Our Land Rover Defender is extremely difficult to see out the back of. We have the drawer system and on top of that a shelf system which houses the fridge, boxes, bags, etc. Behind all of that is the spare. Not easy to safely reverse, and I came very close to nudging someone the other day that I swore was clear but wasn't quite.
I've decided to get a camera system to help out - not just for seeing rearward pedestrians in the car park, but for reversing into tight camping spots and general reversing. Only problem I found is that they aren't cheap. Systems were looking like $4-800 for the camera, wiring and monitor. I have only a small area in the Defender dash so can't have a 7" monitor which is the norm - it just wouldn't fit anywhere. I found the $700-odd din-sized slide-out ones looked too fragile, and would certainly fall apart because of corrugations and dust.
So.... I found one on eBay out of..you guessed it...China. $130.00 delivered to my door in
Sydney. Not bad!!!! There's no reason that the camera shouldn't be as high quality as the Jaycar unit - it's probably the same one. The screen should go for years too. We'll see how it all likes living inside a 4WD over time. Anyway - for $130.00 who's arguing.
The camera looks like the Jaycar unit (with the swivel mount) that they sell for that price alone. Here are the specs:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
* 2.5" TFT Screen
* Can be operated inside your car or at
home
* Plays DVD/VCD/VCR/CCTV/Rear View Camera
* Resolution (336,960 pixels)
* Build In Speaker
* NTSC/PAL system auto switch
* With Volumn/Color/Brightness adjustments
* Thin Film Transistor (TFT)
* Power Supply: 12V DC ± 10%
* Image Sensor: Color CMOS
* Electronic Shutter time: Auto PAL;1/60-1/100,000 Second
* Number of Pixels: PAL 510(H)x492(V)
* Horizontal resolution:380 TV Lines
* Operating Temperature: -10 to +50 Degree C
* Camera size: 30mm x 42mm
* Monitor Size: 75x59x27mm
Jacks:
* RCA type Video and Audio Input
* DC input: 12v/400mA
Accessories:
* 1 x 2.5 inch TFT LCD Display
* 1 x Car Rear View Color Camera
* 12V car cigarette adapter included
* RCA cable