri" and ends with "zon", and you have data caps...cell coverage (and therefore your maps) is pretty much guaranteed to start and stop at the edge of Interstate highways.


Garmin makes nice GPS hardware, their software however blows ass.
 
Which part of ACTUAL GPS (not just A-GPS) and offline maps was confusing? And how are you hitting your data cap if you are in your cached map area on Google maps, or using an app that stores your maps locally on your phone (Navigon, CoPilot, TomTom, GPS Navigation by Sygic)?

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-use-google-maps-offline-on-ios-android/

Every Galaxy as far as I know at least since the S3 has had offline satellite GPS systems in addition to A-GPS. Sorry guys, but your info is completely out of date, but pat each other on the back if you want. *shrugs*
 
2015 and not understanding Google cached maps for offline use (or apps that only use offline maps)... *shakes head* ;)

And yes, while phones have A-GPS for added accuracy using cell tower triangulation, smartphones still have GPS chips.

In fact on my phone it uses a Broadcom BCM4773 GPS which is far superior to anything you'll find on a $100 Garmin for obvious reasons. The screen is better. The camera is better. The processor is better... I mean, if you have a 1994 Nokia flip-phone, then by all means it makes sense to get a Garmin. But if you're carrying around $600 in hardware, why not use it instead of cheap crap that's 1/6th the price and quality?

You assume quite a lot, anyway, i use back country nav on my phone (G2), uploading gpx files for offload trail maps for ATV riding, and i understand google maps offline mode, but i still like dedicated GPS, stays in my truck fires up when i turn the key, maps are easy to update, it just works.
 
Which part of ACTUAL GPS (not just A-GPS) and offline maps was confusing? And how are you hitting your data cap if you are in your cached map area on Google maps, or using an app that stores your maps locally on your phone (Navigon, CoPilot, TomTom, GPS Navigation by Sygic)?

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-use-google-maps-offline-on-ios-android/

Every Galaxy as far as I know at least since the S3 has had offline satellite GPS systems in addition to A-GPS. Sorry guys, but your info is completely out of date, but pat each other on the back if you want. *shrugs*

You can only cache 100MB of Google Maps map data at a time. Which for mapping purposes isn't a whole lot especially in a car. Copilot maps are out of date frequently. TomTom only lets you drive 50 miles "free" every month. GPS Navigation isn't free either, you don't get turn-by-turn for free and turn by turn is prety much the entire point.

Further all that said, I'd still rather have a Garmin on my bike on the handlebars. Phones are too damn fragile and not ruggedized enough. Sure standalone GPS devices don't have the latest screen tech/SoC and so on...but they take a hell of a lot more beating and keep on ticking than any cellphone.


How about you stop pretending you know how the rest of us use our devices?
 
So you are really saying you believe the NuviCam is more druable than currently available smartphones? My last Garmin GPS was a cheap plastic POS that wouldn't survive a 4-foot fall on the floor.

It has a cheap plastic screen, isn't waterproof or even resistant, and has no ruggedized features whatsoever.

By contrast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGBKmIlk52Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QozCc2wX85U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Omp7Zymtg

That's my S6, which is not in any shape or form a ruggedized model, like my S5 Active was, which is fully waterproof and meant for impacts. Yet it withstands hammer, knife, drop, and water submersion tests without a case...

And let us not forget that for standard smartphones, there are inexpensive very durable cases, such as the Otterbox for $17 for said S5. No such option exists for the Nuvicam as far as I know.

Opinions are fine, as long as they aren't silly and based on misinformation. And regarding apps for navigation, why do they need to be free? Garmins aren't free.
 
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2015 and not understanding Google cached maps for offline use (or apps that only use offline maps)... *shakes head* ;)

And yes, while phones have A-GPS for added accuracy using cell tower triangulation, smartphones still have GPS chips.

In fact on my phone it uses a Broadcom BCM4773 GPS which is far superior to anything you'll find on a $100 Garmin for obvious reasons. The screen is better. The camera is better. The processor is better... I mean, if you have a 1994 Nokia flip-phone, then by all means it makes sense to get a Garmin. But if you're carrying around $600 in hardware, why not use it instead of cheap crap that's 1/6th the price and quality?

2015 and not understanding people use what works for them. Who cares what you think is superior.
 
