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Aukey DR02 Dual dash cam review

I drive one of the smallest cars on the road, so I leaped at the chance to review the Aukey Dual camera dash camera.  I drive a Smart. It’s 8’3”, but being so small comes with a price – bullies!  I’m a very conservative driver (I’m old) and each week, I get tailgated, cut off, and even flipped off, FAR more frequently in my tiny Smart Car than in a year of driving my gigantic Nissan Armada. I’m not doing anything wrong, but my car seems to bring out the worst in some. Aukey’s DR02 dual camera system is just what the doctor ordered to bring peace of mind to happy motoring.

What is it?

The Aukey DR02 is a dual-camera dash cam featuring a primary main unit for front recording, and a secondary camera for rear-view recording. It captures video simultaneously from both cameras in 1080P and has a set of features.

Hardware Specs

Sony Exmor Sensors in both cameras capture super-sharp 1080p video (accompanied by optional in-car audio) and perform well for nighttime driving

Full Six-Lane View: The wide-angle  170° front and 152° rear fields of view monitor vehicle movements and other activity in front, behind, and even towards the sides

Emergency Recording & Loop Recording: Emergency Recording automatically captures unexpected driving incidents and protects the recordings. Loop Recording allows continuous use by writing over old, unneeded footage. Connect to the AUKEY GM-32 GPS Antenna (sold separately) to embed location & speed data for trip tracking and greater protection.

What’s in the box?

Dual Dash Cameras (front and rear camera), Dual-Port USB Car Charger, 4m / 13ft USB Mini-B Cable, 6m / 20ft USB Mini-B Cable, Two Sticker Mounts, Six 3M Stickers, Six Cable Clips, User Manual, 45-Day Money Back Guarantee and 24-Month Product Replacement Warranty Card

Design and Features

The cameras arrived in a well-padded box with USB plug adapter, power and video cables, instructions, mounting plates for front and rear, and cable clips. I carefully read all of the instructions and jumped into the installation process.  Because I planned on making this a permanent fixture in my Smart Car, I went a few steps further, removing all of the internal body trim panels to hide the wires and make the installation as professional looking as possible.

I even cut a small notch into one of the trim panels to hide the somewhat bulky cable connector for the rear-facing camera. The system can be powered up by the car’s ignition but has the option of wiring it always on, triggering by motion detection. I chose the former.

After running the power and video cable to the rear camera and plugging in a 128GB SD card, I powered up the system for the first time and an image appeared on the front camera, but I was unable to access any camera functions. I found the main camera would function unless the rear camera was connected. As soon as I plugged in the rear camera, all of the lights would come on indicating everything was correctly powered, but the image and all of the functions on the main camera would lock up. After many hours of troubleshooting, Aukey graciously sent me a replacement.

I had a few issues running the cables – the cable is a 10 conductor Mini-USB male. You read that correctly, a 10-conductor oddball, not the run-of-the-mill 5-conductor connectors that were used everywhere as a precursor to the Micro-USB. It would have been ideal to purchase another cable and move the cameras from one vehicle to another, but this isn’t an option. I contacted Aukey’s customer support to inquire if spare cables and mounting plates could be purchased, but they are unavailable apart from the kit. Bummer.

Next, the connectors, particularly on the rear-facing camera have bulky, inflexible strain reliefs with very a wide bend radius, so I found routing them through existing cable paths was VERY challenging. Admittedly though, if I had just used the included cable clamps and double-sided tape, this wouldn’t have been an issue.

Because of the density of the rear-facing camera cable and the rigidity of the connectors, coupled with my Electrical Engineering background, I have some concerns that any lateral forces applied to the cable when being plugged into the cameras could result in broken connectors on the cameras, so care should be taken not to apply any stress. Been there, done that. It’s no fun.

Since everything was wired and ready when the replacement arrived, installation of the front and rear cameras only took a few minutes. I reformatted the card, chose 10-minute loop recording, no audio, and the rear camera as the display, and went for a drive. The system records 1080P from both cameras simultaneously which could prove invaluable in a fender-bender. It’s also fun just to review the recordings just to see things you missed while paying attention to the road like a well-behaved motorist should.




For the most part, the videos were crisp and clear, but on occasion, the screen would lock up, display a corrupted or pixelated image. I found with one of my SD cards, I would get frequent “Memory Error” errors and the corresponding files could not be viewed. This was particularly disappointing as I had an incident where I was tailgated and passed by a truck, on the right, that ran a red light in front of several other drivers, putting several lives in jeopardy. It really should have been reported to the police, but without the video evidence, there’s not much point.

