Options for a reversing camera

[HPsauce]

Great minds think alike, or.....
Happened to park next to "awolfinsheepsclothes" yesterday at the meet and he has a fairly similar reversing camera install to mine. Similarities and differences:
1. Located centrally above numberplate, but directly on the plastic surround.
2. Powered from the reversing light like mine.
3. Standard eBay/chinese product, very slightly different casing shape to mine.
4. Possibly hi-res widescreen image? 3rd-party head unit, not an RNS, with a better display.
5. Wireless connection to the front of the car, not a cable.

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

Wireless connection to the front of the car, not a cable.

I'm after a bit of cabling/connector advice now.

With the weather improving I'm looking to fit everything "properly" in the near future. I've pretty much decided on the video cable route but will need to cut it and reconnect; it's thin coax maybe 3mm or slightly less in diameter.
It terminates in a phono plug but that seems to be a bit large and clumsy for a mid-cable joint and I'd rather use something that screws together and gives better shielding.
What would people recommend?

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

I'd rather use something that screws together and gives better shielding.

Decided to use SMA connectors.

As I already have some on hand I just need a coupler barrel to complete the joint.

[HPsauce]

I'm doing this bit by bit. Fitted the Kufatec loom today to allow Video-in-motion. All working as it should I'm glad to say.

Wired up to a button that will eventually go in the blank spot in the dash to the right of the steering wheel.

It's not a big deal for reversing, though I find that reversing out of my drive and then turning back across the adjacent side road entrance to then drive out onto the "main" road it does cut off due to speed. 5mph limit?
But it should come in handy if I ever get round to sorting out the Digital TV..........

I might have a rethink about the power source (currently the reversing light bulbholder) so that I can turn the camera on without needing to select reverse.
Might seem odd, but I do that in the Volvo when picking up up SWMBO from the local station. I'm usually parked where the rear camera has a good view of the ticket gates so I can see she's on her way.

But the other cable I bought (the Kenwood to ATX thing) turns out to be wrong. The video converter box doesn't use an ATX connector at all!
It's very similar but smaller, something called a "TE Connectivity Micro MATE-N-LOK Series 3mm Pitch 14 Way 2" which I've now ordered, with the appropriate crimp terminals.
More cutting, crimping and soldering to do now. Spot the difference (ATX on the right)!

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

But the other cable I bought (the Kenwood to ATX thing) turns out to be wrong. The video converter box doesn't use an ATX connector at all!
It's very similar but smaller, something called a "TE Connectivity Micro MATE-N-LOK Series 3mm Pitch 14 Way 2" which I've now ordered, with the appropriate crimp terminals.
More cutting, crimping and soldering to do now.

Well all the bits arrived and I've managed to fix it with relatively minimal effort!

Two wires into the connector were faulty and I'd already grafted some extra lengths onto them and tried (not well) to resolder them onto the pins.
Luckily I managed to extract the two faulty pins (releasing the locking tabs with very fine sewing pins) and crimp on two of my new pins.
Bit of a cleanup of the plug and inserted the new pins and it all works properly.

I don't get the extra length of loom I'd hoped for but I can live without that or make an extension lead later.

So, of all the bits and pieces I bought, I ended up using just two of these; 6p each though I bought 100.....

[HPsauce]

As ever, I spoke too soon.
The wiring/termination on this loom is pretty awful and while installing it in/near its final position today (between RNS and knee panel) two more connections broke!
At least I now know how to fix them, but won't have time until next week.

[HPsauce]

If I wasn't already follicly-challenged I'd be tearing my hair out over this one, I just can't get the broken two pins fixed and inserted.

Luckily I have a friendly neighbour who is an electronics engineer and he had a good look. The conclusion is that my connector has some subtly-different internals to guide the crimps and that the first two I got in was just luck probably aided by a bit of "collateral damage".

So I'm reverting to using a new connector and grafting on a new/extended section of loom as planned earlier. He's lent me a splendid ratchet crimping tool and some others bits to help do it all properly.

[HPsauce]

Finally all working.
Cables/looms all fixed, grafted and extended. Interface box mounted high above pedals in the bowels of the dash.
Video-in-motion button replaces the blank to the right of the steering wheel.
I used the latching switch body from a PF flasher and the top/cover from a PF rear blind switch - looks appropriate for the function.

Both bought from our sponsors IIRC.

Already planning what to do next as I haven't yet 100% sorted out the video cable run from camera to dash; may look at a wireless solution as used by "awolfinsheepsclothes". They are pretty cheap (£8!) and with the ski hatch the signal should get through OK.

Now this is done I'll reinstall my XCarlink as I took it out to ease access behinds the RNS-D.
Then I'm hoping to have a second use for the video interface - DVB-T; I gave up on that ages ago but now have a better solution in mind.

[HPsauce]

Now this is done I'll reinstall my XCarlink as I took it out to ease access behinds the RNS-D.

Fitted OK, currently just in lashup mode; needed to fix yet more badly-wired plugs first though.
Celebrated with a seriously loud blast of "Comfortably Numb" from the SD card,

Back on topic though.....

Originally Posted by HPsauce

may look at a wireless solution as used by "awolfinsheepsclothes".

Thinking about that, is there a source of ignition-switched power in the boot lid? I can't think of any obvious reason for it but that doesn't mean there isn't....
If not I'll just stick with the reversing lamp circuit, but am wary of overloading it. Though as I now have LED's that's probably less of a risk.

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

I'm after a bit of cabling/connector advice now.

No longer needed, definitely going down the wireless route now; the wireless video link kit arrived today.

All tests OK off the car, though how the two units recognise each other I have no idea, there are no settings whatsoever.

The transmitter end conveniently has a power-out lead for the camera, so I can simplify the wiring quite a bit when I install it.

The receiver end seems to use very little power; there are plenty of potential sources, though in the short term I'll probably slave it off the RNS-D CD power feed, along with the video converter unit.
Longer-term it will be powered up (when reverse is selected) by the circuit controlling the video changeover relay that will be part of my DVB-T install.