Question: Dual Camera Kit for Vehicle and Trailer

Ian,
Our reversing cameras can be changed from on all the time with the flick of a switch or turned off so they only operate in reverse. They also will show objects at 50 metres, although I can't remember if the objects are in focus. Pity I just got home or I could have jumped on a machine and checked for you.

RA.

Hi Ian,

I've emailed your question to our supplier and have been informed that yes, the camera can be set to always be on via the installation of a trick switch by an auto electrician. While there is no zoom on the camera, it's image should be more than enough to show a car at 50m behind the trailer.

Just let me know if you have any further questions.

I have a two camera system from "Safety Dave" in Victoria. I have wired the Monitor through a toggle switch on my dash (not through the reverse light wiring) so that it may be turned on or off at will. The monitor has two channels for camera 1 or 2. I leave it on(camera 2) when towing the van and the visible distance to the rear is approx 60 to 70 metres. Cheers,Bob

Any camera and monitor system can be rigged to be on all the time.....and legally.

Some of the european supercars have no internal rearvision mirror, because they have no rear window. they have a camera and monitor.....so it has to be lagal now...yes i have checked the regs.....inQLD anyway.

I have a 120 deg camera on the back of my hilux and it is on all the time.....if you expect a normal rearvision field of view, you wont get it from a 120 deg camera.

The 120 deg camera is pretty good at close quarters and you can see stuff quite some distance back, but there is no way you can judge distance...an a following car at 50 meters will be a bit bigger than spot.

The human field of view is arround 90deg, the normal rear vision mirror narrows that considerably.

to have a more or less normal rear vision field of view I recon you would have to be looking at arround 60 deg or narrower.

But perhaps we need to think about rear vision cameras differently.

I drive by my exteriour morrors and pretty well always have.....

My camera is mounted high ( about 6 feet off the road surface) and pointed for distance rather than down right behind the car.

What the 120 degree camera does for me is, shows me that there is stuff in my blind spots, and better than any rear vision mirror ever could...a least in reasonably good light.

At about 10 meters back I can see three full lanes in my monitor.

I can see the road about 2.5 - 3 meters behind the bumper.

I've only had it in a couple of weeks, but I'm getting quite fond of it.

I was originally going to fit a narrower camera for my highshot...but now I don't think so.
This arrangement shows me almost everything I cant see in my exteriour mirrors.

My latest order has just arrived & I'll be fitting my second 120 deg camera under the tray for my towbar shot..and that will give me full road surface behind my vehicle almost back as far as my mudflaps.

If you want to do other stuff, remember the cameras don't necessarily have to be reversing cameras....as long as you have a monitor that inverts, any 12 volt CCTV camera will work and long as it will cop the environment.

If you can find somewhere to put it go the big monitor 3 1/2 inches is a peephole... 7 inches is good.

cheers