F550 User Manual This Dashboard Camera (dash cam) is a specialized onboard device that continuously records video while the vehicle is in use. Some features may not be available depending on installation, driving conditions, and vehicle type. The video quality might vary for each device as a result of installed firmware.
Contents Before Using THINKWARE DASH CAMTM F550 FCC Statement Caution 01 Getting Started 02 Basics 03 PC Application 04 Device Information 1-1. In the Package 1-2. Optional Accessories 1-3. Product Overview 1-4. Inserting a Memory Card 1-5. Vehicle Installation 2-1. Turning the Device Power On/Off 2-2. Recorded Files 2-3. Recording Videos While Driving 2-4. [Optional] Recording Videos While Parked 2-5. Manual Recording 2-6. Capturing Still Images 2-7. Setting Audio Options 2-8.
Before Using THINKWARE DASH CAMTM F550 ▶ Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of THINKWARE. ▶ Every effort has been made to ensure this Guide's accuracy. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the contents in this document as there may be technical errors, omissions, and/or futures changes.
01 T his 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 day or night, presence of street lighting, entering/exiting tunnels, and surrounding temperatures. THINKWARE is NOT responsible for the loss of any recorded video during operation.
1. Getting Started This unit was tested with shielded cables on the peripheral devices. Shielded cables must be used with the unit to insure compliance. 1-1. In the Package Main Dash Cam Unit Mount with 3M tape (1ea) MicroSD memory card with adapter (consumable) USB MicroSD card reader 1-2.
01 2 8 4 MIC Getting Started 1-3. Product Overview 9 10 micro SD 11 RESET 5 1 12 3 Front view Rear view Left view Top view 6 7 14 V- OUT 15 RESET 16 MIC DC-IN micro SD 17 V-IN 13 18 No.
1-4. Inserting a Memory Card 1-4-1. About Memory Cards Class 10 microSD card must be used with a storage capacity of 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB. It is strongly recommended that minimum 16GB memory card is used for full HD recording. The microSD card should be formatted every 2 weeks to maximize the lifetime of the memory card. 1-4-2.
01 Getting Started 1-5. Vehicle Installation 1-5-1. Connecting the Device and the Mount P lace the mount so it is aligned with the connector (A), and push it toward (B) until it clicks into place. Remove the protective film from the camera lens. 1-5-2. Installing the Device ① Clean the area on the windshield where the dash cam will be installed. ② With dash cam main unit still attached to the mount, remove the protective tape from the back of the mount.
④ T he dash cam should be facing forwarding and level with the vehicle and the road. Adjust the camera using the level guiding line marked on the side of the device. Guiding Line TIP Adjust the camera to have the horizontal indicator on the dash cam to be level with the vehicle and the road. TIP After installation, run the dash cam to record videos and check the videos using Thinkware Dash Cam Viewer to verify camera position. Adjust the camera angle if necessary. 1-5-3.
02 Basics 2. Basic Operations 2-1. Turning the Device Power On/Off The device will automatically turn on and off with vehicle ignition. : Red : Green : Blue Blinks in all 3 colors Power cable for vehicle To manually turn the device on/off, press and hold the Power button ( ) for 3 seconds.
2-2. Recorded Files Recorded video files are saved in the folder by date and hour in the microSD card. Files are created based on the time when the videos are recorded. Year Month Day Hour Second Minute Front view recording Rear view recording (optional rear view camera must be installed) s a surveillance product, the dash cam will automatically A overwrite oldest file in the memory card once the memory is full.
02 Basics 2-3. Recording Videos While Driving 2-3-1. Continuous Recording Mode Videos are recorded in 1 minute segments and saves as files in the microSD card under folder named “cont_rec”. Operation Status LED Voice recording is turned on. Blue light on Blue light on Voice recording is turned off. Green light on Blue light on 2-3-2.
