Dash-cam interfering with Easy Pass

[alien365]

Hi Guys.

I've had a dash-cam for a while now and had it placed behind my rear view mirror (drivers side) but every time I go through a tollbooth, it interferes with my Easypass (behind the rear view mirror, left side). That being the case I have to detach my dash-cam every time I go through one so there is no interference. I just want to check if anyone else also has had this issue and how they overcame it. Is it just my dash-cam? Do the electrostatic stickers help at all? or is there a set distance that i need to keep them apart?

 

Thanks

[canthai55]

Move the easy pass. Detach from windshield, fasten with clear tape.

Check and see if it far enuf.

If not, repeat until it is.

 

[richard_smith237]

Check that its not your Window tint... some interfer with the easy-pass...

 

 

But, if you are sure its interference from the dash cam, just reposition on of them to the side.. i.e. the easy-pass to the passenger side.

 

Note: I’ve been told that after about 8 years or so the easy pass battery dies and will need replacing... it could be that the easy pass batter is dying and it needs replacement (not sure how true this is as I have no first hand information)

 

 

[alien365]

I have a clear tint on the front window, standard 3M. I've had the easypass for about 5 years now too so the battery might be running low.  Does the easy pass need to be centered for the tollbooth to detect my car or does it have like a 45 degrees field of detection? I'd rather know before trial and error at the booths which could upset the drivers behind me. 

[Crossy]

My easypass is about 6" from my (in the mirror) dashcam, no issues whatever. Note that the dotty fritting on the windscreen may interfere which is why it's where it is.

 

It ought to work anywhere on the top edge of the screen, but avoid any areas of fritting.

 

 

Also, don't forget you can detach your Easypass unit by sliding it off the clip (to the left in my photo above). You will need to do this if you get a failed read, the man will scan the barcode on the unit to open the barrier.

 

 

Our Easypass unit is coming up to 12 years on it's original battery, it has to fail soon.

 

[alien365]

Thanks Crossy for taking time with the pictures, that's a great help. If your easy pass can be read from there, then I'll move the easy pass in one fell swoop. I've had a few failed reads due to the interference so I'm used to detaching the easypass. The staff have always been friendly enough to deduct the money from it so fortunately I've never had to do a reverse of shame. 

[Daffy D]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

the dotty fritting on the windscreen

Always an education reading your post Crossy 

 

"dotty fritting" Another technical term to add to my ever growing vocabulary 

[Crossy]

12 minutes ago, Daffy D said:

"dotty fritting" Another technical term to add to my ever growing vocabulary 

"Fritting" is indeed a technical term, meaning a frosted or silk-screened graphic pattern applied to glass, it is commonly used to control heat gain and modulate light in buildings while allowing sufficient transparency for viewing.

 

It's also handy to add visibility to those annoying (particularly when new) glass panels / doors that hurt like XXXX when you walk into them (t-shirt, bruises and stiches obtained several times). There's one in the Purple Line admin building that likely still has part of my nose and some of my blood splodged all over it.

 

I added "dotty" so I didn't need to define fritting, I hoped that the reader would equate it with the pattern of dots where my Easypass unit isn't ????

 

[evadgib]

 

@Crossy

That's for the pictures and being so helpful all the time ????

Edited February 21, 2019 by evadgib

[alien365]

Here's my current set up. I initially put them close so it was tidy. It's gonna be fun this weekend trying to remove the  easy pass bracket from the clear 3m film. I'm hoping the heat from the mid day sun will soften the adhesive enough so it will come away cleanly with a bit of string.

[steve187]

i have one easy pass and move from one vehicle to another as needed, so i just lay the easy pass on the dash correct side out, works a treat

[Sakeopete]

I don't mount my easy pass instead just hold it up to the windshield when going through. Keeps it out of the hot sun and I can use it in one of my other vehicles.

[PETERTHEEATER]

I had a problem too with my EziPass and the booth attendant told me that it was an old model and would not now work reliably and needed replacing.

