Stupid cheap rear-facing camera

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Sneaks

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I have curtains in my rig (VW bus) and while mirrors are great, a little more visibility to the rear would be nice. I’ve been looking at cheap Chinese back up camera systems in Fleabay and was about to pull the trigger when shipping went from a couple of weeks to “sometime before Christmas 2021. Maybe” I put this together for $3.99 for the USB outlet. If you have a rig that has 12v in the rear, you could do this for even less. Most of us have a drawer or box at home with outdated/unused older technology, just like me, and an older vehicle without a backup camera.

part list:
Old network router (I used a Belkin W54n made in 2011, but any old WiFi G or higher will work)
At least one old smartphone with charging cable
Suction cup cell phone mount
Some 14ga wire & connectors or a ciggy plug
Free WebCam app (MiniWebCam, Webcam+, or similar)

99.99999999% of home routers are 12v with a wall wort. Clip the cable close to the wort, depending on how you are going to power it will determine what ends to put on. I’m running mine to my house system distribution blocks so I used spades but could power offa cig outlet, they only pull 0.5a. Hint - wire marked with white dashes or stripe is + terminal. Mount router someplace out of the way like under a seat, distance isn’t far so impact on signal strength negligible. Mine right now is on my sideboard, I’ll move this weekend


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load the app on cell phone. I’m using two phones - iPhone 5se for camera, 4s for viewer since I use the 4s as an iPod up front already - though could use an existing front mounted tablet as long as the app can run on both systems (will work with Android too, I tested it with an HTC Phone & A Fire tablet). Wouldn’t want to use your primary phone as it will try to use the WiFi for internet instead of cell data. Since the router is only being used for local traffic (unless you want to bridge it, which is too much work IMHO), you won’t have an internet connection on your “good phone,” which would be bad :). Put the camera phone in back window with suction mount. I put mine on the head banger with a telescoping mount because the 5se has a wonky charging port and didn’t want to deal with that each time I opened the hatch. Otherwise, I’d use a simple suction mount that lets the phone mount 90* to the floor of the rig and allows the rear camera to not be shrouded. I already had the mount In the junk drawer so cost was $0.00.

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Connect both devices to the WiFi, connect to power if it is going to be running for hours(my battery lasts about 6.5 hours broadcasting), start the app on back phone as the feed, front system as viewer. Done.

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Newer vehicles wit tinted factory glass (or aftermarket tint), it shouldn’t be obvious what you have going on back there, which should reduce the chance of a snatch & grab by someone with a fetish for old phones:). Even with untinted glass, it really doesn’t draw attention to it.

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Notes/disclaimer:
It was 88F today with full sun on the back window for several hours, phone did not overheat, cannot promise this will be the case for every phone or In Death Valley in July, but Im in Maine so it’s the best test I can do today :) I did keep it in its Bentoben rugged ”hard duty” case, since it has served it well against damage when I used this phone daily. I’m not really concerned about vibration damage, this isn’t really any different than having it mounted up front. Depending on the app, you can set frame rate and quality several different levels. Since nothing else is on the network, mine in highest of both had no noticeable lag or clipping, though battery life at highest dropped about 20%. Since I have it set up to be plugged in all the time, I don’t care :). YMMV.

Side note: the bus is parked facing the driveway, I was able to connect to it with my iPad in the house this evening by joining the bus’s network and see when UPS showed up with my case of fuel filters:
 
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eriefisher

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Great stuff! Having the router in rig is a great idea. I've been thinking of adding this sort of think in my truck. There are a lot of uses. Many devices can be controlled wirelessly with your phone. ie light, solar systems. Even if the device can't be controlled itself you can connect it to something that can to turn it off and on. You can also create a hotspot if required.
 
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Road

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This is brilliant, if you have some old phones or iPod touches w cams around.

I had not thought of using a household router or of them being actually 12v. I'd pondered before how to use an old iphone or apple product as a GPS locator before for my trailer with the "Find My iPhone" feature, because I can keep it powered 24/7 and this could let it be both cam in camp and GPS locator if gone. Very interesting.
 
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Sneaks

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Maine
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Thanks!
The GPS does still work (mapping too, if you first download the map as an offline map from Google). I'm using another iPhone 5c as a dashcam, that way I can still stream music and get calls on my "regular" phone without interrupting the recording.
Skip to the 12:30 mark to see what app I'm using and the 19:20 to see the quality on "high" (after playing with it more, 720p seems to be the best compromise between space and clarity). Was on of my first attempts at a YT video and it is longer than it should be (I talked too much :D ).

 
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Road

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On the road in North America
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Road
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Thanks!
The GPS does still work (mapping too, if you first download the map as an offline map from Google). I'm using another iPhone 5c as a dashcam, that way I can still stream music and get calls on my "regular" phone without interrupting the recording.
Skip to the 12:30 mark to see what app I'm using and the 19:20 to see the quality on "high" (after playing with it more, 720p seems to be the best compromise between space and clarity). Was on of my first attempts at a YT video and it is longer than it should be (I talked too much :D ).

.

Yeah, lot of talking--I feel like we're ol' buddies now, ha!--but boy, really informative on how to set up an unused cell phone as dash cam. Pretty impressive, really. I have an old iPod Touch or two with cameras that I may utilize now as dash cam and rear facing security cams, as well as general all around camp security cams to record the javelinas, raccoons, deer, birds, wayward campers, etc that wander through camp when I'm out walking.

Looks like you're up the other end of Long Lake there; I'm down in Portland for a while if there's ever anything I can do for you down this way.
.
 
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Sneaks

Rank IV

Enthusiast III

1,165
Maine
First Name
Scott
Last Name
Swenson
Ham/GMRS Callsign
KC1MUR
Yeh the video was in Harrison at the top of Long Lake, we are living in Naples for another month so at the south end. End of the month we will be moving back up to the Bethel area. Likewise, if you get up this way and need anything, lemme know.