Points to Consider Before Buying a Reverse Camera

Reverse Cameras have become important safety aids for the more expensive or upper end vehicle brands. Could You fit and use one, Of course you can.

WHAT IS A REVERSE CAMERA?
A Reverse Camera is a camera fitted to the rear of the car, RV, caravan, truck or even boat to name a few applications.

A monitor is placed in the car in front of the driver and is activated when the car is placed in reverse either from one of the reversing lights or the switch on the gearbox

THE REVERSE CAMERA AS A SAFETY AID!
The Reversing camera is a logical progression from parking sensors. Cameras allow the driver to monitor the rear bumper and beyond.

Most vehicles tested that do not have cameras have obvious reversing blind spots.Test results indicate that cars with reversing cameras can vastly improve rear visibility.

THE FITTING OF A REVERSE CAMERA KIT
The Fitting of the camera is not all that difficult. But you should probably get it fitted by a professional as in most cases you must cut into the bodywork of the car(not always). The camera must also be placed in the right position as get maximum exposure at the rear of the vehicle

The monitor fits either on or in the dashboard. But the most popular fit over the existing rear view mirror with straps. The wiring is the most time consuming, although the newer kits are "Wireless",you still have to connect to the power and reversing switch which is not that difficult.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT
Since it's extremely unsafe for the driver to be required to switch the system on manually every time he or she wants to reverse, it's important that the reverse camera system has the ability to switch on automatically

A reverse camera system should have the capability to produce a 'mirror' (or 'reverse') image through the camera or monitor.If a system has not listed this feature, then it probably does not have the feature

CMOS AND CCD THE FIELD OF VIEW
The field of view provided by any camera is determined by a combination of image sensor size and lens. The larger the image sensor, the wider the field of view. However, a larger image sensor does not always guarantee. While a 90 degree field of view may be sufficient for some smaller vehicles, a 120 degree field is ideal.

You should always try and use a high quality CCD imager from a well known manufacturer. If the system you require doesn't state that it utilizes a "CCD" image sensor, then it probably doesn't.

NIGHT VISION
Always consider purchasing a reverse camera system that does include night vision illumination. The infrared illuminators should provide a minimum of 10 feet of illumination, and 20 to 30 feet or more of illumination is strongly recommended

WIRED VS WIRELESS SYSTEMS
One important fact is that most of the wireless systems have fragile antennas on the camera and receiver that must be aimed directly at each other. Most have antennas that are easily broken during normal use.

I prefer a wired system for reliability. If you really require a wireless rear view system, then you will have to settle for a lower quality picture due to interference etc, always go for top quality in this regard.

More and more vehicle makers are incorporating reverse cameras into their units primarily to prevent the increasing amount of accidents during reversing.