{"id":3476,"date":"2025-02-20T18:48:20","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T10:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/?p=3476"},"modified":"2025-03-07T18:48:33","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T10:48:33","slug":"watchdogs-garmin-dash-cam-mini-combo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/watchdogs-garmin-dash-cam-mini-combo\/","title":{"rendered":"Watchdogs: Garmin Dash Cam Mini Combo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s cut to the chase \u2013 a lot of people these days drive like crap. Too many people distracted by their phones, traffic stops seemingly not as common as they used to be, and everyone seems like they\u2019re in a hurry all the time. YouTube is full of dash cam videos of these morons! Anyhow, after a close call with a distracted driver last winter, I decided it was time (kinda) to equip the truck with a dash cam system.<\/p>\n

I had been researching dash cams for a while now from brands like Viofo, Thinkware, Rexing, and BlackVue. A key detail I was looking for was a compact size; the typical dash cam size was always a concern for me as the front camera would need to be mounted below the OEM dot-matrix tint on my Frontier’s windshield and I didn’t want a bulky electronic device obstructing my view. Of the current offerings available, the BlackVue DR970X-2CH was nice and compact \u2013 but its $499 MSRP and way too many features than I wanted\/needed was a no-go. I wasn\u2019t looking for a built-in WIFI hotspot, 24\/7 cellular connection, cloud storage, etc. I just wanted a simple, 2-channel system (front and rear cameras) with a small footprint, HD resolution, optional parking mode, and that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n

Then in September 2024, Garmin released the new Dash Cam Mini 3. I had the previous Mini 2 on my short list of possible choices, so when the updated Mini 3 was available I bought one immediately\u2026 then it just sat in the garage in a box for another 3 months (that\u2019s why I said \u201ckinda\u201d in the intro paragraph). I still needed a second camera to get the 2-channel system I wanted, and about 1 month ago I found a deal on the previous-model Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2, so I bought that, too (more on why I bought this later). With two cameras ready, my 2-channel dash cam system could now be installed.<\/p>\n

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QUICK LOOK<\/strong><\/span>
\nFirst let\u2019s look at the cameras, starting with the new, improved Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3. The Mini 3 is probably the smallest dashcam on the market, with its small, horizontal shape that measures just 1.24\u201d tall, 2.05\u201d wide, and 0.8\u201d thick. The Mini 3 weighs a feather-light 30g (w\/mount and microSD card). The Mini 3 is really, really small \u2013 ideal for me to use as my forward camera (channel 1) since it is least likely to become an obstruction on my windshield.<\/p>\n

For the rearward camera (channel 2) I went with the previous-generation Garmin Mini 2. The Mini 2 might not be as small as the Mini 3, but it is still a very small dash cam overall \u2013 just 2.09\u201d tall, 1.22\u201d wide, and 1.14\u201d thick and weighing 32g. Unlike the Mini 3, the Mini 2 has a vertical orientation, and has a micro-USB port for power (the Mini 3 is USB-C). The vertical orientation of the Mini 2 is an important feature (explained later, below).<\/p>\n

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Both Mini 3 and Mini 2 cameras feature 1080p HD resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) @30-FPS; \u00a0an internal G-sensor (for incident detection); GPS with selectable time\/date\/speed stamp; automatic loop recording; voice control; parking mode; and app-based setup. Cloud storage is optional. Both include long power cables (USB-C for the Mini 3 and micro-USB for the Mini 2), 2-port 12V USB charger, and paper manuals.<\/p>\n

Due to both cameras\u2019 miniscule dimensions, they also feature minimal yet simple physical controls: both feature a large and easy to use \u201csave\u201d button, an audio mute button, and easily accessible microSD card slots (bottom of the Mini 3, side of the Mini 2). There are no built-in screens, but the Garmin Drive app (iOS and Android) provides live-view and settings adjustments in real-time. MSRP is $149.99 for the Mini 3 and was $109.99 for the Mini 2 (recently discontinued but there are still many available from third party sellers). Additionally, in each camera I also installed a PNY 512GB Class 10 microSDXC card (the maximum size supported).<\/p>\n

FRONT CAMERA: Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3<\/span><\/strong>
\nI chose the Mini 3 as my forward-facing camera because it’s the latest model with a quick-release adjustable ball mount at a 45-degree angle, making it easy to attach to the windshield. Its horizontal orientation lets it hide behind the rearview mirror, and the right-side lens positions it close to the windshield’s centerline.<\/p>\n

Installing the Mini 3 was simple: peel and stick the mini ball mount to my Frontier\u2019s windshield after cleaning it with glass cleaner. The ball mount holds the camera securely but allows for easy removal without disturbing the mount:<\/p>\n

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The Mini 3 uses a USB-C cable on the right side, which aligns well with the Frontier\u2019s OEM rearview mirror wiring; to hide the extra cable, I cut a small notch on the left side of the rearview mirror wiring cover:<\/p>\n

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This little notch allowed me to hide the USB-C cable and make the installation as discreet as possible:<\/p>\n

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The other end of the Mini 3 power cable was routed to the driver\u2019s side kick panel area. Instead of using the 12v USB power supply included with the dash cams, I hard-wired in a small dual USB-A power supply that provided 2x 5V\/6A (30w) USB ports:<\/p>\n

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REAR CAMERA: Garmin Dash Cam Mini\u00a0 2<\/span><\/strong>
\nFor the rear view, I decided that the still capable Mini 2 would be a better choice as the rear-facing camera \u2013 and here\u2019s why: unlike the Mini 3, the Mini 2 mounting ball attachment point is at the front of the camera housing; this means I can have the adhesive mount at 90-degrees vertical, to match the vertical rear window of the Frontier:<\/p>\n

