[Gabreigns]

First of all a big shout out and thanks to the e90 forum's
Pawlin
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1184659
For the inspiration!
This is a DIY that only is applicable to those people who don't have high beam assist or the Kafas 2 base as I am unsure of the fitment.
I think I am done with this mod as much as I can.
NOTE: Somehow on IOS Bimmerpost mobile this thread is not rendering correctly. It renders fine in a browser.

First of all the reason for this DIY is because I prefer not having anything attached to my windshield and prefer a clean look.

The total cost will vary based on deals and what you might already have in your toolkit. But to give other DIYers an idea

Base Cost:
Mirror cover base plate: $12
USB Cable 10ft : $8
Mobius Camera: $79
Mobius Super Capacitor: $8

Optional parts Cost:
Wifi adaptor SD card: $20
MicroSD toSD Extension: $4.62
Light Pipe: $4.90



Parts Used:

• Mirror Cover Baseplate Part # 51169275006
  
  These are available on ebay or via ECS Tuning. I have noticed that this is a bit difficult to come by as new. I found one in Latvia for about 15 Euros.
  
  
  
• USB 10 ft Cable
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o03_s00
  I bought this one as I heard that the mini USB end connector was soft and easy to cut off carefully. Basically any cord should work. In hindsight i would have bought a cable this long with an up angle mini usb.
  
  
  
• Mobius Camera with C2 Lens
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o02_s00
  I bought this camera as it had good reviews and was already small to start with. Also since this is an action camera there are tons of people who have re purposed this camera for multiple uses. Once opened up the circuit board is tiny enough to fit in the mirror base housing.
  
  
  
• Mobius Super Capacitor
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o01_s00
  The existing battery is good and lasts up to 2 hours but I did not want to risk an explosion of the battery as i have heard that these batteries have a tendency to expand and bulge out. These super capacitors on the other hand have the ability to work in high heat situations and do not have a high chance of blowing up.
  
  
  
• Wifi Adapator
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o00_s00
  This gives me the additional flexibility of downloading footage via WIFI if needed
  
  
  
• Micro SD to SD card extension
  http://www.ebay.com/itm/371560450547
  This is a part I am currently waiting on. This would be connected to the camera and the SD end can be wedged between the headliner and mirror cover out of sight if I need to access the entire SD card.
  
  
  
• Light Pipe
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o00_s00
  I still have to attach this and the purpose of this light pipe is to let me know if the camera is recording or not.
  
  
  
  
• Charge through type battery charger
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...A1OMFFFY9FIC7C
  I did not want to mess with wiring. So one of these should last a while if i need to and keep it out of sight by the passenger foot well. This has the charge-through capability that charges the portable charger and sends power continuously to the camera when the car is on. Once the car is off the portable charger supplies the power.
  

Details of the install:

This is the original mirror cover that i am replacing.


Since it is a tight space any extra plastics can be sheared off and replaced with electrical tape to be safe.






To stabilize the camera within the housing i reused the original packaging that mobius came with and inserted the camera lens through it and packed it all up together with electrical tape. This way the entire unit fits snugly in the housing and you also know where to make the hole in the packaging to make sure that the lens sees out of the housing straight without any movement.



Once this was stabilized I was able to place all the parts in the mirror base housing without any problems. It is a tight fit but very doable.



This is an excerpt that i followed to make sure that the mobius camera was set up correctly thanks to Pawlin
1. Setting Up the Camera

First you must get your mobius action cam setup. Since this camera is so versatile and basically a mini go pro being used from dash cams to aerial cams on model planes, there is a huge amount of different settings you can do. I would recommend you play and familiarize yourself with this camera first as this is the most complicated part. Understand how this camera will behave will save you a lot of headache later down the line when you scratch your head wondering why it didn't record that idiot running into you. There is a whole forum simply on this camera, the developer of this camera is extremely responsive with questions.

Website: https://www.mobius-actioncam.com/
User Manual: https://www.mobius-actioncam.com/wp-...l-23jan15a.pdf

The User Manual should cover everything you need to get going from selecting a microsd memory card with the proper class ratings and correct format (I’ve provided the one I got above in required materials which works well so far). Once you get it working (as well as firmware on the camera updated), you must configure the camera settings to your liking.