Final Thoughts

I really liked the features, video quality, compact size and dual-cameras in this system and will definitely keep it running at all times while I’m in the most bullied vehicle on the American roads. Having a record of my surroundings will be used with the inevitable interactions I will have with my insurance company.  As an entertaining bonus, I can keep an eye on the driving habits of my 16-year-old daughter and I’m looking forward to preserving picturesque drives through the mountains of Vermont.

Positives

  • Small size
  • Good video quality
  • Lots of features

Negatives

  • Bulky cables
  • Expensive
  • Sometimes glitchy recording
  • Has some trouble starting when the weather is extremely cold

Price: $129.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Aukey. Please visit their site for more info.

Coach introduces new leather bands for the Apple Watch

If the Hermes leather bands are too rich for your budget, check out the leather bands from Coach.  The new bands are a crocodile-embossed leather band,  a 3D floral band, and a printed leather band with floral designs (not shown).

The croco design has been embossed on real leather and is designed exclusively for the 42mm Apple Watch.  It’s available in black or brown for $175.00.

The Watch Strap with Tea Rose is made of glove-tanned leather and designed only for the 38mm Apple Watch.  This band is available in a choice of six colors, with each band decorated with die-cut leather flowers that are debossed with floral details and riveted in place on the band.  The Watch Strap with Tea Rose is $175.00.

The final band is also for the 38mm Watch.  This band is available in a choice of three colors, each printed with a floral design.  The Watch Strap with Prints bands are $150.00.

Regardless of the style, these Coach straps close with metal buckles.  The Apple Watch bands are available from Coach.

This Death Star Bluetooth Speaker actually LEVITATES

“This speaker is now the ultimate power in the universe.  I suggest we use it.”  I may be paraphrasing Admiral Motti of the Imperial Navy a bit here, but I think it’s appropriate. The Official Star Wars Levitating Death Star Speaker from Plox does indeed look powerful, and wickedly cool. Per the Plox site, “The gravity-defying orb levitates in mid-air above the base using Plox’s Force Technology.” There may not be a planet-crushing superlaser aboard, but this tiny technological terror is portable with a built-in 5 Watt speaker and 360 degrees of sound projection, and with a 2 hour charge time will provide 5 hours of continuous Bluetooth playback. Impressive. Most impressive. The Levitating Death Star Speaker retails for $179.99. Hyperspace jump over to the Plox site for more info or to order.

This Death Star Bluetooth Speaker actually LEVITATES

“This speaker is now the ultimate power in the universe.  I suggest we use it.”  I may be paraphrasing Admiral Motti of the Imperial Navy a bit here, but I think it’s appropriate. The Official Star Wars Levitating Death Star Speaker from Plox does indeed look powerful, and wickedly cool. Per the Plox site, “The gravity-defying orb levitates in mid-air above the base using Plox’s Force Technology.” There may not be a planet-crushing superlaser aboard, but this tiny technological terror is portable with a built-in 5 Watt speaker and 360 degrees of sound projection, and with a 2 hour charge time will provide 5 hours of continuous Bluetooth playback. Impressive. Most impressive. The Levitating Death Star Speaker retails for $179.99. Hyperspace jump over to the Plox site for more info or to order.

Easily add a security camera by screwing in this smart lightbulb

The LightCam is a smart lightbulb with a security camera built in that’s currently seeking funding on Indiegogo.  The project is very popular and has been funded at more than 425% with 20 days still left in the campaign, so you have plenty of time to reserve one for yourself.

The lightbulb works in any standard socket.  To install, you simply screw it into the socket – no drilling or additional wiring is needed, which makes it the ideal security camera for renters.  It connects to your WiFi and communicates with you through a smartphone app.  There is no service contract required; the LightCam has enough built-in storage to save about a week’s worth of video, and you can access the video through the LightCam app and even download clips for more permanent storage.

The weatherproof bulb fits in a variety of fixtures, interior or exterior.  The 1080p HD camera with wide-angle lens can adjust to change the viewing angle to work with the fixtures, even with recessed fixtures.  It can “see” even in the dark, producing gray-scale images of objects up to 25 feet away.  A motion sensor can alert you when someone approaches the LightCam, and a microphone and speaker allows you to communicate with the visitor.  Using the app, you can control when the LED light comes on and when you get alerts,   It even comes with a cover for your light switch, so you can be sure the camera isn’t accidentally turned off.

The LightCam funding period ends in 20 days.  You can pledge $99 for a single LightCam, with discounts available for purchase of multiple bulbs.  Learn more and get your own LightCam at Indiegogo.