Great review! It definitely was appealing enough to me to purchase, along with the camera kit, back in August 2022. Unfortunately, like others who have been waiting for some time, I haven't received mine yet. Supposedly batch 6 started to ship around June 20th, one day before this posting. Crossing my fingers I'll get a tracking number soon but wanted to share my experience for others to know they're likely in for a wait. UPDATE on July 22,2024: Hudway just emailed me a tracking number and notified me that my display with the cameras just shipped - hopefully, worth the wait!
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm not sure why the production is still so bad from what other customers have commented. I would have thought things would have been sorted out by now. Hopefully, you get yours this time around!
Oh, this is good news. I am also waiting from the batch 6 and once I noticed their website is not working, I started to fear they went bankrupt. I have never waited this long for anything I purchased.. over 2 years! It is insane. I hope they get their business fixed as the product seems cool.
They finally answered me. Usually they have replied quickly, but it seems they are very busy with the batch 6. They told me they are shipping now to the European warehouses. So maybe this week.. maybe..
I did see postings of people complaining about that. I didn't know it was still that bad considering that HUDWAY is shipping units out, as per their website. Did you cancel or are you still waiting for yours?
@@FrakkingCreations Still waiting, it was supposed to come out in the next batch which according to their email was to be shipped in early December. So far that batch hasn't gone out so If my order does come when that batch goes out I'll be cancelling. Two freaking years is long enough.
That sucks. I really hope they get it to you this round. I've had a similar experience in the past with Glowforge. Ended up cancelling the order after at least 2 years. I ended up losing money due to exchange rates too.
Ordered in 2020 and have gotten nothing but the run around from support. Kept getting told oh you're in this batch blah blah blah. Was supposed to ship at the end of May and yet reached out and it's sowwwee, we pwomise we aren't lying to you. Yet they have not only units to give to reviews for free and us that paid for the really shit the of the stick HARD
Good question. No, it does not project on the windshield. I tried it and it doesn't work that way. The reason is that the windshield angle prevents the image from reflecting back to the driver. In order for the image to reflect on the windshield back to the driver, the HUDWAY Drive would have to be pointed upwards instead of forwards. Also, the plastic Lens (where the image is projected on) helps to magnify the image from the small display of the HUDWAY Drive. Without the magnification, the a reflected image on the windshield would be too small. Hope that answers your question.
No. It needs to be on. Though I found that for Smart view connectivity on Samsung phones allows you to turn the screen into a screensaver mode when you turn the screen off. It's still on but it looks mostly off. Note that on the test phone (which is different than the one used in the video), the Smart view connectivity seems slow.
super nice review, thanks for taking the time. i wish I could see a POV where I can see the display screen and if its an eyesore. i understand why they need the plastic screen to magnify the image etc but I kinda hate having something sticking out like a sore thumb, did you get used to it, does it blend in with the car eventually?
Thanks for commenting. We're happy you enjoyed our content. Please share it with anyone else you think would enjoy it. We really do put a lot of effort into our videos. To answer your question... for the POV, I thought the video showed a lot of what I see from my point of view. The camera was in front of me when I filmed it. What kind of POV did you want? A unit without the plastic screen would have to be pretty big like the ones that come built-in to some vehicles. Depending on the vehicle dash you have, it may not stick out as bad as you think. For me, it is perfect. I enjoy using it to this day still. I miss it when I use a vehicle without it. I don't really notice it there, either. I just notice the HUD display when I'm driving. I do use it in an SUV though, where the seating is higher up so in some cars it may be lower down and more in front of your view.
@@FrakkingCreations for POV i mean literally how it looks when you're in the seat like this video: ua-cam.com/video/o7Rl5se_leU/v-deo.html&pp=ygUJUE9WIERSSVZF I understand you probably set up the camera a certain way since its hard to capture HUDs properly but I just wanna gauge how big and how far the screen sticks out
Oh! ONE MORE QUESTION PLEASE! About the fuel economy widget , does this work even if my vehicle doesnt have these readings available on OBD2? I always assumed that an app like Torque for example would only show fuel economy if certain parameters were available over OBD2, like fuel level or original fuel economy. I most likely assumed wrong there. If I can use those fuel economy settings to get the HUD showing me a MPG number that would be so cool! Especially up in the windshield. Seems like a great way to try and tailor my driving for getting the best economy that I can! Thanks again F.C. !!
