reverse camera

[ermie571]

Good evening folks!

I just bought a new stereo for the van...it has a screen and the facility to show the input from a reverse camera when reverse gear is selected. Although I have yet to reverse into anything serious....this sounds like a gadget that I could actually use!

so, i perused my shop of choice....fleabay...and there is a variety to choose from. Some you drill into the body work, some have LED most are colour (which I shall go for). There are some surface mounted ones....and I wondered if i could mount it centre of the hightop...it might not get kicked or fiddled with up there. Wiring could be interesting, so maybe surface mounted on the number plate flap...or a ittle hole next to the number plate flap?

Apparently, you wire the postive for the camera and the sensor wire on the stereo to the reverse gear switch. I know this is on the gear box....there are two spade connectors on it, right? so I guess one will be permanent live, and one will be live when its in reverse? So a multi-meter will tell me which spade is the switched live, yeah? So, if I wire the 12v suppy and the sensor wire into a single crimp....and then change the switched live cable to a crimp with a piggy back - would that be ok?

Anyone got any tips..things to avoid...recommendations as to what works...alternative (read easier) wiring options....such as gong into the reverse light wire...what colour is the reverse light cable at the rear cluster? How does the power get from the switch on the gear box to the cluster....does it go through the fuse box?

lots of questions there....if anyone can address one or two, i would be very grateful!

Thanks in advance

Em
xx

[CovKid]

Aww come on Em - learn to reverse like the rest of us. Its not a Winnebago you've got there. Far better to fit parking sensors if you really do want gadgets at the back

Not saying the thought hadn't crossed my mind when I first owned a T25 but I don't even think about it now and its a lot of effort for not much gain really.

[Oldiebut goodie]

I fitted one to my hitop as I couldn't see my dinghy on the trailer - take your power from the reversing light bulb wiring (it's nearer). Be careful on the placement on a hitop as some of the cameras are shaped to fit a vertical surface and you will only have a view of the sky or twelve miles behind you! You could, with a bit of jiggery pokery, use a wireless camera if you can't route the video feed easily.

[poshbuggers]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WAECO-REVERSI ... 45f06e49fd

[Oldiebut goodie]

£40 for a £10 camera!!!!
They are virtually all made in China - the unbranded ones are exactly the same as the ones sold in the UK for anything up to ten times the price.
I have a £3 wireless one mounted by the number plate on my Merc. bus switched on by the reversing lights for close up reversing and a high up one as a constant rear view camera. You just need to check that the camera you do get gives a reverse image if your screen/monitor will not flip it for you.Mine will flip it vertically as well as horizontally so that you can use all sorts of cameras.

"Apparently, you wire the postive for the camera and the sensor wire on the stereo to the reverse gear switch. I know this is on the gear box....there are two spade connectors on it, right? so I guess one will be permanent live, and one will be live when its in reverse? So a multi-meter will tell me which spade is the switched live, yeah? So, if I wire the 12v suppy and the sensor wire into a single crimp....and then change the switched live cable to a crimp with a piggy back - would that be ok?"

Possibly no.
the sensor wire might be for the video signal - if you stick 12/14v up it you will f*** up the camera. (They don't like it up them ) What terminal does it have?.................Unless the sensor wire is for switching the screen on.

Using a black and white camera sometimes will give a clearer picture - you don't really need colour unless you want the spectacle of the red blood flowing after you have hit something. The colours on these small cameras are not very true anyway - I presume that you haven't got hue/colour/brightness controls for your screen so that you could adjust them.

[ermie571]

Some interesting thoughts there - thanks all!

Poshbuggers...thanks for the example....funds won't stretch that far, but there are other similar models available in the uk! Thanks for taking the time to look one up for me.

Covkid....I can reverse, this is a gadget...I admitted that! haha I have got a reverse sensor....but on reading the insructions, the thing goes ballistic when you are 30 cm or sommat rediculous from the obstruction behind. So I thought seeing may be useful

Oldie but goodie.....i will check the sensor wire on the stereo - a brief glance of the instructions said the reverse gear swtich. And a breif glance at e-bay said the positive power for the camera came from the gear switch - to turn it on when you go into reverse. But I will do more reading - thankyou.

You just need to check that the camera you do get gives a reverse image if your screen/monitor will not flip it for you.Mine will flip it vertically as well as horizontally so that you can use all sorts of cameras.

this confused me.....rather naively, i thought the camera sends a signal to the screen which displays it....what does it need to flip? Again - I will read the instructions.

I think its something I want to do, though

and I will fit my sensors too!

Em
xx

[Titus A Duxass]

Em,
I fitted a set of cheap sensor (like the ones Brickwerks have). They are bloody brilliant.
You may need to lengthen the cable from the control unit to the display as they are designed for normal cars.

I put the control box behind the RH rear light and took the power from the reversing light connection on the light cluster.

TAD

[ninja.turtle007]

I thought I was good at reversing until I reversed into a tank last weekend!!

[ermie571]

Em,
I fitted a set of cheap sensor (like the ones Brickwerks have). They are bloody brilliant.
You may need to lengthen the cable from the control unit to the display as they are designed for normal cars.

I put the control box behind the RH rear light and took the power from the reversing light connection on the light cluster.

TAD

hmmmmm......sounds like my reversing light connection is going to be a bit busy!!! heheh You have given me the kickup the pants I need to get them fitted as well.

so...do I get the reverse bleep as well? I have fitted on to the other van, and it works really well. I wanted one that spoke..."Woman reversing - clear the road" but the recordable ones were just stoooopid monies!

Think I am going to need a waterproof fuse box/juction box....12V in...12v out to sensors, camera and buzzer!

Em
xx

[ermie571]

I thought I was good at reversing until I reversed into a tank last weekend!!

Was it a stealth tank? Thought so....can't be blamed, then!!

Looking forward to the details on the insurance claim....did you hurt the tank??

[Titus A Duxass]

Was it a stealth tank? Thought so....can't be blamed, then!!

Not stealth, it was camouflaged as a cow - http://io9.com/5837935/tank-uses-therma ... into-a-cow

[ermie571]

And if I saw a 20' long cow in my rear mirror....I certainly wouldn't be moving towards it!! I would be heading in the direction of the nearest psychologist....

"honest....20' long....yeah...really."

ok..lets have the yellow tablets...

[windysurfer]

Just fitted this one to mine
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Night-Vis ... 484198e737

Nice clear image

[Titus A Duxass]

Just fitted this one to mine
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Night-Vis ... 484198e737

Nice clear image

What are you using for a display?

[windysurfer]

It plugs into my cheap Hong Kong satnav