{"id":1155,"date":"2017-05-17T19:34:41","date_gmt":"2017-05-17T15:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/?p=1155"},"modified":"2020-04-06T10:15:11","modified_gmt":"2020-04-06T06:15:11","slug":"how-to-use-a-gopro-as-a-dash-cam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/how-to-use-a-gopro-as-a-dash-cam","title":{"rendered":"Learn How to Use a GoPro as a Dash Cam in 3 Easy Steps!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I will show you today\u00a0how to use a GoPro as a dash cam in your car. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have noticed lately on some YouTube videos that\u00a0many people actually use\u00a0it especially in Russia to record video footage while they&#8217;re driving. Many police cars in the US have it as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It has <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theodysseyonline.com\/7-advantages-of-having-dashboard-camera\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"aioseop-link\">a lot of advantages<\/a> and can be extremely\u00a0useful in a lot of situations like accidents, road rage and other incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People&nbsp;use&nbsp;the video as a proof to show the authorities&nbsp;what really happened and get out of trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not mandatory to use a dash cam except maybe in some countries, but I highly advise it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have a&nbsp;spare GoPro&nbsp;mounted&nbsp;as a dash cam that records continuously while I&#8217;m driving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why GoPro?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s true that\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/GoPro\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"aioseop-link\">GoPro<\/a> is an extreme sports camera used for\u00a0surfing, snowboarding and skydiving, but\u00a0it can also be used for other purposes like a <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/how-to-use-a-gopro-as-a-webcam\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"aioseop-link\">webcam<\/a> or <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/how-to-use-a-gopro-as-a-security-camera\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"aioseop-link\">even a security camera<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It offers high quality video resolutions with a&nbsp;wide shooting angle (the fish-eye effect) and that&#8217;s extremely beneficial for recording in a car, no blind spots whatsoever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I personally love GoPro and I own few models from the <a aria-label=\"Hero4 to Hero8 (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/gopro-comparison-chart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"aioseop-link\">Hero4 to Hero8<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a spare one or maybe when you&#8217;re not using yours\u00a0for other activities then you can definitely use it for this setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me show you my GoPro dash cam hack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/81Ex4PYkXbL._SL1500_-e1495034005655.jpg\" alt=\"how to use a gopro as a dash cam\" class=\"wp-image-1195\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Here&#8217;s&nbsp;What You Need: My GoPro Dash Cam Kit..<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Your GoPro <ul><li>I use my old <a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/nj0BYO\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"aioseop-link\">GoPro Hero4 Blac<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/nj0BYO\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"aioseop-link\">k<\/a> <\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>MicroSD Memory card <ul><li>I recommend at least a 64GB, I\u00a0can record around 4h22min with\u00a0720p at 60fps. <\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>GoPro Frame with side access <ul><li>This frame\u00a0gives access to the side ports <\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Mini USB to USB cable <ul><li>To connect my\u00a0GoPro to the car charger <\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>12V USB car charger <ul><li>To keep my\u00a0GoPro powered and avoid using the battery <\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Suction cup mount for GoPro <ul><li>To mount the GoPro to\u00a0the windshield <\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/61agX6EjnSL._SL1200_-e1495033984306.jpg\" alt=\"gopro dash cam suction mount\" class=\"wp-image-1194\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Let Me Show You How To Do it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1.&nbsp;Understanding the functionalities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all and before mounting the GoPro, we need to make sure that loop recording is enabled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is loop recording?<\/strong><br>GoPro has this very essential feature integrated in the camera that allows continuous recording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It basically overwrites the beginning of the video once there is no space left on the memory card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In&nbsp;my case, if I use a 64GB SD card, I&#8217;ll be able to record 4h 22min of video, loop recording will only keep the last 4h22min of my video, all videos before that will be deleted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What if I want to record for longer?<\/strong><br>Both\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/best-affordable-4k-camera-gopro-hero4-black-review\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"aioseop-link\">GoPro Hero4<\/a> and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/gopro-hero-5-black-review\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"aioseop-link\">Hero5<\/a> support 128GB SD cards which can record double that time so around 8h44min of video footage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people might find it necessary to record more than 4hours but it&#8217;s up to the individual&#8217;s choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to enable loop recording on a GoPro?