I found one of these batteries on the side of the road this morning, still works. Well, I am a curious little bugger, so I opened it up to see the cell configuration. Immediately, I am amazed to see a micro USB port hidden behind the back panel. What is it for? Is it for programming and diagnostics? Can it be used to charge it with USB?
I’m curious if there’s a setting for the new USB outlet to not give power until after let’s say 3 hours after the car turns off, then turn on the USB port for 45 minutes or an hour to charge a hotspot and these times could be user definable. The battery could repeat this on/off schedule to keep the hotspot charged overnight without draining the blackvue battery
I used Power Magic Ultra Battery (B-124X) and the Power Magic Expansion Battery (B-124E). I just drive an average of 20 minutes a day and it's not enough to fully charge it. I am thinking of charging it with LiFePO4 charger at home. Is it advisable? If so, would you guys recommend a certain type of charger?
In that case...you should do a permanent connection with an always-on fuse, you might end up with a dead battery sometime... but at least the camera will always be running
question my car battery was just replaced since then the pack isn't charging or it is then being depleted straight away any chance u can show how its connected to the battery?
On fuses, The Manual says this; “Referring to your vehicle Owner’s Manual, identify a Switched (accessory power) fuse of more than 10A in your interior fuse panel.” This is what was said in the video; “...accessory power fuse of more than 20A in your interior fuse panel...” Is it 10A or 20A? What are likely issues if one uses 10A instead of 20A? Can you please clarify this for us? Thank you.
Hello, you can follow the manual as it was updated when the B-124X (successor to the B-124) was released. Just make sure the fuses are inserted in the correct order when using a fuse tap. Thank you.
I would say don’t use anything less than 20 A on top and fine any fuse which is ACC … and not very important for safety issues … like airbag fuses … use a radio taillight or 12v cigarette … I tried my radio fuse but it was constant power dir some reason …
@1:10 you say you need to find a 20 amp fuse to tap into but the manual says "Referring to your vehicle Owner’s Manual, identify a Switched (accessory power) fuse of 10A or less in your interior fuse panel. Typical examples are the cigarette lighter and car stereo fuse slots"
Dave Bradley Did you ever get a response about this? I followed the manual and taped into a 10amp fuse but my unit is constantly under voltage and not charging. I’m wondering if I need to plug it into a 20amp?
I used my 12v outlet (cigarette lighter) rated at 20amp on the factory fuse. Is only on when the car is on. You can use any fuse, as long as it's only on when the car is on.
I used a 15A fuse from the car and use a 20amp fuse that I had to buy because my battery didn’t come with mini fuses … seem to work so far and charge my battery when my car is on
em' little bit confused as to: 1) what fuse amp i should be choosing from interior fuse panel/box.... as per B-124X battery user manual I am suppose to identify switched(Accessory power) fuse of 10A or less from interior fuse panel but if my vehicle fuse is a low profile, which indeed it is, then i am not to suppose to use that 10A low profile mini fuse but to use 10A mini type fuse instead, right? would 10A mini fuse fit in low profile mini fuse tap, considering both have different sizes. 2) Read somewhere never to put higher amperage fuse into the top row of the fuse slot, but user manual suggests insert 10A fuse into bottom row of the fuse slot and 20A fuse into the top row of the fuse slot. am I reading it right? by doing so would not blow the fuse right?
Dear Rashad, we will try to post an answer here. However, we would recommend to contact our Customer Support team at cs@pittasoft.com for assistance. Thank you.
