What is the difference between the Power Magic Pro & Cellink Neo 6

The Power Magic Pro is the most commonly used option and is the right choice for most requirements. It is a device that monitors the vehicles battery level once you have switched the ignition off. If your vehicles battery has enough juice the Power Magic Pro will allow the camera to remain powered up. If the vehicles battery drops too low (below 12, or 12.5v) the camera will be automatically shut off. It will remain off until the vehicle is next taken for a drive.

We are always asked how long the dash camera will stay on for when using the Power Magic Pro. Unfortunately it is almost impossible for us to provide a definitive answer. Different vehicles have different battery sizes and lots of different electronics that draw power from the battery, as a general rule of thumb, we see cameras remaining on anywhere from 1-4 hours. How much you drive and how healthy the battery is can play an important factor in determining how long the camera will stay on, we have known them to stay on for much longer.

With this option, it is important to remember that power is taken directly from your vehicles battery. The Power Magic Pro is simply a gate keeper that either allows the camera to remain on, or forces it to shut down.

Some users have reported receiving Low Battery Warning messages on the vehicles dashboard. This can be caused if the vehicle is particularly sensitive to battery drain and in most cases can be resolved by increasing the shut off level to the upper limit (12.5v). In the rare cases where this does not solve the problem, our engineers have found that we can rectify the issue by ensuring we are not drawing power from specific circuits. If you are purchasing our Professional Installation Service then you won’t need to worry about this. We’ll make sure it is running correctly.

The Battery Kit

The second option is to use the Cellink Neo 6 battery kit. Other batteries are available but we have tested them and found this to be the best currently available.

The main difference when compared to the Power Magic Pro is that the Cellink Neo 6 does not draw any power from your vehicle whilst you are parked. Instead the Neo 6 will only charge and draw power from the vehicle whilst your are driving. This has a couple of benefits, it means that you do not need to worry about triggering low battery messages, or ever running your vehicles battery low. More importantly it can provide you with a much longer, and much more predictable power supply when you park your vehicle. We have seen single front cameras remain on for approx. 35 hours and front and rear cameras remain on for approx. 17 hours.

There are a few considerations to take into account. The battery does require that the vehicle is driven in order for it to re-charge, it will take around 40-45 minutes to fully charge. This is pretty quick, which is one reason we recommend the Neo 6. However, if you are only driving the vehicle a few times each week, 2-minutes down the road to go to local shop. You shouldn’t expect the battery to get a good charge and keep your camera on for long. If your daily commute is at least 30-minutes then there is a good chance the Neo 6 will be able to keep your cameras powered up whilst you are parked for the day. This can of course provide a huge benefit, especially if you leave your car in a busy car park.

Many people ask if they can have the cameras on 24/7. This option comes pretty close and from a full charge it will get you through the night, or near enough. For those looking for 24 hours of recording then you’ll need to look at the next battery up, or adding a battery extension.

This is a much more expensive option but is arguably healthier for your vehicles battery and will provide you with the power required to meet most requirements.