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Old 03-18-2013, 05:03 PM   #1
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HD Backup Camera?

I have a 2013 AS with the Pyle 7" monitor and the (Pioneer?) camera.

Although I think the 7" monitor is really nice, the low resolution, poor night visibility and washout from the brake lights (more of a placement issue then the fault of the camera though)

Has anyone replaced part of all of this system with anything else that found significantly better?

Also, has anyone added a 2nd camera to better see how close you are when backing up then you can with the stock camera? The camera isn't pointed down far enough to see the rear bumper and something without a 170° field of vision would be better as well.

The Pyle ships from the factory with a license plate mounted camera, but I think AS just tosses it and using the after market camera instead. Not sure why they don't just hook up both. Especially since you could run one of the cameras to the Stereo and be able to see both at once when backing up.
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Old 03-18-2013, 05:26 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jquayle View Post
The Pyle ships from the factory with a license plate mounted camera, but I think AS just tosses it and using the after market camera instead. Not sure why they don't just hook up both. Especially since you could run one of the cameras to the Stereo and be able to see both at once when backing up.
According to information gleaned from the Mercedes owner's manual, Sprinters come off the assembly line with a rear-view camera mounted above the doors, but a dashboard-mounted monitor, as optional equipment. I think Airstream uses the stock Sprinter camera, and the Pyle monitor. But I might be wrong about that.

I've never really noticed a problem with the camera and monitor setup, thanks to the external mirror setup. By tilting the convex mirrors on both sides downward, so that you can see the pavement by the rear wheels, and leaving the flat mirrors adjusted normally, I've had no problem backing my Interstate, even in a parking lot, without looking at the camera at all.

That said, the idea of using a second camera (on a licence plate mount) for a more horizontal view and less of a fish-eye view from a bird's-eye perspective, is not a bad idea. The Pyle unit will accept input from two cameras, even though it will only display one at a time.
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Old 03-18-2013, 05:33 PM   #3
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The camera AS uses is definitely a 3rd party. The manual for it is in with all the other 3rd party paperwork. I can't remember if it's a Pioneer or Alpine, but I do remember that it wasn't a Kenwood.

The problem isn't so much getting straight in a parking spot, it's when backing up against a wall or street light or something. Since the AS is already a bit long for normal parking spots, I try to backup as much a possible without hitting anything.
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Old 03-18-2013, 05:52 PM   #4
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The camera AS uses is definitely a 3rd party. The manual for it is in with all the other 3rd party paperwork. I can't remember if it's a Pioneer or Alpine, but I do remember that it wasn't a Kenwood.
Sprinters don't normally come with a Kenwood head unit in the dash, either. Airstream adds those. But I'll take your word on the 3rd-party camera. My manual package didn't include a manual for the camera. Or the water heater, or the LPG detector, or the retractable step, so not having the manual for the camera certainly doesn't necessarily mean it's original equipment.
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