# DOPERS!!!! I wanna hook this thing up to my car, can I? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2009, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146 "2009-11-03T07:10:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/1 "2009-11-03T07:10:58Z")
[http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11489849](http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11489849) my thinking is I will need that and my laptop, does your average car produce that much power? can I get a bigger alternator? Marine Batteries? or am I doomed to not be able to do this? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/2 "2009-11-03T12:52:12Z")
It doesn’t have detailed power specs, but I’m guessing the entire system consumes less than 200W, which a cigaret lighter can easily supply. Why you would want to do this is a different story… ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/3 "2009-11-03T14:38:11Z")
A laptop uses anywhere between 30-70 watts of power. Assuming this thing uses 100-200W plus another 10-20 watts per camera then you’re looking at quite a power load. Generally you cant get more than 120 watts out of car’s lighter port. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/4 "2009-11-03T14:48:52Z")
It looks like the box takes 50-60W: [http://www.q-see.com/products/security-product.php?ProductId=100](http://www.q-see.com/products/security-product.php?ProductId=100) The cameras take 3.6W max: [http://www.q-see.com/products/security-product.php?ProductId=116](http://www.q-see.com/products/security-product.php?ProductId=116) So, a total of less than 120W, so no problem powering it off of your lighter. But, it’s going to KILL your battery, if you want to run it with the engine off. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/5 "2009-11-03T14:53:14Z")
Either you have an ex who is into keying, or a child about to turn 16 - am I right? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/6 "2009-11-03T15:38:03Z")
Bad things happen to good people every day. Without witnesses, it usually devolves into a he said/she said situation. I resolved that problem years ago. I have a dashcam in front, and a [Helmet Cam](http://www.helmetcamera.com/)from one of my motorcycles in back. It feeds a small DVR. No more ambiguity. Because sometimes, [stuff happens](http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v677/ural/videos/holding/?action=view¤t=930annivwreck.flv). ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/7 "2009-11-03T15:54:35Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > It doesn’t have detailed power specs, but I’m guessing the entire system consumes less than 200W, which a cigaret lighter can easily supply. > > Why you would want to do this is a different story… This. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/8 "2009-11-03T16:12:57Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > So, a total of less than 120W, so no problem powering it off of your lighter. > > But, it’s going to KILL your battery, if you want to run it with the engine off. At 12 volts, 120 watts corresponds to 10 amps. Running that off a car battery will indeed kill it in a day or less. Even with the engine on, I think you’ll find that the vehicles alternator is barely equipped to deal with that sort of load. You’ll likely need a [deep cycle battery with plenty of amp hours](http://www.windpowerunlimited.com/batteries/Amp_Hours.htm) to power the thing, plus daily, or nightly, access to a lines powered battery charger. Given that practical fuel cells are _still_ 30 years off, your best choice for long-term powering the system is probably a [Radioisotope thermoelectric generator](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator). Be aware though that they are getting hard to come by as congress refuses to fund production of the requisite plutonium isotope. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/9 "2009-11-03T16:52:14Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Even with the engine on, I think you’ll find that the vehicles alternator is barely equipped to deal with [a load of 10 amps]. Headlights or blower motors on high typically draw about 10 amps. Alternators typically are designed to produce somewhere in the 60-100 amp range. ---
**Author:** ![Terry\_Kennedy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@Terry\_Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terry_Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/10 "2009-11-03T17:18:24Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > [http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11489849](http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11489849) Aside from the power issue which has already been discussed, this unit records to standard desktop hard disk drives. You’re likely to encounter problems with vibration in a car. Even if the drives aren’t physically damaged, they are likely to park their heads when they experience a shock above their operating rating. At worst, you’ll need to power cycle the unit to get them back. At best, you’ll have periods of dropouts in your recordings. You could probably use a notebook hard drive (they’re generally rated for higher G forces) or even a solid state drive. Either will likely require 2.5" to 5.25" adapter brackets. Another question is why you would need 16 channels. You can probably get total coverage with three: front exterior, rear exterior, and interior. There are systems designed to do this, but they’re targeted at the racing market. An example would be the [ChaseCam](http://www.chasecam.com/packages/Kit-RK1). ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/11 "2009-11-03T17:32:00Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Headlights or blower motors on high typically draw about 10 amps. Alternators typically are designed to produce somewhere in the 60-100 amp range. Sure, but this 10 amps is in _addition_ to whatever else the car is drawing. At the least, it’d be a good idea to see what continuous load the alternator in the particular vehicle is designed to handle. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/12 "2009-11-03T18:58:43Z")
> [@Terry\_Kennedy](#): > > There are systems designed to do this, but they’re targeted at the racing market. An example would be the [ChaseCam](http://www.chasecam.com/packages/Kit-RK1). the price tag here is the real issue, thats $950 for ONE camera with the one from Costco you get a crazy insane home security system that hopefully doubles as an insane car recording system for $50 less…dont get me wrong, I would love to have $16,000 to just blow on a camera system for my car but sadly I dont. I certainly dont plan on running all 16 cameras in my car, and no it won’t be running while the engine is off. ( love the idea though) so it looks like I should be able to run it as is. Now the fun part, the lighter isn’t connected so I will have to find the wires for that. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/13 "2009-11-03T19:59:43Z")
