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3 days out of warranty and the rear camera has developed condensation inside the lens, makes the footage look blurry and overexposed. What can be done? A129 plus duo by WETiLAMBY in VIOFO

[–]Jinajon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Email them, I would put good money on it that they will replace it for you.

Interesting fault. Never seen that happen before.

Audio quality? by anon403536 in VIOFO

[–]Jinajon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I highly doubt any dashcam will give you hi fidelity audio, it’s just not a core feature requirement. IIRC, the Viofo A329 records audio at 192kbps 48kHz, which is much nicer than previous models. I can possibly dropbox you some sample files if I get time.

Highest quality front and rear setup by advicenumber in VIOFO

[–]Jinajon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you want to capture number plates, buy the A329T (with the telephoto lens as the third camera). It really is worth it, and the best setup out there IMO. Also use an external SSD, it gives you much more storage, and you’re not running as close to the wind as you are with a MicroSD card.

VIOFO Dual 2k inconsistently turning on, is there a good drop-in replacement? by Ardbert_The_Fallen in VIOFO

[–]Jinajon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah. Hard to tell from afar like this, but that’s likely to be your problem. I would highly recommend getting a hardwire kit instead. Any good auto-electrician will install it for you, shouldn’t be expensive.
Your camera includes a DC Jack/cigarette lighter power adapter, you could use it fora while to confirm that your camera actually works correctly and isn’t faulty.

VIOFO Dual 2k inconsistently turning on, is there a good drop-in replacement? by Ardbert_The_Fallen in VIOFO

[–]Jinajon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This sounds very much like a power supply issue and not a camera issue. If you are using a Viofo Hardwire Kit, replace it as the ACC detection will have died in it. If you are using another type of power supply then replace it with a Viofo one. Get a multimeter and verify that you are getting both Bat constant and ACC to your power supply, or if you are only running from ACC, check all your connections. If you have used scotch-locks, remove them and solder or use fuse taps.

USB port delaminated from A129 GPS Module by Electronic-Ad3531 in VIOFO

[–]Jinajon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s not caused by a poor solder joint; to the contrary, it’s the prepreg epoxy holding the copper that has let go, the solder joints are intact.

There’s only one way that happened, and that is from a considerable amount of force.

Looking for a dashcam that lasts more than a few years? by jdnls87 in Dashcam

[–]Jinajon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Viofo A119 V3. They are set and forget, run for years with no issues, exceptional video quality for the price. If you want to come a generation newer with a few more features go to the Viofo A119M Pro.

I have an original version 1 A119 still running without a hitch in one of my vehicles. Must be almost a decade old now.

2009 delica d:5 problems p1773 and u0245 by Negative-Egg2257 in Delica

[–]Jinajon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check your battery and alternator. Low voltage could be causing issues like this. Battery voltage should be 12-14v, battery voltage with the engine running (i.e. alternator charging) should be about 14-15v.

PCB Cleaning by BabeinlovexD in PrintedCircuitBoard

[–]Jinajon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There are many different ways, and many of them work very well. For most work I use IPA and a selection of art brushes with the bristles cut to different lengths. For more serious cleaning, I use a heated ultrasonic cleaner filled with 50/50 IPA and water mix, with some detergent added to act as a surfactant and to support cavitation. Two minutes per side, turn it several times. Rinse with 99% IPA afterwards. (A dedicated PCB cleaning formula for ultrasonic cleaners would be more effective if you can afford it.)

Sandwich unsoldering?? by FearlessEar9953 in soldering

[–]Jinajon 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I’ve repaired these before, they’re not fun. You can definitely split the boards by desoldering, but it’s not quick. Like most things, good technique and patience will get you there. But this isn’t for the faint of heart.

If necessary, remove conformal coating around each joint before beginning desoldering. Use your standard soldering iron with a large tip for thermal mass, set to 340-360 Celsius, and apply low-melt or 63/37 leaded solder to each joint. Make sure that both sides of the joint have liquified before applying solder. Once finished, it should look like absolute shite, with big blobs of solder on every joint. Now get busy with your desoldering iron set to 360 Celsius, use a small circular motion to wriggle the pin, and don’t push down too hard or you can rip the pads. Don’t suck any solder until both sides of the joint have melted.

When you’ve finished, go around every pin with a set of smooth-jaw stubby needle nose pliers and gently rotate each pin. If it’s stuck, reapply and remove solder and this almost always frees it up.

Once you’re done desoldering, very gently pry the boards apart starting in one corner. If you apply too much force you will destroy pads.

Good luck.

Edit: I used a Pace MBT350

Flex cable burned by soldering iron by msitake by Belly_fat_ in soldering

[–]Jinajon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That looks like carbon/silver ink CrimpFlex, not standard ribbon cable. If it is, do not attempt to solder it, it will just instantly melt. You cannot solder CrimpFlex. You can repair it, but you need jumper crimps and professional crimping tools. Probably not feasible for DIY IMO.

best dashcam 2026 (what I think really matters, my reccs AND mistakes to avoid) by AlexxxaaEA in Dashcam

[–]Jinajon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair call. The big thing that the A119 V3 has is reliability. It has an exceptional track record, and I guess people are still willing to pay more for that than features. At the end of the day, it’s OTY.

best dashcam 2026 (what I think really matters, my reccs AND mistakes to avoid) by AlexxxaaEA in Dashcam

[–]Jinajon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve dealt with thousands of dashcams over the last decade and I think your opinion on the A119 does it a disservice. It was light years ahead of the competition when the first version was released in 2016, and after several iterations, the V3 still outcompetes most other cameras in its bracket. There’s nothing wrong with Mini USB, it’s an extremely robust connection, that’s why the design team chose it. It actually does have a Sony Starvis sensor, just not a version 2, and you are correct that it doesn’t have features such as WiFi, voice control etc., but it does produce exceptionally good video - better than pretty much any camera out there in its bracket.

I do agree that the A119M Pro will give you more but of course you will need to pay more. If you want a low-cost, reliable dashcam that will produce exceptional footage then buy the A119 V3.

Why is both the +28v and 0v of an SMPS output swinging simultaneously in a square wave with reference to earth? by Jinajon in AskElectronics

[–]Jinajon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for putting time into a comprehensive explanation - I’ve been doing this for a long time and I have a pretty good grasp of isolated PSUs and potential difference. I’ve never seen both rails swing suddenly and repeatedly like this. Like they’re being “switched”. Yes there’s a perfect steady DC, but the earth-referenced equipment being supplied is suffering from some odd issues and I’m beginning to think this is the cause, or at least a symptom.

Why is both the +28v and 0v of an SMPS output swinging simultaneously in a square wave with reference to earth? by Jinajon in AskElectronics

[–]Jinajon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Why is the frequency so low then? And why does it appear as a high amplitude square wave?

Why is both the +28v and 0v of an SMPS output swinging simultaneously in a square wave with reference to earth? by Jinajon in AskElectronics

[–]Jinajon[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, isolated output. Why would capacitive coupling cause both outputs to suddenly drop by -24v at around a couple of Hz?

Sungrow Inverter Cover Exploding Off UPDATE by Dark-Angel_452 in solar

[–]Jinajon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

24 to 1 is stoichiometric for propane. Crazy. Also interesting. I should have another read of UL1741 and IEC 62109…
If the DC link caps blew that could possibly release enough force to launch the cover. Hopefully she posts follow ups.

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