Dashcams, navigators and GPS trackers: how to choose and buy
Four different jobs in one section
The name covers devices that look alike but do different things. A navigator plans a route, a dashcam records the road, and a GPS tracker tells you where the vehicle is right now, even when you are not in it. So first decide the job: do you need proof in case of an accident, protection against theft, or help finding your way in an unfamiliar place?
Often one device is enough, for example a dashcam with a GPS module that shows speed and route on the recording. This is cheaper than buying separate devices.
What to specify for each device
- Dashcam. Dashcams: number of cameras (one, two, or with a cabin camera), recording resolution, night video quality, viewing angle, parking mode, supercapacitor or battery, memory card size and class.
- Navigator. GPS navigators: screen size, maps (are local maps included and updated), for car or truck, voice guidance.
- Maps and apps. Navigation maps and GPS accessories: mounts, cables, antennas, map updates.
- Trackers. GPS trackers and vehicle monitoring: power (from the vehicle's wiring or standalone), accuracy, SIM card, the app and any paid subscription.
How the search works on BlaBlaPrice
You write a request in your own words: which vehicle, what it should record or track, your city and whether you need installation. Add one photo, for example of the windscreen or the place for the device. The request is checked, and you get hints on what to add.
Sellers reply in the chat with specific models, prices and terms. BlaBlaPrice shows the best offer first, with reviews next to each. Sellers can see where they stand among the others and may improve their terms. Your contacts stay hidden. How it all works is on the “How it works” page.
How to compare and what to check
With dashcams, the resolution in the spec does not guarantee quality: the sensor, the lens and the image processing decide, especially at night and against the sun. Look at real sample recordings. Check that the dashcam can take cold and heat. In summer the cabin gets very hot, and a supercapacitor is better for that than a battery.
With trackers, ask about the monthly service and connection fee, what powers it and where it is fitted. For a navigator, find out how the maps are updated and at what cost.
Common mistakes
Buying the cheapest dashcam with a memory card of the wrong class, which soon fails. Forgetting to format the card and check the recording. Mounting the device so that it blocks the driver's view. With trackers, forgetting that the SIM card and subscription are a running cost.
Installation, power and care
A dashcam usually runs from the cigarette lighter socket, but it is more reliable to connect it to the vehicle's wiring with a special cable, so there are no wires in sight. Parking mode needs constant power and voltage control, so that it does not drain the battery. A tracker is hidden in the cabin or under a panel, and fitting is often best left to a technician.
Ask the seller whether installation is available and what the price includes: cables, mounts, setup, instructions.
A dashcam recording can help after an accident, but only if the file is not damaged. So every few weeks, check the card, format it and see whether sound and the date are recorded.
