9 User Guide: Camera Settings

When the camera is first powered on it looks at the SD card for a file called “configuration.txt”. This file contains parameters that tell the camera how to perform. The software supplied with the RoadHawk camera can be used to create the “configuration.txt” file. If the “configuration.txt” file is not found on the SD card when you first turn the camera on it will default to the last known settings.

Click the settings icon within the software to change the settings on your camera.
When you make a change to the settings, the software will save a small config file to your SD card. The next time the camera is powered on with this card inserted it will read the config file and set itself accordingly.

In this menu you can change:
Resolution: The size of the image being recorded.
Frame Rate: Set the amount of frames being recorded per second.
Time Zone: Set your local time zone.
File Length: Set the length of time before a new file is started.
LOOP: Choose if the camera should loop record or simply stop recording when the SD card is full.
Mic Sensitivity: Set the volume of the internal mic. (Lower = quieter: 0 = off)
Speaker Volume: Set the volume of the internal speaker in the camera.
EVENT Sensitivity: Set how sensitive the G-Force sensor is. (Lower = less sensitive)
Contrast: Sets the contrast settings for the image produced by the camera.
Brightness: Sets the brightness of the image produced by the camera.
Saturation: Sets the saturation (colour) of the image produced by the camera.
Bit-Rate: Set the overall video quality. (Higher = better quality)
Record Mode: Choose if you want the camera to record EVENTS or just NORMAL video.
Spot Metering: Enables/Disables spot metering mode on the image produced by the camera.
Timestamp: Enables or disables the timestamp recorded on the image by the camera.

Resolution:
Changing the resolution affects the size of the image.
At 1080p the image quality will be sharper but you will use more memory per hour of video.
To get the maximum amount of video on the SD card, set the resolution to 480p.
480p mode is only available on the RoadHawk DC2 camera.

Frame Rate:
The RoadHawk DC2 camera is limited to 30fps in all resolutions.
RoadHawk HD can be set to 60fps when the resolution is set to 720p.

Time Zone:
Set this to your current time zone. Make sure this is accurate as it will affect how quickly the camera can lock on to GPS satellites. It also affects the time that is embedded on to the video. Once the camera locks on to a GPS signal the time is set using data from the satellites and adjusted to the set time zone. You will need to manually adjust for daylight saving hours using the software.

File Length:
Can be set to 1, 2, 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Once the chosen file length has been reached by the camera, it will automatically start to record the next file.

Bit-rate:
The bitrate controls how much compression is used when recording the video. This directly affects the video quality and the amount of storage required for the video. At the highest quality setting the camera will consume from 6 to 8gb of data per hour. The lower the quality setting used, the more video you can store on your SD card. For car black box mode you can lower the quality setting to fit more video on to the SD card. Find a level of video quality that is acceptable to you. Keep in mind if you use the highest quality settings, a 4gb card will hold less than 1 hour of video.

Mic Sensitivity:
You can change the sensitivity of the built-in microphone. Setting the slider to the least sensitive will make it quieter which is useful if the ambient audio in your vehicle is loud. You can set this to ZERO if you do not want to record any audio.

G-Sensor:
Set the slider bar to set the sensitivity of the G-Force sensor. If you find the camera makes a lot of “EVENTS” during normal driving conditions then you can lower this setting. Keep in mind if you set this too low in a very large vehicle then the camera might not detect a small impact and an “EVENT” may not be created. You can also set this to “ZERO”. Keep in mind if you set this to “OFF” then the camera will NEVER make an “EVENT”. This means if you are in an accident and you do not power down the camera and remove the memory card then it will eventually record over the accident.
Setting the G-Sensor to “OFF” is only really recommended if you are using the camera system for recreational purposes rather than as a car black box camera system.

Spot Metering:
When this is selected to ON the camera will measure the exposure settings from the centre of the image instead of the whole image. Set this to ON of the camera is to be mounted on a roll bar. This will stop the camera from over exposing the image through the windscreen and underexposing the inside of the vehicle.

Timestamp:
The RoadHawk dash camera gets its time and date from GPS. When this setting is on, the time and date are imbedded in to the right lower corner of the image. Disabling this will remove the time and date from the video. If you are using the RoadHawk as a dash camera then it is recommended to leave this setting enabled for evidential purposes. NOTE: Even when the timestamp is disabled, the file names of the videos produced by the dash camera will still be created using the time and date found whilst the camera is recording.

