My $260cdn or ~ $206usd 4 Camera System

[st165_2765]

Good info on the cameras. I'm sure it would be well received in the 'Bus Topics' area.

Jim

Jim was reading through my Bus Project topic https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/forum/index.php?action=post;quote=410769;topic=35564.0 so here is a more detailed explanation.

All images are thumb nailed click on thumbnail for larger image.


The end result a 4 camera split screen view.
Top left image is looking straight down the back of the coach so I can hook up whatever I am towing. This camera still needs to be adjusted a bit but I don't have a trailer hitch installed yet.
The top right image is looking straight back.
The bottom left image is the drivers side.
The bottom right image is the passenger side.
Overall the images are not the greatest quality, where not talking HDMI here but for the price of the system they provide me the information I need.


I mounted the monitor in an under construction overhead console directly in front of the drivers seat within my peripheral vision while looking straight ahead. I like to keep my eyes on what's in front of me when driving a 16,180 kg 35,670 lb wrecking ball down the highway. Especially since I'm only a couple of feet behind that front windshield should I plow into anything!!


The 2 roof mounted rearward facing cameras. I used a bit of aluminum bar to extend them behind the coach.


Who needs a roof ladder when you have these handy hatches ?


The 2 transmitters at the back of the coach. One is 2.4G hertz and the other is 5.8G hertz.


The passenger side door mounted camera.


Don't really need these mirrors any more but I think they look cool and Transport Canada still requires a fail safe way of looking rearwards although they are investigating cameras to eliminate mirrors as a fuel saving option.

So where did I get all this crap ? My best buddy amazon.
Links and product details ? Listed below.


The cameras CDN$ 21.95 each
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07R12DYNZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I like the fact that they can swivel.


I don't really know why they give you this piece of 3m double sided tape. The rubber/silicone holder/mount for the camera will not stick to it even after wiping the holder/mount off with acetone. You will have to use a couple of screws like you see in the picture of the passenger side door mounted camera.


You can also mirror the image and/or turn on reference line for backing up


The Transmitter  CDN$ 29.99 each
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07LBPRKPH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If you keep reading you will find out why you don't really need these and can save $60 minus the cost of some RCA cables.


The transmitters have output power plugs you can connect right to your cameras which is handy.


The Monitor CDN$ 99.99
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B06X9CS64Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I've seen these go up to $200 on amazon so shop around.


The monitor has several different display options and comes with a handy remote control or you can use the buttons on the monitor.


Cable
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07BQT1LZL/ref=sspa_dk_detail_10?psc=1&smid=A32CCO9JZK8JJE&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE5NVkzTURDQTYxUlImZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA3Nzg1MzJFSEg3SDU3WEtPWFQmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDI4OTUwNEkyWTVJQldUMURZUSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbDImYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
I went with wireless transmitters/receivers because this extension wire for the cameras claims

【Upper Limit Length:33ft】 If you want to connect more dashcam extension cords together, please note that the total length(include the original wire)should not exceed 33 ft.

The cameras come with about 15' of cable and since my coach is 45' long I did the math and figured I was over by at least 12' plus since I have to follow the roof line and then down 3-4' to where the monitor is. This is a 5 pin extension, the cameras are 4 pin wires and the 4 pin extension wires don't come with that warning about total length but I figured they were just lazy in their description.
Once I had everything hooked up I was curious to see if the 33' limit was accurate. So I unhooked one of my rear transmitters and used the 15' of cable supplied with the camera and 45' of RCA cable for a total of 60' of wire to supply the signal to my monitor. If you go back to the picture of my installed monitor the top left image looking straight down the back of the coach is being fed to the monitor over the 60' of wire and the top right image looking straight back is being transmitted wirelessly. I don't see any difference in image quality so if you want to save a bit of money do away with the transmitters and use RCA cable or some of the 4 pin extension cables available(I can't guaranty the 4 pin extension cables will extend the length you need and provide a signal, perhaps the 45' of RCA cables I used have better shielding), but if your interior is already in your probably better of with the wireless option. With the price of the cables your actually spending more for the extension cables than you are for the transmitters but I had lots of RCA cables so it was a free option for me. I consider the cable route to be a more fail safe option so I will leave 1 of the rear cameras hard wired and have a backup transmitter/receiver.

[lostagain]

I am an old fashioned, old school driver. Any of those electronic gizmos is just a distraction from safe driving. Looking in the mirrors and in front of me is all the information I need. To back up, if I am not sure what is behind me, I get out and walk and look. I have driven the late model MCI Js with that kind of 360 system. It is too much to look at when driving in tight spots. At night, the monitor is too bright, so I would turn it off. Oh, and the whole system is quite useless  anyway when the cameras are dirty from road grime. I have witnessed people running into things because of the distraction of all this crap.

