reversing camera (1 Viewer)

[bobski]

Hi all,
Sorry if SEB, i have just bought a new reversing camera and, im going to fit it myself. the only part that im not sure about is where to connect the live and neutral wires from the monitor to power up the unit. my previous set up took the power from the cigarette lighter socket which looked a bit rubbish. I want to wire it to a live so that it has power all the time meaning that the ignition doesn't need to be on for it to operate. Anyone got a clue what to do?. I am rubbish at anything electrical and i don't want to fry the unit. Help!!

 

[Northernraider]

Why do you want it to work without ignition ?

I just fitted a new monitor last week I connected to the cigarette lighter wiring so it now comes on whenever the van is running

Saves draining a battery

 

[Gellyneck]

You should be able to piggyback the power supply off an existing fuse in the fusebox but as Tam says why would you want it on permanently as you could end up flattening your battery.
Best if you piggyback off an ignition switched supply in the fusebox.

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[Feltwell]

As others have said, why are you worried about finding a permanently live feed, i.e. why do you want your reversing camera to work when the ignition is off? If anything a switched feed is better - means you can't accidentally leave your monitor and camera on when the ignition is off and flatten your battery.

Finding a switched or permanently live feed is a case of having a basic multi-meter and testing likely sources until you find one. The cigarette lighter socket feed is a favourite to use, but that may well be switched, it is on most Ducato's. There will be a permanent feed to the back of the radio somewhere, there's usually one there to keep the radio memory going when the ignition is off. Alternatively go to the fusebox - find a suitable circuit and add a "piggyback" fuse holder if you want a simple way to tap into a circuit - you can get them on Ebay and elsewhere, they replace a fuse, give you a new holder for the original fuse, and a holder for an extra fuse for your new circuit and a live wire to connect to. Just make sure you have room to fit one. Then use any good earth point for your neutral.

If you're comfortable taking the dash apart, finding a suitable feed, tapping into it and feeding cables through your van then it's an easy enough job - and you won't fry the unit so long as you get the polarity correct.

 

[Feltwell]

Just a thought though - you say you're using the cigarette lighter socket at the moment, so you have a plug going into it I presume? Some of those plugs can incorporate circuitry to reduce the voltage - commonly from 12v to 5v, Satnav plugs often do this. Just make sure you've got a "plain" plug that is supplying 12v to your monitor before you start connecting anything directly to the van. Have a look at the back of your monitor, it will probably tell you on a little sticker what the input voltage is. If not test the plug output with a multimeter.

If the connection to the monitor is via a little round plug and socket then it's probably 12v - but if it looks a bit like a small USB plug (google mini & micro USB plug) then it's almost certainly not 12v.

 

[Gellyneck]

Just a thought though - you say you're using the cigarette lighter socket at the moment, so you have a plug going into it I presume? Some of those plugs can incorporate circuitry to reduce the voltage - commonly from 12v to 5v, Satnav plugs often do this. Just make sure you've got a "plain" plug that is supplying 12v to your monitor before you start connecting anything directly to the van. Have a look at the back of your monitor, it will probably tell you on a little sticker what the input voltage is. If not test the plug output with a multimeter.

If the connection to the monitor is via a little round plug and socket then it's probably 12v - but if it looks a bit like a small USB plug (google mini & micro USB plug) then it's almost certainly not 12v.

Good shout!

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[bobski]

Just a thought though - you say you're using the cigarette lighter socket at the moment, so you have a plug going into it I presume? Some of those plugs can incorporate circuitry to reduce the voltage - commonly from 12v to 5v, Satnav plugs often do this. Just make sure you've got a "plain" plug that is supplying 12v to your monitor before you start connecting anything directly to the van. Have a look at the back of your monitor, it will probably tell you on a little sticker what the input voltage is. If not test the plug output with a multimeter.

If the connection to the monitor is via a little round plug and socket then it's probably 12v - but if it looks a bit like a small USB plug (google mini & micro USB plug) then it's almost certainly not 12v.

The unit needs 9v to 36v according to the box. There is no information on the monitor itself. I just don't want to blow it up. I can route and connect the cameras as there are special cables with sockets so I can't get that wrong. As far as having power to the unit, I thought it would be useful for security reasons to be able to see what's going on without drawing attention to myself by lifting the blinds. I've camped in some dodgy places in the past. If I connect to the cigg socket at the back would I need to put a fuse between the socket and the monitor?.

 

[Gellyneck]

If I connect to the cigg socket at the back would I need to put a fuse between the socket and the monitor?.

Would be sensible but you'll need to find out what current the monitor draws so you can fit an appropriately rated fuse. You can get plugs with inbuilt cartridge fuse to save have to have an inline fuse.

 

[Feltwell]

The cig socket will be on a circuit that can take far more current than your monitor & camera need and will have a larger fuse than you should really use - so yes, I would fit an inline fuse - but - it's probably switched anyway, if you want a live feed you may have to look elsewhere. Depends on your base vehicle though. Don't forget you need to be able to get to a fuse in the future!

If your van is on an older Ducato (X230/X244) then it's not difficult to feed a wire across from the fuse box, especially if you've got some cable rods. They make feeding cables anywhere around the van a lot easier, a cheapie £10 set from Ebay does the job just fine. Then you can use a piggyback connector as I described earlier, and use a smaller fuse on your newly created monitor feed.

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[Feltwell]

The unit needs 9v to 36v according to the box. There is no information on the monitor itself. I just don't want to blow it up.

