How to get VIOFO A119v3 (f/w v1.03) out of parking mode without power cycling it?

[ds2010]

Hi all,

I am using A119v3 (f/w v1.03) and powering it from the USB 5V (using the power bank) via the supplied MiniUSB cable. Not using the HK3 kit at all.
Not using any of the car power supplies, so the car doesn't even know that the dash cam (further: DC) is there.
The DC is mounted via a GPS module.

The relevant settings are as follows:

Firmware: v1.03
Build: 20190924
Parking mode: Auto Event Detection
Parking G-Sensor: High Sensitivity
Parking Motion Detection: Middle Sensitivity
G-Sensor: Low Sensitivity
Motion Detection: OFF
GPS: ON
Loop recording: 1 min
Bitrate: High
Resolution: 2560x1440P

The sequence of events is as follows:
At night time, the car is garaged, so the DC is switched off (disconnected from the power bank).
In the morning, I get to the car, and turn the power to DC on (connect the cable to the power bank).
The DC then starts in normal mode and keeps recording the 1min long videos with the bitrate of about 30 Mbps (file size of each clip is approx 233,660,000 bytes).
Note that the names of those files do NOT contain letter "P" at the end.
The DC keeps recording those until I get to work and park my car there (I keep DC powered from the power bank !)
While the car is parked, the DC keeps recording until there is a 5 min of no motion in the DC's field of view. Then the DC enters the buffered parking mode.
From this moment on, the DC is only triggered by motion events (assume G-sensor is never activated).
Each event results in one 45-second long videofile, where the first 15 sec is a buffered recording BEFORE the event, then the event itself and then 30 seconds of post-event recording. Note that even when the event lasts fairly long (motion is sustained), the DC still records the 45-sec clips with 15-sec gaps between them.
The names of those files DO contain letter "P" at the end, indicating that the recording was done in parking mode.
And the bitrate of those 45-sec clips is low - approx 8 Mbps.

When I get back to my car after work (the DC was continuously powered since morning) and start driving, the DC does not get out of the Parking Mode, and keeps recording those 45-sec clips with 15-sec gaps between them, and letter P at the end of each recorded file. It goes on like that until I arrive home and disconnect the DC from the power bank, which switches the DC off.
Then, the next morning the whole pattern repeats.

Sorry for the long boring description - I had to be clear.

So, the question from me is:
When powered from the permanent USB source (like aforementioned power bank), and after the DC enters the Buffered Parking Mode after 5 min of steady picture in the frame, is there a way - without power cycling the DC ! - to get the DC out of that Parking Mode and make it to record 1-min clips with the high bitrate again ?

Thanks you,
DS

 

[trickymistake]

I have the same issue but my A119v3 (1.03) is hard wired using an old nextbase kit which powers the camera at all times. The camera was purchased recently as a bundle with the gps module from amazon.
The dashcam enters parking mode correctly after stopping for a few minutes but then it never exits parking mode and always records only 45 second clips even when there is g sensor movement and the gps module detects high speeds.

Is the official 3 wire kit necessary for the cam to exit parking mode automatically? Can the cam not exit parking mode based on the g sensor or gps speed?

 

[Capture Your Action]

The parking mode does not use GPS as far as I know. The 3-wire kit will automate the parking mode and is the recommended way to power the camera if you want to use parking mode.

 

[trickymistake]

I do want to use parking mode but don't want to buy another wire kit and have to install it again.
If GPS is not used for parking mode then only thing left is g sensor or motion detection to exit parking mode. My settings for these are:

Loop Recording: 3 minutes
Parking Mode: AutoEventDetection
ParkingG-Sensor: High Sensitivity
ParkingMotionDetection: Middle Sensitivity
Motion Detection: Off
G-Sensor: Low Sensitivity

Think these are default settings except for parking mode.

Has anyone managed to get this dash cam to exit parking mode without the 3 wire kit? Kinda weird that it enters parking mode but then doesn't know when to exit.

 

[ds2010]

I opened the service ticket with VIOFO, and received their reply today as below:

Without the HK3 hardwire kit, the camera will leave parking mode once it detects the GPS info that the speed is above 8km/h.

which is not what I see here, as I definitely drive faster than 8km/h and the camera records that (basing on GPS data) by showing the actual speed on the screen.

