Review on 🔌 Smart Hardwire Kit with Mini-USB Port for Enhanced Performance and Compatibility with Rexing Supercapacitor Models - V1-4K, V1P, V3, V2 Pro, V5, S1 Series, V1P Pro Series, Max Series Dash Cams, etc by Sam Calderon

This kit allows you to take advantage of the Rexing V3's advanced parking features, save your car battery and not waste too much storage space if your car won't turn off the outlet when it's off. Installation is easier than other kits I've seen as it's designed to connect to the fuse panel, but it's only easy or practical if you happen to have the exact car. There are just a lot of design decisions that could be made better and I'll try to talk about them. The "fuse plugs" used to connect to the fuse panel are problematic for a number of reasons. For these fuse plugs, first swap out real fuses. The fuse plugs now have fuses in them, but there is no marking or documentation stating the fuse rating and there is no obvious way to replace the fuse in the fuse plug if it blows. The color and shape of the fuse links match the 15A fuses, but it would be nice to have confirmation from REXING. Assuming these are 15A fuses, that means that if you don't want to create an electrical hazard, either in terms of fire hazard or the possibility of some expensive circuitry in the car becoming unprotected, only are limited to replacing fuses. That's 15A, and not every car has 15A circuits (circuits that lose power when the car is off). Second, if the wire comes out the long side of the fuse plug, it means you are more limited in your fuse choices. You can replace it - for example I found the perfect replacement fuse but the plug didn't fit because the fuse box wall was on one side and the relay on the other. Third, while fuse plugs are basically just wire soldered to the top of the fuse, they still add about 1/3 inch to the top of the fuse. On my car, this is enough to keep the fuse box cover from falling onto the trim. The fuse plugs are just poorly designed - the fuse needs to be replaced with a wire, the plug itself needs to match the profile of a standard fuse and not protrude that much, and the wire coming out of the plug shouldn't have that much strain relief that it's sideways 1/ needs 3 inches of clearance. Since all fuses have test points, it is not difficult to design a fuse plug so that the contacts fit the test points of an existing fuse, rather than replacing it entirely. Having a fuse fitted to a "switched" circuit can be a chore unless you already have and understand how to use a multimeter and have some understanding of how a car's electrical system works. It's also helpful to have your vehicle's owner's manual handy, as this can help you narrow down which fuses should be checked. Basically you need to set your multimeter to constant voltage, connect the negative lead of your meter to ground (just find some metal touching the bodywork) and connect the positive lead of the meter to one of the test points (little pieces of metal) on top of the fuse, you want to check. If the meter reads anywhere between 11-14 volts then the fuse has power. Start with the car off and check all the fuses. Most of them should probably still have power - if you're not getting any readings from either at all, then either something is wrong with your meter, or one or both of your sensors aren't making good contact. Once you're sure your meter is working properly, simply check the fuses that don't get power when the ignition is off. Once you find it, turn on the ignition and see if there is power. This is where it can be really handy to have someone help you - so you can leave the probes on the fuse and chassis and look at the meter to make sure the voltage is coming in when the car is on and going out when the ignition is on This process is 10x easier and eliminates the need for a multimeter by equipping the fuse plug with an alligator clip and a bulb: snap alligator clip to ground, insert fuse plug into outlet - if the bulb is lit then the fuse is live. Finally, the mini USB connector is a rectangular connector. I'm sure this was done with the camera on top of the windshield next to the mirror for ease of installation, but my installation was much lower than the dash so the dumb connector goes up instead of down. I would prefer if they either left the mini USB plug straight so it doesn't move up or down and/or just included a couple of angled mini USB plug adapters so it can be used either way. For my car, I was able to find a couple of fuses marked "unused" in the vehicle manual that I was able to replace with fuse plugs, but I had to reattach the fuse box cover because it wouldn't close the fuse. Plugs stick out. I don't know if it's by design or a bug or something else, but even though this device is properly connected and working properly, the dashcam still says "Install Smart Hard Kit" when you try to change the setting in the parking sensor Menu. At first I thought it meant it didn't work or wasn't recognized, but the camera accepts the setting and does what it's supposed to. Overall this device works and is easier to install than trying to play around with a firewall and a car battery, but with a little more thoughtful design it could be a no-brainer. I wouldn't go so far as to say you have to take it to a shop to have it done, but unless you know how to use a multimeter it might seem complicated. Pros: - Works - Reasonably priced Cons: - Poor/incomplete documentation - No rating for fuses in fuse plugs - Fuse plugs are too blunt - they require more clearance at the top and side of the fuse socket - Requires a multimeter and process is not explained