Category: Equipment Review

EQUIPMENT REVIEW: ROVE R2-4K Dash Cam

5/4/2022

Colorado Springs Private Investigator Dash Cam Test

As promised here's our review on the Rove R2-4K Dash Cam that we mentioned in our last posting. This one is a little different than the last test camera as it offers a lot more options with only one difference than the Z-Edge Dash Cam. The Rove R2-4K doesn't have the back view camera while the Z-Edge does. As we mentioned in our last review, for our needs, mainly surveillance, we don't have a great need for the rear camera view so it's not a dealbreaker by any means. Listed on Amazon for $119.99 with 21,146 ratings and a 4.5 star overall average, this system seems to have a lot of fans out there and we've become one of them.

The Rove R2-4K dash cam system has a lot of features that we think make this one a winner:

4K ULTRA HD RECORDING – The Rove R2-4k dash camera can record videos up to a resolution of 2160p. This is much higher than any other camera we looked at online and it shows it the video we captured. It has night vision capabilities that we tested and found the video to be clear and definitely of the quality we could use as evidence. One slight drawback we noticed is when we were directly behind a car at a stop light, our headlights washed out the license plate which made it impossible for the camera to record that information.

BUILT-IN WiFi – The camera system is compatible with the ROVE App which you can use to view and manage dash cam recordings instantly on your iOS and/or Android devices. Using the app, you can download your recorded 4k videos directly to your smart phone and then easily share those with other surveillance units or an attorney wanting regular updates. One issue we noted with the WiFi is that you have to turn it on, via the back of the camera menu button, every time you power the camera up. It would be nice if WiFi On was the default setting on this as we will always use the app which requires the WiFi to be in the On position.

DASH CAM WITH GPS – The built-in GPS accurately records your driving location and speed and you can view your driving route and tracker on google maps when you download the video to a desktop, which is what we normally do, and are connected to the internet. ROVE provides a downloadable GPS video player that allows the viewer to watch the captured video and follow along with the map that resides next to the viewing screen. GPS coordinates and a date/time stamp, a must when using this for private investigation surveillance, are imprinted on the video. This, and the ROVE logo, are settings in the camera you can turn on or off, depending on your needs. We enabled the GPS coordinates and date/time stamp, but took a pass on the logo.

FEATURES WITH STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY INCLUDED – The Rove R2-4K camera has f1.8 apertures, parking mode, motion detection, 150° A+ wide angle lens, G-sensor, loop cycle recording (1 minute to 10 minutes loops which is programmable), emergency video lock, time-lapse video, slow-mo video, and supports up to 512GB class 10 - U3 speed micro SD card. We tested ours with a 256GB class 10 SD card and it worked flawlessly.

100% USA-CHICAGO BASED CUSTOMER-CENTRIC COMPANY & CUSTOMER CARE – This dash camera is backed by full 1-YEAR WARRANTY and support is available via text or email. The first night we had this we were having an issue getting the Google maps to display and texted off a question to support. We heard back within 20 minutes and it was after 8:30 p.m. here in Colorado. We also tested support by sending an email the next day regarding a firmware update and received our answer within 10 minutes of sending the email. Very fast support that we don't normally see.

Based on our usage of this camera the day after we received it, it's one we plan on keeping and will order more as needed. Set up straight from the box is very easy and there's an excellent user manual included that addresses any issue you can thank of. We'll be giving this one 4.5 stars on Amazon and would upgrade that to 5 stars if the WiFi setting was defaulted to always On upon power up. Maybe the company will read this and make that a change in their next firmware upgrade.

Lee Walters
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
Colorado Springs, Colorado

EXCALIBUR Private Investigation is a participant in the Amazon Services, LLC Associates Program and may earn a small commission on products sold through links in this article.

All automobiles or other captured images were in the public domain and were not subject of any investigation being conducted by EXCALIBUR Private Investigation. This video captured only to show the capabilities of the ROVE R2-4K Dash Cam system.

All automobiles or other captured images were in the public domain and were not subject of any investigation being conducted by EXCALIBUR Private Investigation. This photo captured only to show the capabilities of the ROVE R2-4K Dash Cam system.

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EQUIPMENT REVIEW: Z-EDGE DASH CAM

4/28/2022

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Colorado Springs Private Investigator Dash Cam

Two things everyone wants to know at a dinner party once they find out you're a professional private investigator. One, what kind of cases do we work, with most assuming we're following cheating spouses. Yes, that's part of what we do but a small part. And, two, what kind of equipment do we use? Without giving away all our trade secrets, I'd like to review one piece of equipment today we recently considered adding to our arsenal to replace some outdated equipment we have been using. The Z-Edge WiFi Dash Cam with front and rear cameras, night vision, parking mode, and loop recording.

When we first started looking for new dash cams for our surveillance vehicles, we looked at several private investigator equipment sites and, as we often do, ended up right back on Amazon. With a listed price of $99.99 we were a little bit skeptical as to how good this camera could be. With over 1,159 reviews and an overall 4.5 star rating, as well as a free return policy, we figured we'd take a chance and if it was a piece of crap just send it back. We've had the first trial camera for a week and have used it on two cases so far with some success.

With full HD, 1080p @30FPS resolution, the video we've captured is of the quality that we could use it as evidence. License plates and people are clearly picked up and identifiable which is crucial in the investigation business. Not only does this camera take continuous video, but say you're sitting at a light behind a target and just want to capture the license plate in a photo that you can then quickly attach to an email to other surveillance units or the office so the plate can be run if you're in the middle of a mobile operation and can't run it yourself. This is easily accomplished by pushing a button on the back of the camera which takes the photo and then goes right back to capturing video. Another benefit of this system is the smartphone app you can download from the Apple or Google app stores. It allows you to connect to the camera via WiFi and monitor what the camera is capturing. We tend to camouflage the placement of our dash cams so they appear like they are part of the rearview mirror and when doing so the back of the camera viewfinder is covered up. By connecting to the smartphone app we can see exactly what the camera is picking up, as well as capture still photos from the app with a press of the button accessible on the app.

