I am sure there are some good companies to go with out there for backup camera's, but I am quite confused at what I have been seeing on the net thus far. The B/W CRT monitor in the cockpit is not what I need to be viewing for a backup camera. I would love to have a larger (7" or so) color monitor with adjustable backup camera. Can anyone tell me if there is a zoom feature out there on the camera's so I can watch my trailer hitch mate up on the ball?
I have gotten a lot of good information on painting the coach, lets see what kind of information I can get on backup cameras.
Contact the expert, Tim at RV cams. He can answer all your questions and make recommendations.
RV Cams, Inc -- Backup Camera Systems and Parts (http://www.rvcams.com/Default.htm)
Does Tim also install the camera system? Do I purchase and bring to FOT? Just wondering what is the standard procedure for these camera systems. Has anyone had a camera system that they really liked and one that is easy to use?
Tim's only sells-no installation. FT wants to sell the systems they know, not foreign parts you hand them, in my experience.
Mot buys from Tim's and also installs customer equip. Live my upgrade
After reading this post and looking at the RVCam website I'm just curious if from anyone's experience if for the DIYer w/ a 91 U280 (or any of our FT for that matter) does Tim have a replacement rear cam that would allow using out cam cable and connecting to his monitor and rear cam?
Also, do any of his systems also make use of our coach monitoring items as well like volts, lp, water and dump tank viewing?
Just curious. I need another system and am not looking for deluxe. ...currently my monitor does that ole thing like old school tvs used to do when the horizontal hold would get out of wack and you'd have to smack the top of the set. I'd just like a clear crisp shot without bells and whistles.
Carl,
Yes Tim has a system that will work. In June I installed a camera and monitor that with adapters plugged in to my existing cable. Tim knows what adapters are necessary. My entire audit system with gauges work fine.
On Sunday, September 8, 2013, Carl Sandel wrote:
Don, is it in color?
I ran a voyager camera from rvcams into the CRT on my 97. Not color, not zoom. But the bigger monitor would have overwhelmed the dash look IMO.
Clarity is good enough to maybe run another line up to a to be installed as of yet big screen TV in my coach for just that kind of use.
Bob
Have a larger color screen Voyager with the IR nite lighting (amazing), MOT did it, love it. With tank display.
Your camera end has either a BNC (I'm pretty sure) or RCA connector and a 12V RCA plug. Tim will know that. That is the replacement type you want. When I bought my last one (from him) I had to buy an adapter at Radio Snark to get it to work. Very easy job. I wrote up my replacement with pics a few years back. Color camera and TFT monitor.
Carl
I adjusted the horizontal hold on my original monitor and it worked fine until I replaced it with a colour LED monitor.
This is not difficult to do:
Remove the outer cover.
Turn monitor "on".
Use an insulated, small, long handle "slot" screw driver to adjust the horizontal hold "pot". There are several "pots" which are identified on the circuit board. Be very careful because there is very high voltage in places. Make small adjustments while watching the monitor.
Dave
I used appropriate cable ends from "Radio Shack" which I soldered onto the cables. The monitor I purchased from MOT had a mini sterio jack for power and S-video connectors for two camera inputs.
Wyatt,
You gave a thought, what would be needed to provide the mirror cams L&R display & return to rear camera when turn sigs off ? Any ideas switching wise ?
Thank you all gentlemen, as always I appreciate ya'll.
Dave M
You would have three cameras, a rear view, a right view and a left view.
A normally closed relay would connect the rear view.
A normally open relay would connect the right view and a seperate normally open relay would connect the left view. A diode would connect the left (or right) signal trigger to the rear view trigger.
Left signal 12v power would trigger the left relay (on) and the rear view relay (off), while the right signal would trigger the right relay (on) and the rear view relay (off).
A short piece of coax cable would connect the monitor input to the relay cluster and coax leads to right and left cameras would connect to the relay cluster. All coax grounds would be connected together and center wires would go to the appropriate relays.
The camera signal wires (center in the coax) would not be shielded near and through the relays, so may introduce some noise in the picture. Testing would reveal this. If noise occurred, the relays could be mounted inside a grounded metal box, however, the trigger signals could still introduce noise.
I think this is a great idea and wonder if someone has already done it with electronic SCR type switching, which would provide better switching then mechanical relays!
I will experiment with this when in California this winter.
Wyatt, Thanks, agree the relay would be easy but take space, if a module was available would be Good, thanks.
Bill Chaplin has such an installation in his 1993 U300.