Having had a crazy block me off, try to open my door and then punch the window in (unsuccessfully), I wouldn't mind a dashcam. Are there any decent offerings that don't require wires? I know nothing about these. Suggestions welcome
So far as I am aware, there are no dashcams on the market that do not require at least one wire running to them to supply power. The unwritten standard connector appears to have become a mini-USB cable. It supplies power (5V)and can be used communicate with the camera.
You have the choice of either simply connecting them to the 12V cigarette/power socket of the car via a little 12V-5V adapter, (generally supplied with the camera) or hard wiring them into the car. This is much easier than it sounds, you simply buy a little 12v-5V converter and fit a piggy back fuse somewhere in the fuse box. If you ask around on the appropriate forums for your car, chances someone will know which fuse to choose and the easiest way to go about it. (there are tons of how-to's) on YouTube.
Camera wise you pays your money and you makes your choice. Generally the more expensive the camera the more features. What I would say is that what you really want is one that produces a reasonable image, you're not filming an on screen epic! It's easy to fall into buying a feature laden camera, where 90% of the stuff will never get used once the novelty has worn off. Many cameras now come with WiFi which does make its easier to view recordings and adjust settings. GPS can also be a handy feature. Things like parking-mode might also be handy.
Have a little look on YouTube for the
VioFo A119S,
DDpai mini 2
BlueSkySea B1W.
Anker Roav C1 Pro
They are all eBay sourced, sub £100 cameras, that do well in reviews. Failing that Halford's now have a reasonable range of cameras. NextBase, Garmin, BlackVue, etc. I think they now offer to install them for £30 ish.