[Utahclaimjumper]

 Agreed..>>>Dan  ( He needs to save his money for the day he will REALY need it.)

[luvrbus]

I am an old fashioned, old school driver. Any of those electronic gizmos is just a distraction from safe driving. Looking in the mirrors and in front of me is all the information I need. To back up, if I am not sure what is behind me, I get out and walk and look. I have driven the late model MCI Js with that kind of 360 system. It is too much to look at when driving in tight spots. At night, the monitor is too bright, so I would turn it off. Oh, and the whole system is quite useless  anyway when the cameras are dirty from road grime. I have witnessed people running into things because of the distraction of all this crap.

You will like the 3 camera set up on your Country Coach,I wish they would have mounted the SilverLeaf in the cameras location though on mine I like that gizmo (Silverleaf)

[st165_2765]

I am an old fashioned, old school driver. Any of those electronic gizmos is just a distraction from safe driving. Looking in the mirrors and in front of me is all the information I need. To back up, if I am not sure what is behind me, I get out and walk and look. I have driven the late model MCI Js with that kind of 360 system. It is too much to look at when driving in tight spots. At night, the monitor is too bright, so I would turn it off. Oh, and the whole system is quite useless  anyway when the cameras are dirty from road grime. I have witnessed people running into things because of the distraction of all this crap.

I respect your choice and can tell you since I have my class 1 license (Canada) or CDL (USA) that a lot of truck drivers feel the same as you although I must admit that most of them are older and most of the younger drivers embrace technology. I would argue that it is not a distraction for me it is directly above my line of sight when looking straight ahead and in my peripheral vision. My class 1 training says that I should check my side mirrors every 8 seconds that means that the information I have on what is on both sides of me could be up to 8 seconds old. A lot can happen in 8 seconds and really if I'm checking mirrors every 8 seconds my head is going to feel like a bobble doll after a couple hours. If some yahoo passes me and cuts back in to my lane without allowing me enough safety space to brake safely with your system I have no choice except to plow into the back of him/her.
With my system I don't have that up to 8 second lag time on what is around me I constantly know what is in front of me what is to the left of me and what is to the right of me you can't say the same. I would hate to plow into the back of a car just because the kids in the backseat distracted the driver but without a monitor in front of me that option is much more likely. You have to recognize the situation in front of you then take the time to check both mirrors and process that information and make a decision left/or right if the way is clear or stay the coarse and hit what is in front of you. I can instantaneously make that decision because I have real time info on what is around me.

I am an old fashioned, old school driver. Any of those electronic gizmos is just a distraction from safe driving.

If used/placed correctly they enhance safe driving.

I have driven the late model MCI Js with that kind of 360 system.

I would doubt that the late model MCI Js with that kind of 360 system have the monitor where I have it, it will obstruct the paying passengers view out the front window so they have compromised and will have it on the dash somewhere but not in your peripheral vision.

It is too much to look at when driving in tight spots.

I am not looking at it it is in my peripheral vision. That is why the driver and passenger images are on the bottom of the screen closer to my line of sight when looking straight ahead.

To back up, if I am not sure what is behind me, I get out and walk and look.

And by the time you get back in your bus to backup a little kid has run behind your bus to get a toy that rolled behind it and you turn him/her into a pancake. There is no way in the world that any sane person could argue that your method is safer or better than a backup camera that provides real time information.

At night, the monitor is too bright, so I would turn it off.

Dimmer switch or if the monitor does not have the ability to adjust the brightness an anti glare screen covering or some window tint.

Oh, and the whole system is quite useless  anyway when the cameras are dirty from road grime

Windex and paper towel. If the cameras are that dirty then so are your mirrors. You should have a pre trip routine and if the mirrors/cameras are dirty you clean them. If they get dirty during the trip pull over to the side of the road or into a gas station.

I have witnessed people running into things because of the distraction of all this crap.

Theirs an idiot born every second probably more often given the worlds population, but for those that use it wisely technology can give you the edge in saving yours and perhaps somebody else's lives.


Perhaps if you at least had a GPS you wouldn't be "lostagain" Sorry couldn't resist that 1 but you really set yourself up for it.

[richard5933]

My CDL instructor used the expression "swivel on a stick" to describe how my head should be moving, almost constantly, while looking in both mirrors and all around me.

Sorry, but the cameras don't replace proper looking our the windows. They augment the view out the windows, but they don't replace it.

