Garmin Dash Cam 56

Features

Overview: The Garmin Dash Cam 56 is a compact, stand-alone dash camera that records 1440p video of the road ahead as you drive. The camera has a 2" LCD display, and mounts to your windshield with the supplied adhesive/magnetic mount. It records video and audio onto a microSD card (not included). As it records, the time and date and location data are embedded into the video so you'll know exactly when and where a captured event occurred. The camera also provides driver awareness features and alerts for your safety.

GPS: Built-in Garmin GPS technology provides an accurate record of your location, should an event take place. The unit will embed location information into the recordings as you drive. Should an accident or incident occur, the captured footage will include the exact location (latitude and longitude), direction of travel, speed, date, and time the event took place.

Recording: The Dash Cam 56 records in a continuous loop onto an inserted microSD card. It records both audio and video as you drive, or video only (if desired). As long as the Dash Cam is receiving power, it is recording. As the available memory runs out, it starts recording over the oldest recordings. You can manually save a video recording or take a still photo by pressing a button on the side panel.

Resolution: The Dash Cam 56 records high definition video at up to 60 frames per second onto the microSD card. You can also record with the Clarity HDR (high dynamic range) option, which combines multiple exposure levels for each video frame to improve clarity in high contrast or low light conditions. The higher the resolution or frames per second, the more memory space is required on the microSD card. The video resolution options include:

Display: The unit is equipped with a 2" color LCD display with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. You can use the display to properly aim the camera while recording, or for playing back recordings. In the menu, you can adjust the brightness, color mode, and display timeout. The amount of data that is overlayed over the image can be adjusted as desired (date and time, location, speed).

Lens: The Dash Cam has a 140° wide-angle lens that gives you a full view of the road, including most cross traffic. You can manually adjust the exposure for brighter or darker lighting conditions.

Microphone: An integrated microphone records audio inside the vehicle. If desired, the microphone can be turned off so the unit records only video.

Power Cables: The Dash Cam 56 comes with two power cables, allowing you to install the camera in a number of ways. The longer cable (13.25 feet) can be used for a more permanent installation, feeding the cable up and around the windshield, and tucked out of sight behind the vehicle trim. The shorter cable can be used for temporary installations, especially if you transfer the camera from one vehicle to another.

Rechargeable Battery: The built-in rechargeable battery is charged when connected to vehicle power through the DC power port. Normally, the unit will be plugged into vehicle power as you drive. If you need to remove the Dash Cam from the vehicle, the battery has enough stored power to operate approximately 30 minutes.

Record After Power Loss: You can set the Dash Cam to continue recording after the DC power is lost. You can choose between 5 seconds, 15 seconds, 30 seconds, and 1 minute.

Record While Parked: If you want to record video while the vehicle is parked, you will need the optional Parking Mode Cable. With the cable connected, you can power the camera when the vehicle is parked and turned off. In the menu, you can set the amount of time the camera remains active while parked. A motion sensor in the camera activates recording each time motion is detected.

microSD Card: The Dash Cam 56 records video and audio onto a microSD card (not included with the camera). The camera is compatible with microSD cards 8 GB or greater. Class 10 speed rated cards, or higher, are required.

Automatic Incident Detection: The Dash Cam has a built-in G-sensor, which can detect when a collision or hard braking occurs. When the G-sensor detects an incident, the previous, current, and next recordings are automatically saved. This way, a complete record of the moments before, during, and after the event is preserved.

Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS): As you drive, the Dash Cam 56 continuously records the view in front of your vehicle. The Forward Collision Warning feature alerts you if you are driving too close to the vehicle ahead of you. The FCWS feature automatically activates when your vehicle exceeds 30 mph. The device determines your speed using GPS, and calculates a safe following distance to the vehicle ahead of you, based on your speed. If the device detects that you are following too closely, a warning appears on the screen and an audible alert will sound. You can set the Forward Collision Warning sensitivity to low, medium, or high.

Go Alert: The Go Alert can alert you at a stop light or during traffic delays when the vehicle in front of you has started moving. When the road ahead of you is clearing, the Dash Cam 56 plays a tone and displays an alert.

Lane Departure Warning System: The Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) alerts you when you may be drifting over into oncoming traffic or in danger of running off the road. The LDWS provides alerts only when your vehicle exceeds 40 mph. The alert appears on the left or right side of the screen to indicate which lane boundary you crossed.

Red Light/Speed Cameras: The Dash Cam 56 will sound an alert, and display a warning, that you approach a reported speed or red light camera. The feature is only available in select regions, where location information on Red Light and Speed cameras is available. A subscription is required to obtain and maintain an updated database of red light and speed camera locations.

Damage Camera: Should you be involved in an accident, you can remove the Dash Cam 56 from its mount and use it to take pictures of vehicle or property damage.

Travelapse: The Travelapse feature can capture still photos at a set interval to create a fast-motion, time-lapse video of your trip. When the dash cam is recording Travelapse, it does not stop recording normal dash cam video.

Smartphone Pairing: You can pair your Dash Cam with your smartphone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and use the Garmin Drive app to change camera settings, set up a multi-camera network, and view, edit, and save photos and videos. When viewing videos or photos, the Dash Cam stops recording, and alerts are disabled. Both saved and unsaved videos and photos can be viewed on your smartphone. You can trim the length of your videos to remove unwanted footage before you export it to your smartphone.

Multiple Camera Network: Multiple dash cameras can be paired to your smartphone through the Garmin Drive app. This allows you to connect cameras from multiple vehicles to the same phone, or install multiple dash cameras in the same vehicle. You can create composite picture-in-picture videos from simultaneous recordings. If one of the cameras in the network was GPS-connected, you can add location information to the saved videos on all of the cameras in the network. The Dash Cam Auto Sync feature lets you shoot, control, and playback synchronized footage from up to four cameras.

Voice Control: You can control various aspects of the Dash Cam using specific voice commands. The following actions can be performed using a voice command: Save Video, Take a Picture, Record Audio, Stop Audio, Start Travelapse, and Stop Travelapse. The phrase "OK, Garmin" should be used before each voice command to activate the voice control feature.

Installation: The Dash Cam 56 is designed to be mounted on your windshield using the included adhesive magnetic mount. The adhesive metal disk is only 7/8" in diameter, however, it is designed for long term installations. The camera mount magnetically attaches to the metal disk, and allows it to be easily removed. Two adhesive metal disks are included, allowing you to move the camera from one vehicle to another. The camera should always be mounted in the upright orientation, otherwise the resulting video will be upside down or sideways. You can mount the camera in the center, left side, or right side of the windshield. If connected to an ignition-switch powered outlet, the Dash Cam will turn on and off automatically as you turn the ignition on and off. An optional Parking Mode Cable allows you to hardwire the camera to the vehicle's power and ground circuits.

Note: For proper functionality of the device, you should enter the Camera Placement position (left, right, center) and Vehicle Height (normal, tall) in the menu.

Viewing Videos and Photos: You can view recorded video and still image files on the Dash Cam's LCD screen. You can remove the microSD card and view the files using a card reader on your computer. When viewing the footage on your computer, you'll have a record of the date and time. Videos and still images are stored in several folders:

• 100EVENT: videos saved automatically when the unit detects an incident
• 101PHOTO: still photos
• 102SAVED: manually saved videos
• 103PARKM: videos saved while parked
• 104TLPSE: Travelapse videos
• 105UNSVD: Unsaved video footage; when storage space is full, the oldest unsaved video is overwritten