THINKWARE Q850 Dash Cam User Guide

THINKWARE Q850 Dash Cam User Guide

Before using the product
About the product
This product records videos while the vehicle is operating. Use this product only for reference when investigating incidents or road accidents. This product is not guaranteed to record all events. The device may not record accidents with impacts that are too minor to activate the impact sensor or accidents with massive impacts that cause the vehicle’s battery voltage to deviate. Video recording does not begin until the product is completely turned on (booted up). To ensure that all vehicle events are recorded, wait until the product is completely booted up after turning it on, and then begin operating the vehicle. THINKWARE is not responsible for any loss caused by an accident, nor is it responsible for providing any support regarding the outcome of an accident. Depending on the vehicle’s configuration or operating conditions, such as the installation of remote door lock devices, ECU settings, or TPMS settings, some product features may not be supported, and different firmware versions may influence the product’s performance or features.

About the user guide
The information provided in the guide may change when the manufacturer updates its service policy. This user guide is intended for THINKWARE Q850 models only, and it may contain technical errors, editorial errors, or missing information.

Copyrights
All rights for the content and maps in this guide are reserved by THINKWARE and are protected under copyright laws. All unauthorized duplication, revision, publication, or distribution of this guide without written consent from THINKWARE is prohibited and is eligible for criminal charges.

Registered trademarks
THINKWARE Q850 is a registered trademark of THINKWARE. Other product logos and service names in this guide are trademarks of the relevant companies.

Safety information
Read the following safety information to properly use the product.
Safety symbols in this guide

Safety information for proper use
Driving and product operation

• ⚠ Do not operate the product while driving a vehicle. Distraction while driving may cause accidents and result in injury or death.
• Install the product in places where the driver’s view is not obstructed. Obstruction of the driver’s vision may cause accidents and result in injury or death. Check with your state and municipal laws before mounting the product to the windshield.

Power supply

• Do not operate or handle the power cable with wet hands. Doing so may result in electrocution.
• Do not use damaged power cables. Doing so may result in electrical fire or electrocution.
• Keep the power cable away from all heat sources. Failure to do so may cause the power cord insulation to melt, resulting in electrical fire or electrocution.
• Use the power cable with the correct connector and make sure the power cable is connected securely and is firmly in place. Failure to do so may result in electrical fire or electrocution.
• Do not modify or cut the power cable. Also, do not place heavy objects on the power cable or pull, insert, or bend the power cable using excessive force. Doing so may result in electrical fire or electrocution.
• Use only genuine accessories from THINKWARE or an authorized THINKWARE dealer. THINKWARE does not guarantee compatibility and normal operation of third-party accessories.
• When connecting the power cable to the product, ensure that the connection between the cable plug and the power cable connector on the product is secure. If the connection is loose, the power cable may become disconnected due to vehicle vibration. Video recording is not available if the power connector is disconnected.

Children and pets
⚠ Ensure that the product is out of the reach of children and pets. If the product breaks, it may result in fatal damage.

Other information about the product
Product management and operation

• Do not expose the product to direct sunlight or intense light. The lens or internal circuitry may fail otherwise.

• Use the product at a temperature between 14°F and 140°F (-10°C to 60°C) and store the product at a temperature between -4°F and 158°F (-20°C to 70°C). The product may not function as designed and some permanent physical damages may result if it is operated or stored out of the specified temperature ranges. Such damages are not covered by the warranty.

• Frequently check the product for the proper installation position. Impact caused by extreme road conditions may alter the installation position. Ensure that the product is positioned as instructed in this guide.

• Do not apply excessive force when pressing the buttons. Doing so may damage the buttons.

• Do not use chemical cleaners or solvents to clean the product. Doing so may damage plastic components
  of the product. Clean the product using a clean, soft, and dry fabric.

• Do not disassemble the product or subject the product to impact. Doing so may damage the product.
  Unauthorized disassembly of the product voids the product warranty.

