reversing cameras

[rob]

anyone got experience of these?

wanna be able to get a better look at my own flames :evillaugh

and on a more serious note i have no reversing lights so you never know it might help me see when backing up in the dark!

there\'s lots on ebay from 10 quid to about 30 quid - i dont expect a perfect high def picture obviously but i dont see the point buying one if its gonna be total rubbish!

I\'m sure i remember someone talking about fitting it where the rear lock is, is this easy?  I did a search and couldnt find any posts on it at all.

[d-king]

i used to have a camera off a jcb mounted in the rear window of my fiesta but the issue is if you get a screen to watch it on it must have an image flip because what you will see will be backwards if you get me like a mirror , i had the jcb screen so it was compatable

[jinx]

My son would tell you that e-bay\'s cheap ones work just fine. Delivery from HK took a couple of days and fitting was straightforward even if he had to be brave with the tank cutter to install it in his friends Toyota. (The driver has not backed into anything since. I suggested getting them for the front and both sides to see if that will cure his other awareness issues )

Picture quality is really very good considering cost and it cuts over to infra-red when light levels drop below a fixed point.  The angle of view is very impressive with very nearly 180 degree coverage albeit with some inevitable (but acceptable) barrelling at the extremes. (Aim roughly at where you want to be and you should be unaffected!)

Cables were a bit short but it was being linked into the stereo display (it takes the screen over as reverse is engaged - the image is not flipped) so connections were all made in the boot under a false floor.

Two shaped flanges on the threaded barrel of the camera allowed it to be mounted perpendicular on any contour of bodywork and the camera body was marked to indicate a \'true north\' which keeps the picture level on screen.

Be warned: On the one he had the multi core cable was not protected where it joined the body of the camera. Cable really needed to be clamped securely to avoid it taking any strain if the plastic moulding it was mounted in had to be removed. The cores run straight to a very small circuit board and fragile solder connections.

If you really want one and given the price - it was a genuinely impressive little toy with a proper purpose. Have no idea how long it will last but as I say it only cost a few pounds and one evening\'s allowance of expletives to fit. It gave the \'customer\', \'fitter\' and \'chief spectator\' a huge laugh when it actually worked and is now apparently impressing young and gullible passengers in Tesco car parks all over South West London!

[rob]

i used to have a camera off a jcb mounted in the rear window of my fiesta but the issue is if you get a screen to watch it on it must have an image flip because what you will see will be backwards if you get me like a mirror , i had the jcb screen so it was compatable

Good point d-king, i guess this will be something to muck about with when i get it working - if indeed it is something changable

Cables were a bit short but it was being linked into the stereo display (it takes the screen over as reverse is engaged - the image is not flipped) so connections were all made in the boot under a false floor.

excellent reply jinx, thank you, i\'m off to ebay now to get one  Dont suppose you know how he wired it so it would automatically come on when he selected reverse do you?  I guess you could set up a \'live\' from the reversing light switch...but then i\'d like to work at other times too?

[d-king]

just put a switched live to it aswell as the reversing light live , that way you get the best of both worlds

[Merbals]

Just to let you know I have just brought a cheap Ripspead DVD from Halfords which was on special at £150 dropped from £300.  This has a small screan and also has inputs specificaly for reversing camera.  Its pretty much a bargain for how much i paid for it and the picture quality is amazing!

[d-king]

Is This A Pop Out Screen

[DaFox]

I\'ve had those cams from Hongkong. Picutre quality is spot-on during the day but it won\'t help you at all in the dark, even if you had reversing lights! My screen had an input for a switched live feed to activate the AV for the cam. Worked really well when hooked upto the reversing lamps plus you had the added option of manually selecting the camera if you wanted to see the cars you leave behind you.

[Merbals]

No the Ripspeed one I brought had a small screen built into the player but it can also drive external screens.  They did have a pop out screen one which was also on offer at £400 reduced to £200 which I brought 1st to try but it didn\'t fit in my FD as it was too deep to fit into the hole.  BUt more than happy with the one I have now. :chat

[rob]

I\'m hoping the one i\'ve bought should work in the dark - i bought it from a UK seller and he stated in the ad that it will work in almost zero light conditions!

It should arrive tomorrow, i\'ll test it and get some pics up if i can.....

[rob]

This is it rigged up at home, both pics are taken in the dark, the 1st pic is with the flash, but this still shows its dark in the room and the second with no flash - you can just about make out image of me taking a pic with my phone and the nine infra red LED\'s!