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Dash Cam Basics product guide

BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE Plus II 4K Front and Rear Dash Cam

Owners in the US or Canada wanting LTE cloud access without an add-on

BlackVue's 4K front and 1080p rear camera with a built-in LTE module that needs your own nano SIM. BlackVue's spec caps cards at 512GB though the listing says 1TB, parking recording needs the hardwiring cable or a battery pack, and operation is rated -4°F to 158°F.

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Published specifications

  • BlackVue: 4K 30fps front (STARVIS 2), Full HD 30fps rear
  • BlackVue: built-in 4G LTE, nano SIM; listing: SIM not included
  • BlackVue: microSD 64-512GB; listing: up to 1TB, 64GB included
  • BlackVue: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; GPS + GLONASS; Bluetooth
  • BlackVue: operating -4°F to 158°F; 12-24V input
  • Guide: parking needs hardwiring cable or battery pack

Fit and limits

Strengths

  • LTE module built in, so no separate LTE add-on is needed
  • 4K front camera with H.265 support
  • Hardwiring cable has low-voltage cut-off and parking timer

Caveats

  • Needs your own nano SIM and a North American carrier
  • Card limit conflicts: 512GB in BlackVue's spec, 1TB on the listing
  • Parking recording needs hardwiring or a separate battery pack

4K front, 1080p rear, with LTE built in

BlackVue's specification for the DR970X-2CH LTE Plus II lists a 4K front camera at 30fps on a STARVIS 2 sensor of about 8.4 megapixels and a Full HD rear camera at 30fps on a STARVIS sensor of about 2.1 megapixels. Diagonal viewing angles are 146 degrees front and 131 degrees rear, with H.265 or H.264 encoding.

The built-in 4G LTE module takes a nano SIM, and the quick start guide shows the SIM slot under the front camera's bracket, opened with an eject tool supplied in the box. The listing says no SIM card is included, the LTE is optimised for the United States and Canada only, and it recommends T-Mobile, Rogers or Telus.

Card size: 512GB in the spec, 1TB on the listing

The listing's title and detail table say the camera supports up to 1TB and includes a 64GB card. BlackVue's specification page for this exact model lists microSD cards of 64, 128, 256 and 512GB. We found no BlackVue page for this model that mentions 1TB, so check with BlackVue before buying a card larger than 512GB.

The quick start guide says loop recording replaces the oldest files when the card fills, and up to 50 impact or manual event files can be locked by default. Formatting the card deletes all recordings, including locked event files, so copy anything important first.

Which power setup supports parking recording

The quick start guide connects the camera with a USB-C PD 3.0 power cable to the car's Type-C port or a dual USB-C charger in the 12V socket. It says that to record in parking mode with the engine off you should connect the hardwiring power cable or install a Power Magic battery pack, sold separately.

BlackVue says the hardwiring cable includes a low-voltage cut-off and a parking timer to protect the car battery, adjustable in the app or viewer. Its specification adds that with the hardwiring cable ACC triggers parking mode, and with other methods the G-sensor triggers it. The listing describes motion and impact parking recording plus time lapse.

What is in the box

BlackVue's standard-components image for the DR970X LTE Plus II series shows the front and rear cameras, a dual USB-C car charger, a USB-C power cable, a hardwiring power cable, a quick start guide, a rear connection cable, double-sided tape for both brackets, a microSD card, a pry tool and cable clips.

The Amazon box list names a 64GB card, both cameras, a mount bracket, rear cable, USB-C car charger, a 4.5-metre Type-C power cable, five cable clips, a pry tool, a manual, extra mount tape and an electrostatic sticker, but does not list a hardwiring cable, even though the title mentions one. Check the box on arrival.

Wi-Fi, heat limits and power draw

The specification lists Wi-Fi as 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band GPS and GLONASS, and Bluetooth. Operating and storage temperatures are -4°F to 158°F. The high-temperature cut-off line reads approximately 70°C and, in brackets, 176°F; those two figures do not match, so treat the exact cut-off point as unconfirmed.

Average draw at 12V ranges from about 370mA in parking mode with cloud off to about 590mA while driving with GPS and cloud on, per BlackVue. Input is 12V to 24V DC. The camera uses a supercapacitor for backup power and has a touch sensor for manual recording.

Installation notes and warranty

The guide asks you to fit the front camera behind the rear-view mirror, aimed about 10 degrees below horizontal, and the rear camera at the top of the back windshield, on clean, dry glass. The listing includes spare adhesive pads and notes pads may need replacing over time in high heat.

The listing's warranty field says two years. BlackVue's warranty terms, cloud plan terms and SIM data requirements were not among the pages we read, so confirm them with BlackVue and your carrier before relying on the LTE features.

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Check this model on Amazon

Confirm the model, included parts and availability before ordering.

Primary sources

  1. BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE Plus II product specification (online manual)
  2. BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE Plus II standard components (online manual)
  3. BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE Plus II quick start guide attached to the Amazon listing

Primary sources checked .

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