GARMIN Dash Cam Mini Owner’s Manual

GARMIN

Dash Cam Mini
Owner’s Manual

M/N: A03571

© 2019 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries
All rights reserved. Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Garmin. Garmin reserves the right to change or improve its products and to make changes in the content of this manual without obligation to notify any person or organization of such changes or improvements. Go to Garmin.com.sg for current updates and supplemental information concerning the use of this product.

Garmin and the Garmin logo, are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries, registered in the USA and other countries. Garmin Dash Cam, Garmin Drive, and Garmin Express, are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. These trademarks may not be used without the express permission of Garmin.
The BLUETOOTH® word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Garmin is under license. microSD® and the microSD logo are trademarks of SD-3C, LLC. Wi‑Fi® is a registered mark of Wi-Fi Alliance Corporation.
M/N: A03571

Getting Started

WARNING
See the Important Safety and Product Information guide in the product box for product important information.

Installing a Memory Card

To record video, you must install a compatible memory card (Memory Card Specifications, page 5).

1. Insert the memory card 1 into the slot 2.
   

2. Press it in until it clicks.

Removing the Memory Card

NOTICE
Removing the memory card while the device is turned on can result in a loss of data or damage to the device.

1. Disconnect the power cable from the device.
2. Press the card in until it clicks.
3. Release the card.

Device Overview

Installing the Device on Your Windshield

NOTICE
The adhesive mount is intended for a long-term installation and can be difficult to remove. You should carefully consider the mounting location before you install the mount.
Before you can install the adhesive mount onto your windshield, the ambient temperature must be from 21° to 38°C (from 70° to 100°F).

1. Clean the windshield using water or alcohol, and a lint-free cloth. The windshield must be free of dust, wax, oils, or coatings.
2. Remove the protective film from the mount adhesive.

3. Position the mount over the mounting location.
TIP: The adhesive is extremely sticky. Avoid touching the adhesive to the windshield until the mount is properly positioned and aligned.

4. Press the mount firmly onto the windshield, and maintain pressure for 30 seconds.
This helps to ensure the mount adhesive has proper contact with the windshield.

Connecting the Device to Vehicle Power

1. Plug the power cable into the USB port on the device.

2. Route the power cable to your vehicle power outlet.
You can use either of the included cables to provide power to the camera. The longer, lightweight power cable is designed to be routed out of sight. To hide the 4 m (13 ft.) cable, route it behind the vehicle trim along the windshield, doorframe, or dash.

3. Plug the Garmin Dash Cam Mini power cable into the included power adapter.

4. Plug the power adapter into a power outlet in your vehicle.
5. If necessary, turn on the vehicle ignition switch to provide power to the power outlet in your vehicle.
The device turns on.

Turning Off the Device Manually
NOTE: When the device is connected to an ignition-switched power outlet, it turns off automatically when you turn off the vehicle.

• Disconnect the device from power.
• The device turns off.

Formatting the Memory Card

The device requires a memory card formatted using the FAT32 file system. You can use the device to format your card using this file system. You should format your memory card at least one time every 6 months to help extend the useful life of the memory card. You must also format a brand new memory card if it is not formatted using the FAT32 file system.
NOTE: Formatting the memory card deletes all videos, photos, and data on the card.

1. Connect the device to power.
2. Hold for eight seconds.
   The LED at the base of the camera turns green.
   When formatting is complete, the LED at the base of the camera turns red and the device begins recording.
   Pairing

Pairing with Your Smartphone

You can pair your Garmin Dash Cam Mini camera with your smartphone and the Garmin Drive app. The Garmin Drive app allows you to set up a multiple-camera network, change camera settings, and view, edit, and save photos and videos.

1. From the app store on your smartphone, install the Garmin Drive app.

2. Turn on your Garmin Dash Cam Mini camera, and place the device and your smartphone within 3 m (10 ft.) of each other.

3. On your phone, open the Garmin Drive app.

4. Select an option:
   ⇒ If this is the first Garmin device you are pairing with your smartphone, accept the Garmin Drive app license agreements.
   ⇒ If you are pairing an additional Garmin device or camera with your smartphone, select Add a Device.

