Made a wireless backup camera system cheaply

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by daigle01

Great find for $115! Add $20 for the rechargeable battery pack that I ordered and you still paid less than I did just for the system at Walmart!

How do you recharge the battery pack?

[daigle01]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

How do you recharge the battery pack?

The battery pack fits into the camera where the batteries go and you use the AC adapter that comes with the camera to charge it. The light turns green when fully charged.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by daigle01

The battery pack fits into the camera where the batteries go and you use the AC adapter that comes with the camera to charge it. The light turns green when fully charged.

Thank you very much. Just ordered the battery pack.

[daigle01]

You are welcome. This forum has been really helpful and has given me so many ideas. Now just to find the time to do them.

[daigle01]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Excellent idea.

Glad to hear more positive reports of the system.

Thank you for finding this camera system and sharing. Will be helpful to see what is behind me on the highway and also when backing up.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by daigle01

Will be helpful to see what is behind me on the highway and also when backing up.

Well who knows, being that we're both in Louisiana, that may be me you see in the camera one day.

[Doering]

Anyone north of the border able to locate a location in Canada to buy this GE wireless camera and monitor?

[Doering]

The amount of time I have spent trying to track one down for purchase is ridiculous. Only used ones on ebay and Amazon. No trouble getting an extra camera, but when it comes to the entire unit - dead end.
I have found similar units but they are often $100-200 more. Extra quality not needed for this application. BTW, I'm an expert on baby monitors now!
Walmart and Lowes in the US seem to regularly stock them. Lowes price is higher. Found a couple of distributors, but they don't ship to Canada.
The vast majority of reviews I have found are positive. At one point I thought they may be going out of production, but I don't think so. Seems that they have only been available for about 2 years.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Doering

The amount of time I have spent trying to track one down for purchase is ridiculous. Only used ones on ebay and Amazon. No trouble getting an extra camera, but when it comes to the entire unit - dead end.
I have found similar units but they are often $100-200 more. Extra quality not needed for this application. BTW, I'm an expert on baby monitors now!
Walmart and Lowes in the US seem to regularly stock them. Lowes price is higher. Found a couple of distributors, but they don't ship to Canada.
The vast majority of reviews I have found are positive. At one point I thought they may be going out of production, but I don't think so. Seems that they have only been available for about 2 years.

Google 'Walmart Canada' and then baby monitors.

[Doering]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Google 'Walmart Canada' and then baby monitors.

Thanks. I am wondering if this one might do the job? Has features not needed and a little more money. Closest match I can find so far. I should perhaps start a new thread to see if others are exploring different units.
Lorex Live Sense LW2401 Series Wireless Video Baby Monitor at Walmart.ca

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Doering

Thanks. I am wondering if this one might do the job? Has features not needed and a little more money. Closest match I can find so far. I should perhaps start a new thread to see if others are exploring different units.
Lorex Live Sense LW2401 Series Wireless Video Baby Monitor at Walmart.ca

Or this one $40 cheaper. Safe N See Advanced 3.5 Digital Video Wireless Baby Monitor with Talk to Baby Intercom and Remote Controlled Lullabies at Walmart.ca

[OldCoot]

daigle01 can you post a picture of where you mounted the bracket on the rear window and a view of what the monitor sees. I am trying to find a location that shows me enough to see both sides of the road for backing in either left or right. DW has no idea how much distance is needed before backing 90° into a site.

[daigle01]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

daigle01 can you post a picture of where you mounted the bracket on the rear window and a view of what the monitor sees. I am trying to find a location that shows me enough to see both sides of the road for backing in either left or right. DW has no idea how much distance is needed before backing 90° into a site.

OldCoot, here are the pictures that you requested. The first two are of the bracket mounted to the window sill. The other shows the view out the back window for perspective for the picture of the monitor in the last photo.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by daigle01

OldCoot, here are the pictures that you requested. The first two are of the bracket mounted to the window sill. The other shows the view out the back window for perspective for the picture of the monitor in the last photo.

Thank you very much, I just ordered a 2nd camera and will toy with mounting one in the window and make 2 other mounts, one for each side to use depending on which side will be turning into the site. Might even talk DW into moving them and then hear her comments.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by daigle01

OldCoot, here are the pictures that you requested. The first two are of the bracket mounted to the window sill. The other shows the view out the back window for perspective for the picture of the monitor in the last photo.

Those are great pics. Thanks for posting. I have a feeling I will be installing a camera mount in my back window this weekend.

[daigle01]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Those are great pics. Thanks for posting. I have a feeling I will be installing a camera mount in my back window this weekend.

Thanks. I haven't travelled down the road with it yet, but I am worried about vibration. If that happens, I will cut a piece of aluminum plate and put that under the bracket to help stabilize it.

[BarryD0706]

Based on information posted here previously, I liked the idea of using the supplied mount to put the camera into the back window. In my RV, putting it on the upper cross-member would make it too high, and I couldn't mount it to the bottom, as shown in those pictures, because half of that window slides open (to the right) and is, in fact, the "emergency exit".

What I came up with was to use a foam-rubber block that would sit in the frame of the window (at the bottom) but could be easily removed. I found this at Hobby Lobby:

(No, I didn't buy it because it was "pretty"; the one with this design gave me the largest block of rubber to play with.)
I cut a piece the width of the block and 7/8" down. This slides tightly into the window frame (but can be removed). This foam is dense enough that I can just use the supplied screws directly into that foam. Here's what it looks like pressed into the window:

Here's the block by itself. Note that I left the pink stuff on the bottom just to give it added depth:


I can tell even without trying it that the camera is too loose on the bracket they supply and it's going to shake like crazy. I may try taping the camera to the bracket, but in the end, I think I'm going to need to put a piece of soft foam between the camera antenna and the window and just tape that antenna to the window itself. I'll know more in a few days.

[RickV]

I picked up one yesterday and it's pretty cool. Got a question about the window frame mounts in the previous posts. I have a Day/Night shade on my real window won't the mount be in the way?

[RickV]

Got another question will the monitor charge off one of those mini usb cigarette lighter plugs?

[daigle01]

Originally Posted by RickV

I picked up one yesterday and it's pretty cool. Got a question about the window frame mounts in the previous posts. I have a Day/Night shade on my real window won't the mount be in the way?

The shade on my back window had enough slack in it to clear the mount and camera. I plan to travel with the shade down. As far as the cigarette lighter charge, I assume it would work if you find the right one.