So you are really saying you believe the NuviCam is more druable than currently available smartphones? My last Garmin GPS was a cheap plastic POS that wouldn't survive a 4-foot fall on the floor.

It has a cheap plastic screen, isn't waterproof or even resistant, and has no ruggedized features whatsoever.

By contrast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGBKmIlk52Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QozCc2wX85U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Omp7Zymtg

That's my S6, which is not in any shape or form a ruggedized model, like my S5 Active was, which is fully waterproof and meant for impacts. Yet it withstands hammer, knife, drop, and water submersion tests without a case...

And let us not forget that for standard smartphones, there are inexpensive very durable cases, such as the Otterbox for $17 for said S5. No such option exists for the Nuvicam as far as I know.

Opinions are fine, as long as they aren't silly and based on misinformation. And regarding apps for navigation, why do they need to be free? Garmins aren't free.

How's the battery life with screen bright enough to read in sunlight doing GPS on your phone? Oh that is right, it is crap. Garmi's aren't free but they're better more specialized tools for the job on the go.


Can you use a banana as a hammer? Sure. But if you can use an actual hammer-why not use it?
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
How's the battery life with screen bright enough to read in sunlight doing GPS on your phone? Oh that is right, it is crap.
Check the specs, the S6 screen is much brighter and clearer than the shitty TFT 800 x 480 pixel NuviCam, and my wireless charger on my A-pillar (S6 has built in wireless charging) charges it slowly with the GPS running and screen at full brightness, meaning battery life is infinite.

Total runtime on battery of the S6 compared to the NuviCam is not even in the same ballpark. The Garmin uses a shit tiny low tech battery, and has a whopping, wait for it... wait for it... 30 mins max runtime at low brightness. Thanks to the advanced technology 1440p screen, better processor, bigger battery, and more advanced power efficient faster locking GPS will go about 6 hours, and has fast charging capability with the NuviCam does not.

As I said, if you have a POS flipphone, I understand, get a NuviCam. If you have a iPhone 6 or something in your pocket, and you use a Garmin still... hand in your master-race card. :D
 
Those GPS chips in smartphones you mention seem to stop working once you leave coverage range of your provider :rolleyes:

I have driven coast to coast (and back) with a phone based GPS. I didn't have a single issue. I don't go offroading in the wilderness, I'd bring a dedicated GPS for that scenario. Otherwise a phone will do better 99% of the time.
 
While I do use my Galaxy Note 4 for navigation on occasion, I could see the use in this Garmin device.
I work around construction and when I am out on the jobsite, my phone is with me, but my truck may be within traffic control, but near traffic. If my vehicle was hit, whether by the general public, or the contractor, that device could come in handy. Especially at night. Big cities and drunks are an issue, or people falling asleep at the wheel.

This wouldn't be bad to leave in the truck full time.
 
While I do use my Galaxy Note 4 for navigation on occasion, I could see the use in this Garmin device.
I work around construction and when I am out on the jobsite, my phone is with me, but my truck may be within traffic control, but near traffic. If my vehicle was hit, whether by the general public, or the contractor, that device could come in handy. Especially at night. Big cities and drunks are an issue, or people falling asleep at the wheel.

This wouldn't be bad to leave in the truck full time.
If you want to leave something in your car as a permanent mount, and you want it to function long after you turn your car off, forget this Garmin poop.

Get yourself a Mobius dashcam, that's what I use. It has about 2 hours of recording time on battery, thanks to really low power draw components, no screen, and a 820mah battery.

It has a matte black finish, its really tiny, the quality is excellent, it has all the auto-record and record in loop features and what not you want for a dashcam and instead of $400 like the NuviCam (really want to leave that much money in plain view parked?), I bought mine for $55.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqQ77nXSfVw
 
Does it save the exact location of the collision? That's what perked my interest. If some dingbat crashes thru the project and hits my vehicle claiming traffic control wasn't properly set, or claim my vehicle was parked in an unsafe location, this could be my saving grace. It happens more than you would guess on multi million dollar Federal Highway projects.

Our company trucks have Zonar installed, but us salary manager types get a stipend to use our personal vehicles.

I didn't say I would run out and get one, I just commented that it has some interesting features I hadn't really thought about till now. I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives.

However, on a side now, I do like to support local companies. Garmin is less than 10 miles from me.
 