Settings Notes:
1: Setting the mic volume to ZERO will disable the camera from making any sounds except if the camera experiences an error.
2: Setting the correct time zone will help the camera to lock on to GPS quicker.
3: Setting a high bit-rate will fill up your SD card very quickly. Setting a lower bitrate will decrease the video quality but you will get much more recording time on the SD Card. Please try and find a setting suitable to your requirements.
4: Setting the G-Force Sensor to OFF will mean the camera will not make EVENTS. In this mode, you will only see normal recorded video files. If you are in an accident the camera will not create an EVENT and will eventually overwrite this video if the camera remains recording.

10 User Guide: Camera LEDS

Record LED: Will light red when the camera is recording normal video. It will flash red when the camera is recording an EVENT.
GPS LED: Will light green when the camera has a GPS lock. If this does not light up, the camera is not receiving a GPS signal.

“E” Button: When pressed will manually create an “EVENT”. When you press this button the camera will chime and store a 30 second clip in the EVENTS folder of the SD card.
SD Slot: Insert your SD card in to this slot. Push until it clicks in to position and then close the door. Do not force the SD card in to this slot. Ensure the SD card is the right way around before inserting it.

Alarm I/O: The RoadHawk DC2 camera has an alarm input and output port. You can connect a remote control for manually triggering an EVENT (same as pressing the E button) or you can connect an output cable to a tracking device. When the camera detects an EVENT it will send a signal to the tracker to alert the user and EVENT has been created by the camera.
Alarm I/O is for RoadHawk DC2 camera only.

11 User Guide: GPS Antenna / Audio Input

In some vehicles with heated front windscreens and some that may have a special anti-glare coating, the camera may not be able to lock on to a satellite GPS signal.
This will be indicated by the GPS light not illuminating.

An optional magnetic GPS antenna is available for the RoadHawk Camera. Use of this antenna is optional but will help the camera to get a faster, more accurate signal from the Global Positioning Satellites.

The cable on the Antenna is 5m long and so should allow you to position it in various places. The best location for the GPS antenna would be outside of the vehicle with a clear view of the sky.

Connecting an Audio input:
The RoadHawk is fitted with a 3.5mm external audio input jack. You can plug various microphones to this input to improve audio quality. As this is a LINE level input you can also connect other devices that output LINE level audio such as an intercom, radio or MP3 player.
If you find the audio levels are too high or too low, you can adjust these in the settings menu of the supplied software.

12 User Guide: Alarm input/output

The RoadHawk DC2 has an alarm input/output socket on the rear of the camera.
Using alarm cables (sold separately) you can trigger an EVENT by pressing a remote button. This is useful when the camera is out of reach and provides a safer method for the driver to manually trigger an EVENT.

Also available is an alarm output cable. When the camera detects an EVENT it will close a circuit for 2 seconds. When connected to an alarm input on a tracking device, this can be programmed to send an alert to the tracking software supplied by the tracking device’s manufacturers.
Please contact us for more information on which tracking devices support this feature.

When using the output cable, the positive and negative circuit is closed for 2 seconds when the camera detects an event. Only use of RoadHawk supplied cables should be used with this port or warranty will be voided.

13 User Guide: File Sizes

The RoadHawk camera creates files of different sizes depending on the settings used with the camera. You can use the software supplied to change the settings.
The lower the resolution and the lower the bit-rate, the more video you can store on a single SD card before it either becomes full or starts to overwrite the earliest files. The higher the video quality setting, the less video you can store on the SD card.
Below is a table of estimated file sizes. Keep in to consideration the RoadHawk camera will reserve approximately 25% of available memory on the SD card for EVENT files.

Highest Quality Example:
A 64gb SD card has around 59392mb of useable space.
Subtract 25% reserved for EVENT files = 44544mb.
44544 / 80mb = 556.8 minutes of normal video plus approx. 150 EVENT files.

Lowest Quality Example: (RoadHawk DC2)
A 64gb SD card has around 59392mb of useable space.
Subtract 25% reserved for EVENT files = 44544mb.
44544 / 19mb = 2344.4 minutes of normal video plus approx. 750 EVENT files.
If you change the settings of the camera to NORMAL mode then it will not reserve 25% available space for EVENTS. Once the card is full, it will start to erase the earliest files.

Normal Mode Example: Low quality setting (RoadHawk DC2)
128gb SD cards are currently the highest capacity available at the time of writing.
A 128gb SD card has 118784mb of useable space.
118784 / 19mb = 6251.7 minutes of video (104 hours)

PLEASE NOTE: The numbers show above are approximate calculations and file sizes may differ depending on filming conditions.

