You Ask, Elinz Answers

Hey gang! We've been answering questions left and right on our Quora feed recently, and it's been some time since we compiled the best that we've got recently. So we'll do exactly that today!

In today's "You Ask, Elinz Answers", we answer questions about dash cams & security cameras. Some of these we've received similar requests for answers before, so it's a great idea to read on as you might have the same questions!

Let's get started!

Any SD card would work, but this depends on the kind of the dashcam that you’re using.

If you have a very high-quality dashcam, for example capturing 2k-4k quality, then you’ll need a very high-capacity SD card, ideally those in the 128GB video memory.

Nevertheless, if you have a decent-sized SD card, then you can use a dash cam reliably as long as you either review and offload the footage often, or get a dash cam that loops over older footage.

Note however that you need a dashcam that can mark and “lock” footage that might be important (collisions, incidents on the road are common examples of important footage that is auto-locked by modern dashcams).

The bottom line is that if you can get a high capacity SD card, do so- it will be beneficial for your dashcam recordings and will eventually pay for its own price, especially if you were part of an accident or an incident. Not to mention, it will save you tons of time by not having you fiddle often with your dash camera reviewing footage.

Ever notice that red light that surrounds your security camera? Ever wondered what it was for, and why it exists?

Some people might say that its there to be “creepy”, but they’re incorrect.

CCTVs work at night and are still able to capture video due to these red lights that are under the lens or surround it. They’re Infrared LED Lights.

What might seem like a regular dark room too is actually lit up, from the perspective of the security camera, by infrared light. The security camera’s lens is able to see this, and are then able to record thanks to the infrared light’s assistance.

Without infrared light, the camera would not see anything- just black, just like a regular camera that placed within a dark room that does not have night vision or IR LEDs.

It’s important to note that when you’re buying security cameras, make sure to keep this functionality in mind and look for security cameras well equipped with these red LED lights.

It’s a little on the nose, but YOU can prevent accidents. By just being a responsible driver, you can prevent these mishaps on the road, and you’ll help others stay safe too.

If you take on passengers that are also drivers, by driving safely and properly, you’re also helping to set a good example with other motorists.

Generally, here’s how you can prevent accidents and do your part to make the roads a safer place.

1. Drive well within the speed limit. This is a no brainer, but it needs to be said time and time again for some people- regular roads are not race tracks, and you’ll get to where you need to be. There’s no rush (except for actual emergencies), and if you find that you’re frequently late to your appointments, it’s not the vehicle’s fault but yours- adjust accordingly.
2. Keep both hands on the wheel, and eyes on the road. One of the main causes of accidents is driver distraction/inattention. Texting, calling, fiddling with something and not paying proper attention to your driving causes accidents, from small collisions to bigger crashes. Don’t be an inattentive driver, and keep your focus when driving.
3. Keep a cool head about you at all times. You’re not doing anyone favors by raging on the road. Check yourself and recognize when you’re upset. A little coolheadedness goes a long way when driving.

It doesn’t hurt to invest in road safety items such as dash cams and reverse cameras. If you’re looking for some, do visit us at Elinz.

Well for one, wireless security cameras are usually IP security cameras. They’re fairly inexpensive, and they’re semi-portable. When we say semi-portable, some have plugs that won't power up without being plugging to a wall outlet; some have batteries, which means that they will still need to be charged from time to time and still need to be plugged to a wall outlet too.

You can pick them up, place them anywhere appropriate provided that there is a plug to power the security camera. They’re perfect for smaller pieces of property, such as small businesses or stands, rooms, small, one-room apartments to name a few.

They’re very easy to set up as well- even without internet connection, it will indefinitely go on and record, looping over old footage and endlessly watching should the owner so prefer. Additionally, some brand new tech is making its way to wireless security cameras, 

If you are looking for a less expensive, easier to manage and easy to use security system, try and get yourself a wireless security camera.

Not sure which tyres are in comparison here, but these are the tyres that wear out first:

1. Tyres that are under-inflated. Some people do this on purpose to get more traction; it does not work that way, and it is an old myth that has long been busted and disproven.
2. Conversely, tyres that are over-inflated. This is also a myth and does not provide additional gas mileage. It’s been disproven time and time again, and it does not help anyone (on top of causing eventual brittleness in the tyres, which will wear it out and break it).
3. If you’re referring to a comparison between the front and rear tyres, the rear usually gets worn out faster. With the amount of driving and the amount of breaking that most vehicles do, it’s no wonder that the rear gets worn out first.
4. That also depends on what you use your vehicle for- 4wd, offroad, city driving, large vehicles, that really depends and there is no single correct answer, especially if you factor in driver behavior & error.

There are a couple of factors that make dash cams better than regular cameras for cars, such as:

1. They have image stabilization for motion, as they’re commonly mounted on car reversing mirrors or dashboards. Regular cameras rarely have robust image stabilization to make for motion inside a car.
2. Record looping. Not everyone has the time to review footage from inside their dash cams. Regular cameras just stop recording after their storage runs out; dash cams loop and overwrite older footage so it can keep recording
3. Footage locking. Our dash cams at Elinz lock certain footage moments and after a collision, protecting it from getting looped over. This can serve as excellent evidence for any implications with the law.
4. Image sensors. On the topic of this, regular cameras do not have quick adaptive lenses that can deal with glare or lowlight conditions designed for video recording. Dash cams have image sensors that can deal with this. While some video cameras and DSLRs can do this, they are extremely expensive, bulky, and cannot be left inside a vehicle for obvious reasons such as theft and equipment damage. 

Looking for great equipment that we've mentioned in these answers? Here are the individual links to the product pages for our dash cams, security cameras and car gear mentioned in the answers above:

Security cameras | Dash Cams | TPMS 

Till next time!