DIY q2 frame repair

About IT and about IT topics

During the last New Year's road trip in Latvia, there was a very unpleasant loss. The Karkam Q2 dashcam broke down, it just stopped turning on. I usually take the recorder out of the car, but then I decided to leave it in the glove compartment, because the car was in a guarded hotel parking lot in Riga. Mashana stood for several days, on January 2, we were going to go to Jurmala, took out the recorder, turned on the power, the recorder seemed to turn on and hang. I turned it off, tried to turn it on again, but all subsequent attempts were in vain, Karkam Q2 no longer turned on. I tried to turn it on in various ways, with and without power, took out the battery, reinserted it, installed a working battery from another Karkam, but nothing helped.

Most of all, I was upset that it was about 1000 km to go to the house, and my impartial witness would not be with me. Karkam Q2 worked for almost 2 years and during this time I got so used to it that without it I feel less confident behind the wheel. And since everyone knows about the law of meanness, so something could have happened at the very moment when the recording is not in progress. Therefore, I had to be doubly vigilant while driving in the second half of the trip. Upon returning home, I began to google the Internet for similar cases with Karkam Q2. As it turned out, this is a very common problem with these DVRs. In most cases, Karkam Q2 stops turning on after a year of operation, and for some, even immediately after the end of the warranty. And the guarantee for Karkam Q2 is only 6 months. So I was still lucky, because my copy worked for almost 2 years.

From the reviews, it became clear that the problem is most likely with the soldering on the main board. This is the weak point of all Karkam Q2s. What surprises me most of all is that such a Chinese quality costs quite a lot of money. I bought this Karkam Q2 for 8000 rubles two years ago. Now they, of course, have fallen in price, but not significantly. The red price is 3-4 tr. and not a penny more.

There are quite a few service centers in St. Petersburg that repair Karkam DVRs. I called one of these firms, described the symptoms of Karkam, the master confirmed my fears, most likely the main board will need to be replaced, and this costs 3400 rubles for the money. and wait about a week. Of course, this option did not suit me. Having weighed all the pros and cons, that for 3400 rubles. I can get my old device and 1 month warranty for work, or go to buy a new DVR. Unfortunately, during these two years, no big leap forward in the development of technologies in this area has occurred. Shops offer all the same, Chinese DVRs for indecent money. As a result, I did not think for a long time, I went and bought a new Karkam Q2 for 5,000 rubles and a guarantee for 6 months.

Another strong argument for buying a new Karkam Q2, and not renovating the old one, is that the old one had a very big flaw. There was a pause between the files being written - 2-3 seconds, and during this time something important can happen. The new Karkam Q2 revision 6.2 IR has no such drawback. I checked this right in the store, taking off the stopwatch.

Broken Karkam Q2 decided to disassemble and see what's inside. I took some photos, if anyone is interested.

Build quality in C grade

The camera is easily detached from the board

The screen is also removed, but not as easily as the camera

It was not possible to visually determine the cause of the breakdown, I tried to press the microcircuits and turn them on in order to determine the problem soldering.

If you are interested in more photos - write in the comments. By the way, I can sell (SPb) Q2 Karkam for spare parts, the set also includes a power cable, fasteners, a box.

If your Karkam Q2 also broke down, write in the comments how much you worked and how it broke. I will collect statistics.

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Want to thank the author for this post? Can you do it!

No. 0 Message AntonE. »03 Aug 2012 13:26

No. 1 Message bravo92 »03 Aug 2012 13:33

No. 2 Message Syndikat 03 Aug 2012 15:23

No. 3 Message Alarm »04 Aug 2012 22:14

No. 4 Message Radio specialist »04 Aug 2012 22:58

Useless. I got out of my skin to find a display for Q2.
I really wanted to help a colleague.
I know analogs, but they are not even on the I-Bey.
It looks like a manufacturer's policy.
And the prices for such displays, which are in the service center, are rather rather big - 2500.3000 rubles,
plus the cost of replacement work,
at the price of a new registrar 5500. 6000 rubles .. They still do not sell!

When you understand the dead end of search, you can talk about
buying your broken device. I have the same.
I want to put the second one, without a display, to look back.
The binding is simple, one display is enough.

Since 2011 I have been using the KARKAM Q2 recorder (processor AMBARELLA-A2S). Outwardly, it is no different from its Chinese clones ACV Q2, DOD and DATAKAM.