<br><\/strong>Loop recording feature offers several interval options, but for&nbsp;a dash cam setting, I need the set the interval to max, that means the GoPro will not start erasing the beginning of the video until the SD card is full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are other interval windows such as 5, 10, 30 minutes but it&#8217;s useless in this situation. Learn&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gopro.com\/help\/articles\/Question_Answer\/How-Does-Looping-Work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how to enable loop recording here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Which resolution is the best?<br><\/strong>I use&nbsp;720p at 60fps. 720p is full HD which is&nbsp;enough for dash cam recording also setting&nbsp;higher fps is useless <strong>in this situation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2.&nbsp;Preparing the GoPro: My GoPro Dash Cam Settings..<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When using a windshield mount, the GoPro will be upside down as shown in the below photo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s fine, don&#8217;t worry. GoPro has an additional setting where I can change the orientation (Up, Down or Auto) which is another great feature\u00a0from GoPro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I make sure to set this up prior to mounting the camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To change the orientation on your <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/best-affordable-4k-camera-gopro-hero4-black-review\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"aioseop-link\">GoPro Hero4<\/a>, go to &#8216;Setup&#8217; then orientation (the 2nd line), then choose &#8216;Auto&#8217;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That way the GoPro will automatically detect if we&#8217;re using the camera upside down and will flip the video. The front LCD&nbsp;screen will also flip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_0150.jpg\" alt=\"change GoPro video orientation\" class=\"wp-image-1192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_0150.jpg 640w, https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_0150-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>To set up the loop recording on your GoPro Hero4, press the &#8216;Settings&#8217;&nbsp;button on the side of the camera, select &#8216;Looping&#8217; then under it,&nbsp;select the interval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I mentioned earlier, the interval should be set to &#8216;MAX&#8217; that way the GoPro will start erasing ONLY when the SD card gets full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the interval, we need to choose the resolution, I choose 720p which I find enough. I then choose 60 for the FPS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_0152.jpg\" alt=\"GoPro loop recording\" class=\"wp-image-1193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_0152.jpg 640w, https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_0152-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Connecting Everything<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, that the GoPro is set up, we need to connect everything. I&#8217;ll start by putting on the frame on the camera then fixing it to the suction cup mount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, would be to fix the suction cup to the windshield. The windshield should be clean from any dust, better to clean it with a cloth first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ll apply some force on the mount then tighten the small release buckle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I usually try to wiggle the mount a bit to mimic the road vibrations just to check if it&#8217;s mounted properly, it&#8217;s worth checking before fixing and connecting everything. I don&#8217;t want the camera to fall off while I&#8217;m driving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once it&#8217;s stable, I plug in the 12V USB charger in the cigarette lighter socket and connect the USB cable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I then connect the USB cable to the mini USB port of the GoPro. Once I verify that the GoPro is powered through the charger, I can now click the shutter to start recording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another method would be to use the GoPro app on my mobile or the remote to start and stop recording or change any setting I might want to change after mounting the camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I recommend to have either the app or the remote connected to the GoPro that way I won&#8217;t need to touch the camera and maybe move it by mistake which can ruin the shooting angle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a pretty straight forward setup, no extra hardware is needed except the suction cup mount. I&#8217;m sure everyone already uses a USB car charger for their mobile phones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a video of a GoPro as dash cam. I really like the wide angle, no blind spots!