Which fuel economy widget do you use? Have you tried the "Fuel rate (Direct from ECU)" one? I think that might be the one to use even if you don't have fuel level.
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Nice review !!! But you haven't covered how visible the HUD info is on "not optimal" situations, like during daylight with a lot of light or with the sun in front of you. Have you encountered any issue with such scenarios?
Thank you for your comment and good point on the less optimal situations. I cover that a little on the HUDWAY Drive 3-camera upgrade test video here: ua-cam.com/video/uToHgCGqkX0/v-deo.html
Note that you could also cover the back of the lens display with vinyl wrap or window tint to darken it. I wrote about it in our blog post. The image shows up better but it does block your vision behind it. So doing it may not be safe in some situations or some vehicles.
Hey Frakking Creations! So, since the Hudway can display phone notifications and pairs to phones via bluetooth, do you know if a phone can pair to the Hudway and also to a car stereo?? My vehicle has an android headunit that I pair my phone to for handsfree calling as well and bluetooth music. Im curious if i could also pair my phone to the Hudway AND my stereo so that I can see notifications like incoming calls (text messages too?) And hopefully Navigation info. It would be really neat to be able to see my route turn by turn instructions in the hudway AND my stereo! Thanks for any insight here, this is such a DETAILED video! Cheers,
Thanks for the feedback and good question. I don't have an Android headunit but can try to connect a Bluetooth speaker and play music while trying to use the HUDWAY Drive. I will have to get back to you once I get a chance to try that.
I tried again recently but the navigation system wasn't working, unfortunately. I did however note that the gauge display still works while using Bluetooth to play music on an external BT speaker.
As long as i can get a clean read of the speed (numbers, not the old needle read) without all the visual clutter, i would buy it. Warning lights etc is not something i personally want in my direct field of view, that's when i do the traditional peek down.
I can't say for sure since I don't have Android auto. But I do believe it will work since Android auto and Hudway drive both use Bluetooth and Bluetooth can support multiple connections. I did a quick test of using a Bluetooth speaker playing some music while driving with the Hudway drive using the OBD 2 features and it works (same as without playing music through the Bluetooth speakers).
Good question. I do show how responsive it is in the video and below are links to that. The included OBD adapter has a noticable delay as can be seen here: ua-cam.com/video/NwZMswtiJZE/v-deo.html Getting a better OBD adapter can get you much better responsiveness. In particular, I show using the Torque Pro app with the OBDLink MX+ adapter and it is a lot more responsive. Even with many vehicle parameters shown on one page the refresh looks to be about 3 updates per second. You can see this here: ua-cam.com/video/NwZMswtiJZE/v-deo.html And here I am accelerating and you can see that the gauges in Torque Pro are quite responsive and smooth in updating the speed and RPM. ua-cam.com/video/NwZMswtiJZE/v-deo.html In terms of the Torque app readout and the actual speedometer, I will probably have to do another video to show it. When I check the footage I have, that didn't make the cut to show in this video, I see that it is pretty much instantaneous/real-time with the speedometer when using the Torque Pro app. An that is with 9 parameters being read. If I reduce the number of parameters it should be even better. Note that as I mentioned in the video the OBDLink MX+ does not work natively with the HUDWAY Drive so you will have to use an OBD reader app like Torque Pro or others with it in mirroring mode. Hope this helps.
How does the display look when it is really bright out? Or do you have situations when it is hard to see? Hoping the Tesla version that comes out later this year is also good.
It can get overpowered and washed out by the brightness outside. Also light colored snow covered roads can reduce visibility. Check out our other video on the HUDWAY Drive cameras set where I show this. Just before the 2-minute mark.
That might work. But it will also nullify the Head's-up display aspect of it where you won't be able to see through it to the road. But it may be a small issue. Maybe even using some window tint to make it darker may be enough. I'll see if I can give it a try with a dark cover.