Never refused. But they say the truth: the best is the enemy of the good. I decided to update my firmware V3.7 T2L-GH to V4.7, which I found on the Internet. The result is a black screen, the recorder does not turn on, the battery continues to discharge and at the same time heats up noticeably. It turned out that instead of V4.7, we got a version of V4.9, designed for a different CPU and a different LCD. I had to go back to the old firmware, which I had previously merged just in case.
However, when restoring using DirectUSB, a configuration file with the * .ELF extension is required, with great difficulty it was possible to find only for the TEXET navigator on the same CPU AMBARELLA-A2S. The trial firmware restored its functionality - there was an on, off, TEXET splash screen, camera and screen operability. There was no menu, no recording. But this was easily eliminated by uploading the native backup.bin firmware file. The archive of * .ELF and * .BIN files (7 MB) was uploaded to Yandex.disk:

Bacardi »Mon Mar 13, 2017 9:22 am

There is a Karkam QX2 video recorder.

He worked, practically without any complaints, for 3 years. Periodically (about 2 times a year) fell from the windshield onto the passenger seat, or even directly to the floor, as "lucky". The regular velcro could not withstand.
Recently I took it home in order to watch a video, and the image (when you look on a PC monitor) seems to be blurry (like through a thin film of water). In a word, as a “witness”, this thing is of little use now. The blurry image, I think, is the result of the lens displacement relative to the matrix as a result of repeated drops

Questions:
1. Does it make sense to give it back for repair (if, for example, at half the price of the cost of a new V / R, then somehow it’s not ice.)?
2. If someone has come across a similar one, then educate on prices and attendance?
3. Maybe it makes sense to disassemble it yourself (I read that sometimes you can combine the matrix by inserting it into the necessary “grooves”)? Again, if anyone disassembled, then share)))

B / R is the right thing. If I were buying now, I would buy a hidden installation, or at least this one:

(The upper part is glued to the glass, and the lower part (with the lens) folds into it. Convenient. There is no need to remove and clean anything in parking lots).
And maybe you also have to buy.

Wertyh »Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:15 am

AVK »Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:40 am

Bacardi »Mon Mar 13, 2017 12:41 pm

AVK
Yes, I also looked at this. Is there a micro sit inserted or do you need to pull it to a separate block?

Wertyh
We have to look. There may be a whole lens, but the focus is definitely out of place.

AVK »Mon Mar 13, 2017 14:55

ivannnov »Mon Mar 13, 2017 16:24

Bacardi »Tue Mar 14, 2017 01:08 pm

Here's another budget option I found to replace. Novatek 96650. On a hike, on a hinge, it can be simply bent to the ceiling in the parking lot and should not be conspicuous from the street. Judging by the reviews, this is not a bad thing.
... 3eb1 & tpp = 1

I'll try to make out my own, although if the lenses are knocked off, then there will be little sense. And so the numbers are read only when you drive up to the one in front of you standing close. There is little sense from such a VR.

Shtirlic »Sun Sep 10, 2017 17:19

No. 0 Message AntonE. »03 Aug 2012 13:26

No. 1 Message bravo92 »03 Aug 2012 13:33

No. 2 Message Syndikat 03 Aug 2012 15:23

No. 3 Message Alarm »04 Aug 2012 22:14

No. 4 Message Radio specialist »04 Aug 2012 22:58

Useless. I got out of my skin to find a display for Q2.
I really wanted to help a colleague.
I know analogs, but they are not even on the I-Bey.
It looks like a manufacturer's policy.
And the prices for such displays, which are in the service center, are rather rather big - 2500.3000 rubles,
plus the cost of replacement work,
at the price of a new registrar 5500. 6000 rubles .. They still do not sell!

When you understand the dead end of search, you can talk about
buying your broken device. I have the same.
I want to put the second one, without a display, to look back.
The binding is simple, one display is enough.

Greetings friends! I will digress from the main topic of the blog. Now I will write a review for the Karkam Q2 dashcam, which I purchased in China.

I recently wrote an article on how to buy goods in China on the Aliexpress platform, you can read it here. Since then, I managed to argue with the Chinese, they returned money to me for some goods (no problem) i.e. I have gained some useful experience with this service.

But that's not the point. Perhaps my article will help someone decide on the choice of a DVR and will significantly save the family budget.

I have heard a lot of reviews that low-quality goods come from Aliexpress, and that you should not contact them. One of my first purchases was the Karkam Q2 video recorder. Before this recorder, I had a simple Supra, in which after 2 years of use the battery died (it cannot be replaced) and it began to spoil the flash drives.

I started looking for a replacement, watched videos on YouTube, read reviews and came across Karkam Q2. On the Russian market, this model costs from 6.5 to 7.5 thousand wooden. On Aliexpress, it cost a little over 1.2 thousand rubles, as they say, feel the difference.

My choice was due to several reasons - a replaceable battery (suitable from Nokia), a large screen, compact size and excellent technical characteristics. So the choice is made, the goods are paid for, the time has passed.

I had to wait a month, however, like any product from Aliexpress. If you want to buy cheap, you have to wait.