15 User Guide: Trouble Shooting

If you encounter ANY problems with your camera, please first format your SD card as this resolves 90% of all issues.

Hardware

Camera will not turn on and start recording.
Ensure the power cable is connected correctly. Test to make sure you have power coming from your car’s accessory socket. The power cables have a built-in fuse. Check the fuse has not blown.

Camera makes a constant bleeping sound.
This is the camera’s fail safe alarm which is there to warn you that there is a problem with either the camera or most probably the SD card. Formatting your SD card could solve this issue.

Camera makes lots of EVENT files.
If the camera sensitivity is set high then the camera will make an EVENT when driving on an uneven road surface. The camera will overwrite these EVENT files once the SD card is full. You can lower the sensitivity setting of the camera but by setting it too low you run the risk of the camera not creating an EVENT if an impact occurs. For camera settings [G Sensor] see page: 15

No GPS Signal is being received.
Check the position of the camera, make sure it is not located too close to other electronics. Cars with heated front screens or Anti-Glare coatings will reduce the ability of the camera to lock on to GPS. If this is the case, you can use an external GPS antenna (sold separately). If the camera has not been used for a while it may take a little longer to receive a GPS signal.

Software

I inserted the SD card, nothing is happening.
The software looks for files made by the camera. If the card has not been used in a RoadHawk camera or if the files have been deleted by the user or if the SD card has recently been formatted then the software will not do anything. Insert the SD card in to the RoadHawk camera, power the camera on and leave for at least 20 seconds before unplugging the camera. Now you can use the SD card and the software will be able to work.

The map is not displaying.
Make sure you have an internet connection. This is required for the map to display correctly. Ensure the camera has a GPS signal. The GPS LED on the camera will light up green when it has a GPS lock.

The audio is distorted (noisy).
Decrease the MIC SENSITIVITY setting in the software’s settings menu. This will not affect recordings made prior to making the change.

The time on the video is not correct.
Firstly, ensure the time zone setting is correct using the settings menu in the software. Secondly, make sure the camera has been able to get a GPS lock. The internal clock in the camera is set using GPS. Due to the camera's time being set from GPS, there is no provision for adjusting to daylight saving hours. Please use the time setting in the software to manually adjust this during daylight saving times.

There are gaps in the video, portions of your journey are missing.
This is very unlikely to happen. The misconception of portions of your journey missing from the SD card can be summarised in two ways.

1. If the camera detects an EVENT it will save a 30 second portion of video to the EVENTS folder on the SD card. Clicking on NORMAL in the software will only display your normal driving minus these EVENTS.
   
2. The SD card can only hold a limited amount of video before it starts to overwrite itself. EVENTS stay on the SD card longer than NORMAL driving video files. If you click ALL in the software you will see a list of EVENTS that may have taken place several days or weeks ago. There will be gaps between these EVENTS. Clicking on NORMAL will display the most recent normal driving videos. Depending on the size of your SD card and the quality settings used by the camera you might only see the last 30 minutes of normal driving.

The camera did not create an EVENT even though I was involved in an accident.
There can only be two reasons for this to happen.

1. The accident did not create enough G-Force to trigger the camera (the G-Force sensitivity is too low or off / The accident did not transmit enough force for the camera to trigger).
   
2. The camera triggered an EVENT but later recorded over the EVENT.
   This can happen if the driver continues to drive after an accident and many more EVENTS are created on the journey. A small SD card can only hold a limited number of EVENTS before they are overwritten. Potholes and rough terrain can easily cause the camera to create many events, especially if the G-Force sensitivity is set too high.

It is advisable to take precautions after an EVENT takes place in order for the camera to not ERASE this important data. The best way to do this is to UNPLUG the camera, wait for the camera to chime and remove the SD card. A spare/backup SD card can be used if you need to continue to drive.

The MAP display has changed/does not look the same.
RoadHawk reserves the right to change the way the mapping data is displayed.

The speed of the vehicle is not being displayed correctly.
Ensure you have the MPH/KPH setting correctly selected. Clicking on the speed display will change the unit from MPH to KPH.
The speed display is dependent on having a strong GPS signal. With no GPS signal, the speed cannot be displayed. The stronger the GPS signal, the more accurate the speed display will be. Driving in built-up areas, under tunnels or areas that have weaker GPS coverage can all affect the accuracy of the display.