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UT6YGMiApeo?ecver=2\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Additional Tip<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Using a dash cam is great and offers some security for many people and what would be good is to have a GPS tracker connected to the camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine having the exact location of an accident or whatever incident that takes place, awesome idea, isn&#8217;t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/gopro-hero-5-black-review\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"aioseop-link\">GoPro Hero5<\/a> or newer models have GPS capabilities that can to track your movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I find it essential to have location information when recording from a dash cam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&nbsp;can always go back and track the route I took or use it to identify the location of an incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a Hero5, 6, 7 or 8 you can easily activate it, here&#8217;s how to do it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Swipe down on the GoPro screen and go to &#8216;Preferences&#8217;<\/li><li>Scroll down to &#8216;GPS&#8217; and turn it &#8216;ON&#8217;<\/li><li>Now you will see the little location icon on the left side of your screen, next to the WiFi icon.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>GPS gauges can be added to the video later using GoPro&#8217;s software &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/quik.gopro.com\">Quik<\/a>&#8216;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All the GPS data is stored on the camera and then you pick which gauge you like to display using Quik.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s pretty cool if you&#8217;re planning to <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/best-gopro-editing-software\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"aioseop-link\">edit the video<\/a> later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What about the audio?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For me, audio is as much important as video in a dash cam and can be beneficial in many incidents like car accidents, road rages, etc..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recording a good quality audio is a plus in this situation, and we know that the GoPro is capable of recording audio but to be honest the quality is not that great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/sennheiser-mke-2-microphone-for-gopro-e1497423484860.jpg\" alt=\"GoPro external mic\" class=\"wp-image-1101\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The solution to this was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/gopro-external-microphones-improve-the-sound-quality-of-your-gopro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">to connect an external mic to my GoPro<\/a>, this will greatly enhance the sound quality of the recorded videos, it will be a lot more crispier, clearer and wind-noise free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course this is optional, but for anyone looking to upgrade the sound quality of his GoPro should give this a try, you won&#8217;t be disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the advantages of using a GoPro&nbsp;over a normal dash cam?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Cost saving:<\/strong> No need to\u00a0spend extra money on\u00a0a new dash cam if you already have a GoPro.<\/li><li><strong>Quality:<\/strong> Even with a good quality dash cam, a <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/gopro-hero-6-black-review-in-depth-analysis\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"aioseop-link\">GoPro Hero6<\/a> can easily beat it with its 4K video resolution and GPS capability<\/li><li><strong>Reliability:<\/strong> GoPro is well-known to handle rough conditions and can be pretty reliable especially when using it as a dash cam.<\/li><li><strong>Functionality:<\/strong> GoPro can be controlled using the GoPro remote or through the app on your mobile which makes it a lot easier to change settings without having to un-mount the camera from the windshield like other dash cams.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the disadvantages of using a GoPro over a normal dash cam?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Using a GoPro as a dash cam has its disadvantages as well:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Overheating:<\/strong> Using a GoPro for an extended period of time when it&#8217;s continuously recording and under the sun can make it overheat, even when using a GoPro frame and not the closed case.<\/li><li><strong>Theft: <\/strong>GoPro are much more expensive than normal dash cams, therefore it can sometimes attract thieves to break in your car and steal it (that is a worst case scenario but you never know). <br>My suggestion would be to use the windshield sun shades to hide the GoPro and protect it from the heat.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, there are more advantages than disadvantages of using a GoPro as a dash cam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s up to you to decide whether you use your GoPro or purchase another dedicated camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I suggest you keep in mind the above details and decide whether you go with a GoPro or normal dash cam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>That&#8217;s it folks! I hope you liked this tutorial. Feel free to share any tips, thoughts or questions you have in the comments section below, and don&#8217;t forget to share \ud83d\ude42<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I will show you today\u00a0how to use a GoPro as a dash cam in your car. You may have noticed lately on some YouTube videos that\u00a0many people actually use\u00a0it especially in Russia to record video footage while they&#8217;re driving. Many&#8230; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/how-to-use-a-gopro-as-a-dash-cam\">Continue Reading &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1198,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[123,121,122,120],"wppr_data":{"cwp_meta_box_check":"No"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1155"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1155\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actiongadgetsreviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}