How to Choose Dash Cams for:
Continuous 24/7 parking surveillance(According to Reddit)
Who is this for?
People who park on busy streets, in high-crime areas, or are dealing with ongoing vandalism/stalking.
Unique demands
Standard 'parking mode' is often impact-only; true 24/7 surveillance requires specialized power solutions and storage management that go beyond the camera itself.
- Continuous power source (Hardwire kit or external battery pack)
- Time-lapse recording mode
- Large microSD card support (256GB+)
- Low-voltage battery protection
Prioritize
External dash cam battery packs (e.g., PowerCell 8): Provides 24+ hours of power without any risk of draining the car's starter battery.
Time-lapse mode: Allows for continuous recording at a lower frame rate to save storage space while capturing everything.
Buffered parking mode: Saves the 15 seconds *before* an impact is detected, which is critical for seeing how an incident started.
Deprioritize
Standard motion-detection parking mode: Motion detection can miss the seconds leading up to an event or fail to trigger if the subject is stationary.
Internal batteries for parking power: Internal batteries won't last more than a few minutes; they cannot support 24/7 monitoring.