The vehicle is not positioned directly on the road on the MAP.
Disturbed or reflected GPS signals in built-up areas may mean the exact location of the vehicle on the map is not accurately displayed. In some cases, the map database may not be 100% accurate although these are improving all the time.

The SD card is only holding a few EVENTS and not much of my journey.
Using the highest quality settings available the RoadHawk can use up to 8gb of data per hour of recording. Using an SD card with a small capacity coupled with a high quality setting will seriously limit how much video you can store on your SD card.
You can either lower the video quality settings using the software settings menu or it is advised to use an SD card with a greater capacity. The RoadHawk can use SDHC and SDXC high capacity SD cards.

My SD card has failed / no longer works in the camera.
SD cards may only have a limited number of READ/WRITE cycles. Eventually, even high quality SD cards can “wear out”. You should only use high quality SD cards in this camera. Choose a well-known brand and make sure it is at least rated Class 10 or better. If you wire the camera to operate 24/7 then the SD card’s life will be reduced.
The life of the SD card will depend on the quality of the card, the Class of the card and how much driving you do.

I can’t read number plates on other vehicles.
Although the RoadHawk uses some of the most advanced image processing available at the time of being designed, it also uses a WIDE angled camera lens. This is to capture as much of the road ahead as possible. A side effect of using such a wide angled lens is the appearance of vehicles seeming further away than they actually are. This makes reading of number plates harder for the camera to capture. The camera’s ability to read number plates will depend on the weather conditions, the amount of available light, the distance of the vehicle from the camera and the clean condition of your windscreen. Using the camera in 1080p mode will enhance the ability of the camera to capture number plates.

If you have the microphone enabled and if you need to, you can read the number plate of the vehicle in question; the camera will capture your voice.

16 User Guide: Limited Warranty

This Limited Warranty shall apply to the Roadhawk product including all accessories as contained within the original RoadHawk box “the Product”. Roadhawk warrants the product from its authorised distributor will meet the applicable product specifications and be free from all defects in material and workmanship for an applicable period herein “Limited Warranty”. This Limited Warranty is subjected to the following terms and conditions:

1. This Limited Warranty is given only to the original purchaser of the Product “Customer” it shall neither exclude nor limit a) any statutory rights of the Customer or b) any of the Customer’s rights against the sellers of the Product.
2. The Limited Warranty shall be restricted to the country/region of Product purchase this is to avoid excessive import or exportation of the Product throughout the supported countries.
3. This Limited Warranty is only valid and enforceable in countries where the Product is sold. Outside of the country of purchase, any repairs performed by Roadhawk’s Authorized Service Centre are subject to charge to the purchaser at normal repair rates.
   
4. The Limited Warranty entitles the Customer to a Product replacement or a full refund of the purchase price for any defects relating to the performance and / or functioning of the Product which result from normal use of the Product, provided that such a defect arises within ten (10) days of the original date of purchase of the Product and cannot be otherwise repaired. Roadhawk will provide a replacement or repair of the Product at Roadhawk’s own expense for any such defect arising after ten (10) days but within two (2) month of the original date of purchase. This Limited Warranty may not be sold – on, assigned, transferred or given to any subsequent purchaser or acquirer of the Product.
5. This Limited Warranty shall last for two (2) years from the date of original purchase “Warranty Period”. A valid original invoice “Proof of Purchase” is required.
6. This Limited Warranty covers expenses for inspecting and repairing the product during the term of the Limited Warranty. Customer shall deliver the defective Product to the Roadhawk - designated premises together with the proof of purchase, and proof of identity of the Customer. Products shipped by the Customer missing any one of these documents may render this Limited Warranty invalid. If the defect was the result of the Customer’s own mishandling of the Product, force majeure, or the result of a repair by an unauthorized service provider, the Customer shall bear all expenses relating to shipping such a defective product.
7. Roadhawk will return the repaired Product or another Product to the Customer in good working condition. All replaced faulty Products or components thereof will become the property of Roadhawk.
8. This Limited Warranty applies only to the original hardware components of the Product and does not apply to any software or other equipment.
9. If Roadhawk repairs or replaces the Product, the repaired or replaced Product shall continue to be warranted for the remaining term of the Limited Warranty period or for three (3) months from the date of repair or replacement, whichever is longer
10. Before returning any units for service, the Customer is solely responsible for backing up data and removing any confidential, proprietary, or personal information from the Product. Roadhawk is not responsible for damage to or loss of any programs, data, or removal storage media.
11. This Warranty does NOT cover recovery from any software updates, installation and removal of the application software, or any loss of data storage
12. Roadhawk reserves the right to add, delete or amend the terms and conditions of this Limited Liability and any such change will be made available to the purchasers of the Product either RoadHawk’s Web site (http://www.roadhawk.co.uk) or by other means.
13. THIS LIMITED WARRANTY SHALL NOT APPLY IF THE DEFECT WAS CAUSED THROUGH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