For me, it would have helped tremendously with a car accident I was involved in years ago.

Because people are a-holes, that's why.

Uninsured driver hit me through gross negligence, wouldn't pull over, finally cops caught up to us and pulled him over, and what does he do... denies EVERYTHING. And this idiot gets out of his car, then after talking to the cop explaining that he's self insured (sure you are, when you look poor as hell you can prove you have enough money in your savings account to cover self-insurance), he goes back to his car reaches in the passenger side and then goes back to the cop who is sitting in his police SUV clicking away on his computer and OPENS THE DOOR. And people wonder why young black men keep getting shot by the police.

And it has entertainment value too, so you can say "hey look at this jackass today" and upload it to youtube to publicly shame them. ;)


OK but you didn't have it then, and what if it doesn't hold a charge, or simply doesn't catch anything useful when you get hit? When you start thinking about all the ways things could go wrong you have to start to wonder if having a dash cam is worth the trouble of having an extra device that needs to be maintained, and replaced when it gets old as well as being charged just for the one off chance someone hits you and you catch and oh you also happened to be 100% in the right because if something is wrong on your end it might go against you.

If this is a 99 cent or free app on my phone I already have I suppose I might use it. But I am not going to hold on to a device and keep it maintained for an event that likely only happens once in your lifetime.

If the thing had a remote camera that could see behind me or in my blind spots then we would be talking.
 
The dashcam market is starting to dry up too, as there are apps that can handle that, and smartphones are starting to have really awesome quality camera systems on them so might as well put them to use.

Take a Galaxy S6 for example. Get yourself a wireless charging mount, and just set it that when it goes on a charger it automatically starts up automotive interface mode showing GPS and starting video recording in an infinite loop.

big.jpg

The issue you run into is when you have a front and rear channel dashcam, while yes a smartphone is a wonderful tool to utilize as a dashcam you aren't going to be leaving it in your car when parked (bump sensor/parking mode) and just having something hardwired is much nicer as you don't have to get in the habit of starting up a cam each time.
 
OK but you didn't have it then, and what if it doesn't hold a charge, or simply doesn't catch anything useful when you get hit? When you start thinking about all the ways things could go wrong you have to start to wonder if having a dash cam is worth the trouble of having an extra device that needs to be maintained, and replaced when it gets old as well as being charged just for the one off chance someone hits you and you catch and oh you also happened to be 100% in the right because if something is wrong on your end it might go against you.

If this is a 99 cent or free app on my phone I already have I suppose I might use it. But I am not going to hold on to a device and keep it maintained for an event that likely only happens once in your lifetime.

If the thing had a remote camera that could see behind me or in my blind spots then we would be talking.

Forward facing dash cams pretty much always catch something useful. Who cares about not holding a charge? It's always plugged in. It's a cheap device that can pay itself off with a single accident it captures.

My accident in question involved a fucking spoiled ass 18 year old kid that hit me head-on and used daddy's money (along with his insurance's lawyers) to sue the shit out of me. It lasted so damn long my insurance company basically said fuck it and paid, at which point I had to sue my own insurance company for being a bunch of dicks. They for whatever reason refused to pay my gigantic medical bills that were still piling up (which my health insurance refused to cover since it was a car accident). Oh, and the best part...the case didn't close after my insurance caved...as their payout was only 1/10 of what I was being sued for. So now, I have to get a lawyer out of pocket to both defend against a lawsuit AND sue three insurance companies (one for the prick that hit me and both of my health/auto companies). Luckily, one of my professors that I worked for at the time heard of my plight and was able to get an accident reconstruction firm he had connections with to help me pro-bono. The case actually went to court and I won in a landslide....2 years later. I could have spared myself two years of the most bullshit stress ever if I simply had a front facing dashcam. Now, I have two that face front and back.
 
OK but you didn't have it then, and what if it doesn't hold a charge, or simply doesn't catch anything useful when you get hit? When you start thinking about all the ways things could go wrong you have to start to wonder if having a dash cam is worth the trouble of having an extra device that needs to be maintained, and replaced when it gets old as well as being charged just for the one off chance someone hits you and you catch and oh you also happened to be 100% in the right because if something is wrong on your end it might go against you.
Not really sure there is any maintenance involved, other than perhaps popping it open and putting in another cheap battery if you go with the Mobius. You are never required to relinquish your personal recording unless you believe its in your favor, and regarding charge BTW I mean if your car is running it doesn't even need a battery as its plugged in. For catching something useful, its possible, but these are generally wide angle cameras.

