Ensuring your Blackvue dashcam remains powered for parking mode can be a challenge, especially when you need that crucial surveillance footage. A common concern is battery drain, particularly if your car’s cigarette lighter socket is always live. Fortunately, there are effective solutions, and one popular method involves utilizing an OBD2 power adapter. This guide will explore how to use an OBD2 adapter to power your dashcam, focusing on maintaining power for parking mode while safeguarding your vehicle’s battery.
For vehicles where the cigarette lighter turns off with the ignition, or for a cleaner setup, OBD2 power adapters offer a convenient alternative. These adapters draw power directly from your car’s OBD2 port, which is typically used for diagnostics. When choosing an OBD2 adapter for your dashcam, especially for parking mode, it’s essential to consider features that prevent battery drain. Many reputable OBD2 adapters come equipped with a low voltage cutoff switch. This crucial component automatically cuts power to your dashcam if your car battery voltage drops below a certain threshold, usually around 11.6 volts, preventing your battery from completely discharging.
Products like the Koolatron “battery saver,” readily available on platforms like Amazon, exemplify this technology. While initially designed for cigarette lighter connections, the core principle of low voltage cutoff remains vital when considering OBD2 power. For OBD2 specifically, numerous inexpensive power supplies on Amazon incorporate similar cutoff switches, making them ideal for dashcam parking mode setups. It’s generally advisable to avoid directly wiring into your OBD port without proper adapters, as these purpose-built adapters are designed with safety and voltage regulation in mind.
When utilizing your dashcam in parking mode, you’ll primarily rely on standby or surveillance features, such as G-sensor or motion activation. These modes ensure the camera only records when an event is detected, conserving power. If your cigarette lighter is ignition-switched (only powered when the engine is running), an OBD2 adapter becomes particularly useful for parking mode recording. In such cases, consider running a USB cable from your dashcam down to the OBD2 port area, allowing for a discreet and direct power connection when the engine is off and parking surveillance is needed. For times when the engine is running, you could potentially switch to a cigarette lighter adapter if desired, though the OBD2 adapter can serve both purposes.
Conversely, if your car’s cigarette lighter is always powered, you have options too. A robust cigarette lighter splitter, rated for at least 10 amps, can be employed. Into this splitter, you can plug a battery saver device like the Koolatron, and then connect a high-quality cigarette lighter to USB adapter into the battery saver. This setup allows you to power your dashcam reliably, benefit from the low voltage cutoff protection, and still retain a separate port on the splitter for charging phones or other devices while driving.
A significant advantage of OBD2 adapters is their ease of access. Should you need to use your OBD2 port for diagnostics or scanning, simply unplug the adapter. There’s no concern about overloading the OBD port’s power capacity, as they are typically designed to supply up to 4 amps, well within the power requirements of most dashcams, including dual-channel models that usually draw 2 amps or less. By using a dedicated OBD2 power adapter with a low voltage cutoff, you can effectively enable your Blackvue dashcam’s parking mode, ensuring continuous surveillance without the worry of draining your car battery.