• Handle with care. If you drop, mishandle, or expose the product to external shocks, it may cause damage
  and/or result in the malfunction of the product.

• Do not attempt to insert foreign objects into the device.

• Avoid excessive humidity and do not allow any water to enter the product. Electronic components inside the product may fail if exposed to humidity or water.

• Depending on the make and model of your car, the power may be constantly supplied to the dash cam even when the ignition is turned off. Installation of the device to a continuously powered 12V outlet could result in vehicle battery drainage.

• This device is designed to record video while the vehicle is in operation. The quality of the video might be affected by weather conditions and the road environment, such as whether it is day or night, presence of street lighting, entering/exiting tunnels, and the surrounding temperature.

• THINKWARE is NOT responsible for the loss of any recorded video during operation.

• Although the device was designed to withstand high-impact car collisions, THINKWARE does not guarantee the recording of accidents when the device is damaged as a result of the accident.

• Keep the windshield and camera lens clean for optimal video quality. Particles and substances on the camera lens or windshield may reduce the quality of the recorded videos.

• This device is intended to be used inside the vehicle only.

1. Product overview

1.1 Included items

Ensure that all the items are included when you open the product box.

1.1.1 Standard items

The standard items may change without prior notice.

1.1.2 Accessories (sold separately)

GPS reception may be affected by interference from the vehicle’s windshield, particularly those treated with anti-UV protective coating, or built-in defroster. It is recommended that an external GPS receiver is used when the GPS signal is weak or when you cannot get a GPS signal.

1.2 Part names

1.2.1 Front camera (main unit) – front view

⚠ In high temperature environments, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections may not be available to protect the dashcam. If the connection fails, try reconnecting at a normal temperature.

1.2.2 Front camera (main unit) – rear view

1.2.3 Rear camera (optional)

1.3 Removing and inserting the memory card

Follow the instructions to remove the memory card from the product or to insert the memory card into the product.
Before removing the memory card, ensure that the product is turned off. Gently push the bottom of the memory card with your fingernail to release it, and then remove it from the product.
To insert the memory card into the memory card slot, ensure that the metal contacts on the memory card are facing toward the product’s buttons, and insert it into the slot until you hear a click.

• Ensure that the product is turned off before removing the memory card. The recorded video files may be corrupted or lost if you remove the memory card while the product is on.
• Ensure that the memory card is in the correct direction before inserting it into the product. The memory card slot or the memory card may be damaged if it is inserted incorrectly.
• Use only authentic memory cards from THINKWARE. THINKWARE does not guarantee compatibility and normal operation of third-party memory cards.
  To prevent loss of recorded video files, periodically back up the video files on a separate storage device.

2. Installing the product

2.1 Installing the front camera (main unit)

Follow the instructions to properly install the product.

2.1.1 Selecting an installation location

2.1.2 Securing the product

Follow the instructions to secure the product at the installation location.

2.1.3 Connecting the power cable

When the engine and electrical accessories are turned off, connect the continuous power cable or the cigar socket power cable (optional) to the product.

Connecting the continuous power cable

• Use the authentic THINKWARE car charger (optional). Use of third party power cables may damage the product and result in electrical fire or electrocution due to the voltage difference.
• Do not cut or modify the power cable yourself. Doing so may damage the product or the vehicle.
• For safe driving, arrange the cables to prevent the driver’s vision from being obstructed or interfering with driving. For more information about arranging cables, visit www.thinkware.com.

2.2 Installing the rear camera (optional)

Refer to the following instructions to properly install the rear camera.

2.2.1 Selecting an installation location

Select a location on the rear windshield where there is no defrost grid wire and the camera can record the entire rear view.

• For vehicles with a sunshade attached to the rear windshield, you must select a location where using the sunshade will not interfere with camera operation.
• The adhesive part of the rear camera should not touch the defrost grid.

2.2.2 Securing the rear camera

Refer to the following instructions to secure the product to the installation location.

