Andy- You are correct the directions which came with the unit do not say not to connect in any other fashion, but are very, very specific to only connect to your back-up lighting wire. As I have now mentioned twice, when you go to RoadMaster's website to the FAQ section as I inserted in the above post, any other wiring of the unit will void the warranty. PLEASE go to the manufacturors website for your self. Hey, if I could just hook the darn thing up to the plate wire and let it run all the time and not have to worry about what the company that makes the thing says my life is easier and my wiring project complete!
I have the camera under test as of about an hour ago. I will run it continuous for one week.
Hello Jim- OK, I am really confussed. According to RoadMaster, unit is not to be left on for any long period of time, camera will over-heat. Other than wiring the camera unit into your back-up lighting wire warranty will be void. I have been playing with the unit in our car and we get a pretty good picture from inside but when mounted outside the picture is improved. I have a little switch on the camera power line right now while I play around with it. My goal is to connect it to the back of our Safari for an extra set of eyes when backing into those small SP sites. Hence my call for help in trying to figure out wether there is a back-up light wire in the tail light harness of my Safari. If anyone has any ideas on that I would appreciate hearing from you. I had also memtioned to Andy the warranty concerns after his comments of hooking the camera up to your parking lights, which would also void the warranty. If I can not find the wire in the Safari I might have to be happy with it just mounted on my TV for hitching up.
No confusion here. I don’t care about the warranty. I have soldered a cigarette lighter plug onto the camera and plug it into the socket inside the trailer pointing the camera out the back window. I plan to cut the ears off of the camera and put Velcro on the little square cube and move it around. Mount in the back window of the trailer when on the road, mount on the trailer looking at the truck hitch when hitching. I will grab power from the batteries on the tongue of the trailer. Use it for it a security camera at night. I might even make a little battery pack and put in a tree looking at a birds nest. If I find the signal to weak I will open the camera and maybe the receive and analyze the antenna system and may rework it. If the camera runs hot I will add a heat sink, see no confusion. Remember warranties are made to be voided.
No confusion here. I don’t care about the warranty. I have soldered a cigarette lighter plug onto the camera and plug it into the socket inside the trailer pointing the camera out the back window. I plan to cut the ears off of the camera and put Velcro on the little square cube and move it around. Mount in the back window of the trailer when on the road, mount on the trailer looking at the truck hitch when hitching. I will grab power from the batteries on the tongue of the trailer. Use it for it a security camera at night. I might even make a little battery pack and put in a tree looking at a birds nest. If I find the signal to weak I will open the camera and maybe the receive and analyze the antenna system and may rework it. If the camera runs hot I will add a heat sink, see no confusion. Remember warranties are made to be voided.
Jim
Hello Jim! Sounds like you have a plan. Perhaps you can offer an after-market adaptor kit! Maybe I am just being too careful, but $100 is a $100! If you can in fact get them at Wal*Mart for $50, I would run out and get another one. We have two Wal*Marts in are area but they are small, always messy, never have anything and no one speaks English. I wonder where the nearest Super Store is?
__________________ J. Rick Cipot Sandi Gould NEUNew England Unit Airstream Life Magazine WBCCI #3411 AIR #17099
Has anyone tried this unit on the back of an Airstream to see if the signal is strong enough?
What are the 2 extra controls that are on some units? (some have 2 buttons, some have 4).
Good morning-
I have been playing with this thing for the past several days and on the back of our 22' Safari there is no problem at all with the signal. The unit with four buttons which is the one most of us have been discussing does the four following functions; ON/Off; change orientation of image on display; contrast; brightness.
Right now E-Trailer is having a sale, buy two for $98.00 each.
__________________ J. Rick Cipot Sandi Gould NEUNew England Unit Airstream Life Magazine WBCCI #3411 AIR #17099
Heat will definitely shorten the life of any electronics. If the unit is mount outside and has good airflow then this may never be a problem. Might be a problem only in the summer. Some units may last a year and some less than a week. However, with the manufacturers caution you can be sure that it is not designed for constant use. Sort of like trailer tires. You can ignore the manufacturers recommendations and you might never have a problem... then again "Ask yourself, do you feel luckey?"
Since web cams don't seem to have a heat problem with constant use I can only assume the trouble with this unit comes from a combination of the transmitter, the voltage transformer (12VDC to ??) and the fact it's all nicely sealed into a small package.
Range is going to be effected by how much shielding is between the transmitter and reciever. Metal is pretty effective at blocking radio waves. The transmit and recieve antenas are also going to be directional. Inside the trailer sounds like a good option. No airflow but since it wouldn't need to be weather tight maybe the case can be vented. What I've found is that no airflow is no good but that you don't need a lot to make a lot of difference.
Posted: 11/07/06 07:05pm Link | Quote | Print | Notify Moderator I see Costco is selling these for 89.95. Has anyone used one of these on their FW? They look pretty neat but afraid that the distance from camera to monitor would be to great to get a signal.
Just south of Boston MA
Senior Member
Joined: 03/25/2005 View Profile Offline
Posted: 11/07/06 08:07pm Link | Quote | Print | Notify Moderator Your question got me searching, I found it! They are made by Roadmaster, a discount auto electronic mnfg. The answer to your question is "25-30ft under optimal conditions. See the FAQ web page at FAQ answer
I knew it was to good to be true. Oh they are also sold at wallyword.
I could be wrong, your mileage may vary
Doug & Jan
06 2500HD 6.6L D/A SB
28/33 Titanium
Altadena, CA
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Joined: 07/27/2004 View Profile
Posted: 11/07/06 10:26pm Link | Quote | Print | Notify Moderatorrollexx wrote:
I see Costco is selling these for 89.95. Has anyone used one of these on their FW? They look pretty neat but afraid that the distance from camera to monitor would be to great to get a signal.
Pure junk! No auto adjust for bright light conditions. My buddy and I both had units that went bad shortly after we purchased them. The mfgr. told both of us the camera is not designed for constant use, only occassional. Which means the reliability is horrible and failures start happening after 10s of hours...
California, MD
Senior Member
Joined: 08/15/2005 View Profile Offline
Posted: 11/08/06 06:14am Link | Quote | Print | Notify Moderator BOught 2, returned them. They didn't have enough range to reach the back of my trailer. Actually, they didn't have enough range to reach the back of my truck.
Tom
Wife, 2 girls 10 & 8, 2 mini schnauzers (6 mos old)
2005 Toyota Tundra Double Cab SR5 4x2
2005 Toyota Sienna XLE 2006 Rockwood Roo 23SS with all the fixins
You can tow a train with your teeth, but you shouldn't.
Well, se certainly have seen a complete range of opinions on this one haven't we? From Andy saying leave it on forever, no problem, to people claiming it pure junk, won't last 10 hours. So gentlemen, where do we go from here? I thought this was going to be simple!
__________________ J. Rick Cipot Sandi Gould NEUNew England Unit Airstream Life Magazine WBCCI #3411 AIR #17099
Well, se certainly have seen a complete range of opinions on this one haven't we? From Andy saying leave it on forever, no problem, to people claiming it pure junk, won't last 10 hours. So gentlemen, where do we go from here? I thought this was going to be simple!
Test report.
Camera is 55 feet away from the monitor, inside a tilt up building. The signal must go through at least three walls and a ceiling.
The reception is very good even at that distance.
This unit has been on for 22 hours with a voltage of 13.5 volts.
The camera has been examined with an infra red thermometer. It's temperature is 17 degrees above the ambient of 70 degrees.
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