• The Product serial number, the accessory date code has been
  removed, erased, defaced, altered or is illegible; or
• The defect is resulting from the use of the product in a manner other than their normal and customary manner, e.g, in excess of their minimum specification of operating instructions, or malfunction or failure resulting from use of uncalibrated voltages; or
• Deterioration of the Product due to normal wear and tear. All plastic surfaces and other natural wear of externally exposed parts of the product are scratched or damaged under normal usage; or
• The defect is arising from improper installation, unauthorized repair, alteration or modification to the Product by third parties; or
• The defect is arising from operating with components or accessories (ancillary or peripheral equipment) not officially authorized or provided by RoadHawk or used in other than its intended use; or
• The defect or damage are arising from unauthorized modification: or
• The defect or damage is arising from misuse, mishandling, accidental lost, abuse, accident, negligence and damage caused directly or indirectly by Customer, including but not limited to improper testing, installation, alteration or modification or any kind, or spillage of food or liquid, or build up of dirt or dust, or mains supply problem, thunderstorm activities, or infestation by insects or vermin, or exposure to abnormally corrosive conditions, or operation with extreme heat or humidity.

1. WHERE A DEFECT WAS UNDETECTABLE BY THEN-AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY OR WAS THE RESULT OF COMPLYING WITH THE APPLICABLE REGULATORY STANDARDS OF WHERE THE DEFECT WAS THE RESULT OF THE CHANGE IN THE DESIGN OF THE PRODUCT COMPONENTS SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY, ROADHAWK WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSSES OR DAMAGES OF ANY NATURE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOST PROFITS OR COMMERCIAL LOSS OF
   THE CUSTOMER.
2. This Limited Warranty does not affect the Customer’s statutory rights in law specific to the country of purchase, and such - rights remain protected. Some countries do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential loss or damage, or limitation of the implied warranties, in which case the preceding limitation of exclusions may not apply to such Customers. Please note warranty service availability and response times may vary from country to country and may also be subject to registration requirement in the country of purchase. If you require assistance regarding warranty conditions, or have any other inquiries, please contact the RoadHawk Customer Care Centre or via the official website.
3. RoadHawk reserve the right to make changes to the software including but not limited to the way mapping data is displayed and the service used to provide this data.
4. RoadHawk cannot access your personal data from the camera although the GPS data from the camera will be transmitted over the internet to the mapping data servers in order to provide the map display within the software. Video, audio and G-Force data is NOT transmitted over the internet during video playback.
5. NO data from the camera is transmitted whilst the camera is functioning as a recorder in your vehicle.
6. Video, Audio, G-Force data and GPS data stored on the camera’s SD card can be used in evidence against you in some countries. In some countries, police authorities reserve the right to seize such data from the SD card in the camera and use it as evidence against you.
7. RoadHawk, DCS Systems Ltd and any other associated companies will not be responsible for expenses incurred for the fit or removal of any equipment for any purpose.

18 User Guide: Change Log

RoadHawk playback software

Version 2.1
Changed icon to highlight currently playing file.
Added contrast settings for camera.
Added brightness settings for camera.
Added saturation settings for camera.
Added spot metering settings for camera.
Added enable/disable timestamp on camera.

Version 3 (current)
Added functionality to detect RoadHawk DC2.
Added Format SD card facility.
Added ability to save files from software to hard disk or external device.
Added user manual to software with dynamic updates.
Fixed load file bug.

RoadHawk HD Firmware

Version 1.1
Release Firmware

Version 1.8
Improved stability with a range of SD cards.
Fixed camera reboot issue when high capacity SD cards are used.
Improved compatibility with a larger range of 64gb and 128gb SD Cards.
Added support for camera image quality settings; brightness, contrast and saturation.
Added support for spot metering.
Added ability to remove time/date stamp from video.
Pre-allocated file sizes to increase file structure stability when loop recording.
Improved audio quality.
Improved algorithm for low light video encoding.
Improved algorithm for detecting errors on SD card and alerting the user.

Version 1.9 (current)
Improved audio quality a bit more.
Improved stability with more 128gb SD cards.

RoadHawk DC2 Firmware

Version 1.1 (current)
Release Firmware