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This isn\u2019t physically possible with Mini 3 as the ball mount doesn\u2019t have enough articulation to reach 90-degrees vertical; during some fitment testing the Mini 3\u2019s view with the \u201cdefault\u201d angle meant that half of the picture was of my tonneau cover! However, with the Mini 2 I could position the lens so that only the bottom \u00bc of the picture was tonneau cover, meaning more for the rear camera to see (the screenshots later will show this).<\/p>\n

Before I installed the Mini 2, I had to run its micro-USB cable from the driver\u2019s side kick panel area to the back of the headliner:<\/p>\n

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I decided to position the Mini 2 high up on the left side of the sliding window (when looking at it from inside the cab). Not only does this position capture more of the driver\u2019s side blind spot, but it also does not impede the opening of the sliding window:<\/p>\n

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Installation of the Mini 2 onto the rear window was as simple as the Mini 3: peel and stick the mini ball mount to my Frontier\u2019s rear window after cleaning it with glass cleaner, connect the power cable, and that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n

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TESTING AND USAGE
\n<\/span><\/strong>After installation I took a drive around town to check the camera angle and get some sample footage. I only planned to drive around for about 10 minutes\u2026 until I realized too late that it was 5:00pm and everyone was driving home at the same time.<\/p>\n

I wired the dash cams\u2019 USB power supply to switched 12V. After starting the Frontier up, both cameras gave a notification beep telling me they were powered on and recording\u2026 for some reason the Mini 2 was the first to beep (within 5 seconds of vehicle start up) followed by the Mini 3 almost immediately after. Suffice to say, startup time for both cameras is very quick and completely hands-free.<\/p>\n

While driving I barely noticed the LED indicators on the dash cams. The red LEDs are very small and discreet; the front Mini 3 LEDs are just hidden by the lower edge of my rear-view mirror, and the rear Mini 2 LEDs are a mere speck when seen through the rear-view mirror\u2019s reflection (further testing later at night confirmed that the LEDs are not a distraction at all).<\/p>\n

I did not upload any video, but I did take a couple of quick screenshots to show the recording view. Let\u2019s look at the Mini 3\u2019s view:<\/p>\n

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The Mini 3 records nice footage, with accurate colors and clear picture quality. From the image above you can see that the Mini 3 has excellent coverage; the road I was on is a divided 4-lane main street with bike lanes on both sides plus a 20-foot-wide center divider. The brick wall to the right is a good 25-30-feet away from my position on the road), same with the hedge on the opposite side of the road. The vehicle in front of me was about 1-1\/2 car lengths away. The photo above doesn\u2019t show it, but I can read the license plate from the actual video footage.<\/p>\n

As for the Mini 2 in the rear, the results are similar (which is good!). The screenshot was taken roughly 3 minutes later, the sun was already going down so that explains the difference in the color saturation and image brightness when compared to the Mini 3. Horizontal coverage is excellent as well, and if you look to the right of the image, you\u2019ll just barely see the window frame for the center window \u2013 something unavoidable thanks to the Frontier\u2019s rear sliding window design, but not an issue and not an obstruction for the camera\u2019s view:<\/p>\n

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One neat feature of the Garmin dash cam family is that you can \u201clink\u201d multiple cameras together in the Garmin Drive app. Once cameras are linked together, the app is no longer needed for daily use. If I tap the \u201cSave\u201d button on the Mini 3 to save incident footage, it will automatically tell the Mini 2 to also save incident footage synced to the front cam. If I push the Mini 3\u2019s \u201cMic OFF\u201d button (so the camera won\u2019t record sound), the Mini 2 will also deactivate its microphone as well. This linking feature makes the Mini 3 + Mini 2 a true multi-channel system, and not just two separate cameras plugged in at the same time. Timestamp footage is synced together when viewing through the app, or at home on a PC via the microSD cards.<\/p>\n

For now, I only have the Mini cameras set up for driving usage only, but I did buy the Garmin Constant Power Cable for possible use in the future:<\/p>\n

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The Constant Power Cable plugs into the OBD2 port and not only provides power to two Garmin dash cams, but it also features a selectable \u201cparking mode\u201d with which the cameras will stay on after I park and leave the Frontier. The built-in G-sensor will trigger the cameras to record footage in case of an incident while I am away from the truck. I still have my UltraGauge plugged into the OBD2 port, so if ever I decide to add the parking mode feature in, I\u2019ll have to remove the Ultragauge.<\/p>\n

GOOD ACTION… CAMS<\/span><\/strong>
\nSo far, I am very happy with the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 and Mini 2 combo. Their compact size ensures that I don\u2019t have some bulky black plastic box attached to my windshield\/rear window. The recording footage is solid, and saving incident footage is fast and flawless.<\/p>\n

Bonus note:<\/strong> I can finally put this project to bed, and throw away the box that was sitting in the garage for a few months \ud83d\ude2c<\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s cut to the chase \u2013 a lot of people these days drive like crap….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3477,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[625,188],"tags":[407,847,846,845,849,113,848,61],"class_list":["post-3476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-electronicgadgets","category-new-stuffs","tag-2-channel","tag-dash-cam","tag-dash-cam-mini-2","tag-dash-cam-mini-3","tag-dashcam-footage","tag-garmin","tag-parking-mode","tag-usb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3476"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3491,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3476\/revisions\/3491"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectkeira.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}