I tested out putting a non-transparent backdrop behind the lens and it works quite well. If you are going to try this, you will have to make sure it doesn't block your vision, is safe and doesn't break any local, state/provincial, federal traffic laws, though. I added some photos of this in our blog post for you to see (About mid-way down): frakkingcreations.com/upgraded-hudway-drive-cameras-set-review-a-hud-with-park-assist-blind-spot-cameras/
This item looks cool but heard very mix things from waiting months just to get it. There should be a option to use the fuse box instead of the ob2 port
Yeah. I'm surprised that Hudway still hasn't worked out the production issues yet. The HUDWAY Drive is nice to use. I still use it. Can't go back or I'll miss it. The OBD port is not used for power. It is only needed if you want the diagnostic data displayed on the HUD. The fuse box would not have any diagnostic data lines for this purpose.
Of course. You could do it by splicing the USB cable and then hardwiring it to your fuse box using a fuse tap. You will have to make sure to determine the polarity of the USB wires though. [Edit]: you would still need to convert the voltage from 12V to 5V, though A simpler method would be to use something like the "CAMWAY 12V/24V 2.1A Motorcycle SAE to USB Phone" cable adapter and using "WAGO 221-2401" inline wire connectors and a 12V fuse tap to hardwire to your fuse box. Then just plug in the HUDWAY Drive USB power cable into it. Again, you have to be careful since if you do it wrong, you could hurt yourself or damage your stuff. This method gives you a USB power port in your vehicle so you can use it for other things too. It does state that the max Amperage is 2.1 A, so keep that in mind. Also, please make sure you test properly before plugging it into the HUDWAY Drive on first test. I recently released a video showing how I hardwire a BlackVue Box dash cam. The hardwiring chapter can show you what is involved in hardwiring to the fuse box of a vehicle. Just note that in the case of the HUDWAY drive, it would be hardwired to an ACC (+) fuse so that it will power Off when the vehicle is off. Otherwise it will stay On and the battery will drain with no protection. Hope I answered your question.
That's unfortunate. Not sure when exactly you ordered but a year is a long time to wait. They have an update page to let you know what is happening with manufacturing/production and shipment here if this helps: hudway.co/drive/updates
Buy a European car or a Lexus they can be optioned in most European. Come standard in many Lexus models. Factory HUD still better except for night vision on HUD. Project on factory windscreen would be better
The factory HUDs are typically very expensive add-ons so they won't come by default. Most people don't want to pay a lot for. Though as with all technology, as it gets cheaper to manufacture and if people want it, it will probably come by default some time in the future... example is how radios used to be the default, then it was radio/tape deck, then CD players and now MP3 players etc...
@@FrakkingCreations Yes, they are "expensive" add-ons. But in terms of real cost, most likely actually cost the car makers peanuts. My car has built-in GPS navigation, but developed by an outside company. Found out the car maker decided to go in-house for the next model. Alas, the outside developer wants the owners to pay over $500 for any upgrades to the maps, while the newer models with the in-house developed navigation software get free up-grades. WTF couldn't android auto just be standard with google maps navigation by linking to a mobile hotspot or exactly mirroring a mobile phone's screen, using an off-line navigation like Sygic (on my mobile I have Sygic with lifetime free maps updates for the last 5 years, IIRC I only paid a one-off $50 licence)?
@@FrakkingCreations Yup. Greedy pigs. IMHO it was stoopid of the car maker to rely on outside developers when there were cheaper options, like they could have signed a deal with companies like Sygic to install its SW into the head-unit. The car maker is one of the bigger ones in the world.
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Thanks, but can you explain better what you mean about "the display doesn't fit the whole lens. In person, the image almost fills the whole lens. Due to positioning of the camera. Positioned closer than where the driver would sit and how far the eyes are away from the lens." When you say "display" do you mean the iPhone screen itself? When you say "lens" are you referring to the HUD display? And what is the "image?" Also, I don't understand what you're trying to explain when you talk about "closer than where the driver would sit." What does that mean? Lots of questions, but your descriptions I find are not clear. Thank you for the review, and one last note: your audio is muffled. See if you can find a way to get crisper audio. I had to rewind a lot.