Make sure to change the camera's settings to properly support the capacitor. As per the Mobius camera instructions:

"When using a Super Capacitor instead of an internal battery, you MUST set the "power-off disconnect" parameter to "immediate" or you will lose your last recording."

Just a couple things you can config to give you an idea:
-Resolution(720 or 1080p)
-Frame rate (30 or 60fps)
-Video duration
-Recording timeout
-Camera ON (power detect, manual button..etc)
-Camera record (power detect, motion detection, manual button..etc)
-Motion detection sensitivity (3 settings, from a bird to a car going by)
-LED indicator flicker
-Automatic overwrite
-Time & date stamp

Setting up the camera is all explained in the User manual but here it is for those of you too lazy to go look (I feel you).
1. Disconnect the camera from the PC and turn it off.
2. Press and Hold Down the Mode button. DO NOT RELEASE the button until step 4.
3. Press and Hold Down the Power button until the RED LED blinks 3 times and the camera turns off. This will take about 5 seconds. During the process, the blue and yellow LEDs may blink.
4. Release the Mode and Power buttons.

You will see a SYSCFG.TXT generated in the camera. You can then manually edit the text file yourself or there are apps on the site you can launch the file with to make things a bit easier to configure. Everything is pretty self explanatory. To put the settings on the camera, you simply repeat the steps above after you’ve modified and saved the same file.

For those of you in hotter climates such as myself in California, the battery included in the camera doesn’t stand a chance and will ballon during the summer. The solution to that is replacing the battery with a super capacitor so your videos will finish recording and get saved if power is cut.

Remember since this camera will be enclosed in the rear view mirror assembly cover and the only access will be through the usb cable that you connect to the power.

2. Disassembling the camera

Nothing to it, take out the four screws and separate the body of the camera to pull out the circuit board and lens connected to it. That is all you need from the camera - you can put the cover, metal heatsink, and rubber buttons aside.



I decided not to have the lightpipe drilled yet. Perhaps another day.

I continued my project for a rear facing dashcam as well.
Since I have an F31 I could not mount it on the glass.
I bought another Mobius with a 20cm 26PIN Lens Extension Cable for 1080P HD Mobius ActionCam and a capacitor.

An extra BMW Lighter 12v Socket Part Number 61346973037 for about $2.99 was needed for the power source. I never use the socket in the back and i did not want the power and usb cable to be exposed.



And here it is tucked away on the left side where the medical kit is.



I was able to run cable through the runner lining and place the mobius between the headliner. I didnt want to open up the D pillar as that would mean taking off the C pillar as well. Seemed like a lot of work.So not too happy with this but still very out of sight when tucked away.


And here is the rearward facing dashcam end result.


After watching the footage there is no shaking whatsoever and the view out the back is great!

[TomaGo]

Interesting, i'm waitting for the other pictures.

[Mbeans]

HOLY Crap!!
The Ingenuity of some our forum members is just beyond words!
This seems like one of those projects I definitely want to follow and try!! Prepare thy inbox for my PMs!

[phattbam]

nice work. subscribing to see more photos to come. Also if you could give a rough estimate of your materials cost that would be awesome.

[Gabreigns]

Originally Posted by phattbam

nice work. subscribing to see more photos to come. Also if you could give a rough estimate of your materials cost that would be awesome.

That is pretty daft of me not to include that in the original post. Apologies for the oversight. I have updated the thread with the costs.

Also added it here.

Base Cost: = $107
Mirror cover base plate: $30
USB Cable 10ft : $8
Mobius Camera: $79
Mobius Super Capacitor: $8

Optional parts Cost:
Wifi adaptor SD card: $20
MicroSD toSD Extension: $4.62
Light Pipe: $4.90

Base costs plus optional parts about $140. Rounding it up.

[Arthurrs]

Love this! I'm very tempted to do this for my car as well!!

Any suggestions for hiding an equally "covert" rear camera?

[phattbam]

Gabreigns, thanks for the price list and parts list. And don't sweat it. If it were me, I would be stoked and post my work first too to share with fellow members.

