[wileetundra]

I just purchased 4 wireless waterproof night vision color cameras. They are fairly small and come with a wireless receiver that has a remote control as well as hard-wired video inputs and switching capability. All units operate on 12V DC so I plan to mount the receiver inside the center console and the cameras on the outside of the Tundra. Two cameras on the front corners of the bed rails angled towards the blind spots, one camera in the front angled down toward the bumper, and one camera in the rear angled straight back.

This will allow me to switch camera views at any time from inside the cab. I can also set the receiver to auto-rotate the views. This should be helpful when parking in tight spots, changing lanes in traffic, or backing up with a big trailer or camper in tow. I have already figured out how to enable the video display on the NAV unit with an override switch. The only thing I still need to know is whether the backup camera feeds the video signal into the NAV unit via standard RCA connectors or as part of the factory molex connectors?

The equipment should arrive in a few days so I was hoping to find out from someone that has already taken their dash apart and looked at the NAV unit connectors. Also, I plan to disable the motion signal into the NAV so all the functions will be available even while the truck is in flight. Too bad they didn't just ship it that way to begin with... would have saved me a lot of aggravation...

 

[lemon.lib]

Please ! Please ! Please !


With sugar on top....Please !

do tell....!!!!




thanks
Lemon

 

[Kalidor]

Wow! I would love to see how you pull all that off! Sounds cool, would you be able to connect the side cameras to switch Left/Right when you switch on the turn signal automatically?

 

[wileetundra]

Wow! I would love to see how you pull all that off! Sounds cool, would you be able to connect the side cameras to switch Left/Right when you switch on the turn signal automatically?

Yes, I plan to do just that. The equipment hasn't arrived yet but I am 80% sure that I can make the cameras auto-select when the turn signals are switched on. All you need is a relay wired to each turn signal and then connected to the manual switching inputs on the camera receiver. First I want to get the receiver installed and make sure the cameras / NAV override switch work as planned before I hookup any relays or other options. Should be pretty nice when it is all done.

 

[wileetundra]

The camera equipment just arrived and it is awesome. 4 small metal waterproof wireless cameras which are gray and will blend in with the interior of my Tundra. They show great color images by day and very clear grayscale images by night vision which lights up to about 40' from the lens.

I plan to mount two of them in the top inside corners of the rear window pointed out and back towards the blind spots. The third camera will go in the front grill angled down toward the road and front bumper. The fourth camera will be mounted on a magnetic base so I can attach it to the exterior of the truck or trailer on the fly.

The camera switcher is very small so it will be easy to mount inside the center console. Everything runs on 12V DC and nothing uses more than 2 watts or about 500ma maxium. All I need to do now is open the dash and install the switches to bypass the NAV video disable feature so I can watch video while the truck is moving. This weekend will be a busy time in my garage... ;-)

 

[99Runner]

Just what we need people watching videos will they are driving

 

[grpweld]

Cool, Post pic's A.S.A.P. Please

 

[2007TundraSR5]

yes, please post how-to this would be awesome!
props to you mann....

 

[Kalidor]

Dont forget one more camera under the glove-box toward the passenger seat...sneak a peak of your date!

 

[Kalidor]

So what's the status on this WileETundra?

 

[wileetundra]

I received the camera system which came with 4 wireless color night vision cameras with audio, a very tiny receiver, and a remote control. Everything runs on 12V DC and I tested it out in the truck several times. The quality is amazing, much better than I had hoped. In fact it was so good that I am debating whether to use this system on my home and just get some cheaper cameras for the Tundra. I have learned a number of things while testing and preparing for the installation:

It’s probably not a good idea to mount the cameras outside the truck. Rain easily fogs up the tailgate camera which is mostly covered so this would probably be even more of a problem if the additional cameras were mounted on the bed rails as I had initially planned. Not to mention that theft and vandalism would be more likely. I decided to mount them inside the back window in the top or bottom corners.

Mounting the cameras inside the cab will remove most of the need for a wireless system. I can just run the video lines behind the rear seat and up behind the dash. This will also eliminate any signal interference which might have occurred when driving or using other electronics.

The cameras need to be fixed focus or have a manual focus adjustment. If not then they will focus on the glass in the back window.

Night vision mode is helpful but you need cameras with at least 10-20 infrared LED emitters to light up the blind spots, and you have to be careful with the mounting angle or the infrared light will be reflected off the glass in the back window and cause bright spots.

Audio sensors are not needed on the cameras so save yourself some money and have one less wire to worry about.

Building a custom-switching circuit is more complex than I originally envisioned. The actual wiring and construction is easy, it's the logic which I can't decide on. What if you are in reverse and have the turn signal on at the same time? What if you are only turning but you still want to look at the rear camera view to watch the trailer hitch sway through the turn? What if you have the hazard lights on which might normally trigger both blind spot cameras simultaneously? What if you want to keep watching one or more of the camera views even after you are back in drive with no turn signals at all? After considering at least a dozen different programming modes I decided on a revised approach which would be more versatile and also easier to install:

I purchased a camera sequencer with 4 inputs and an adjustable dwell function. It is small and runs on 12V DC also so it will be easy to hide. Each camera can be individually blocked out, locked on, or added to the rotation when viewing in sequential mode. The dwell adjustment can be set from 1-60 seconds for each camera. I will hook the left blind spot camera to feed # 1, rear view camera to feed #2, and right blind spot camera to feed # 3 with the dwell set to 2 seconds. Normally no video will display on the NAV unless I am in reverse, in which case all 3 views will be displayed for just 2 seconds each. This gives me a better more comprehensive view when backing up and the delay is short enough that I shouldn’t miss anything. If I want to lock on to a particular camera or block it out completely then I just flip the override switch for that camera. If I want to view the cameras while in any other gear then I just hit the override switch to make the NAV unit think I am in reverse.

The only drawback to the approach above is that all 3 cameras will show the safety disclaimer on the bottom edge of the screen since the NAV will be in reverse mode all the time. If this bothers me enough then I will tap into the rear seat DVD circuit so I can fool the NAV into thinking that I am parked and it is ok to display the video input on the front screen. This will get rid of the safety disclaimer while also switching on the sound input, so I could hook a small portable DVD player or IPOD to the sequencer and watch movies any time (of course only the passenger would watch while I am driving).

Currently this project is on hold while I shop for new cameras and finish installation of my other mods (BAKFlip cover, bed light, backup buzzer, train horn, alarm system sensor on the tailgate, custom badges, programmable siren for alarm system, 110 AC outlet in the bed, etc.)
I have some of the mods done now and others are in-progress. Most should be done within the next 2 weeks. My ears are still ringing from the train horn test earlier today, but that is for another thread…