2-3-3. Dual SaveTM (Internal Memory Backup) Dual Save is a Thinkware proprietary technology that utilizes built-in memory as secure backup in addition to microSDmemory card. Dual Save technology guarantees incident video recording using internal memory in case of an accident that causes damage to the microSD memory card. ┗ Press and hold REC button and Capture Still Images ( ) buttonat the same time for 3 seconds to copy incident recording from microSD memory card to internal Dual Save memory.
02 Basics 2-4. [Optional] Recording Videos While Parked This feature is available only when the dash cam has been hardwired direct to the vehicle battery. Separate purchase is required for the hardwiring cable accessory and installation is required. 2-4-1.
2-5. Manual Recording In addition to recording accidents, the dash cam allows the user to initiate manual recording mode to capture scenery and/or places while driving. This feature can also be used to save video as witness where the installed vehicle is not directly involved in an accident. Video files saved during manually recording mode are stored in a separate location on the memory card and will be protected from video overwriting in continuous recording mode.
02 Basics 2-6. Capturing Still Images B riefly press the Capture Still Images ( ) button to take a photo. Buzzer will sound to indicate that a picture has been successfully taken. S till images captured are saved in a secure location on the microSD card under folder named “capture”.
2-7. Setting Audio Options 2-7-1. Turning Voice Recording function On/Off Briefly press the Voice Recording ( recording on or off. ) button to turn the audio 2-7-2. Turning Voice Guidance Function On/Off Briefly press the Voice Guidance ( guidance on or off. Press Briefly Press Briefly ) button to turn the voice Cautions sers do not reserve the right to use the product for purposes other than as specified in this user guide.
02 P ress and hold the Capture Still Image ( the security LED on or off. Security LED is turned on. Basics 2-8. Setting Security LED ) button to turn Press and hold Security LED is turned off. 2-9. Formatting MicroSD Card Press and hold the Manual Recording ( seconds. ) button and the Power ( ) button at the same time for 3 Operation Status LED + Left LED will alternately blink in green and red.
2-10. Upgrading Firmware The system will automatically be updated if the microSD card contains the firmware upgrade file. The device restarts automatically after the upgrade has been completed. Make sure your device is always up to date with latest firmware. Please check back frequently at THINKWARE website (http://thinkwaredashcam.com) for latest firmware updates.
03 PC Application 3. PC Application 3-1. Thinkware Dash Cam Viewer Thinkware Dash Cam Viewer for both Windows/MacOS is provided which can be used to watch videos recorded with the dash cam. The video files recorded by the dash cam are in one minute segments and the PC viewer allows user to watch the segments in single continuous video. The setup file for the Thinkware Dash Cam Viewer is included in the microSD card in the package. Please check THINKWARE homepage (http://thinkwaredashcam.
3-1-2. Installing Thinkware Dash Cam Viewer Windows ① Double-click the Thinkware Dash Cam Viewer setup file saved in the microSD card to initiate program installation. ② Double-click the application icon once PC Viewer installation completes and the application main screen will then appear. MAC ① Move the file named “Dashcam Viewer.zip” stored in the microSD card to the desktop. ② Right click on the mouse and select “Open With” > “Archive Utility” to launch the Thinkware Dash cam viewer application.
03 PC Application 3-1-3. Select the Device Drive for F550 ① Click File from menu and select the drive for the portable storage drive for the connected microSD card. ② Select any file from the list to load entire video playlist in the memory card. Cautions T he drive for microSD card will not open if it has not previously been initialized in the dash cam. Record at least 1 video clip with the microSD card in the dash cam before being able to access full menu on Thinkware Dash Cam Viewer software.
3-1-4.
03 PC Application 3-1-5. View Video Playlist Select appropriate folder (Continuous Recording, Incident Recording, Manual Recording, Parking Motion, Parking Incident) to see the playlist for each recording mode.
3-1-6. Dash Cam Setting > Common Language: Sets the language for the device Brightness: Sets the brightness of the front and rear view camera. Voice Recording: Enable or disable audio recording. Enabled (default) Disabled Voice Guidance: Enable or disable voice guidance. Enabled (default) Disabled Time Zone: Sets date and time of the location (time zone).
