Anker ROAV DashCam C2 Review

I’ve only started using this DashCam and so far, I like it.

Before we start, this dash cam is for those who don’t live in places with really hot weather. If you do, get a dash cam that is capacitor powered and not battery powered. Also get a high endurance memory card. For everyone else, keep reading.

Packaging:

  • The DashCam comes in a nice orange/white box. The text on the back is hard to read because the background color is orange and the text is white and small.
  • Accessories included are two types of mounts, a PowerDrive 2 car charger with 2 regular USB ports, a micro USB cable with a L shaped tip and an orange plastic prying tool.
  • Plastic films on the lens and on the LCD.

The package does not include a microSD card, so you will need to purchase one if you don’t already have a spare. A 32 Gb with fast read and write speed will cost you around $15. For hot weather, consider investing in high endurance microSD to avoid heat damage to it. They do cost more than regular ones.

The suction cup mount is one of the better executed mount of this type. Strong, easy to install and remove. The prying tool can be used to remove the adhesive-based dashboard mount. The prying tool is a really nice touch! I use it as a portable back scratcher.

The micro USB cable is generously long. I’m guessing it’s to accommodate those who want to use the dashcam as a rear mounted camera. Wait a second…Anker, you want us to buy two!? :wink:

Camera:

  • There are 5 physical buttons total
  • The LCD is not a touch screen
  • 1 mount slot
  • Micro USB port
  • 2 vents on the bottom and 2 vents on the top.
  • Microphone port with orange colored mesh cover?

Buttons, buttons, buttons. Yay! I’m a fan of physical buttons. I can press random buttons all day as long as I get some kind of feedback from them.

The 4 vents probably helps the C2 cope with hot temperatures. Since it’s getting colder in NJ, I cannot test its ability to withstand NJ heat. The real test is for those who live in really hot places like Arizona?

There’s no gyroscope on the C2. If you were to mount it on your dashboard, the screen won’t rotate. Anker can fix this easily by adding a mounting slot on the bottom of the cam.

The C2 doesn’t appear to support USB transfer. This means that you will need a microSD card adapter/reader.

Video:

The C2 offers 3 resolutions: 720p @ 30 fps or 60 fps and 1080p @ 30fps. At 1080p, the videos are sharp, but the resolution isn’t high enough to pick up license plates at a distance. You can read them only when they are less 2 car spaces away from you. Glare is present in the videos. A polarized lens or an after market filter might be helpful.

Sampe video - 1080p @ 30fps

Annoyances

The only real annoyance is that the C2 will incessantly prompt you to format your memory card. It doesn’t remember your selection.

Summary

The C2 is a solid dash cam with some interesting features. Anyone looking for this type of dash cam should consider this as an option. Keep in mind that the video quality is not super, but it should be adequate for insurance purposes. I will need to update this review come August 2018 when it is really hot in NJ.

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LOL… You must be really flexible because the prying tool that came with my C1 was short. :stuck_out_tongue: :wink:

So the unit comes with both a suction cup mount and a 3M adhesive? One thing that I do like about the C2 is the physical buttons. The touch setting on the C1 can be a bit frustrating to change sometimes when it doesn’t recognize that you’ve pressed it.

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I just uploaded the two mounts. The one on the left is the one with an adhesive bottom.

The prying tool comment was said in jest. It’s much too sharp and short to use as a back scratcher :slight_smile:

Does the suction cup leave behind a mark on the windshield? I have used a Garmin mount for my wife’s good that was really good but it always left behind a film or marking that no other suction cup left behind. So I’m curious if this one does

The suction cup does leave a minor blemish, but it’s easily wiped away with a moist cloth or a micro fiber cloth. I haven’t come across a suction cup that doesn’t leave something behind.

Thanks for uploading the pics. I’m not a big fan of the suction cup mount and so I’m glad to see that the adhesive mount is included. I think the adhesive mount makes the dash cam a bit more discrete.

Review updated.

I’m torn between giving this a 4 star and a 5 star. 4 star because of the video quality. Anker supposedly said that it could be improved by a firmware update? 5 star because of the physical design of the camera, build quality, and features. What do you guys think?

11/27 update: The dash cam will stop complaining about formatting the memory card once you do format it. Just make sure that you have at least a class 10 and at least 32gb storage capacity or be prepared for more complaints :smiley:

I have formatted the card now several times and it still asks me to format on each start-up. Did you mean that you have to format it each time you turn on your car? That is the case with mine so far.

No, just once. Try a different card if you have one.

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Thank you for your reply.

Today I was successful after removing and reinstalling the card, and then formatting again via the device. So far so good.