There is a reason its almost unheard of for a Russian not to have a dash cam.
DogsofJune said:
Does it save the exact location of the collision? That's what perked my interest. If some dingbat crashes thru the project and hits my vehicle claiming traffic control wasn't properly set, or claim my vehicle was parked in an unsafe location, this could be my saving grace. It happens more than you would guess on multi million dollar Federal Highway projects.
There are plenty of cheap dashcams with GPS, so it will superimpose the location and the speed. Personally, I didn't want or need that. You can tell specially where you are simply by virtue of the fact that its really high quality 1080p stabilized footage. So if its a question of where you parked, the video will show where you drove up and parked. Video can't lie, and that's more specific than the accuracy of most GPSs anyway.

Plus these dashcams are also very useful with police encounters. I had a cop pull me over for a broken taillamp, which he wouldn't let me get out to check (it wasn't broken), and then kept pressuring me for information and being a real dick. I wish I would have had that on camera to file a complaint with the police department for unprofessional conduct. Turns out, I believe he thought I was a John out looking to pick up hookers or maybe coming from a bar or something, and so did a random (and technically illegal) stop and grill, since I was out at 2AM just looking for a fast food spot to grab a snack when I was working the night shift.

Tons of good reasons to have a dashcam IMO, although as said I would go the cheap route and use the phone I already have since its useful as a GPS and has a great camera anyway, or go with a stealth install like my Mobius that's very inexpensive to boot.
 
2015 and still using a dedicated GPS instead of a smartphone... *shakes head*

Thing is, with a Smart Phone, you have to have a data plan.

And you have older folks, like my parents, who don't WANT a smartphone.
 
plus the downloaded Google offline maps expire after 30days so you need to remember to download them every month if you live in spotty coverage.
 
plus the downloaded Google offline maps expire after 30days so you need to remember to download them every month if you live in spotty coverage.
No you don't, you can have several different maps saved which it uses automatically, and if one expires it pops up and lets you know:
nexusae0_maps.png


But as was mentioned, you don't have to use Google maps, that's just one of the good free ones.

My personal favorite free one is actually WAZE though, which automatically communicates with nearby cars allowing you to flag cops. To date, WAZE has always let me know where a cop speed trap is before my radar detector! :)

police-notification-169x300.png
 
Thing is, with a Smart Phone, you have to have a data plan.
2015 and still have a smart phone without a data plan... :p Yes, if you don't have a data plan, don't have a smart phone, or are over the age of 70, I agree the Garmin is fine, although I still probably wouldn't buy a $400 Garmin and would pick up a simple $100 one.
 
No you don't, you can have several different maps saved which it uses automatically, and if one expires it pops up and lets you know:

Google Maps will try to force an update and will block you from using the map unless it has successfully updated. Not good if you are in spotty coverage.. which is when I need GPS the most.
 
I picked up a Garmin with lifetime maps for $69.99 ... no blue tooth, but for what it does, the price was hard to pass up. Google maps is great and superior in many ways to a garmin, but its intended full features require a data connection. A dedicated GPS is like an appliance, its made to do a certain task and it does it very well.
 
N

Plus these dashcams are also very useful with police encounters. I had a cop pull me over for a broken taillamp, which he wouldn't let me get out to check (it wasn't broken), and then kept pressuring me for information and being a real dick. I wish I would have had that on camera to file a complaint with the police department for unprofessional conduct. Turns out, I believe he thought I was a John out looking to pick up hookers or maybe coming from a bar or something, and so did a random (and technically illegal) stop and grill, since I was out at 2AM just looking for a fast food spot to grab a snack when I was working the night shift.

I avoid encounters with the police. I try to behave, but you are right. Sometimes you can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a dash cam would be handy. However don't some states have laws against the recording of state officials? I don't think I do here, but will look into it.
 
2015 and still have a smart phone without a data plan... :p Yes, if you don't have a data plan, don't have a smart phone, or are over the age of 70,

Which basically describes my parents.

They don't WANT a smartphone. But they're getting a bit...vague...directionally.
 
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