I have a power converter - 12v DC to 120v AC. It is a SmartAC 150 from Fry’s. Specs are: Continuous Power (24hrs) 150 Watts Peak Surge Power 450 Watts DC Input Voltage Range 10 - 15v DC AC Output Voltage 115+/-5v AC RMS I have used this for my Laptop when travelling. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/14 "2009-11-04T00:28:08Z")
I Just gotta know. Why? You taking video for a rally/race or something? If you are, please update on how this works, I have a buddy that might want to do the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/15 "2009-11-04T04:40:47Z")
Why not get a couple cameras from these guys: [http://www.goprocamera.com/](http://www.goprocamera.com/) They have SD and HD cameras with wide-angle and standard lenses. The units are self-contained, require no external power or recorders, record for an hour or more, and come with the waterproof enclosures and mounting systems. The SD cameras are $180, and the HD cameras are about $300. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/16 "2009-11-04T04:50:15Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Sure, but this 10 amps is in _addition_ to whatever else the car is drawing. At the least, it’d be a good idea to see what continuous load the alternator in the particular vehicle is designed to handle. Trust me a 10A load is nothing unless you are already doing something stupid. Just turning on the key on my car is a 15A load. The blower motor can be as much as 20A and the alternator is capable of 180A. !0A is nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/17 "2009-11-04T08:33:11Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Why not get a couple cameras from these guys: [http://www.goprocamera.com/](http://www.goprocamera.com/) > > They have SD and HD cameras with wide-angle and standard lenses. The units are self-contained, require no external power or recorders, record for an hour or more, and come with the waterproof enclosures and mounting systems. The SD cameras are $180, and the HD cameras are about $300. this is interesting, the SD ones unfortunately would end up pissing me off in no time at all since they cant run on an alternate power source, which is lame considering the price difference. the HD ones look great and nicely fit the bill in most ways. but the 300$ is off a bit when you tack on a 32gig car for another 100$ or so. its a thought though, made for the car and I can always pick up more as I can afford it. ---
**Author:** ![Anachronism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Anachronism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anachronism)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/18 "2009-11-04T14:25:20Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > Bad things happen to good people every day. > Without witnesses, it usually devolves into a he said/she said situation. > > I resolved that problem years ago. I have a dashcam in front, and a [Helmet Cam](http://www.helmetcamera.com/)from one of my motorcycles in back. It feeds a small DVR. No more ambiguity. > > Because sometimes, [stuff happens](http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v677/ural/videos/holding/?action=view¤t=930annivwreck.flv). Awesome idea - how much did your setup cost and how difficult is it to install? I seriously considered doing something like this after I got a completely bogus speeding ticket but the cost/ difficulty seemed to be to high. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/19 "2009-11-04T15:20:50Z")
Here’s an easier (and considerably cheaper) [solution](http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/car-camera.html). As an insurance guy who often has to tease the truth out of 6 different accounts of what happened in an accident, I wish things like this were standard (or even optional!) equipment on cars. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146/20 "2009-11-04T16:50:17Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Here’s an easier (and considerably cheaper) [solution](http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/car-camera.html). > > As an insurance guy who often has to tease the truth out of 6 different accounts of what happened in an accident, I wish things like this were standard (or even optional!) equipment on cars. Easier? Yes. Cheaper? Yes. Worth anything? No. I ordered one when they first came out. I seemed exactly what I wanted, but the picture quality is so bad that you can’t make anything out from more than a couple of feet away. I returned it the next day. I \*\*so \*\*wanted this to be good, but it just wasn’t. My setup is simply a Sony 8mm digital video camera velcroed to the dash. The rear is the helmet-cam velcroed to the upper surround of the back window. It feeds either another 8mm camera or a small DVR, whichever I’m not using for something else at the time. Since it’s all digital, it’s an easy Firewire download to your PC. You can find a digital handi-cam on E-bay or CL for a hundred bucks or so. The helmet cams are a bit more, but very versatile. There are mobile DVRs that support 4 channels, so if you want to get \*\*complete \*\*coverage, you can get 4 lipstick or mini cams and feed it that way. I’m actually planning a system like that now. I’d just like to source some HD cameras like those GoPros for a better picture. I don’t get hit or hit-and-run often, but when I do, I love it when the officer asks \*\*me \*\*what happened and I can say “Let’s go to the tape, shall we?” It’s also good for the occasional DUI I see. As an ex-LEO, I pay attention to these more than most folks… > **[Photo Storage](https://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v677/ural/videos/?action=view¤t=drunk42309.flv)** > > Store your photos and videos online with secure storage from Photobucket. Available on iOS, Android and desktop. Securely backup your memories and sign up today! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-i-wanna-hook-this-thing-up-to-my-car-can-i/516146.md?page=2)