Re: Wireless Monitor and Camera
Reply #2 –
My installation of the wireless backup system was almost completely successful. I used the system on our recent 1000-mile round trip to NAC, and was extremely happy to have a working rear camera. The wireless part of the system works perfectly. There were no drop-outs, no interference from other vehicles or our own Wi-F- devices, and no jumpy images. The size and placement of the monitor worked great - it was very "natural" for me to look in that direction. I had several favorable comments from the FOT employees who were moving my coach around the crowded parking lot - they really liked using the back-up camera.
The only problem I have with this particular system is the accuracy of the color rendition. Since Day 1 the color has not been right! Originally, I was so happy to have a working back-up camera that I ignored the color problem. After the "new" wore off, however, I was less pleased. I expect a high-def color camera and monitor to be able to produce reasonably accurate color. Red cars should be red, green grass should be green, a school bus should be yellow. With this system, the colors are mostly all different shades of PURPLE-BROWN. Green grass is brown or purple (and no, it's not just because we live in West TX), a red fence is brown, cars are muted brownish hues... No adjustment of the monitor corrects this problem. The "color" adjustment just makes the brown tones brighter or darker...the "tint" adjustment goes from purple at one extreme to a sickly greenish hue at the other, but then EVERYTHING is that not-normal greenish hue. I tried everything I could adjust - nothing fixes it.
So I called Tadi Brothers, and explained my problem. Their first response was to send me a 2nd monitor - which took a week to get here, and after I swapped them out looked exactly the same. So I called again. This time they said they would send me a replacement camera. After waiting another week and no package, I called again. They were "out of stock", and waiting for a shipment. At that time we had to leave for our trip to NAC, so I went with what we had. When we returned home after a week, the 2nd camera was waiting for me. I just got it hooked up this morning, and IT DOES EXACTLY THE SAME THING!
So, 2 different cameras, and 2 different monitors, and I can't get decent color rendition. I'm running out of ideas. Today I will connect one of the cameras and monitors together with a video cable, and see how they work in a wired configuration. Will report back ASAP on that.
Tadi Brothers has been willing to send me replacement units (shipped the slowest way possible) to try to correct the problem, but I haven't gotten ANY actual technical assistance when I called. I don't want to bad-mouth them (yet), but I also want people to understand that based on my experience, there MAY be some quality problems with some of the equipment they sell, and it MAY be worthwhile to consider other vendors before you spend your money.
If anyone has any ideas on what could be causing my color rendition problems, I'd be glad to hear them!
The photo below is from my original post. I thought (back then) that the funky colors were the result of my photographic skills, but that is REALLY what the monitor looks like. The weeds directly behind the coach are actually light brown. However, the grass on the other side of the chain link fence is actually bright green, and the little tree in the upper left corner is also healthy green! The tree (upper right corner) behind the "redwood" colored wooden fence is a evergreen, and is also bright green. The Mesquite bushes way out behind the coach are light green. The blue sky actually looks pretty good here, but the rest of the colors are WAY off.
Topic: Wireless Monitor and Camera