If it came intended to be used with a cigarette lighter plug, it's the input to that that will be on the box - not the output, which is what you need. It's probably fine - the plugs that step the voltage down are a bit bulkier than "normal" ones, and as I say above they usually connect to the unit with a micro or mini USB. If you want to be sure check the output from your current power lead with a multi-meter. If you haven't got one a cheapie will do just fine - although I've got a better one at home, I keep one of these in the van, does the job:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Schneide...h=item58d44bbf70:g:VokAAOSwa-dWlloq:rk:1:pf:0

 

[bobski]

so, here is the kit, see below.

 

[bobski]

okay, this is the monitor with connections. Yellow sockets are for the cameras, red and black are live and neutral and i dont have a clue what the blue wire is for. The instructions are in chinese so that stumped me immediatley. all i need to know is exactly where to connect the red and the black, as i said earlier, i dont want any plugs sticking out and i need the existing cig sockets for sat nav and phone charging etc.. Excuse me if you think that im a little bit daft but, i hate electrics and have a fear of getting a shock or knackering my equipment. I dont even know what size fuse to use and as soon as you mention the word "meter"im lost.

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[bobski]

The cig socket will be on a circuit that can take far more current than your monitor & camera need and will have a larger fuse than you should really use - so yes, I would fit an inline fuse - but - it's probably switched anyway, if you want a live feed you may have to look elsewhere. Depends on your base vehicle though. Don't forget you need to be able to get to a fuse in the future!

If your van is on an older Ducato (X230/X244) then it's not difficult to feed a wire across from the fuse box, especially if you've got some cable rods. They make feeding cables anywhere around the van a lot easier, a cheapie £10 set from Ebay does the job just fine. Then you can use a piggyback connector as I described earlier, and use a smaller fuse on your newly created monitor feed.

do you mean one of these? see below.

 

[Gellyneck]

do you mean one of these? see below.

Yip, that's a piggyback link.
Be aware you get two sizes so get the one that matches your existing fuses.
You also need to consider the power draw your add-on unit has.
You take the fuse out of the slot that you're going to use and it plugs back into one of the slots on the piggyback (this should be marked on the piggyback or instructions).
The fuse for your add-on unit goes in the other slot on the piggyback and the power is supplied via the wire tail.

 

[RioRob]

The blue wire might be to connect to the reversing light circuit so when you go into reverse it selects the down pointing camera as opposed to the rearview camera, assuming you have 2 cameras (looks like you have 2 camera connections in the photo).
If only 1 camera then it will normally be off and the blue wire will switch it on once reverse is selected. Just guessing though!

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[bobski]

Yip, that's a piggyback link.

right!!! ive got the idea now. What size fuse should i use, any ideas??.

 

[tonyidle]

right!!! ive got the idea now. What size fuse should i use, any ideas??.

3A - just about the lowest rated automotive fuse commonly available.

 

[Northernraider]

View attachment 267159
okay, this is the monitor with connections. Yellow sockets are for the cameras, red and black are live and neutral and i dont have a clue what the blue wire is for. The instructions are in chinese so that stumped me immediatley. all i need to know is exactly where to connect the red and the black, as i said earlier, i dont want any plugs sticking out and i need the existing cig sockets for sat nav and phone charging etc.. Excuse me if you think that im a little bit daft but, i hate electrics and have a fear of getting a shock or knackering my equipment. I dont even know what size fuse to use and as soon as you mention the word "meter"im lost.

Same one as mine just connect the red and black wires to the rear if the cigarette lighter socket and it will come on whenever ignition is on.
You can still do that without opening the blinds. The blue wire is meant to go to the reverse light switch to put the leds on the camera on but I didn't bother with that as I've already fitted additional reverse lamps so the rear is like daylight at night now lol

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[Northernraider]

The blue wire might be to connect to the reversing light circuit so when you go into reverse it selects the down pointing camera as opposed to the rearview camera, assuming you have 2 cameras (looks like you have 2 camera connections in the photo).
If only 1 camera then it will normally be off and the blue wire will switch it on once reverse is selected. Just guessing though!

Blue wire is just for the led bulbs on the camera. There's red ones on all the time and the blue wire connected to reverse switch will put the clear ones on. Not really required if you have reversing lights though.

 

[SUGGY]

Mine is wired so i can put it on at any time ,

It has a night camera on it so if we are parked up i can see what is going on behind the MH day or night .

Travel world were told not to wire it to the reversing switch but they still did ... so i changed it to operate off a switch on the dash board .
They also wired the radio through the ignition so you had to have the ignition on all the time ...so i put another switch in the dashboard ..

The power used is very minimal , the Radio uses a lot more ..

 

[Feltwell]

So in your picture there, the power feed (red & black) cable is just cut - no cigarette lighter socket - it's meant for connection to 12v. I agree on a 3A fuse, you can get 2A as well, either should be OK.

Are you confident enough to make the connections, and make them well? Just wondering if you should get someone else to wire this up for you.

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[Northernraider]

It really isn't rocket science
Pull cigarette socket out from dash you will find 2 wires going to it put a piggy back space terminal on each of your red and black wires then attach to the space terminals on rear of cigarette socket.

5 minute job if you include making coffee

 

[bobski]

So in your picture there, the power feed (red & black) cable is just cut - no cigarette lighter socket - it's meant for connection to 12v. I agree on a 3A fuse, you can get 2A as well, either should be OK.

Are you confident enough to make the connections, and make them well? Just wondering if you should get someone else to wire this up for you.

Aye, im ok to connect up just so long as i know exactly where to connect to. i like the piggyback fusebox thing =, that makes it simple for me.