03 PC Application 3-1-7. Dash Cam Setting > Continuous Recording Mode - 1 Resolution: Sets resolution of recorded videos in the Continuous Recording Mode. Front VGA(640X480) HD(1280X720) FHD(1920X1080) (default) Rear D1(720X480) HD(1280X720) (default) Number of Frames: Sets the number of frames in Continuous Recording Mode.
3-1-8. Dash Cam Setting > Continuous Recording Mode - 2 Video Quality: Sets the video quality level. The video file sizes will vary according to the configured quality. As the quality of the video increases, the size of the videos will also increase resulting in reduced total recording capacity. Low (The video file size will increase) Normal High (The video file size will decrease) Impact Sensitivity: Set impact sensitivity from Level 1 to 10 (1 is least sensitive/ 10 is most sensitive).
03 PC Application 3-1-9. Dash Cam Setting > Parking Surveillance Mode - 1 This feature is available only when the dash cam has been hardwired direct to the vehicle battery. Separate purchase is required for the hardwiring cable accessory and installation is required. Parking Mode: Monitors vehicle ignition status to automatically convert to parking mode when the vehicle engine is turned off. Resolution: Sets resolution of recorded videos in the Parking Surveillance Mode.
3-1-10. Dash Cam Setting > Parking Surveillance Mode - 2 Video Quality: Sets the video quality level. The video file sizes will vary according to the configured quality. As the quality of the video increases, the size of the videos will also increase resulting in reduced total recording capacity. Low (The video file size will increase) Normal High (The video file size will decrease) Impact sensitivity: Sets the impact sensitivity level in parking mode.
03 PC Application 3-1-11. Dash Cam Setting > Parking Surveillance Mode - 3 Timer Setting to Stop Recording: Dash cam can be configured to stop recording after preset time period during parking surveillance mode in order to prevent the vehicle battery from being discharged.
3-1-12. Dash Cam Setting > Additional Functions - 1 Overwriting video: The oldest file is deleted if the total size of the recorded videos in the checked folder exceeds the storage capacity of the memory card. Security LED: Sets the pattern of the Security LED which is used to visually alert other drivers that the vehicle is equipped with functional dash cam. Mode 1 (moving side to side): LED moves to left and right. Mode 2 (blinking): The entire LED blinks every 0.5 seconds.
03 PC Application 3-1-13. Dash Cam Setting > Additional Functions - 2 Memory Partition: Sets how storage space on the memory card will be allotted for each recording mode (preconfigured type A, B, and C). Cautions The set storage capacity may be different from the actual capacity by approximately 30 to 40MB. Formatting memory card: Formats the microSD card. Note that dash cam setting is restored after formatting the memory card.
3-1-14. Dash Cam Setting > Save Settings Apply and Save Settings ① Click Save after changing settings to store the configuration information on the microSD card. ② The setting file is stored on the microSD card as setup.cfg under Setting folder. ③ Insert the microSD card into the dash cam and turn on the device to apply the settings. Cautions T hinkware Dash Cam Viewer requires setup.cfg file on the microSD card in order to recognize the external drive as dash cam memory device. If setup.
04 Specifications 4. Specifications 4-1. Specifications The specifications of this product may change without prior notice for product improvements. Item Standard Note Model F550 Size/weight 105.2 x161.5 x 41mm / 140.5g 4.14 x 6.36 x 1.6 inches / 0.
Item Standard Note Notification LED 3-color LED 2 rear LEDs Hardware status notification LED Rear view camera, GPS receiver, operation status 2 rear LEDs Warning sound Embedded speaker Voice (buzzer sound) guidance Operation/Storage Temperature -20°C to 65°C / -40°C to 80°C -4°F to 149°F / -40°F to 176°F Connection Interface 1 x V-IN port (2.
