Amazon Reviews
Although there are only 13 ratings at an average of 3.8 stars, the pattern observed with these ratings is typical of value-tier products. Many customers have been pleased with their experience with this product based upon their ability to record acceptable video quality while having confidence in the durability of the cameras due to their IP67 waterproof rating. There are fewer reviewers who experienced issues during the setup process; however, each of them did mention an issue with an individual unit. Overall, it appears that the reviewer sample indicates a reasonably competent product that is subject to variability common in budget-tier products; not necessarily due to a problem with design but possibly due to manufacturing variability.
Target Customer
The target customer base for this product includes:
- All-weather riders.
- Delivery riders.
- Any rider who parks his/her vehicle outside all year round.
- Anyone who wants a durable camera that can endure harsh environmental conditions.
- Anyone who wishes to add GPS tagging to their recordings. If you do not fall within these categories, then you may be better served with less expensive options available on the market today. The inclusion of GPS tagging in this product adds significant value related to insurance negotiations for those involved in accidents.
Comparison to Other Products Available
When comparing this product to others available on the market today, we find that no other budget-priced product has both waterproofing and GPS tracking. As seen below, the per-camera column shows that both of these features are included in this product at a price that is slightly higher than competitive non-waterproof and GPS-less products. Waterproofing cameras convert a dash cam from fair-weather equipment into all-season equipment. Adding GPS tagging to your recordings creates another layer of protection when filing insurance claims. As stated earlier, many lower priced products offer non-GPS cameras only; therefore, adding a GPS component would increase costs beyond what competitive products charge. This product offers superior sealing compared to competitor products offering higher resolutions. Specifically, while competitors offer higher resolution (up to 4K) frontal views for substantially higher prices, this product offers 1080p on both cameras at a fraction of the price of competing products offering higher resolution but lack of sealing and location information. Budget priced dual cameras favorably compare to this product as follows: While this product offers superior sealing, GPS logging, and acceptable video quality, it is priced significantly higher than competing budget-priced dual cameras. Competitors' cameras offer the same basic functionality as this product except for added sealing and location information for a price that is approximately equal to what it would cost to purchase separate GPS components for your existing cameras. These comparisons are made possible by the feature columns in the table provided.
Long Term Product Usage Considerations
Sealing of waterproof cameras are tested prior to shipment and do not last forever. Therefore, gasket inspections are recommended annually; dielectric greasing of connectors is also recommended annually. GPS antennas require line-of-sight access to satellites to produce accurate lock values. Adjustment of mounting positions during initial use is typical calibration for GPS performance. Buyers who consistently collect GPS data have reported that speed stamping of videos holds up in legitimate claims conversations regarding speed. Card discipline is doubly important with this product since the volume of data produced by both cameras plus GPS logging results in high usage rates; therefore, high endurance cards are critical to prevent loss of data at times when proof is required.
Conclusion
For all-weather riders, and for those who deliver goods via motorcycle, this represents the best combination of waterproofing and forensic utility found among budget-tier products currently listed on Amazon. Based upon both the specs and the trend exhibited in reviews, we conclude that this represents the best value among budget-tier products available on Amazon today. While the sample size of 13 reviews averages 3.8 stars (a relatively low number), we believe that both the specifications for this unit and the trends shown in reviews indicate that this represents a competent product with typical budget-tier variations rather than inherent design flaws.
Weather Rider's Checklist
All-season riding involves establishing routine practices when setting up equipment for daily riding activities that fair-weather riders often ignore; likewise, the waterproofing features of this unit can only pay dividends under those established routines. Dielectric greasing all connections exposed to weather elements immediately after completing assembly is necessary to maintain connector integrity and prevent leaks throughout long-term use. Once per year, perform additional dielectric greasing on connectors to ensure continued performance and reliability. Winter parking completely alters your perspective on things. Cameras capable of surviving submersion will still remain part of a system containing a battery, a screen adjacent recorder, and SD memory cards that dislike cold temperatures. Winter-parking users should establish recording shutdown procedures to allow their systems to sleep rather than slowly writing data through freezing temperatures; additionally, users should remove memory cards from their vehicles weekly and store them indoors because while SD cards have cold temperature ratings, they still suffer loss of data integrity at extreme temperatures. The positioning of your GPS antenna will determine whether your speed stamps exist at time of need; therefore, take a test ride down a familiar route; if your logged track corresponds accurately with your actual route, then your antenna position is adequate. Riders who fail to verify their antenna position will learn it when an insurance adjuster requests the footage intended to be time-stamped by the GPS.