1. DVR Karkam Q2
2. Mount on the windshield through a special adapter
3. Car charger (mini USB connector)
4. USB cable
5. HDMI cable - mini HDMI (I was very pleased with this option)
6. Some kind of separate plastic frames, I didn't understand why.
7. Passport in Russian

There is no memory card in the kit, although it was possible to buy the same model, but with a memory card, I decided not to bother, especially since there was no difference in price when buying a separate card in Russia. Upon arrival of the DVR, I purchased a 16GB card (32GB can be installed). Judging by the description (see the last picture), one hour of recording at FHD 1920 × 1080 resolution and 30 fps takes 3.6 GB, i.e. my card will last for almost 4.5 hours of recording, which is quite good.

I was very pleased that the bundle includes an HDMI - mini HDMI cable. Such a cable can not be found in all stores, but here on you please.

The size of the Karkam Q2 DVR resembles an average cell phone, only the thickness is slightly larger. You can put it in your breast pocket and pull out the lens to record what is happening around. The casing material is matte black plastic, which does not attract prints.

As I wrote earlier, below the lens is a cover, by sliding it you find a Nokia compatible battery (a very useful thing when playing spies). The lens is wide-angle, which allows you to cover almost the entire field of view from the front of the car. A distinctive feature is IR illumination, which does not glow in the dark, unlike LED (works as a searchlight).

The cover is made of two parts - the upper part with a deflecting lens in the region of 30 degrees, which allows you to flexibly adjust the position in the car. The camera is rigidly fixed only in extreme positions, but normal operation is possible in intermediate positions as well.

The front consists of a 2 ″ color LCD display, speaker, record button, movable multifunction joystick and IR switch.

At the bottom there is an SD card slot and a tripod hole. On the side are buttons for turning on the device, changing modes, controlling the operation of the built-in player and entering the settings menu.

On the other side there is a rubber cap, bending which we can see the miniUSB and HDMI connectors.

In general, the impression from the assembly is good, it is pleasant to hold it in hand and it is clear that the thing is not cheap.

The assembly of the Karkam Q2 DVR did not cause much suffering. This recorder has great possibilities for installation in a car. It can be installed "upside down" in the menu there is a screen rotation function, it can be easily turned and directed at the traffic police inspector in the side glass, it can be easily removed from the landing mount if you decide to pick it up from the car.

I don’t know if this is good or bad, but periodically you have to tighten the nuts on the mount, because the recorder starts to dangle, a lot of connecting parts make themselves felt. After a month of operation, the jamb got out - apparently from solar overheating (I live in Krasnodar) plastic led at the base of the mount and the suction cup stopped working. Apparently the Chinese did not count on the hot southern climate. I had to urgently look for and order a suction cup, since you can buy almost everything on Aliexpress.

This model of the recorder is duplex, i.e. allows you to simultaneously record and monitor (display what is being recorded on the screen), although this is probably no longer news, almost all modern recorders have this capability.

The recorder enters the operating mode almost instantly, you do not have time to put the power supply into the cigarette lighter, and literally in a couple of seconds the recording starts. The recorder menu is very simple and straightforward, in this article it makes no sense to describe all the menu functions, since firmware may differ.

The quality of the picture pleased me, even a very dynamic road situation can be examined in detail. Note that I passed this video through the video editor (increased the speed and decreased the resolution) and, accordingly, the quality of the original is even higher.

The night work of the receptionist was not impressive. Moreover, I still did not fully understand how the IR illumination works, I always have it on the machine and sometimes it shows very well at night, and sometimes it feels like it does not even turn on. Forcing the IR light stick to switch did not work as expected. Therefore, I put a minus to the night mode.

After two months of operation, I was pleased with the Karkam Q2 video recorder, which I bought several times cheaper in friendly China. He performs all his functions with a bang. Look at the technical characteristics of the DVR:

Specifications

I think that a DVR is a very necessary thing in our realities, and it can be a cool gift, but do not forget to make an allowance for the delivery time from China, otherwise it will not turn out very nicely and you will have to give another gift.

I propose to share in the comments who has which device with key characteristics.

I look forward to your comments. Subscribe to blog updates. I would be grateful if you share this post on social networks!

Compound:
Ambarella A2S-A1-RH with him Hynix H5PS1G63EFR
RT9919
AC31011
And the memory under the SD card slot is -hynix HY27UF082G2B

According to the owner, after the shutdown, it can turn on itself, then turn off again, it can work normally for a while - it lives its own life.
Disabled regardless of whether it is in the video recording state or simply in the settings menu. Tried with another card.
There is an auto-off item in the setting - the state of this item does not affect the existing defect in any way.
I also have a suspicion that I cannot get to one of the tabs in the settings (I highlighted this tab in the photo) Either I do not know how to switch to it, or there is a firmware defect. But I very much suspect that this tab should become active, since somewhere in the device there should be a factory reset and a choice of language, which I could not find.
Perhaps this is Q2 frames, it is too similar to the photo, or its copy, the filling of the Q2 card is not known to me, so I wrote my own composition and ask for help in determining the model.
And I did not find the actual firmware and the method of firmware for this device, in which I also ask for help.

