Reversing Camera - wireless install

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Jaxson

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Topic # 194929 30-Mar-2016 14:54

Hi all,

After feedback from anyone who has installed a wireless reversing camera.

Where did you take the power feed from?

Did you leave it going full time, or switch it on with the reversing light circuit.

Am wondering a) How long they take to start transmitting.

b) will the extra load (to power the camera and transmitter and receiver) be big enough to pop the reversing light circuit fuse?

I don't really want these things going permanently, or on the ACC circuit if I can help it, but just interested to hear others experiences.

If it all sucks, either in terms of video quality, on delay time, fuses poppin etc, then I'll revert to wired.
I have located a reversing light signal to trigger the head unit to change, so I have everything I need to make this work without having to run a cable, but I'm also not against it if it turns out wireless just doesn't cut it.

There is install work whichever way I go on this.

Thanks.

richms

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Reply # 1522870 30-Mar-2016 16:29

I bought a $11 pair of transmitter and reciever. Claims 2.4GHz but I suspect they are using one of the other 4 channels on 2.3 or 2.5Ghz that those chipsets do as its immune to bluetooth interference.

Got it to put a camera on the back of the trailer for backing it up to unload stuff.

Tapped into the tail light circuit of the trailer since the cheapskates that did my car did no reverse wire, and the trailer also only has 5 conductor wires.

Inside I have a small 4.3" LCD that I hacked the reciever board inside of, so its a single item. When I want to use it I just get it out and stick it into the cellphone holder on the dash and connect to the lighter socket. The other input of the screen is left on the second RCA input that is hanging from it, which I have an RCA cable thru the car to the reverse camera on the car. It is connected to the reversing lights so only powers up with the car in reverse. Once the trailer is on I unplug that RCA so it reverts back to the wireless receiver.

If I leave it there its amazing how many other people have the cameras on their car, starts showing some very useless rear views from other cars often.

Richard rich.ms

solival

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Reply # 1522906 30-Mar-2016 18:32

Also bought on aliexpress reversing camera, wireless transmitter and receiver, and android based gps with av-in. Transmitter connected to reverse light. receiver to usb. Works more or less, shows image in a second after switching to reverse. Sometimes glitches in both directions (e.g. doesn't start image when I put on reverse or opposite do not stop showing image when off reverse (black screen). I would recommend wired connection (for example under carpet) unless its too hard (e.g. trailer)

Do not recommend these "gps" btw. creepy antenna, crashing apps, slow, etc.

Dingbatt

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Reply # 1522921 30-Mar-2016 19:28

I installed one with a WiFi transmitter that uses your Android phone as the monitor. The wiring was just a matter of piggybacking off the reversing light circuit. I have had no problem with it overloading the fuse.
Two downsides though, first I didn't want the WiFi powered the whole time so it is powered up at the same time as the camera which means there is a delay while the phone connects to the WiFi, and the companion app doesn't seem to work on Lollipop. At the moment I use a spare handset that has been left behind on Jellybean and uses Tasker to light up when it senses the correct WiFi signal. I wish I could get it to work on my S6, but no dice.
If i keep my current car I am going to invest in a wired solution, but the current setup cost a grand total of $56 so will do for now.

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richms

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Reply # 1522926 30-Mar-2016 19:42

How do you find the latency of the wifi ones? I cant imagine how bad it would be backing up to a trailer on a laggy IP camera.

Richard rich.ms

Jaxson

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Reply # 1522970 30-Mar-2016 21:31

Well the rear is installed now, just need to hook the power up tomorrow.

Then move to the front and install the receiver.

Will run it all off the reversing circuit and see if anything goes bang. May even pull the fuse and check the current draw.

Will see how we go tomorrow...

Dingbatt

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Reply # 1523073 31-Mar-2016 07:56

richms:
How do you find the latency of the wifi ones? I cant imagine how bad it would be backing up to a trailer on a laggy IP camera.

Doesn't seem too bad. I haven't tried it with a trailer. It really is for backing onto parking spots at work as my car doesn't have sensors. It is just for edging in the last 30cm or so.

Our newest car has an oem camera complete with dynamic guidelines, in comparison, a WiFi camera displaying on a 4" phone screen definitely not the optimal solution.

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linw

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Reply # 1523264 31-Mar-2016 11:56

Don't worry about the current draw as the light will draw WAY more than the camera/transmitter.

I tried a wireless camera about 3 years ago but gave up on it after a while. Interference was a factor but other things as well like a failing gps unit that I was using as a display.

Now have a wired one to a 2DIN unit and that is really good. The Aliexpress $US10 camera is very good, even in low light. It doesn't have infrared LEDs either.

A sedan is easy to wire from rear to front but my hatchback was a bit of a bigger problem. Got there in the end, though.

Good luck with your install.

Jaxson

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Reply # 1523280 31-Mar-2016 12:13

Thanks.

I've done the rear of the wireless install, apart from tapping into the rear light feed.
My hope is that the transmitter and receiver do their transmitting thing as fast as the head unit switches across to reverse, as I don't want a big lag there. That's with everything powered off the reversing light circuit feed, so the system won't turn on and start doing it's thing until it's put into reverse.

Don't want this thing on whilst driving not in reverse, or on when the car is off. Won't know how that will go until I try.

Agree though, in some ways with the amount of effort involved, I could have just gone wired, which I normally prefer to wireless.

The more you get into it, the more you realise that even wireless requires a lot of cabling to get a reversing feed, as the reversing lights on my car are not on the rear door, but on the body itself, so you have to cable up, through the rubber connector and into the door, and then down around the rear window to where I've opted to install this by the rear door handle trim.

So bottom line is there's potentially a lot of wiring to install a wireless rear view system anyway!

Jaxson

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Reply # 1523547 31-Mar-2016 20:49

Well all installed now. All fed and triggered off the reversing light circuit with no bangs or magic smoke coming out.

Timed it and it takes 3.5s from moving into reverse before getting a usable image on the stereo.

Too easy.

mentalinc

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Reply # 1620451 31-Aug-2016 21:40

One person supports this post

Looking into this myself.

Anyone have any links to the products they used or examples?

Simple camera and screen would be ideal. or could look at one of the cheap $70 type tablets to use as the screen....

Wireless is not required happy to wire it if needed

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mattwnz

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Reply # 1620490 31-Aug-2016 23:54

I would be interested too, as these things can be lifesavers. In some ways I think they should be mandatory on some types of vehicle.

They have a lot on ebay, and some look identical to ones you can buy from car supplies stores here for significantly more. Ideally a solar powered one would be my preferred option, but can't see too many of those.