2.2.3 Connecting the rear camera cable

Power off the product and connect the rear camera cable to the front camera (main unit).

3. Using recording features

3.1 Turning the product on or off

The product is turned on automatically and continuous recording starts when you turn on the ACC or start the engine.
Wait until the product is completely booted up after turning it on, and then begin operating the vehicle. The video recording does not begin until the product is completely turned on (booted up).

3.2 Learning about file storage locations

Videos are stored in the following folders according to their recording mode.

3.3 Using the continuous recording feature

Connect the power cable to the product’s DC-IN power port and then turn on the vehicle’s electrical accessories or start the engine. The status LED and the voice guide are turned on, and the continuous recording starts.

During continuous recording, the product operates as follows.

• When an impact to the vehicle is detected during continuous recording, incident continuous recording starts with a double beep sound.

  • Wait until the product is completely booted up after turning it on, and then begin operating the vehicle. The video recording does not begin until the product is completely turned on (booted up).
  • When incident continuous recording starts, a double “beep” sounds as a notification. This function saves you time when checking the status LED to know the operating status of the product.
  • To enable recording, you must insert a memory card into the product.

3.4 Recording manually

You can record a scene you want to capture while driving and store it as a separate file.

3.5 Using the SOS recording feature

You can record a scene when an accident occurs while driving or parked and store it as a separate file.

3.6 Using parking mode

When the product is connected to the vehicle via the hardwiring cable, the operating mode is switched to parking mode with the voice guide after the engine or electrical accessories are turned off.

• Parking mode operates only when the hardwiring cable is connected. The hardwiring cable must be professionally installed to the vehicle by a trained mechanic.
• To use all recording modes, you must insert a memory card into the product.
• Depending on the battery charging status of the vehicle, the duration of parking mode may differ. If you want to use parking mode for an extended period, check the battery level to prevent battery depletion.

If you do not want to use parking mode or you want to change the mode settings, from the mobile viewer, tap Dash Cam Settings > Record Settings.

Refer to the following table to set the Parking Mode options.

If parking mode settings are changed, the videos recorded with the previous settings will be deleted. To prevent data loss, back up all parking mode videos before changing parking mode settings.
You cannot use Motion Detection, Time Lapse, or Energy Saving at the same time.

3.7 Using the Super Night Vision

With the Super Night Vision feature, you can record videos that are much brighter than those recorded without this feature. This feature is enabled by real-time image signal processing (ISP) that improves the video brightness. This feature is available in the continuous recording and parking modes and is only available on the front camera.

1. From the mobile viewer, tap Dash Cam Settings > Record Settings.
2. From Super Night Vision, select the desired recording mode to use the Super Night Vision feature. The new setting is applied automatically.

3.8 Using the road safety features

The road safety features include a safety camera alert system, a lane departure warning system (LDWS), a lane departure warning system speed (LDWS Speed), a forward-collision warning system (FCWS), a low speed forward collision warning system (low-speed FCWS), and a front vehicle departure warning (FVDW).

• Road safety features are performed differently depending on the set speed and sensitivity of the features.
• To use and manage the road safety features, tap Dash Cam settings > Road Safety Settings on the mobile viewer. For more information about road safety features settings, refer to “7.4 Setting road safety features” on page 29.

4. Using the mobile viewer

You can view and manage recorded videos and configure various product features on your smartphone. One of the following environments is required to use the THINKWARE DASH CAM LINK application: – Android 7.0 (Nougat) or higher – iOS 13 or higher

4.1 Connect the product to a smartphone

1. On your smartphone, open the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and download and install
   THINKWARE DASH CAM LINK.

2. Run THINKWARE DASH CAM LINK.

3. Tap Dash cam connection is required. at the bottom of the screen and follow the on-screen instructions to connect the product to a smartphone.

4.2 Viewing the mobile viewer screen layout

The following is the screen layout for the mobile viewer.

