Front only, or front and rear?
A dashcam is a small camera that records the road whenever the car is on, and sometimes when it is parked. Many people buy one after a near-miss or a scrape where it was their word against someone else’s. The first decision is how many cameras you need.
| Setup | Records | Best for | Typical install |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front only | The road ahead, plus audio if you enable it | City driving, first dashcam, tighter budget | 1–2 hours |
| Front and rear | Ahead and behind | Expressway runs, stop-go traffic, rear-end disputes | 2–3 hours |
| Front, rear and cabin | Also inside the car | Cars with a driver, or shared family cars | 2–3 hours |
We fit Qubo dashcams, which come in all three layouts. If you’re also getting an Android stereo with a reverse camera, both can be wired on the same visit.
Which dashcam features actually matter?
Spec sheets list a lot. These are the features that make a difference on Pune roads:
| Feature | Why it matters | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | Reading number plates, especially of moving vehicles | 2K or higher at the front |
| Low-light sensor | Night driving on unlit stretches and in rain | A known image sensor, not just “night vision” |
| Field of view | Catching two-wheelers cutting in from the side | Wide, without heavy fish-eye distortion |
| GPS | Speed and location stamped on the clip | Built in, not an add-on |
| Phone app (Wi-Fi) | Saving and sharing a clip at the roadside | Quick download to your phone |
| Parking mode | Recording knocks and scrapes while parked | Needs a hardwire kit |
Hardwired or plug-in: how should your dashcam be powered?
| Power method | Parking mode | How it looks | Battery risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12V socket plug-in | Usually no; most sockets switch off with the ignition | Cable visible unless tucked away | None |
| Hardwire kit to the fuse box | Yes | Fully hidden | Low, when the cut-off is set right |
A hardwire kit has two feeds. One is live only with the ignition, so the camera knows when you are driving. The other is always live, so it can record when parked. It connects through a fuse tap, so no factory wire is cut.
Will parking mode drain your car battery?
It can, if it is set up carelessly. In parking mode the camera wakes on motion or impact and draws a little current all the time. A proper hardwire kit watches the battery voltage and cuts power before it gets too low to start the car. Most kits let you choose the cut-off; 70mai’s UP06, for example, offers 11.8V, 12.1V or 12.4V on a 12V car.
How we set it:
- Healthy battery, daily use: a standard cut-off works well.
- Older battery, or a car that sits for days: a higher cut-off, or a timer that stops parking mode after a few hours.
- Going out of town for a week: switch parking mode off in the app.
Heat ages car batteries, and a Pune summer is hard on them. If yours is more than a few years old, get it tested before you rely on parking mode.
Why does it matter where the wire goes?
A dashcam cable seems simple, but its route matters for safety. Many newer cars have curtain airbags along the roof edge and A-pillars. The cable must sit behind the airbag, never across the path it opens into. We also keep the camera clear of the ADAS camera and rain sensor, and away from your line of sight. Every wire is clipped so nothing rattles over speed breakers.
What should you do with footage after an incident?
Most dashcams lock a clip automatically when they sense a hard jolt, so the loop doesn’t record over it. If something happens without a jolt, press the event button if your camera has one, or lock the clip in the app. Then:
- Save the clip to your phone through the app the same day.
- Keep the original file unedited. Share copies, never the only version.
- Tell your insurer you have footage when you report the claim.
Heat, cards and the Pune summer
A parked car’s cabin gets far hotter than the air outside in April and May. The small lithium batteries inside many cheap dashcams don’t like that heat. Qubo lists a supercapacitor across its range instead, which tolerates heat better. The other weak point is the memory card, which wears out from constant loop recording. A monthly format in the camera takes seconds and saves you from finding a corrupted card after an accident.
Ready to book?
Tell us your car’s model on WhatsApp, whether you want front only or front and rear, and whether you need parking mode. We’ll suggest a Qubo model and quote for a neat, hidden install at the PinkStudio in Mangalwar Peth.