I will keep talking to VIOFO on that ticket.

 

[ds2010]

I did more tests. But note the following first:
The v1.03 firmware available for download from the official VIOFO sources is actually v1.03 build 20190924.
There was an earlier build of v1.03, which is build 20190911.

I have two A113V3 dash cams here, with those two different v1.03 builds, and the 20190911 behaves at it should - gets out of parking mode as described in VIOFO's reply above, while 20190924 doesn't, even though both cameras have 100% identical settings, and I use them in the same GPS mount (not at the same time, of course . Funnily enough, the camera loaded with 20190911, has a higher Serial Number. I wonder if the h/w build standard may also be different.

I'd like to continue investigation, but I need both BIN files for that, and I only have 20190924.
Can anyone help with the 20190911 file? Thanks.

 

[trickymistake]

On Wednesday I downgraded my cam to v1.02 build 20190627 and checked on it today. I can confirm the same results as you, the camera gets out of parking mode as soon as I was over 4mph (based on the footage stamp) and goes back into parking mode after 5 minutes of no movement.

Unfortunately I only have the 20190924 build but maybe you can try with 102 on your other dash cam?

Viofo really needs to push out a new firmware to fix this stuff.

 

[neoman1918]

Having the same problem here. Using a powerbank to power the viofo A119 v3. Firmware is v1.03 build 20190924. Getting 45s clips after the car started moving, and all clips have "P" at the end of the filename.

 

[neoman1918]

Wish that the clips can be longer than 45s if the motion is longer, and get out of parking mode correctly.

 

[Lush]

How do you downgrade the software

 

[Capture Your Action]

How do you downgrade the software

Same as installing new firmware.

 

[ds2010]

Wish that the clips can be longer than 45s if the motion is longer, and get out of parking mode correctly.

Load the previous version v1.02, and it will work correctly. If you are using only a powerbank as a power source, you will not notice the difference between the versions, if you don't use the 1920x1080p@60fps resolution.

 

[ds2010]

maybe you can try with 102 on your other dash cam?

I have, and, just like you reported, it correctly comes out of the parking mode. That's why I suggested that solution in my previous post here.

 

[ds2010]

Good news for all people with the problem of non-coming out of parking mode when powered by power bank:

VIOFO has released to public the binary file of the earlier build firmware v1.03 build 20190911, which seems to be free of that issue.
I don't know how to attach the files here, so I have just uploaded it to the free file sharing resource.
Download the file here: http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=03329174191288213910
Don't forget to UNZIP it after downloading.

Now you can load that firmware into your camera and enjoy v1.03 with correctly working parking mode exit.
(follow the instructions on the VIOFO's firmware update page)

Disclaimer: this version is of EARLIER BUILD DATE than the official v1.03 available for download from VIOFO's web site.
Use this version at your own risk. I don't know what other differences are between the two.

If you do not use your camera with Powerbank, and especially if you are using HK3 kit with your cam, then this build is probably of no use to you - it is recommended then to use the latest official firmware, which is at the moment v1.03 build 20190924 (the one downloadable from VIOFO's website)

Happy and safe driving!

 

[impactx]

Good news for all people with the problem of non-coming out of parking mode when powered by power bank:

VIOFO has released to public the binary file of the earlier build firmware v1.03 build 20190911, which seems to be free of that issue.
I don't know how to attach the files here, so I have just uploaded it to the free file sharing resource.
Download the file here: http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=03329174191288213910
Don't forget to UNZIP it after downloading.

Now you can load that firmware into your camera and enjoy v1.03 with correctly working parking mode exit.
(follow the instructions on the VIOFO's firmware update page)

Disclaimer: this version is of EARLIER BUILD DATE than the official v1.03 available for download from VIOFO's web site.
Use this version at your own risk. I don't know what other differences are between the two.

If you do not use your camera with Powerbank, and especially if you are using HK3 kit with your cam, then this build is probably of no use to you - it is recommended then to use the latest official firmware, which is at the moment v1.03 build 20190924 (the one downloadable from VIOFO's website)

Happy and safe driving!

can you please share the file again? I cannot download it.

 

[ds2010]

can you please share the file again? I cannot download it.

Here it is.

 

[impactx]

Here it is.

Thank you!