5. Using THINKWARE CONNECTED

When using parking mode, you can check vehicle status notifications, such as Live View, parking impact notifications, the vehicle voltage status, the dash cam power status, vehicle battery status, and the recent parking location on the THINKWARE CONNECTED application depending on your service plan.

• One of the following environments is required to use the THINKWARE CONNECTED application: – Android 7.0 (Nougat) or higher – iOS 11.4 or higher
• The services and features provided by THINKWARE CONNECTED application may be changed according to the service policy. Refer to the THINKWARE website (https://www.thinkware.com) for more information.
• To use the THINKWARE CONNECTED application, the dash cam needs to be connected to the internet in the THINKWARE DASH CAM LINK application.
• The THINKWARE CONNECTED features are not available in the following Parking recording modes: – Energy Saving – Radar
• Connecting the dash cam to a mobile hotspot device or a Wi-Fi network with internet access will consume data. Carrier/Service Provider charges may apply.
• The smartphone used to set up the internet connection on the dash cam cannot also be used as a mobile hotspot for the dash cam. A different hotspot device/smartphone is required.
• To connect the dash cam to the internet, use the THINKWARE DASH CAM LINK application. Once the dash cam is connected to the internet, you can go to the THINKWARE CONNECTED application to get access to the THINKWARE CONNECTED features.
• Status of the vehicle while driving/parking
• Vehicle battery voltage status
• Dash cam power off
• Driving history
• SOS notification, recorded video backup, and SMS transmission
• Driving impact notification, video backup, and SMS transmission
• Parking impact notification and recorded video backup
• Download and share the event location and recorded video
• The captured image of the front camera during the most recent parking
• Real-time vehicle location
• Remote live view

5.1 Connecting the product to THINKWARE CONNECTED

1. On your smartphone, open the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and download and install THINKWARE CONNECTED.https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/thinkware-connected/id1502055879https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thinkware.dashcamconnected&hl=en_US&gl=US

2. Run THINKWARE CONNECTED and tap Sign In on your smartphone.
   You need a THINKWARE ID to use THINKWARE CONNECTED. If you don’t have an ID, tap Sign Up and sign up for a THINKWARE membership.

3. After you sign in, follow the app’s instructions. Tap Register a Device, and enter a barcode number to register a product.

6. Using the PC viewer

You can view and manage the recorded videos and configure various product features on your PC.

6.1 System requirements

The following are the system requirements for running the PC viewer.

• Processor: Intel Core i5, or higher
• Memory: 4 GB or more
• Operating system: Windows 7 or later (64-bit is recommended), Mac OS X 10.10 or later
• Other: DirectX 9.0 or higher / Microsoft Explorer version 7.0 or higher

The PC viewer will not operate properly on PC systems running an operating system other than those listed in the system requirements.

6.2 Learning about the PC viewer

6.2.1 Downloading the PC viewer

You can download the latest PC viewer software from the THINKWARE website.

1. On your PC, open a web browser and go to https://www.thinkware.com/Support/Download.
2. Select a model name.
3. Click Select OS to select your OS, then click DOWNLOAD.

• The new PC viewer for Mac can be downloaded from the Apple App Store without visiting the THINKWARE website. Search for “Thinkware Dashcam Viewer” in the Apple App Store.
• If you are using Mac OS X 10.13 or earlier, you can only download the PC viewer from the website.

6.2.2 Installing the PC viewer

The PC viewer installation file (setup.exe) is stored in the root folder of the memory card that is provided with the product. Follow the instructions to install the PC viewer on your PC.

1. Insert the memory card into a memory card reader connected to your PC.
2. Move the installation file to the desktop, run it, and complete the installation according to the instructions given in the installation wizard. After the installation is complete, there will be a shortcut icon to Thinkware Dashcam Viewer.

6.2.3 PC viewer screen layout

The following provides brief information about the PC viewer’s screen layout.