Set up out of the box is very simple and straightforward and the Z-Edge Dash Cam comes with an easily understandable instruction manual. We were up and running within 10 minutes of receiving it from Amazon.

A few items to note that may be an issue to some users and one issue which was a dealbreaker to us as professional investigators. The dash cam takes video in 5 minute increments and saves them to an onboard SD card. We sprung for the 256GB card which, purportedly, will hold up to 40 hours of video. We don't see the 5 minute videos as an issue as we easily stitched them together in the video software program we use. Video can be recorded with, or without, audio and a date/time stamp can be saved to the video as well which is a must for evidentiary purposes. Just be sure to set the camera to display the date/time stamp instead of the Z-Edge logo which is the default. We noticed that the setting reverted back to the logo display after the first use, but seems to have stayed on the date/time stamp mode since. The camera does start recording the minute you plug in to your vehicle's power supply. This can be a little annoying, but we just delete those video files or don't plug in until we're actually ready to start recording. One major issue that we discovered, which caused our review to go from 5 stars to 3 stars, as well as prompted our return of the camera, is the lack of a working map on the app. Reading the reviews in the app store this has been an issue for quite some time, yet the company hasn't fixed it. For our purposes a recorded map is crucial for evidentiary purposes. If you don't have a need for a recorded map, this dash cam system works fine in all other aspects of operation.

The camera, as delivered, comes with the front camera with mounting suction cup, which works extremely well and allows for a stable recording, the rear view camera, a 12 ft. charging cable, a 26 ft. cable to connect to the rear camera, a 4 ft. data cable, a dual charger so you can plug the USB cable into your cigarette lighter power port, cable clips, and a cable tool so that you can hide the cables if you're mounting the system permanently. We don't have a need to use this every day so we passed on hiding the cable, and we haven't found a need to use the rear camera on surveillances so far.

I can recommend the Z-Edge WiFi Dash Cam for every day use, but until the map issue is fixed with their app, I can't recommend it for use by a professional investigator and, for that reason, can only give this one a 3-star review on Amazon. Please leave a comment if you have any questions and we'll respond asap.

Lee Walters
President
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
Colorado Springs, Colorado

P.S. We'll be reviewing the Rove R2-4K Dash Cam Built in WiFi GPS Car Dashboard Camera Recorder with UHD 2160P, 2.4" LCD, 150° Wide Angle, WDR, Night Vision next week once we have it in hand. It's a front camera system only, but for our purposes that's all we really need for surveillance.

EXCALIBUR Private Investigation is a participant in the Amazon Services, LLC Associates Program and may earn a small commission on products sold through links in this article.

Single Image captured by the Z-Edge

All automobiles or other captured images were in the public domain and were not subject of any investigation being conducted by EXCALIBUR - Private Investigation. This photo captured only to show the capabilities of the Z-Edge WiFi Dash Cam.

Mobile video captured by the Z-Edge

All automobiles or other captured images were in the public domain and were not subject of any investigation being conducted by EXCALIBUR - Private Investigation. This video captured only to show the capabilities of the Z-Edge WiFi Dash Cam.

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EQUIPMENT REVIEW: SECURITY CAMERAS

2/15/2022

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Security Cameras used by Colorado Springs Private Investigator

As this is the first product we've recommended on any of our blog posts, we just want to point out that any product, such as the Reolink system pictured above, that we write about is a product we have used for some period of time and can honestly recommend. In the case of the Reolink security camera systems, we've used them in our office and home for almost 2 years now and have nothing but great things to say about these security camera systems. They are just packed with so many features. What features you ask? Well these to name a few:

SMOOTH 4K ULTRA HD resolution with real-time 25fps recording.

ALL-NIGHT COLOR NIGHT VISION which features 4pcs spotlights that provide full-color all night long which is unheard of for a security camera at this price point.

SMART HUMAN/VEHICLE DETECTION that can be set to alert you via email, text, FTP or siren.

TWO-WAY TALK where you can talk from wherever you are through any of the cameras set up in the system. See someone lurking around your garage or back door, you can now yell at them or tell them the police are on the way directly through the camera.

DEDICATED APP where you can log in and view your cameras while also listening to crystal clear sound. We eavesdrop on our office on occasion, don't tell staff, and it's interesting to listen to the interaction between staff and customers.

2-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY:Reolink provides a two-year warranty and lifetime technical support for their customers and we've found that customer support is excellent.

Having used security cameras for many years, some good and some not so good, I'm truly impressed with how reliable these cameras are. In the two years we've had the two systems in place, we've yet to have any downtime due to system malfunction. In today's society I truly believe that a camera system is a must for any business or residence. Not only do they act as a deterrent, but they can also capture evidence that can be used to help solve crime. Criminals are still not the brightest bulbs in the box, that's why they're criminals, and often forget about the potential of a security camera catching them in the act. The Reolink systems, they offer numerous models, do a great job of doing what they're supposed to do and we can't recommend them enough for that extra peace of mind they provide.

EXCALIBUR Private Investigation is a participant in the Amazon Services, LLC Associates Program and may earn a small commission on products sold through links in this article.

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EQUIPMENT REVIEW: ROVE R2-4K Dash Cam

EQUIPMENT REVIEW: Z-EDGE DASH CAM

EQUIPMENT REVIEW: SECURITY CAMERAS

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