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BlackSys CH-100B Review – Packed with features, just not reliable
Key features:
- Dual channel dash cam
- Full HD (Max. resolution: front 1080p, rear 720p)
- GPS
- Wi-Fi
- Loop recording
- Auto on/off
- G-Sensor
- Parking mode motion detection
- Low voltage cutoff (11.8V, 12V, or 12.2V)
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The BlackSys CH-100B 2 Channel dash cam has all the bells and whistles included – literally everything you need and expect in a quality, safe dash cam. Its dual full HD cameras are its standout feature, trumping many of its competitors. It has a sleek and solid design, albeit very compact in size which means that it’s concealed nicely on the windscreen. I have had the BlackSys CH-100B 2 Channel dash cam for seven months now, and although it looks good on face, its performance – in my experience – has been sub-optimal. Here’s what I have discovered about the BlackSys product
Installation and usability
The BlackSys CH-100B 2 Channel dash cam is hard wired into your car, meaning set up is not just a ‘plug and play’ type scenario. I found the instructions are incredibly difficult to follow, but what’s more challenging is that there is no screen; instead the dash cam is controlled by app on your phone. In theory, this should be fine, except this particular app is useless. It constantly loses connection between the phone and dash cam, making all sorts of beeping noises, and displays error messages that I don’t quite understand what they mean. After a few hours of frustration and a little help, we got there – the BlackSys dash cam was installed and working.
However, still today, one of the biggest frustrations I have with this dash cam and its functionality is the need to constantly re-set the date and time in the app. It resets itself every time I start the car – which consequently means the GPS data is not accurate or will not work if manually entered correctly. This is a fault which didn’t happen when brand new, but started playing up after a couple of months.
Video and audio quality
Full HD video and audio from dual cameras – this is definitely a point of difference for the BlackSys CH-100B 2 Channel dash cam. You’ll find the front camera records videos in 1080P, while the rear camera has a slightly lower quality of 720P. The output of both is pretty clear, and most of the time*, detail like license plates can be easily seen. I would add that low-light conditions aren’t as crisp for the rear camera on the detail front, but still legible.
It has a 130 degree wide lens, helping to fit more into the picture of the road ahead (and behind). This is good, however on playback, you can see how this distorts distances a little.
Even though the mini cam is called rear cam and can be used to capture the road behind you, it can also sit inside the car to view inside the cabin. This is particularly useful for Uber, Lyft, and Taxi drivers who require added security.
The features of the camera are great, but its downfall is that it constantly shuts off. When mid-way through a trip, I will notice the camera is no longer on, skimping on the reliability front of a safety dash cam.
Safety features
The BlackSys CH-100B 2 Channel dash cam has a built in GPS feature. As I alluded to earlier, the camera records your location and speed, stamping this valuable footage with this data, an important source of information for insurance claims and police reports. The issue with this particular product is that it’s faulty – you need to manually set your date and time every time for the GPS to work.
The BlackSys also includes a G-sensor. This functionality recognises when an incident is occurring and saves the video footage into a separate file for insurance purposes. This means that important files are not overwritten during its loop recording. This loop recording is good and standard across many quality dash cams. When the memory card fills up the BlackSys dash cam will automatically delete the oldest footage and replace it with the newest. You won’t have to do that manually. The downside with this feature is that if you switch off your car part-way through one of its loop recordings, it won’t save this last interval.
The parking mode feature in the BlackSys CH-100B 2 Channel dash cam means that it detects movements close to your car and begins recording even when parked. This is a good surveillance option and works because your camera is hardwired to your car, not just powered through the cigarette lighter.
The BlackSys CH-100B 2 Channel is one of the best dash cams for parking in hot climates thanks to its super capacitor and body design. Dash cameras with batteries can’t perform at high temperatures. The super capacitor, which replaces lithium batteries is a great feature to accommodate the hot days we have, especially in places like Arizona, Florida or Texas.
Our verdict
I am less than impressed by the reliability and quality of the BlackSys CH-100B 2 Channel dash cam. I could have a particularly faulty cam, but it’s not a product I would recommend to my friends and family. When it works, the camera quality is great and the concept of a dual cam is great, particularly for ride-sharing companies who need constant surveillance within the car as well as externally. However this product’s flaws certainly outweigh its positives. I hope the next model rectifies all of the faults with the app and camera, because it has good potential given its compact, discreet size. Instead of the BlackSys CH-100B 2 Channel dash cam, I would lean towards an alternative product like the Vantrue N2 Pro Dual Dash Cam Dual and separately purchase the GPS mount. It’s a comparable product that is also likely to come in much cheaper, yet still much more reliable than the BlackSys CH-100B 2 Channel dash cam.