6.2.4 Playing recorded videos on the PC viewer

Follow the instructions to play recorded videos.

1. Turn off the product and remove the memory card.

2. Insert the memory card into a memory card reader connected to your PC.

3. Double-click the shortcut to the PC viewer ( ) to open the program. The video files in the memory card will be automatically added to the playlist in the bottom-right corner of the PC viewer screen. The playlist section layout is as follows.
   

4. Double-click a video file after selecting a video folder, or click the Play () button after selecting a
   video file. The selected video file will be played. If the video files on the memory card are not automatically added to the playlist when you run the PC viewer, click File > Open, select the removable storage device for the memory card, and click Confirm.

7. Settings

You can set the product features according to your needs and preferences using the mobile viewer or the PC viewer. The following procedures are based on the mobile viewer.
The product will stop recording while configuring settings on the mobile viewer.

7.1 Managing the memory card

From the mobile viewer, tap Dash Cam settings > Memory Card Settings to manage the memory card settings.

7.2 Setting the Camera

From the mobile viewer, tap Dash Cam settings > Camera Settings to adjust the camera settings.

7.3 Setting recording features

From the mobile viewer, tap Dash Cam settings > Record Settings to manage the recording features settings.

• To use parking mode, you must install the hardwiring cable. If continuous power is not supplied to the product, the product will stop recording when the vehicle engine is turned off.
• The vehicle battery will not be charged while the vehicle is parked. If you record in parking mode for an extended period, the vehicle’s battery may be depleted and you may not be able to start the vehicle.
• For more information about parking mode, refer to “3.6 Using parking mode” on page 19.
• The battery cutoff voltage can be set only when the Battery Protection setting is set to Enabled.
• If the off voltage value is too low, the product may consume the battery completely depending on the conditions like the vehicle type or temperature.

7.4 Setting road safety features

From the mobile viewer, tap Dash Cam settings > Road Safety Settings to manage the road safety features settings.

7.5 Configuring the system settings

From the mobile viewer, tap Dash Cam Settings > System Settings to configure the hardware system settings.

8. Upgrading the firmware

A firmware upgrade is provided to enhance the product’s features, operation or to increase stability. For optimal operation of the product, ensure that you keep the firmware up to date. Follow the instructions to upgrade the firmware.

1. On your PC, open a web browser and go to https://www.thinkware.com/Support/Download.
2. Select the product and download the latest firmware upgrade file.
3. Unzip the downloaded file.
4. Disconnect power to the product and remove the memory card.
5. Open the memory card on a PC and copy the firmware upgrade file to the root folder of the memory card.
6. While the power is disconnected from the product, insert the memory card into the memory card slot on the product.
7. Connect the power cable to the product, and then turn on the power (ACC ON) or start the engine to turn on the product. The firmware upgrade starts automatically, and the system will restart once the firmware update is completed.

⚠ Do not disconnect the power or remove the memory card from the product during the upgrade. Doing so may cause serious damage to the product, or to the data stored in the memory card.
⚠ You can also update the firmware from the mobile viewer and the PC viewer. A notification pop-up will be displayed on the PC Viewer screen when a new update file becomes available.

9. Troubleshooting

The following table lists the problems users may encounter while using the product and measures to resolve them. If the problem persists after taking the measures provided in the table, contact the customer service center.

Before contacting a service center
Please back up all important data stored in the memory card. The data in the memory card may be deleted during repair. Every product requested for repair is regarded as a device that has had its data backed up. The customer service center does not back up your data. THINKWARE is not responsible for any loss, such as data loss.

10. Specifications

To see the product specifications, refer to the following table.

FCC Statement

Industry Canada Statement

This device complies with industry Canada license exempt RSS standard Operation is subject to following two condition this device may not cause interference, and this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.

This Class digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003

https://www.thinkware.com/

References

• Select Country Shop - THINKWARE
• Select Country Shop - THINKWARE

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