Video - 12V Battery Protection: Powercell 8 Review

Good job with the vid, as always. Looks like a great product and should provide the ultimate protection against 12v battery drainage by your dash cam. I am sure there will be many that will want this product and your install instructions will be most helpful. And if you use Park Mode with your dash cam, a device like this is almost a must.

But it is not for me, and here are my reasons. Of course this is just my opinion, and don't expect everyone to agree. My circumstances may be different than most as well. My cars are garaged at home, and I avoid parking in higher risk crime areas. My Solterra, however, did come with a dealer installed hard wired dash cam (front and back). First thing I did was turn off the Park Mode setting.

That power pack is a little pricey, I thought, and you could buy a couple 12v replacements for that money. I do carry jumper cables in my cars, in case the 12v ever does go flat. And as you clearly point out, it is not a simple quick installation.

I see you have a BM2 on your 12v battery. I have used those in all my cars for several years now, and that has been my best protection against letting a 12v get run down and ruined.

Anyway, just my counter opinion, FWIW. And again, great job on the vid, and am sure it will be very helpful for those that want the ultimate solution.

 

I assume it has an internal BMS and stops itself from charging at some suitable point? Any idea what
charge range of its internal battery it may try to stay within?

I'm still looking for a LFP pack or the like that can substitute for the *main* 12V but protect itself against
overcharge. That's a tough call, when you think about how it has to work...

_H*