Hello again. This answer was updated on June 24, 2020. 1) First of all, the most important is that you must identify a switched power fuse, which we recommend should be 10A or lower. That fuse must be inserted in the lower slot of the fuse tap. Then you can insert the provided 20A fuse into the top slot of the fuse tap. 2) The mini fuse tap can generally be inserted into a low-profile mini fuse slot. For that case, you should use the also provided 10A mini fuse in the bottom slot. If you insert the fuse tap as indicated in the manual (with the output to B-124X on your right-hand side and the power input at the bottom left), then the power will flow straight from the power input to the B-124X output without affecting the accessory fuse that you tapped from. However, if you insert the fuse tap the wrong way, the power will have to flow through the accessory fuse, then through the additional fuse. Under these circumstances, if the additional fuse is of higher amperage than the original accessory fuse, the original fuse could potentially blow when the B-124X draws power. Hence the importance of determining correctly the power input side. This may require a voltmeter or simple circuit tester. Update: a simple way to test if you don't have those tools is to insert only the 20A fuse in the top slot at first and see if the battery charges. If it charges, that means the fuse tap is inserted the right way. Then you can safely insert the original fuse in the lower slot of the fuse tap. Thank you.
Hello and thank you for choosing BlackVue! Please contact our Support at cs@pittasoft.com for troubleshooting. We recommend adding a screenshot of the app to help speed up the resolution. Thank you.
@@BlackVueOfficial i used to talk with the support on Instagram but after watching the video I gave it another shot but couldn't hardwire it and then after 1hr of suffering I noticed that I connected the D.C WIRe into external wire. Lol now it charges but every few minutes it gives me. Low voltage ⚡ message i even taped the female plug or what ever you called it that connected the cam wire and cigarette lighter wire together
@@v0lkmaster252 Alright, also make sure that the switch at the back of the Ultra Battery matches the way it is connected to your car (cigarette lighter socket or hardwired to the fuse box). Our Instagram may provide basic information but for technical support we recommend to contact cs@pittasoft.com or visit our Help Center: helpcenter.blackvue.com/hc/en-us. Thank you.
Is it possible to use this for a cell phone which is always on in the car? I have an Android that I turned into a media server (Android Auto) that is always connected. The problem is that the car's USB doesn't provide enough power to charge it while it's being used, and it discharges overnight which includes powering Bluetooth and WiFi which I need always on so I can connect to it remotely. Think this could work?
@@BlackVueOfficial Power Banks that I have require that I press a button to have them start charging, do I have to do the same with the Power Magic Ultra Battery? Does it deliver constant power without an auto shutoff or requiring me to hit an on button? Also, does it have any protection from over charging? Something like a slow trickle maintenance charge.
@@grimmdanny The battery charges automatically while you drive and stops charging when ignition is off. It has circuitry to prevent overcharging. Thank you.
@@BlackVueOfficial What I'm asking is: Do I have to manually turn on the Power Magic battery each time I turn off the car for it to power up devices overnight?
Hello, the expansion cable comes with the Expansion Battery (B-124E). The Expansion Battery is sold separately and requires the Ultra Battery (B-124X), though. Thank you.
I’ve just had this professionally installed in my car to replace the power magic pro to enable my DR900s-2ch cameras to record for longer after I’ve parked up due to my neighbour repeatedly damaging my car. Sadly I have been left extremely disappointed with this battery pack, after much research I opted for the B-124x battery pack as Blackvue claim that I will get 20hrs of recording with this device running the front and rear camera setup that I have in my car. It doesn’t. With the battery pack charged to 100% I’m lucky if I get 14hrs so Blackvue seem to be making unrealistic claims about this product. Secondly I am unable to change the battery pack settings through the dedicated app which appears to be a common problem; hopefully Blackvue will fix this issue with an update soon. When searching for the device on the dedicated battery app it will connect but show no data on the main page and then disconnect when I try to click the settings icon. I don’t believe this is an issue with the battery pack itself as I can see through the Blackvue camera app the battery data (charge %, temperature and recording time left). Overall I have been left extremely disappointed given that I’ve just spent £320 on this device not to mention the £130 getting it professionally installed.
what a waste.... I've been an installer for years and this extra battery is completely useless and a waste of money... any other dash cam manufacture does not offer additional batteries or battery expansion pack because they are simply not required.... most other companies just include (sometimes sell separately) a hardwire option so you can utilize the vehicle's battery to record while vehicle's off.... and believe me it won't drain your battery... dash cams draw very little current that it is impossible to drain your battery overnight... it can take weeks just sitting in the driveway before a dash cam drains the battery to the point where it will not start.... this blackvue extra battery is a gimmick.....
