Uniden iGO Dash cams are crashcams and crimecams

Uniden iGO

Over the holiday break my Uniden iGO CAM 80 (4K) activated 27 times when stupid drivers dangerously cut in in front, or when I had to emergency brake to avoid them.

Thankfully there were no crashes, but I did press the emergency button (that protects the recording) several times.

Then there were the two parking incidents where someone backed into me. Park Mode recorded that too.

When driving in Queensland (where they still use unmarked white radar vans on the roadside), we pressed the emergency button to record our speed and location – just in case!

We used the dashcam as a handheld camera to record footage of a crash scene in case police wanted it.

And finally, we used it as a heads-up display showing the speed (most dashcams have a GPS so it is accurate speed) as the rental car did not have a digital display. Very handy to see you speed as you are driving.

So, I am a convert to Uniden iGO dashcams

Why?

Having the ability to record footage if an incident occurs provides support with insurance claims, or police investigations, as well as peace of mind on the road.

Some dash cams have 2 or 4K resolution (most are FHD or HD) and wide viewing angles. Why rely on memory when it records number plates, make/model/colour – important details you may forget if an accident occurs.

It can be interesting to review vehicle data in its app – the direction of travel, location, vehicle speed and G-Force impact in three dimensions. If you have an accident, you can give it to police or insurance companies.

The large speedo display and speed/red light camera warnings were great. In some models lane, departure warning provides a visual and audio alert when the vehicle drifts over lane markings. Headlight low LUX sensor detects low external lighting conditions and prompts the driver to turn on the headlights.

Uniden iGO
Artists impression – it is not that big

Vehicle owners parking on a busy road or street love the in-built parking sensor. It automatically starts recording if vehicle motion or vibration is detected.

Footage goes to an SD card, which includes footage protection.

Uniden iGO dashcam features overview:

Australian website here\

30 40

50R

60

70R

80
$99.95 $149.95 199.95 $199.95 $299.95 $279.95
1080P FHD 1080P FHD 1080P FHD 2K (2,304 x 1,296P) 1524P 2.7K / rear camera FHD 2160P up to 4K
2” colour LCD 2” 2.7” 2.7” 2.7” 2.4”
120° FOV 140° 150° 150° 150° 150°
N/A N/A Dual camera / 2 channel recording   Dual camera / 2 channel recording 2 channel recording
3 Axis G-Sensor Same Same Same Same Same
Parking Mode same Same Same Same Same
 N/A GPS Geotagging Same Same Same Same
N/A  Large speedo display Same Same Same Same
 Footage lock protection Same Same Same Same Same
 N/A N/A N/A  Speed/red light camera warnings Same Same
 N/A N/A N/A  Low headlight warning Low headlight warning N/A
 N/A N/A N/A  Advanced driver assist system Advanced driver assist system Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) images
 N/A N/A N/A  Lane departure warning Lane departure warning N/A
 N/A N/A N/A   N/A Smartphone app (Uniden iGOr) Smartphone app (Uniden iGO)
 N/A N/A N/A   N/A Direct footage transfer to smartphone / Wi-Fi enabled Direct footage transfer to smartphone / Wi-Fi enabled

GadgetGuy’s take: It is time

I reviewed the Uniden iGO 80 4K Dashcam in July last year. I guess like most tech it ‘just worked’ so I left it on the windscreen and did not refer to it. Over Xmas, I had a rental car in Queensland and took the dashcam for peace-of-mind. Perhaps Queensland drivers are more erratic due to the Christmas heat but 27 activations in a few days was a little over the top.

Uniden iGO

Perhaps then I realised the advantage of having the silent sentinel in a car.

For my money the 4K iGO Cam 80 is the way to go – it is small (2.4” screen) and unobtrusive. The iGo 70 and 70R (2K and 2.7” screens) also give the definition you need to read number plates and more. I wont buy a HD or FHD crash cam – useless as!

My only issue was that I needed to get power for both a GPS and the iGO – a 12V splitter was cheap, or I could have used the car’s USB socket, but the smartphone charger uses that.