PS I figured it out, I have a real Q2 frame, it turned out that in order to get to the tab, you have to go with the joystick up to the ceiling, then to the right. (everything is very simple

)
I took the firmware on the official website - (Updates for devices on the MT9P01 matrix (with a gray screen)
I flashed, reset the settings, but unfortunately the defect has not been eliminated, it also turns off

on one forum I found information that can be turned off by thermal protection:
“There are two diodes in the top left corner of the board (when looking at the board from the side of the monitor). Remove the top diode.
The temperature of the thermal protection will increase by 10-20 degrees. The recorder will enter the power cut-off mode when it overheats much later. Keep in mind that you shouldn't leave the recorder in the car in the sun anyway. But without this diode in motion, when the cabin is working with air conditioning, shutdowns will not be guaranteed.

In the latest deliveries to Q2 frames, the thermal protection has been pushed back a little. We measured it in a heat chamber - it works out somewhere at 70g. And two years ago, when you bought a recorder, I worked at about 50g. By removing this diode, you simply shift the temperature of the thermal protection to about 70g.
Note that overheating and shutdown are still possible. There is nothing you can do, there is thermal protection in absolutely all cameras. "

I removed this diode, began to work until it was turned off for about 5-7 minutes, by the way it turns off correctly, it shuts down, gives a sound signal.
I now have a shadow in my workshop of 29 Celsius, it’s not particularly hot. If the shutdowns occur really for this thermal protection, then how to turn it off completely.

Added by (25/04/2014, 14:41:09)
———————————————
Soldered the percent - it did not help.

So it turns out it was in the firmware.
It was necessary not to update the firmware from the card, but to flash it on the PC using DirectUSB_Setup.exe (Restore the firmware), with clearing the nand memory,
and then the subsequent update from the map.
The first thing I noticed was that before it was restored, when the recorder was turned on from the button, it automatically started recording, if the recording was stopped with the “record button” after half a second or a second, it would start recording again. Regardless of the settings. (I also thought, this is strange, but we can be so conceived)
After the restoration, it became more and less adequate. The “record button” began to turn off the recording, without the subsequent auto-start of the recording.
20 minutes already writes without interruptions, I drive another twelve hours and you can close the topic.

You can download the file after registration registration | entrance

Since not everything is clear with the CR-500HD, I decided to put the Karkam Q2 DVR in order for now.

Step one: sound enhancement. My Q2 has a problem with the eerie squeak-squeak being recorded when driving, especially on our roads, to which resonance noises from the engine, etc. are also added. I decided to replace the microphone, since the Chinese saved on it.

Several screws are unscrewed, and Q2 can be easily disassembled:

A typical pill-shaped microphone with a diameter of about 6 mm is located in the holder (circled in red). Two wires. Black “rings” to the microphone body. The microphone is pulled out (the holder remains on the wires).

It remains to find a new microphone. Going to the store is not very interesting, especially since a bunch of telephone headsets have accumulated. Especially a lot of Nokiyevs, with their stupid Pop-Port connector. First, I took apart a strange one-ear headset from the E61, but surprisingly, there was a rather large microphone, much more than required. With the second attempt I took apart the HS-23 headset (it seems, it was with a clamshell 6103):

Further a matter of technology. Soldered:

Yes, you need to stock up on something sticky, but not too much to grab the microphone to the holder, and the holder to the body, but so that you can later disassemble.

Along the way, I slightly glued the insides at the bend of the “head” of Q2 (so as not to dangle). In an amicable way, it was necessary to double-sided tape, but there was only duct tape.

The result is very good. Extraneous noises are practically gone, the situation is recorded better and clearer. There was a slight creak of the recorder in the mount, but very, very quiet, it does not interfere at all.

We continue to tune our old friend. I'll write right away, the shortcomings that I will describe here refer to old versions DVRs Karkam Q2, in the new versions of Karkam these shortcomings were taken into account.Alas, it is not sad, but in the old Karkam Q2 DVRs there were problems with a bang when recording. Many did not like this, and some (those who have not yet fixed this defect) still do not like it. Today we will tell you how we can eliminate this deficiency. In 2011 DVR Karkam Q2 was equipped with an infrared filter, alas, in almost 70% of cases, this is solved by sticking foam rubber on the IR curtain. Sometimes the bounce is caused by the bracket, it can be glued or replaced. How to fix the above-described shortcomings, watch the video.