Martel Electronics Sucks

Martel makes the Dash Hound vehicle video system. It's a dash-mounted camera, basically a Sony handi-cam, an electronics control box and a mount that has a suction cup that mounts to the windshield, and 2 straps to secure it in place. It's fuckin' junk.

Before I took this job, someone ordered these monstrosities because they were cheap, about $1400 per unit. Ever hear the old adage "you get what you pay for"? This is a prime example. Did I mention they're fuckin' junk? Not to mention shitty customer service. They won't even return my calls. Their motto ought to be "Once you buy it, you're on your fuckin' own, pal."

In my business, I've dealt with a few vehicle camera systems.
Kustom Signals' Eyewitness camera: Though rather clunky (got a full sized VCR in a vault in the trunk) and a pain in the ass to install, it's a workhorse and almost impossible to kill. Short of putting a bullet through the damn thing. They even have a vault that is bullet- and fire-proof. They now have a digital system with a rear-facing infrared camera on the headliner mount control panel that can keep an eye on the arrestee(s) in the back seat. Comes with choice of hard drive or DVD drive and have a pretty small front facing camera so it doesn't block your view. They have a lot of options. Plus they look cool. I've never had a problem with these systems, save operator error.
Decatur Electronics Gemini system: It's a good system, it's small and easy to put in and maintain. Just gotta keep the cops from losing the keys to the compartment that houses the recorder. The digital system has a touch screen display, which in my experience is a big no-no. Cops and firefighters are not known for their gentleness with their equipment.
Panasonic Arbitrator: Another good, small, rugged system. Interfaces with the Panasonic Toughbook mobile data terminal(MDT). The Toughbook is basically a laptop with a wireless internet connection. Only problem I've seen with it is the display on the screen. Can be occluded by other windows on the Toughbook being open, reducing the chance the officer will be able to see while he's filling out paperwork and running driver's license and plate info. Comes with option of a hard drive or a solid-state drive (like the memory card in your digital camera). I'm not a big fan of hard drives in vehicles, just because of the chingazos (bumps) they can sometimes take.
Motorola Enforcer: I'm sort of biased toward Motorola. They make some kick-ass products. From cell phones, to two-way radios, to video. Plus I'm a former Motorolan. Yet another kick-ass product from the Galvin family. Comes with a 60GB hard drive and interfaces with their version of the MDT. See above for my thoughts on hard drives in vehicles.
Martel Dash-Hound DH1: POS. Worst system I've ever seen in my life. Let's start with the way it is mounted. Two straps to hold the back in place and on the front...a suction cup that attaches to the windshield. A suction cup? Yup. Damn thing doesn't hold suction either. And with the heat here in Houston if it stays stuck to the windshield it flattens out, therefore losing all its suction capability. That makes it a flying object hazard if you get into an accident, or even hit a decent bump. Secondly, the camera sits directly in the sun. Not a good thing. You know how hot it gets down here? Roll the windows up and leave it in the sun, then turn on the A/C, oh wow...now you've got condensation inside the camera. What a concept. The cameras themselves are a whole other ball of wax. It has two jacks on the side for microphone functions and I'll be damned if they don't fall out. Now the concept of having a camera you can take out to film an accident or crime scene is good in theory, but how often will that really be used? And as for the little control box that's mounted underneath the bracket, well the antenna jacks seem to have a hard time staying soldered in the box. Plus the wiring inside is soldered together pretty shitty. My 7 year-old nephew could have done a better job. All-in-all, if you are considering buying this system, the next time you take a dump wipe your ass with $1400. Then get some more money and go buy a real video system.