The specs say "up to 20 hrs" it doesn't say "with 2 cameras running". 14 hours is really good. When I read "up to" on something, I know that is using the minimal amount of power for the devices, not as much as possible
@@MrCrazy-R Short answer: no power drop: if it is installed properly, the fuse panel's fuse that you tap from should not matter, as the Ultra Battery should not draw power through that fuse. How to know if the fuse tap is installed the correct way without dedicated testing tools? Insert the Ultra Battery bundled fuse in the top slot of the fuse tap and leave the lower slot empty. Insert the fuse tap into the fuse panel. If the Ultra Battery powers up, it means it is properly installed: you can proceed to inserting the original fuse into the lower slot. Longer answer: fuses are just there to preserve your vehicle's electrical system in case of malfunction of any of the electrical devices (radio, dashcam, turn-signal lights, etc.), which could cause those devices to suddenly draw more power than they are supposed to. The amperage of the fuses is designed to let through just enough current to power those devices. Assuming that you are using a fuse tap, the original fuse from your vehicle will be slotted in the bottom slot of the fuse tap and the fuse provided with the Ultra Battery will go in the upper slot of the fuse tap. Typically, the power output of your vehicle's alternator when the engine is running will vary from 40 to over 100A, depending on the alternator. This gives you an idea of how much power is available from the slots of your car's fuse panel. When hardwired, the Ultra Battery draws up to 9A (5A while plugged into the cigarette lighter power socket). Provided the fuse tap is installed correctly, those 9A are not flowing through your car's original 7.5A fuse but through the fuse provided with the Ultra Battery only. The suggested "10A or less" is just to avoid drawing a potentially large amount of power from a single slot of your car's fuse box. If you have any further question, feel free to contact Support at cs@pittasoft.com. Thank you.
Hello, yes, you can connect any dashcam to it. However, you would have to double-check that your dashcam supports Parking Mode with the available wiring. By default, the B-124X comes with a female cigarette lighter socket power outlet. BlackVue dashcams support G-sensor-based Parking Mode (as well as also ignition-based Parking Mode). If your dashcam's Parking Mode is ignition-based only, you may need to add an optional cable (dashcam hardwiring power cable (3 wired) blackvue.com/product/power-magic-ultra-battery-b-124-accessory/). Thank you.
OK well I don't want to use the cigarette lighter, and I don't want the suitcase of batteries in my glove box or on the floor. Can you provide a more realistic video which shows how to hide this bloody thing.
Hello, there is always the Power Magic Pro, which is a hardwiring kit that you can hide more easily. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-swTWSjyN9FQ.html. Keep in mind, however, that if you hardwire your dashcam, it will wear your car's battery faster than if you use a dedicated battery (which some users hide under the seat for a stealthier install than in the glove box). Thank you.
That will vary between cars (size, brand, type, etc). Some you'll be able to install right next to the fuse box or under/near the steering wheel. Others you will have no choice but to position on the passenger side or even under a seat. It's just a fact of life. They provide a generous cable length - just pull some panels off and start looking around. It's all part of the fun of the installation anyway.
Hello, sorry if you felt that way. We try to keep the videos short not to lose people in too many details, especially if, like in this case, it is related to an optional accessory. You can set the total available capacity through the app in order to get more accurate charging time and available battery capacity data. By the default, the app is set to 6,000mA but if there are Expansion Batteries connected to the main battery, you have to modify the total capacity in the app. Each Expansion Battery (B-124E) has a capacity of 6,600mA. So if you add one B-124E, you should set the capacity in the app to 12,600mA and so on. Note that the batteries will still charge even if you don't change that capacity in the app. However, changing the capacity in the app will allow you to get more accurate statistics. This is also explained in the included manual. Thank you.