Good questions. There is a small LCD display at the front of the HUDWAY Drive unit that shows the image to be displayed and this image is projected onto the clear plastic lens. The lens acts like a magnifier and magnifies the image so that it is larger than the actual LCD display. The image could be the HUDWAY Drive display image or your phones screen image when mirroring or anything the HUDWAY Drive is showing to the driver. Similar to a magnifying glass, if you move farther away, it will magnify more. The HUDWAY Drive lens behaves the same way. The image will magnify more the farther you are away from the lens. I had to position my camera between my head and the lens to film what it is like to use the HUDWAY Drive. Because I cannot have the camera positioned right at my face, I had to position it away from my face in a way that it does not obstruct my view so that it is not a hazard. Since the camera is closer to the lens than my eyes are, the image projected on the lens is smaller relative to the lens in the video than what you would see when positioned farther away from the lens, in proper seating position. In proper seated position the image almost fills the entire lens. For context, the camera is about half way between my head and the lens. In one of the scenes of the video, when I was parked, I move the handheld the camera and moved it forward, backwards, left and right to show the magnifying effect the lens has. Link here: ua-cam.com/video/NwZMswtiJZE/v-deo.html I hope this helps clarify things and answers your questions.
With its limitations I'd hardly call it a Heads Up Display (HUD). It's more of a poor reflection monitor that can only be used directly in front of the driver. One of its severe limitations that even this positive video review illustrated is how easily the display disappears when moving one's head off to the side. What the market wants is a disply that reflects off the windshield and can be viewed at a wide angle, without the display moving. Another feature for the future is an ability for a true HUD to monitor the viewer's eye position while adjusting an infrared view (size and relative position) of animals and people while driving at night. The view would overlap an actual place on the road, adjusted in size and position based on the driver's eye distance and position from the windshield.
There have been a few similar comments from other viewers on not getting their HUDWAY Drives. I'm curious to know where you ordered, if you have contacted their support about this and what was their response?
Ordered in 2020 and have gotten nothing but the run around from support. Kept getting told oh you're in this batch blah blah blah. Was supposed to ship at the end of May and yet reached out and it's sowwwee, we pwomise we aren't lying to you. Yet they have not only units to give to reviews for free and us that paid for the really shit the of the stick HARD
Anyone know if Shazam works while in motion? If not, does the actual Spotify app reflect while in motion or does it auto-set it to the watered down "drive" version of the app? I'd like to use it for real time lyrics to the music I'm listening to 😅
Google or Apple maps would be really nice to have on this. I wouldn't say that it is useless though, but I suppose it depends what you regularly use it for. We don't use it too much for navigation so it isn't too big an issue for us. If you have the HUDWAY Drive 3-Camera set too you will also have rear view camera/park assist and side view blind spot cameras viewable in the HUD too. Our review of that here: ua-cam.com/video/uToHgCGqkX0/v-deo.html
Great review! It definitely was appealing enough to me to purchase, along with the camera kit, back in August 2022. Unfortunately, like others who have been waiting for some time, I haven't received mine yet. Supposedly batch 6 started to ship around June 20th, one day before this posting. Crossing my fingers I'll get a tracking number soon but wanted to share my experience for others to know they're likely in for a wait. UPDATE on July 22,2024: Hudway just emailed me a tracking number and notified me that my display with the cameras just shipped - hopefully, worth the wait!
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm not sure why the production is still so bad from what other customers have commented. I would have thought things would have been sorted out by now.
Hopefully, you get yours this time around!
Oh, this is good news. I am also waiting from the batch 6 and once I noticed their website is not working, I started to fear they went bankrupt. I have never waited this long for anything I purchased.. over 2 years! It is insane. I hope they get their business fixed as the product seems cool.
They finally answered me. Usually they have replied quickly, but it seems they are very busy with the batch 6. They told me they are shipping now to the European warehouses. So maybe this week.. maybe..
I hope you get yours soon
Pretty good review. I ordered mine at 2022 and I just got it today 😅 long wait but it's here now
Thank you. We appreciate you taking a moment to provide your feedback. I'm glad you got yours finally. I hope you are enjoying it!
Same Boat May 2022, but apparently should be receiving mines in January
Ordered in 2022 and still not delivered. Many people canceled with such a long wait time.