[Gabreigns]

Originally Posted by Arthurrs

Love this! I'm very tempted to do this for my car as well!!

Any suggestions for hiding an equally "covert" rear camera?

I am thinking of going with something like Blackvue design but cheaper facing rearward.
I have an F31 so it will be a pain as I have a separate glass area opening and a tailgate area opening. I know I can put it on the headliner facing rearward but then it won't be "covert" when opened. Not to mention things bumping into it while loading or unloading. So need to figure out how to discretely wire through the rear rubber concertina and not damage anything in the process.

[Arthurrs]

Hi Gabreigns,

Just wondering how hot the Mobius camera gets with it installed in the mirror cover baseplate? Do you think any added ventilation holes would be helpful?

Arthur

[Gabreigns]

Originally Posted by Arthurrs

Hi Gabreigns,

Just wondering how hot the Mobius camera gets with it installed in the mirror cover baseplate? Do you think any added ventilation holes would be helpful?

Arthur

I have not noticed any heating issues as I have touched the mirror cover and it seems like any surface. The part that has the mobius heatsink is facing the metal frame that holds the mirror but does not touch it. I will get a picture of that soon.
But if there is something I haven't noticed only time will tell.

[radair]

Great work!

Please post more detail pics.

Many thanks!
Br
Radair

[00punisher]

Great DIY. Waiting for more pics!

[cncmastr]

Great idea! Well done.

[radair]

Hi Gabreigns,

one additional question. You wrote that the camera has a motion detection record feature.
Is that Feature only available when the power supply is on or is it also availiable when the vehicle is parked?

Thx & BR
Roland

[Gabreigns]

Originally Posted by radair

Hi Gabreigns,

one additional question. You wrote that the camera has a motion detection record feature.
Is that Feature only available when the power supply is on or is it also availiable when the vehicle is parked?

Thx & BR
Roland

Good question Roland,
The motion detection feature is on when the vehicle is parked provided it has constant power. I tried out this feature when i had the mobius on battery power instead of capacitor power and it worked great. It actually captured a second before the object moved in to sight. You can hardwire the mobius to the car if you want the feature. or plug it into an external portable powerbank to keep it running for a few good hours. As per dashcamtalk.com some people have run it on powerbanks for as much as 12 hours.

[Mbeans]

Is there an extension available for the lens? I mean from the circuit board to the area where there is an exterior opening?

[radair]

Originally Posted by Mbeans

Is there an extension available for the lens? I mean from the circuit board to the area where there is an exterior opening?

I think you are looking for this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mobius-Actio...0AAOSwrklVEkQv

Greetings Radair

[Mbeans]

Originally Posted by radair

I think you are looking for this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mobius-Actio...0AAOSwrklVEkQv

Greetings Radair

Sweet! Thanks Radair! I think that is it.

[Gabreigns]

Originally Posted by Gabreigns

I am thinking of going with something like Blackvue design but cheaper facing rearward.
I have an F31 so it will be a pain as I have a separate glass area opening and a tailgate area opening. I know I can put it on the headliner facing rearward but then it won't be "covert" when opened. Not to mention things bumping into it while loading or unloading. So need to figure out how to discretely wire through the rear rubber concertina and not damage anything in the process.

I opted to change this approach from a blackvue approach to a mobius with a capacitor popping out of the headliner. I will also use a lens extension to keep the mobius body hidden and just have the lens popped out. I am trying to figure out how to run the wires through the D pillar still but I bought a separate power outlet Part Number 61346973037 so that it stays truly hidden and reroute the existing power cable plug to it in the rear.

[Gabreigns]

Just updated the DIY with rear dashcam set up for the F31 with pictures.

[sgimips]

I just did this on my 2018 F30 using similar parts. I also made a lens cover using some plastic and window tint film to fill in the rectangle cut-out. I'm sure this decreased low light sensitivity somewhat but it was barely perceptable. I used some automotive foam tape to mount the lens cover on one half of the housing so it can still be separated. It seems sturdy enough and the camera is completely hidden from view except in very direct sunlight.

Thanks to everyone for coming up with this solution!