5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the pairing and setup process.
   The main app dashboard appears. After the devices are paired, they connect automatically when they are turned on and within range.

Dash Cam Recording

NOTICE : Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit use of this device. It is your responsibility to know and comply with applicable laws and rights to privacy in jurisdictions where you plan to use this device.

The dash cam records video to the camera memory card (Installing a Memory Card, page 1). By default, the device immediately starts recording video when it turns on, and it continues recording until it is turned off. If the memory card is full, the device automatically deletes the oldest unsaved video to create space for new video.

When the option to promptly delete unsaved video is enabled, the device continually deletes unsaved video more than three minutes old and deletes all unsaved video each time it is powered off. This feature is available only for specific regions and is enabled by default for some of those regions. When the camera is set to a supported region, you can enable or disable this feature in the camera settings (Camera Settings in the Garmin Drive App, page 4).
You can save a video recording to prevent it from being overwritten or deleted (Viewing Videos and Photos on Your Smartphone, page 3).

Turning Audio Recording On or Off

NOTICE: Some jurisdictions may prohibit recording audio in the vehicle or may require that all passengers have knowledge of the recording and provide consent before you record audio in the vehicle. It is your responsibility to know and follow all laws and restrictions for your jurisdiction.

The device can record audio using the integrated microphone while recording video. You can turn audio recording on or off at any time.
Press .

The microphone LED turns red while audio is recording.

Event Detection

By default, the device uses a sensor to detect possible incidents and saves video footage automatically before, during, and after the detected event. The video footage is stamped with the time and date of the event.

Saving Videos and Photos

By default, the device uses a sensor to detect a possible incident and saves video footage automatically before, during, and after the detected event. You can also save video files and photos manually at any time.

• Press .
• The device takes a photo and saves the video footage before, during, and after you select .
  TIP: You can press multiple times to save additional photos and extend the length of the saved video footage.

The memory card has limited storage. After you save a video recording, you should export the recording to your smartphone (Trimming and Exporting a Video, page 3) or transfer the recording to your computer or other external storage location for permanent storage (Videos and Photos on Your Computer, page 3).

Viewing Videos and Photos on Your Smartphone

Before you can view videos and photos on your smartphone, you must pair your Garmin Dash Cam Mini device with the Garmin Drive app (Pairing with Your Smartphone, page 2).
NOTE: The device stops recording and alerts are disabled while viewing videos or photos.

1. From the Garmin Drive app on your smartphone, select Review Footage.
2. Select an option:
   ⇒ To view a photo or video you saved, select a file from the Saved Footage category.
   ⇒ To view recent video footage that has not been saved, select a video from the Temporary Footage category.

Trimming and Exporting a Video

You can trim the length of your video to remove unnecessary footage before exporting it.

1. From the Garmin Drive app, select Review Footage.
2. Select a video.
3. Drag the handles on the video progress bar left or right to trim the video length.
4. Select Export.

NOTE: You must keep the app in the foreground when exporting a video.

The app exports the trimmed video to your smartphone.

Deleting a Video or Photo Using Your Smartphone

1. When you are viewing the list of saved videos or photos on your smartphone, select Select.
2. Select one or more files.
3. Select .

Connecting the Camera to Your Computer

You can connect the camera to your computer to install software updates or transfer videos and photos to your computer. You should connect to your computer using the shorter 1.5 m (5 ft.) micro-USB data cable included with your device.
NOTE: The longer power cable included with your device is intended for power only, and it cannot be used to connect to your computer.

1. Plug the small end of the data cable into the micro-USB port on the camera.
2. Plug the larger end of the data cable into a USB port on your computer.
   Depending on your computer operating system, the device appears as either a removable drive or a removable volume on your computer.

Videos and Photos on Your Computer

NOTE: Some media players might not support high-resolution playback.

Videos and photos are stored in the DCIM directory on the camera memory card. Videos are stored in MP4 file format, and photos are stored in JPG format. You can view and transfer photos and videos by connecting the memory card or the device to your computer (Connecting the Camera to Your Computer, page 3).
The videos and photos are sorted into several folders.

NOTE: Unsaved videos are not available when the option to promptly delete unsaved video is enabled (Camera Settings in the Garmin Drive App, page 4).