I did see postings of people complaining about that. I didn't know it was still that bad considering that HUDWAY is shipping units out, as per their website.
Did you cancel or are you still waiting for yours?
@@FrakkingCreations Still waiting, it was supposed to come out in the next batch which according to their email was to be shipped in early December. So far that batch hasn't gone out so If my order does come when that batch goes out I'll be cancelling. Two freaking years is long enough.
That sucks. I really hope they get it to you this round.
I've had a similar experience in the past with Glowforge. Ended up cancelling the order after at least 2 years. I ended up losing money due to exchange rates too.
Ordered in 2020 and have gotten nothing but the run around from support. Kept getting told oh you're in this batch blah blah blah. Was supposed to ship at the end of May and yet reached out and it's sowwwee, we pwomise we aren't lying to you.
Yet they have not only units to give to reviews for free and us that paid for the really shit the of the stick HARD
That sucks.
So do they keep moving your batch number up when they can't meet your expected batch number?
Can u use it without that screen...project direcctly on the winshiled
Good question. No, it does not project on the windshield. I tried it and it doesn't work that way. The reason is that the windshield angle prevents the image from reflecting back to the driver.
In order for the image to reflect on the windshield back to the driver, the HUDWAY Drive would have to be pointed upwards instead of forwards. Also, the plastic Lens (where the image is projected on) helps to magnify the image from the small display of the HUDWAY Drive. Without the magnification, the a reflected image on the windshield would be too small.
Hope that answers your question.
Thanks for sharing this.
Can the screen on the phone be turned off while mirroring content on the HUD?
No. It needs to be on. Though I found that for Smart view connectivity on Samsung phones allows you to turn the screen into a screensaver mode when you turn the screen off. It's still on but it looks mostly off.
Note that on the test phone (which is different than the one used in the video), the Smart view connectivity seems slow.
super nice review, thanks for taking the time. i wish I could see a POV where I can see the display screen and if its an eyesore. i understand why they need the plastic screen to magnify the image etc but I kinda hate having something sticking out like a sore thumb, did you get used to it, does it blend in with the car eventually?
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To answer your question... for the POV, I thought the video showed a lot of what I see from my point of view. The camera was in front of me when I filmed it. What kind of POV did you want?
A unit without the plastic screen would have to be pretty big like the ones that come built-in to some vehicles.
Depending on the vehicle dash you have, it may not stick out as bad as you think. For me, it is perfect. I enjoy using it to this day still. I miss it when I use a vehicle without it. I don't really notice it there, either. I just notice the HUD display when I'm driving. I do use it in an SUV though, where the seating is higher up so in some cars it may be lower down and more in front of your view.
@@FrakkingCreations for POV i mean literally how it looks when you're in the seat like this video: ua-cam.com/video/o7Rl5se_leU/v-deo.html&pp=ygUJUE9WIERSSVZF
I understand you probably set up the camera a certain way since its hard to capture HUDs properly but I just wanna gauge how big and how far the screen sticks out
I see. I've seen his videos before. I've been looking into getting something similar setup for future videos.
Check back in about a week or so. I have some footage in a POV style for driving with the HUDWAY Drive.
@FrakkingCreations awesome I'll keep an eye out, thanks for taking my feedback!!
Oh! ONE MORE QUESTION PLEASE!
About the fuel economy widget , does this work even if my vehicle doesnt have these readings available on OBD2?
I always assumed that an app like Torque for example would only show fuel economy if certain parameters were available over OBD2, like fuel level or original fuel economy. I most likely assumed wrong there.
If I can use those fuel economy settings to get the HUD showing me a MPG number that would be so cool! Especially up in the windshield. Seems like a great way to try and tailor my driving for getting the best economy that I can!
Thanks again F.C. !!
Which fuel economy widget do you use? Have you tried the "Fuel rate (Direct from ECU)" one? I think that might be the one to use even if you don't have fuel level.
Can you please send as a ff-up?
This review is so good! you earned a sub!!
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Nice review !!! But you haven't covered how visible the HUD info is on "not optimal" situations, like during daylight with a lot of light or with the sun in front of you. Have you encountered any issue with such scenarios?