 

I stopped at an Expressway EziPass office. They were helpful and issued a new pass. I had not had time to properly attach it to the windscreen (adjacent to a dashcam) and used it manually at the first Tollgate ((held it up to the screen) and it made a weak 'beep' and barrier opened. Good! Came to second Tollgate and nothing. HAd to give it to the boothman to scan. I pointed out that it was new and he said it needed 'registering' (electronically) Worked OK thereafter.

 

I can't understand how a dashcam, which has passive electronics, can interfere with the EziPass.

[Classic Ray]

On 2/21/2019 at 6:03 PM, evadgib said:

 

@Crossy

That's for the pictures and being so helpful all the time ????

Don’t lay it on too thick, I’ve got to work with him and his head’s big enough already!

[radiochaser]

On 2/23/2019 at 1:36 AM, PETERTHEEATER said:

 

I can't understand how a dashcam, which has passive electronics, can interfere with the EziPass.

Warning: long winded written explanation.   

 

 

In the United States, most electronic devices, like the Dash Cam, are considered CFR 47, Part 15 radio frequency devices.  They are unintentional radio signal emitters (radio transmitters but not specifically designed to be a radio transmitter).   

The strength of the radio signal being emitted by Part 15 devices are required to be less than a specified level so that they do not interfere with intentional emitters Such as your Easy Pass (radio transmitters that are designed to transmit a radio signal).  Most developed countries also have restrictions on the strength of the unintentional radio signals being emitted by an electronic device.  If your dash cam is made in China, most likely, no such restrictions are built into it.  

Easy Pass devices are known as transponders.  In the north east part of the United states there are E-ZPass transponders too.  Same pronunciation, same reason for being.  Here is a description for the U.S. version of the Thai Easy Pass:

"A transponder is a battery-operated, radio frequency identification (RFID) unit that transmits radio signals. The transponder is a two-way radio with a microprocessor, operating in the 900-MHz band. Stored in this RFID transponder is some basic account information, such as an identification number."  

The only difference between the two devices may be frequency of operation and the data transmitted.  

What does all this have to do with your dash cam?  Dash Cams transmits radio signals, even if they are not designed to.  The frequency of radios signals the dash cam is emitting may be the same as one or both of the signals of your Easy Pass, the transmit frequency and the receive signals.  

Placing your Dash Cam close to your Easy Pass can cause interference to the signals the Easy Pass needs to operate.   If it is interfering with the Easy Pass transmit signal, that signal is corrupted and the reader at the toll booth cannot receive the identifying information your Easy Pass is sending, resulting in a null, and the gate not raising allowing your vehicle to pass.

If the signals from your Dash Cam is interfering with the Easy Pass receiver, then it may not be getting the signal from the toll booth asking what your Easy Pass ID numbers is, so the gate does not raise allowing your vehicle to pass. 

While the unintentional radio signals from the Dash Cam are weak, their subject strength is stronger, the closer it is to the Easy Pass.  Move one away from the other and the less interference there will be from the Dash Cam to the other.  

Off on a tangent, if you have a portable GPS, it can also be interfered with and you get strange headings or no GPS directions at all.  This is the reason that in built GPS's in vehicles have their antenna outside the vehicle, on the roof, where it does not pick up interfering radio signals from the modern day electronics inside your vehicle.  

Edited February 28, 2019 by radiochaser

[alien365]

4 hours ago, radiochaser said:

If your dash cam is made in China, most likely, no such restrictions are built into it.  

While the unintentional radio signals from the Dash Cam are weak, their subject strength is stronger, the closer it is to the Easy Pass.  Move one away from the other and the less interference there will be from the Dash Cam to the other.  

Off on a tangent, if you have a portable GPS, it can also be interfered with and you get strange headings or no GPS directions at all.  This is the reason that in built GPS's in vehicles have their antenna outside the vehicle, on the roof, where it does not pick up interfering radio signals from the modern day electronics inside your vehicle.  

Thanks for the technical reasoning behind the problem. As an update I have since moved the easy pass about 4inch further to the left and I've bought a new dashcam (Xiaomi, my previous was a viafo A118C) placing it about 3inch further to the right. 

 

I will be driving to Bangkok next Friday so I will see if I've got rid of the problem. For information my new dashcam also has GPS, but I may turn the driver assistance ADAS off. At present it superfluous because I look at the road when driving.