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Reverse Camera In The Front? Anybody Do This?

munepit

munepit

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There was a couple times on the last wheeling trip where I almost ran over a Jeep. Also I was missing rocks I needed to hit, and hitting rocks I needed to miss. I was thinking a camera up front would help a lot. I was on an uphill rock outcroping, and couldnt see anything but stars! Is this a good or bad idea? Anybody done this?
 
If your riding trails you don't know and you need it then go for it. You can get stuff cheap off eBay so it shouldn't be to expensive
 
Isnt this what spotters are for?

I guess it would serve the purpose and its definitely not the first time I've seen it done.
 
The run I was on, there were 16 rigs. Only in the realy hairy spots there was a spotter. The other times I was solo. A few times someone would say, better hit this one certain rock or your done. I happen to hit it, luckily I did, but I couldn't see it. It was just an idea. I might try if after I complete a couple more projects first. I have only done snow and mud in this rig. So, uphill on rocks is a new challenge. I love it so far. I was scared a few times. I need that in my life right now.
 
Man, that would be so simple you would be amazed.
In fact, you have given me an idea.
I might just design up a kit.
The deluxe one would have 10 cameras. One looking fore and aft on each wheel, one each watching clearance on the front and rear chunks.
Of course, I would offer a basic kit, anywhere from one to the full set of cameras. And expandable. Just add cams.

Since we would not need high resolution or color, I could sell the cams for about $50 each and make a profit.
I would have to come up with a housing of some kind to keep dirt and water off of them.
Oops, if I have to make a housing anyway, I could go board level and sell them for $30 plus the case.

Munepit,if you or anyone else wants to play around with this, let me know. I think I have a couple of board level ones laying around.
They run off of 12V, should stand the 14.5 OK, and output standard 1V P to P video.

You would have to come up with a case. These are just naked boards with a lens attached. You just hook up the power and the video comes out the other wire. The whole camera is about 1.25 inches square.

You would also have to find some kind of viewer that takes standard composite video.

Unless you can find one of those rear view cams in a junkyard, I would not bother. They are really pricey.
But you do get the monitor.....
 
Fordum said:
Man, that would be so simple you would be amazed.
In fact, you have given me an idea.
I might just design up a kit.
The deluxe one would have 10 cameras. One looking fore and aft on each wheel, one each watching clearance on the front and rear chunks.
Of course, I would offer a basic kit, anywhere from one to the full set of cameras. And expandable. Just add cams.

Since we would not need high resolution or color, I could sell the cams for about $50 each and make a profit.
I would have to come up with a housing of some kind to keep dirt and water off of them.
Oops, if I have to make a housing anyway, I could go board level and sell them for $30 plus the case.

Munepit,if you or anyone else wants to play around with this, let me know. I think I have a couple of board level ones laying around.
They run off of 12V, should stand the 14.5 OK, and output standard 1V P to P video.

You would have to come up with a case. These are just naked boards with a lens attached. You just hook up the power and the video comes out the other wire. The whole camera is about 1.25 inches square.

You would also have to find some kind of viewer that takes standard composite video.

Unless you can find one of those rear view cams in a junkyard, I would not bother. They are really pricey.
But you do get the monitor.....
Click to expand...


Then all you'll need is a remote control so you can wheel while you're back at camp...:D
 
You and I think alike. A backup camera on the front of my rig is on my list of things to do.
 
There's a guy in my club who's installed enough cameras so he can drive the truck with the windows blacked out. He has 5 screens or something like that.

I've installed a litte wireless backup camera on my K5. This one has small optics, and it's basically a fisheye lens - covers a wide angle, but also has plenty of distortion. It's useful to see if there is something in the blind area behind the truck, but the optical distortion makes it difficult to use it as the sole guide for driving backwards. The fisheye lens affects judgement of distance. Given that my truck has hi-steer, the thought has occurred to me that I could put cameras on the knuckles...

In my group, the rule is that anyone can get a spotter at any given time - you just have to say so on the radio. Spotting someone through an obstacle takes much less time than a recovery, or fixing a broken truck.
 
If you have a Fry's Electronics in your area just go buy a bullet camera, they are 12v. I had one on the front pass side of my burb but removed it since i'm trying not to wheel it anymore. No need to complicate it, camera/lcd screen... done. Iirc the camera's I bought were 60ish bucks and waterproof.
 
Here you go-

aug024.jpg


The one on the right sits on my dirtbike helmet, the one on the left was on the burb. Nice and compact, compare the size to the rca's on the right camera.
 
just go to walmart or pep boys or something.
they have the reverse camera kit for like $60. its mounted on a bar so that it would bolt to the top 2 license plate bolts.
no use reinventing the wheel.

like said earlier, the cameral lense is a joke but just for helping you pick lines should work, for the harder stuff you'll ahve the spotter anyway.
 
Smokinthehippies said:
just go to walmart or pep boys or something.
they have the reverse camera kit for like $60. its mounted on a bar so that it would bolt to the top 2 license plate bolts.
no use reinventing the wheel.

like said earlier, the cameral lense is a joke but just for helping you pick lines should work, for the harder stuff you'll ahve the spotter anyway.
Click to expand...

I tried the one costco sold and it wasn't long before it filled with water :dunno:.
Those setups are garbage and the screens are tiny. I would definately go with a waterproof camera and at least a 7" lcd if doing this.
 
I think some of the back up cameras reverse the image so it's like using a rear-view mirror. But I don't know if it's the camera or the monitor doing it.
 
Its the camera.
Munepit, if its reverse your looking for then hop on ebay where you can find the bullet style with the reverse image.
 
Blue85 said:
I think some of the back up cameras reverse the image so it's like using a rear-view mirror. But I don't know if it's the camera or the monitor doing it.
Click to expand...

I have said $60 camera (wired into the back-up light, wireless transmitter finagled in thru tailgate, screen plugged into cig lighter); the image on the screen can be reversed if you choose.
 
something thats been on my wish-list for along time although im not sure exactly how to keep mud and water from sticking to the lense and ruining your view. Definitley would like to see a build thread if you do it
 
Some bullet cameras are waterproof, some are not.
Make sure it says.
I had one laying around that I mounted on a plow so that the guy farming my place did not have to drive his tractor while facing backwards when he was doing the first plow of freshly sprouted corn.
They use a shield that keeps the dirt from covering up the corn while uprooting the weeds.
But, you have to be very exact so that the corn goes in-between the shields.
I mounted the camera looking forward through the shields and mounted a small 12v tv on the hood of the tractor.

Worked great until the first rainstorm.

As for the dirt and water on the lens, just glue a piece of flat glass over the lens, clean it with Rain-X, and mount a small hose from the windshield washer next to it with a small sprayer aimed at the glass.

C'mon folks, I do stuff like this for a living and fun. You got to get up earlier than that to stump me.
 
I rarely had a problem with dirt and water. If this is for a wheeler going to the trouble of aiming a hose at the lens is kinda...well... seems you could put your rig in park, hop out and wipe it off. Who wheels at speeds that would warrant a lens cleaning system? One more thing to keep working when rigs have enough already.This is REALLY SIMPLE if someone wants to do it.
 
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