Thank you for your comment and good point on the less optimal situations. I cover that a little on the HUDWAY Drive 3-camera upgrade test video here: ua-cam.com/video/uToHgCGqkX0/v-deo.html
Note that you could also cover the back of the lens display with vinyl wrap or window tint to darken it. I wrote about it in our blog post. The image shows up better but it does block your vision behind it. So doing it may not be safe in some situations or some vehicles.
@@FrakkingCreations Thanks !!!
Hey Frakking Creations!
So, since the Hudway can display phone notifications and pairs to phones via bluetooth, do you know if a phone can pair to the Hudway and also to a car stereo??
My vehicle has an android headunit that I pair my phone to for handsfree calling as well and bluetooth music.
Im curious if i could also pair my phone to the Hudway AND my stereo so that I can see notifications like incoming calls (text messages too?) And hopefully Navigation info.
It would be really neat to be able to see my route turn by turn instructions in the hudway AND my stereo!
Thanks for any insight here, this is such a DETAILED video!
Cheers,
Thanks for the feedback and good question.
I don't have an Android headunit but can try to connect a Bluetooth speaker and play music while trying to use the HUDWAY Drive. I will have to get back to you once I get a chance to try that.
@@FrakkingCreationshi, did you get the chance to try it? Play a music on the car stereo while using the HUD on navigation?
I tried again recently but the navigation system wasn't working, unfortunately. I did however note that the gauge display still works while using Bluetooth to play music on an external BT speaker.
As long as i can get a clean read of the speed (numbers, not the old needle read) without all the visual clutter, i would buy it.
Warning lights etc is not something i personally want in my direct field of view, that's when i do the traditional peek down.
If you are interested, here's a POV Drive video for the HUDWAY Drive Heads Up Display → ua-cam.com/video/8g60y1KnN0c/v-deo.html
Can I use Android Auto (for my multimedia system) while using hudway?
I can't say for sure since I don't have Android auto. But I do believe it will work since Android auto and Hudway drive both use Bluetooth and Bluetooth can support multiple connections.
I did a quick test of using a Bluetooth speaker playing some music while driving with the Hudway drive using the OBD 2 features and it works (same as without playing music through the Bluetooth speakers).
Hey, how is the speed /rpm responsoveness of the unit in real time? Is there a noticeable delayed between the oem dash and the hud info?
Good question.
I do show how responsive it is in the video and below are links to that. The included OBD adapter has a noticable delay as can be seen here:
ua-cam.com/video/NwZMswtiJZE/v-deo.html
Getting a better OBD adapter can get you much better responsiveness. In particular, I show using the Torque Pro app with the OBDLink MX+ adapter and it is a lot more responsive. Even with many vehicle parameters shown on one page the refresh looks to be about 3 updates per second. You can see this here:
ua-cam.com/video/NwZMswtiJZE/v-deo.html
And here I am accelerating and you can see that the gauges in Torque Pro are quite responsive and smooth in updating the speed and RPM.
ua-cam.com/video/NwZMswtiJZE/v-deo.html
In terms of the Torque app readout and the actual speedometer, I will probably have to do another video to show it. When I check the footage I have, that didn't make the cut to show in this video, I see that it is pretty much instantaneous/real-time with the speedometer when using the Torque Pro app. An that is with 9 parameters being read. If I reduce the number of parameters it should be even better.
Note that as I mentioned in the video the OBDLink MX+ does not work natively with the HUDWAY Drive so you will have to use an OBD reader app like Torque Pro or others with it in mirroring mode.
Hope this helps.
I might have slipped that part. Thabks for your great responses subd and looking for great content
Thank you! Much appreciated.
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How does the display look when it is really bright out? Or do you have situations when it is hard to see?
Hoping the Tesla version that comes out later this year is also good.
It can get overpowered and washed out by the brightness outside. Also light colored snow covered roads can reduce visibility.
Check out our other video on the HUDWAY Drive cameras set where I show this. Just before the 2-minute mark.
@@FrakkingCreations Dang, I wonder if putting a film or a cover on the back of that screen would make it easier to see in those cases.