100EVENT: Contains videos saved automatically when the device detects an incident.

101PHOTO: Contains photos.
102SAVED: Contains videos saved manually by the user.
103PARKM: Contains videos saved while parked.
104UNSVD: Contains unsaved video footage. The device overwrites the oldest unsaved video when the storage space for unsaved videos is full.

Multiple Camera Network

You can pair multiple dash cameras with the Garmin Drive app. This allows you to connect to dash cameras from multiple vehicles using the same phone. It also allows you to install multiple dash cameras in the same vehicle, such as front and rear cameras, and create composite picture-in-picture videos from the simultaneous recordings. If a GPS-connected camera is part of the network, you can add location information to saved videos for all cameras on the network.

Creating Picture-in-Picture Multi-Camera Videos

Before you can use this feature, you must pair at least two cameras with the Garmin Drive app and record footage using both cameras.
The Garmin Drive app allows you to create composite, picture- in-picture videos from footage recorded at the same time on two cameras.

1. From the Garmin Drive app, select Review Footage.

2. Select a multi-camera video.
   Multi-camera videos are indicated by multiple camera icons on the video thumbnail. The app automatically combines video recorded at the same time into one multi- camera video icon.

3. Select to choose the camera footage to use for the fullscreen portion of the video.

4. Drag the handles on the video progress bar to the left or right to trim the video length.

5. Select Continue.

6. Select to choose the camera footage to use for the picture-in-picture portion of the video.

7. Select the corner of the screen where you want the picture- in-picture footage to appear, and select Export.
   NOTE: You must keep the app in the foreground when exporting a video.
   The app exports the picture-in-picture video to your smartphone.

Settings

The settings for your Garmin Dash Cam Mini device are configured using the Garmin Drive app. Before you can configure settings, you must pair your device with the Garmin Drive app (Pairing with Your Smartphone, page 2).

Camera Settings in the Garmin Drive App

From the Garmin Drive app, select , and select the camera name.

• Camera Setup: Provides options to choose a camera name and displays a live video feed so you can adjust the position of the camera.

• Quality: Adjusts the video resolution.

• Data Overlay: Adjusts the type of data displayed on videos and pictures.

• Unsaved Videos: This feature is not available in all areas.
  Determines when the device deletes unsaved video footage.
  When the Delete When Full option is selected, the device deletes the oldest unsaved video when the memory card storage is full.
  When the Promptly Delete option is selected, the device continually deletes unsaved video more than three minutes old and deletes all unsaved video each time it is powered off. This is useful to help protect data privacy.

• Units and Time: Adjusts settings for the date and time format.

• About Device: Lists the camera software version and unit ID.

• Format SD Card: Formats the memory card and deletes all videos, photos, and data on the card.

• Restore Defaults: Restores the device to factory default settings and unpairs the device from the Garmin Drive app.

• Forget Device: Unpairs the device from the Garmin Drive app.

Renaming a Camera

You can change the name of your camera to help differentiate it from other cameras in a multiple camera network.

1. Select .
2. Select a camera.
3. Select Camera Setup.
4. Select a camera name from the Camera Name field.
   TIP: You can select Custom to enter a custom camera name.

Device Information

Status LEDs
The microphone LED 1 and the status LED 2 show the device status.

Cleaning the Camera Lens

NOTICE
Avoid chemical cleaners and solvents that can damage plastic components.
You should clean the camera lens regularly to improve the quality of recorded video.

1. Wipe the lens with a non-scratch lens cloth, optionally dampened with isopropyl alcohol.
2. Allow the lens to air dry.

Updating Your Device Using the Garmin Drive App

The Garmin Drive app notifies you when a software update is available for your device.

1. In the Garmin Drive app, select Install Now.
   The software update is sent to your device. You are notified when the transfer is complete.

2. Disconnect the device from power until the device turns off.

3. Connect the device to power.
   The device installs the software update.
   NOTE: Footage is not recorded while the software is updating.