There is a good reason that the side view mirrors in modern coaches are being installed so the monitors are on the A pillars on both sides of the windshield. You're not supposed to be looking only at the image in the mirrors, you're also supposed to be looking out the window at what's approaching from the sides and get a view of the front 180 degrees around the bus. You're supposed to be looking down out your two side windows at the traffic and pedestrians near you, not just the image in the mirrors.

If your monitor is above your head, and you focus mainly on the windshield and the monitor, you're not looking out the side windows nearly often enough. Things will sneak up on you with such a narrow area of focus. The mirrors and/or the side view cameras are showing you the action down both sides of the bus, but not the action out the two sides in front of you.

The bit about not backing over some kid behind you? Sort of agree. Still best practice to get out and look before initiating a backing maneuver, especially if you have been stationary for a while. Once you do your G.O.A.L. then I agree with you that having a rear-view camera can alert you to anything which gets behind you in the interim. But, it's still necessary to look out the windows and at the mirrors.

I've also seen people get into accidents by looking only at their camera system on the dash and not looking out the windows enough. Even a pilot flying on instruments looks out all his/her windows while flying, even if visibility is limited.

This is not a young vs. old thing. This is about the best way to take in as much useful information as possibly while driving down the road.

Hopefully we an avoid getting into a generational debate here or other kinds of jabs and barbs.

[Utahclaimjumper]

The OP may be bragging on the advantages of being  technically advanced and still hasn't learned how to express himself with out writing a book with no punctuation,, this makes it difficult to read and stay with the subject matter.  The layout reminds me of an advertisement
for most of today's Chinese crap...>>>Dan

[luvrbus]

I have tall mirrors with 3 sections they are hard for me to use for some reason so I like the side cameras when changing lanes,the AVOID system is ok in close places but annoying as hell in traffic .I do admit I like Garys 360 degree camera on his bus   

[lostagain]

In my Country Coach, the mirrors are positioned quite forward, so I don't have to swing my head to look into them, just my eyes. I like that. When I drive truck, some mirrors are right beside you out the side widow. That is harder to use. The worst for that is my Pete 379, where looking at the mirrors will give you a sore neck. I like the trucks with the convex mirrors on the front corners of the hood. That gives a really good view of the sides. ST165, is your monitor just above your line of vision? It sounds like it on the windshield, no? If so, that is illegal...

[luvrbus]

In my Country Coach, the mirrors are positioned quite forward, so I don't have to swing my head to look into them, just my eyes. I like that. When I drive truck, some mirrors are right beside you out the side widow. That is harder to use. The worst for that is my Pete 379, where looking at the mirrors will give you a sore neck. I like the trucks with the convex mirrors on the front corners of the hood. That gives a really good view of the sides. ST165, is your monitor just above your line of vision? It sounds like it on the windshield, no? If so, that is illegal...

JC are your mirrors 2 piece or 3 sections ?

[lostagain]

Clifford, they are 3 piece, flat in the middle with a convex top and bottom. I find the flat mirror is not very big. A bigger one with only one convex would be better. 

[Jim Blackwood]

I quite like the camera that looks straight down at the hitch. Seems like that would make hooking up a trailer way easier. Also, I've gotten used to the cameras in the new cars. Yes my sister backed right out into somebody in spite of having that but you know what? It was simply because she didn't look. Having a camera doesn't mean you can disregard what is around you. You just have to get used to actually using it. The perspective may be different from a mirror but the information is still there. No different than getting used to a convex mirror. And you can't say that a mirror won't blind you in the night either, especially those big ones.

I think under $300 is a very reasonable price for something that gives you this much good information. It will pay for itself the first time you don't back into something. Anything really.

Jim

[DoubleEagle]

I like the trucks with the convex mirrors on the front corners of the hood. That gives a really good view of the sides.

The large convex mirrors on the front hood area are very handy. You can spot the wheels of the trailer in them while going around a corner while still looking forward. Unfortunately, our buses don't have this advantage. The side mirrors with a convex lens and a rear camera are the minimal necessities. Getting out and looking works, but not while you are moving. A kid can move back in place at the rear while you are walking back to the front. Going down the road, it is very wise to keep an eye on the hitch if you are towing. Having a monitor split into multiple screens creates more confusion and reduces the size of the image. The 360 degree setups are a nice concept, but because of the fish-eye lenses, not all objects around the bus are visible. Maybe these setups will add more cameras in the future to provide better coverage.

[sledhead]

I am another fan of the 360 camera system and would like 1 on the coach . My wife's suv has that and it is a big help even if just to see what's around you before you back up

dave

[hogi6123]

When backing up, if possible I have a helper I can trust stand out there and signal me and/or stop traffic as necessary.  If that's not possible I will get out and look.  I frequently get out even with a helper.  Cameras would be nice but they're not enough, the view is limited, and there's a tendency of drivers to forget that.