That might work. But it will also nullify the Head's-up display aspect of it where you won't be able to see through it to the road. But it may be a small issue. Maybe even using some window tint to make it darker may be enough.
I'll see if I can give it a try with a dark cover.
Maybe a clear darker screen (so you can still see through it) vs dark cover?
I tested out putting a non-transparent backdrop behind the lens and it works quite well. If you are going to try this, you will have to make sure it doesn't block your vision, is safe and doesn't break any local, state/provincial, federal traffic laws, though.
I added some photos of this in our blog post for you to see (About mid-way down): frakkingcreations.com/upgraded-hudway-drive-cameras-set-review-a-hud-with-park-assist-blind-spot-cameras/
This item looks cool but heard very mix things from waiting months just to get it. There should be a option to use the fuse box instead of the ob2 port
Yeah. I'm surprised that Hudway still hasn't worked out the production issues yet. The HUDWAY Drive is nice to use. I still use it. Can't go back or I'll miss it.
The OBD port is not used for power. It is only needed if you want the diagnostic data displayed on the HUD. The fuse box would not have any diagnostic data lines for this purpose.
Is it possible to hardwire the Hudway Drive into your vehicle so you’re not using the cigarette lighter to power it?
Of course. You could do it by splicing the USB cable and then hardwiring it to your fuse box using a fuse tap. You will have to make sure to determine the polarity of the USB wires though.
[Edit]: you would still need to convert the voltage from 12V to 5V, though
A simpler method would be to use something like the "CAMWAY 12V/24V 2.1A Motorcycle SAE to USB Phone" cable adapter and using "WAGO 221-2401" inline wire connectors and a 12V fuse tap to hardwire to your fuse box. Then just plug in the HUDWAY Drive USB power cable into it. Again, you have to be careful since if you do it wrong, you could hurt yourself or damage your stuff. This method gives you a USB power port in your vehicle so you can use it for other things too. It does state that the max Amperage is 2.1 A, so keep that in mind.
Also, please make sure you test properly before plugging it into the HUDWAY Drive on first test.
I recently released a video showing how I hardwire a BlackVue Box dash cam. The hardwiring chapter can show you what is involved in hardwiring to the fuse box of a vehicle. Just note that in the case of the HUDWAY drive, it would be hardwired to an ACC (+) fuse so that it will power Off when the vehicle is off. Otherwise it will stay On and the battery will drain with no protection.
Hope I answered your question.
One note... For the first method you would still need to convert the voltage from 12V to 5V though.
Have waited a year now after paying for this product and still waiting!!
Be careful ordering this!
That's unfortunate. Not sure when exactly you ordered but a year is a long time to wait.
They have an update page to let you know what is happening with manufacturing/production and shipment here if this helps: hudway.co/drive/updates
I wonder why HUBs don't come standard in cars.
That split seconds between looking down or to the side at the speedometer could save lives, IMHO.
Buy a European car or a Lexus they can be optioned in most European. Come standard in many Lexus models. Factory HUD still better except for night vision on HUD. Project on factory windscreen would be better
The factory HUDs are typically very expensive add-ons so they won't come by default. Most people don't want to pay a lot for. Though as with all technology, as it gets cheaper to manufacture and if people want it, it will probably come by default some time in the future... example is how radios used to be the default, then it was radio/tape deck, then CD players and now MP3 players etc...
@@FrakkingCreations
Yes, they are "expensive" add-ons.
But in terms of real cost, most likely actually cost the car makers peanuts.
My car has built-in GPS navigation, but developed by an outside company. Found out the car maker decided to go in-house for the next model. Alas, the outside developer wants the owners to pay over $500 for any upgrades to the maps, while the newer models with the in-house developed navigation software get free up-grades.
WTF couldn't android auto just be standard with google maps navigation by linking to a mobile hotspot or exactly mirroring a mobile phone's screen, using an off-line navigation like Sygic (on my mobile I have Sygic with lifetime free maps updates for the last 5 years, IIRC I only paid a one-off $50 licence)?
Seems these days everyone wants their cut of the pie.
@@FrakkingCreations
Yup.
Greedy pigs.
