After market reversing camera/monitor??

cyclonebri1

Strider590 wrote: »

I've been looking for one of these (getting sick of low level bollards), there are some on ebay, wireless reversing camera's (£20ish), then get yourself a small LCD screen (£30-£50) and your sorted. The image quality doesn't need to be great, you just need to be able to see objects.

I'd be happier with a complete buy to be honest. There are complete wireless units with 7" lcd screen for under £70 just wondered if anyone had experience of similar?

Hey, and just how much more electronic gadgetry are you going to try and fit in your car?? ;), I've heard of corner weighting but never that way;)

Strider590

rodenal wrote: »

If you expect to be able to reverse solely by looking at the camera (highly dangerous) you would need to mount it absolutely centrally, a problem in most cars due to the tailgate opening/ number plate lights and just access in general. Mine sits where the oem camera goes on the left of the civic. Picture quality is good though I added an attenuator to clear it up a bit, fine at night too.

I believe the screens are easy to power and wire in too, find somewhere discrete for it though.

The camera I dare say is for checking on those last few inches before smacking into that low invisible bollard that was placed there by some tw4t who can't (and never tries to) reverse park.

The one's ive seen are very slim and mounted above/below the number plate (or even through a hole in the number plate).

The issue with the screen is a very real one, you'd have to remove it every time you leave the car else some scrote will think it's an expensive sat-nav....

rodenal

I looked at the numberplate cameras but the problem I had with then was usually there is a small amount of wiring visible unless you're willing to drill into the boot (I wasn't). Mine sits under one of my light clusters, its pretty tiny though the numberplate mount ones are slightly smaller again.

It is useful for checking what's there but you cannot rely on it for this, the camera gives a warped sense of location so if there was something there you knew about but didn't want to hit then that's fine, but if you wanted to squeeze through a gap of some sort or round something you couldn't see in your mirrors it may go a bit wrong.

I actually think sensors could be a better idea in these circumstances, you'll be drilling into the plastic bumper, they come body coloured now, wiring is as simple as the camera and it isn't neccesary to put a screen in the front where it may be an attraction, though I suppose you could even mount the screen in your armrest if it opens or in a closable area of the dash.

rodenal

Unsure if this link will work but if so this is similar quality to mine though my picture is a bit sharper in daylight

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCQQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DfrdFFlKjMcQ&ei=wd_hTv_WKcar8QPDqOSLBA&usg=AFQjCNErbzdMoeOk8KGBNDX6SORt8BH4uA

Strider590

rodenal wrote: »

I looked at the numberplate cameras but the problem I had with then was usually there is a small amount of wiring visible unless you're willing to drill into the boot (I wasn't).

Don't need to drill into the boot, just a small hole into the bumper (under the number plate), then route the wire's through the vents into the boot.
All cars have vent's at the rear to allow free flow of air (makes sense when you think about it), most are situated behind the rear bumper.... You just have to lay on the ground with a torch, put your hand up between the car and the outer bumper and feed the wire's through into the boot. In extreme cases you may have to loosen or remove the rear bumper to gain access

rodenal

To be fair I wasn't thinking properly about that - it does depend on the car - if you're numberplate is mounted on the bumper then you're right it'd be easy enough, in my case the numberplate is mounted on the hatch itself

Strider590

rodenal wrote: »

To be fair I wasn't thinking properly about that - it does depend on the car - if you're numberplate is mounted on the bumper then you're right it'd be easy enough, in my case the numberplate is mounted on the hatch itself

Ah, trickier then.... Even if you got through, you'd have to remove the boot hatch trim to get the cable down into the boot for sake of having an exposed wire hanging down each time you open it

rodenal

Feeding the cable through isn't really an issue, the trim comes off easily and you've gotflexi connectors at the boot/bodywork openings for existing wiring anyway, it really was just the thought of drilling into bodywork on a 4year old car I didn't fancy, could see it rusting like a !!!!!! no matter how well I done and protected it.

Gloomendoom

It's possible to get cameras that replace one of the number plate lamps so there is no need to drill the bodywork.

I'm considering fitting one to Mrs T's new car. I've just fitted an aftermarket sat nav unit that has a dedicated reversing camera input so it seems silly not to use it. I'm hoping that it will make reversing to hitch up a trailer a bit easier.

glasgowdan

Some practical experience of reversing cameras shared here http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/reversing-camera