Cobra HD Drive Dash Cam
The Cobra HD Drive Dash Cam with iRadar is Cobra's new dash cam line for 2019... an upgrade from their previous dash cams without iRadar (which does not supply user with GPS data). The package includes the dash cam, 32GB microSD card, adhesive windshield mount, 12V vehicle power adapter, 10' microUSB cable, 1.5' microUSB cable, and quick setup. The dash cam comes with a one-year warranty on parts/labor.
PROS:
-----------
* Casing is small, light, and easy to mount. The ball/joint keeps the angle you want easily.
* Easy to remove camera while mount remains in place. Camera slides off rubber/plastic arm on mount so you can place in glove box or out of sight.
* GPS is available which shows speed and location on digital map using the downloadable Drive HD Dash Cam Player. G-force is also shown using this program with 1 being the lowest level and 3 being the highest (most impact to the vehicle that would trigger a locked video). See more on GPS limitations in the "Cons" section.
* Due to the lens curvature and wide angle (160-degrees), the video does look a bit round which is to be expected for that angle, but at 1296p/30fps, the clarity is pretty good.
* There is not a touch screen but the 4 buttons on the bottom of the unit are well-placed with a menu that's easy to select items for. Most of this is only done once anyway during setup.
* Like most cameras it has loop recording and is built to beat the heat. The camera does have a sensor which will detect different G-force levels and make those videos un-eraseable until they need to be erased by the user. You can also create an emergency "locked" video by hitting the blue button on the top of the unit. This video can only be erased manually by the user as well. The button is easy to press and in a good location on the backside of the camera.
CONS:
-----------
* There is no battery backup built-in for short-term parked recording. One must hardwire to another aftermarket module (wired to car's power source) to continue recording for specified time after vehicle is turned off unless a USB power pack is used (see 1st item in "Other Observations" section).
* GPS is available; HOWEVER, it is only available if the camera is bluetoothed to your phone AND your iRadar app is running. NOTE: The unit DOES have a GPS 3.5mm jack on the side; however, on Cobra's website, it does not state that the GPS module by Cobra is compatible with this dash cam. So what GPS unit IS compatible if there is a plug for one? Also, if that same GPS module DOES work with this dash cam, it has its own suction cup mount that must be used. This is a seriously flawed design. The GPS unit should be able to be simply mounted (magnetically connected) to the dash cam.
* My biggest gripe, even if GPS is used via iRadar app? The speed is NOT shown on the actual video when GPS is active. This is a huge flaw that hopefully a software update will address. The GPS info is embedded digitally in the .MOV file but can only be seen using the Cobra program (Drive HD Dash Cam Player) installed on your PC. Latitude/Longitude IS shown on the screen, but for most users, that will not likely be very useful. Seeing the mph on the video itself may be needed for insurance cases or other incidents.
* Many cars have only 1 DC outlet in their car in the same convenient location. It would be nice if the DC outlet provided 2 USB outputs instead of 1 so the dash cam and one other item could be plugged in at a time. With this setup, only 1 USB device can use the cigarette lighter DC module.
* iRadar app must be turned off completely or it will continuously run in the background, and run down your phone battery. So the user has to turn it on before driving and turn it off after driving. That's not a very user-friendly process.
* iRadar app IMO is useless other than gathering GPS data for the camera. There are already more popular GPS/cop-tracking/traffic apps out there (Google Maps, Waze, etc) with more users which better your chances of getting real-time data when you need it. iRadar doesn't even give speed limits to side streets nor does it give traffic patterns to those side streets - only major roads or interstates. I'm not seeing a true benefit of this app other than GPS availability for the dash cam.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS:
-----------------------------------
* An option to maintain power after the car is shut off: Put a charged USB battery pack in-line to the DC power source that is triggered "ON". When the car is running, the battery will charge. When the car is off, the battery will keep the camera on until all power is depleted. In this instance, the battery may need to be removed if it cannot be charged thoroughly while driving. Eventually, the car being parked will drain it enough and die over time. This is probably not ideal or even worth doing, but still an option.
* The Drive HD Dash Cam Player program (PC) is set up nicely and even has limited editing options - mainly cut function or remove audio/video. There are no available transitions between video clips and the interface can be a little tedious at times. Multiple projects can be open at a time via tabs at the top of the window (nice feature). Only GPS data can be seen using this program. Lat/Long is shown on-screen, but proves to be pretty useless.
* The DC (cigarette lighter) module has a USB port which can be used for other items if the dash cam is not being used.
* The site lists this product with an 8GB microSD card, but I got a 32GB microSD card in my box.
CONCLUSION:
===================
The biggest issue with this dash cam is the fact that the speed is not shown on the video. I'm hopeful that that feature will change. Cobra also needs to make clear what GPS unit can hook up to this dash cam. The input is there but no GPS accessory stating compatibility with this dash cam exists on their website. This forces the user to turn on iRadar each and every time they drive if they want GPS data. You can leave the app running in the background; however, your battery won't last all day doing this. If you decide to get this dash cam for your kid, keeping mind that they will have to turn on the iRadar app every time they use the car - if you want GPS data, that is. I'm assuming a GPS unit is not available though. If Cobra HD Dash Cam Player is used to make composite videos of multiple clips, the final video product isn't too bad. With a few tweaks, this dash cam could really be something special. Unfortunately, it comes up a bit short with convenience and video overlay items (mph specifically).
PICTURES ATTACHED:
1. Contents of the box
2. all 4 sides
3. front/back
4. the sticky mount
5. HD Dash Cam Player with GPS info (screenshot if iRadar is used)
6. HD Dash Cam Player WITHOUT GPS info (if iRadar is not turned on during drive)