Reversing cameras and parking sensors

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Reversing cameras and parking sensors

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Technofreak

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#1157974 19-Oct-2014 17:29

Dingbatt: @Technofreak, did you progress this installation any further? I have to replace the rear bumper of my car after someone kindly backed into it with their towbar. So was considering getting reversing sensors fitted while the bumper was off.
I have seen after market reversing cameras for sale as well, including wireless ones. Does anyone have any comment on their effectiveness?
The car is not worth a fortune so don't want to double its value by installing an all singing and dancing setup. Just want something to stop me causing the same damage to someone else's car as was done to mine.

No I haven't as yet.

I don't think the wireless cameras are a good idea from what I could find out as you may well end up looking at the view from another nearby camera and not your own. It seems wired is the way to go.

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MikeAqua

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#1167713 3-Nov-2014 15:16

Keen to see how this pans out. I have been looking for a while for a multi-camera reversing system. Camera 1 in back of car, for everyday use and backing up to trailers. Camera 2 on roof-rack for seeing blind-spots when towing the boat/caravan.

Mike

linw

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#1168041 3-Nov-2014 22:09

I'm pleased with my cheepie cabled rear sensors. Just had to get the angle right to stop them getting reflections from rough surfaces. Pretty easy to get the cable into the boot from the bumper and easy to route it to the front.

Just installed a small CCD camera bought from Aliexpress and hooked it up to my new 2 DIN head unit. Bit of a gamble but it was only $US9.99 with free postage so not really a risk! However, it gives a darned good picture. Not easy to get the cable to the front this time as the camera is mounted on the rear hatch. Had to get the hatch lining off plus the side strips then had to get the cable fed through the rubber concertina that carries cable from the hatch down into the car body. A helpful tip I got from a YT video was to use detergent on the plug/wire you are pulling through that rubber thingy. Made a big difference.

It can be a bit scary ripping those linings off, though. You just have to hope that a good pull will pop those plastic retainers from their sockets and you have to be aware that there may be other mounting plugs or bolts. Another thing that had me a bit worried was the number of panels that had 'SRS' on them. No way was I interested in messing with airbag compartments!

For what it is worth, here is my camera http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/6283368033.html
Another tip is to get one with the 12V wire incorporated into the coax cable to bring the reversing 12V to the head unit. Saves trying to find a reversing wire up front or running a separate wire. You can see the red short bits of wire at each end of the coax on the above camera listing.

Dingbatt

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#1173291 12-Nov-2014 07:57

In the end I traveled down a different route. I found a reversing camera that works on Wi-Fi to any android device. Wired into the reversing light circuit, selecting the companion app on my phone brings up a perfectly usable reversing picture.
An hour to install, most of which was threading the wiring from the boot lid to the taillight. No need to do anything with the dashboard. Camera is temporarily mounted above the number plate to make sure everything works properly before I drill holes in the car itself.
Digital signal to the phone so hopefully not too much interference in the real world. It doesn't have any IR lamps so will be relying on reversing lights I think for night time use.
It is a workable solution for $53.

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richms

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#1173353 12-Nov-2014 10:02

How much lag is there on the wifi ones?

Richard rich.ms

Dingbatt

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#1173373 12-Nov-2014 10:22

richms: How much lag is there on the wifi ones?

Very slight. It is noticeable, but still fit for purpose in my circumstance. The app comes up with a big STOP placard if it loses signal. To me a hardwired solution is still the ultimate but impractical for what my car is worth. The Wi-Fi box is about 5x4x1cm and fits nicely in the boot lid lining. When I sell the car it will take me about 20 minutes to uninstall and most of that is to get behind the boot lining.

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Coil

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#1173381 12-Nov-2014 10:27

Go see a crowd called Dynatron at Albany.

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Dingbatt

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#1173481 12-Nov-2014 11:53

TimA: Go see a crowd called Dynatron at Albany.

Why?

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

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