Product Updates

On your computer, install Garmin Express (Garmin.com.sg/express).
This provides easy access to these services for Garmin devices:

• Software updates
• Product registration

Setting Up Garmin Express

1. Connect the device to your computer using a USB cable.
2. Go to Garmin.com.sg/express.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Specifications

Operating temperature range: From -20° to 60°C (from -4° to 140°F)

Memory Card Specifications

The camera requires a memory card with these specifications.

• Type: microSDHC or microSDXC
• Capacity: 8 GB or greater
• Speed class: Class 10 or higher
• File system: FAT32

Appendix

Parked Video Recording

NOTICE
Due to privacy regulations, this feature is not available in all areas. It is your responsibility to know and comply with applicable laws and rights to privacy in your jurisdiction.
Before you can record videos while parked, you must connect your camera to the Dash Cam parking mode cable accessory (Connecting the Parking Mode Cable Accessory to Power, page 6).
The parked video recording feature allows the camera to record video automatically while your vehicle is parked. When you turn off your vehicle, the camera enters parked recording mode and automatically records video each time the camera sensor detects motion.

Parking Mode Cable Wiring Diagram

Connecting the Parking Mode Cable Accessory to Power

CAUTION
Garmin strongly recommends having an experienced installer with the proper knowledge of electrical systems install the device. Incorrectly wiring the power cable can result in damage to the vehicle or the battery and can cause bodily injury.

1. Route the parking mode cable accessory to a location in the vehicle with constant power, switched power, and a ground connection.
2. Connect the BATT wire to a constant power source.
3. Connect the ACC wire to a switched power source.
4. Connect the GND wire to the bare metal of the vehicle’s chassis using an existing bolt or screw.
5. Plug the parking mode cable accessory into the USB port on the camera.

Troubleshooting

My camera feels warm while it is operating

It is normal for the camera to feel warm during typical use, especially while it is recording high-resolution video or transmitting a WiFi signal.

My memory card has degraded and needs to be replaced

All microSD® memory cards wear out after they are overwritten a large number of times. Periodically formatting the card can extend the useful life and improve performance. Because the dash camera records continuously, you may need to replace the memory card periodically (Installing a Memory Card, page 1).
Your device detects memory card errors automatically and alerts you when it is time to format or replace your memory card.

You can take these actions to help extend the useful life of the memory card.

• Format the memory card at least one time every six months (Formatting the Memory Card, page 2).

• If the device displays a memory card error alert, first try formatting the memory card (Formatting the Memory Card, page 2) and then, if necessary, replace the memory card (Installing a Memory Card, page 1).

• Turn off the device when your vehicle is not in use.
  If your device is not connected to an ignition-switched vehicle power outlet, you should turn off the device when your vehicle is not in use to prevent the dash camera from recording unneeded footage.

• Transfer saved video footage to a computer.
  The memory card lasts longer when more free space is available on the card.

• Use a memory card with a higher storage capacity.
  Because higher-capacity memory cards are overwritten less frequently, they usually last longer.

• Use a high-quality memory card with a speed rating of class 10 or higher.

• Purchase your replacement memory card from a high-quality manufacturer and a reputable vendor.

My video recordings are blurry

• Clean the camera lens (Cleaning the Camera Lens, page 5).
• Clean the windshield in front of the camera.
• Verify the area of the windshield in front of the camera is cleared by the windshield wipers, and move the device, if necessary.

My video recordings are choppy or incomplete

• For the best camera and video results, use a high-quality memory card with a speed rating of class 10 or higher.
  A slower memory card may not record video quickly enough.

• If you are viewing videos on your smartphone using a wireless connection to the camera, try viewing them in another location with less wireless interference, or try transferring videos to the smartphone (Trimming and Exporting a Video, page 3).

• Transfer important recordings to a computer or smartphone, and format the memory card (Formatting the Memory Card, page 2).

• If the device displays a memory card error alert, first try formatting the memory card (Formatting the Memory Card, page 2) and then, if necessary, replace the memory card (Installing a Memory Card, page 1).

• Update your device to the latest software (Product Updates, page 5).
  Press to enable or disable audio recording.
  Hold to format the memory card (Formatting the Memory Card, page 2).
  Press to save a picture and a video clip.
  Hold to enter pairing mode (Pairing with Your Smartphone, page 2).

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