IMHO it was stoopid of the car maker to rely on outside developers when there were cheaper options, like they could have signed a deal with companies like Sygic to install its SW into the head-unit. The car maker is one of the bigger ones in the world.
Great review
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Thanks, but can you explain better what you mean about "the display doesn't fit the whole lens. In person, the image almost fills the whole lens. Due to positioning of the camera. Positioned closer than where the driver would sit and how far the eyes are away from the lens." When you say "display" do you mean the iPhone screen itself? When you say "lens" are you referring to the HUD display? And what is the "image?" Also, I don't understand what you're trying to explain when you talk about "closer than where the driver would sit." What does that mean? Lots of questions, but your descriptions I find are not clear. Thank you for the review, and one last note: your audio is muffled. See if you can find a way to get crisper audio. I had to rewind a lot.
Good questions.
There is a small LCD display at the front of the HUDWAY Drive unit that shows the image to be displayed and this image is projected onto the clear plastic lens. The lens acts like a magnifier and magnifies the image so that it is larger than the actual LCD display. The image could be the HUDWAY Drive display image or your phones screen image when mirroring or anything the HUDWAY Drive is showing to the driver.
Similar to a magnifying glass, if you move farther away, it will magnify more. The HUDWAY Drive lens behaves the same way. The image will magnify more the farther you are away from the lens. I had to position my camera between my head and the lens to film what it is like to use the HUDWAY Drive. Because I cannot have the camera positioned right at my face, I had to position it away from my face in a way that it does not obstruct my view so that it is not a hazard. Since the camera is closer to the lens than my eyes are, the image projected on the lens is smaller relative to the lens in the video than what you would see when positioned farther away from the lens, in proper seating position. In proper seated position the image almost fills the entire lens. For context, the camera is about half way between my head and the lens.
In one of the scenes of the video, when I was parked, I move the handheld the camera and moved it forward, backwards, left and right to show the magnifying effect the lens has. Link here: ua-cam.com/video/NwZMswtiJZE/v-deo.html
I hope this helps clarify things and answers your questions.
They are already basic feature in Lexus not a option
With its limitations I'd hardly call it a Heads Up Display (HUD). It's more of a poor reflection monitor that can only be used directly in front of the driver. One of its severe limitations that even this positive video review illustrated is how easily the display disappears when moving one's head off to the side.
What the market wants is a disply that reflects off the windshield and can be viewed at a wide angle, without the display moving. Another feature for the future is an ability for a true HUD to monitor the viewer's eye position while adjusting an infrared view (size and relative position) of animals and people while driving at night. The view would overlap an actual place on the road, adjusted in size and position based on the driver's eye distance and position from the windshield.
Waiting over 3 years to get mine...
There have been a few similar comments from other viewers on not getting their HUDWAY Drives.
I'm curious to know where you ordered, if you have contacted their support about this and what was their response?
Ordered in 2020 and have gotten nothing but the run around from support. Kept getting told oh you're in this batch blah blah blah. Was supposed to ship at the end of May and yet reached out and it's sowwwee, we pwomise we aren't lying to you.
Yet they have not only units to give to reviews for free and us that paid for the really shit the of the stick HARD
Anyone know if Shazam works while in motion? If not, does the actual Spotify app reflect while in motion or does it auto-set it to the watered down "drive" version of the app?
I'd like to use it for real time lyrics to the music I'm listening to 😅
Wish I knew how to start a lawsuit against HUDWAY 1year later nothing from them 300 dollars gone
I'm surprised that you can't get a refund from them by contacting their support.
@@FrakkingCreations tried they said it would take 6 months at the time and when I asked again about it they stopped responding
That's unfortunate to hear. I like the product. Just wish their customers like you didn't have to experience this kind of treatment.
WTF. Google or Apple Maps are not native to navigation mode? Useless.
Google or Apple maps would be really nice to have on this. I wouldn't say that it is useless though, but I suppose it depends what you regularly use it for. We don't use it too much for navigation so it isn't too big an issue for us.
If you have the HUDWAY Drive 3-Camera set too you will also have rear view camera/park assist and side view blind spot cameras viewable in the HUD too. Our review of that here: ua-cam.com/video/uToHgCGqkX0/v-deo.html