Backup Camera Power Ground Hookup?

Hey guys,
so I bought a relatively cheap backup camera to learn n test if I like it.
I have decided to mod my tow-hitch plug, which will give me the ability to remove the camera whenever I want.


My question is where do I hookup Power and Ground ? I can do it right now, by running extra cable with the Video, but since the wires are short, it appears that they expect me to give it juice from the back of the vehicle, not run new cable into the dash..

The Yellow Video, I will run with my dynolock on the frame and into the Cab, but The Power and Ground are shorter, like they're intended to be tapped into the back of the Vehicle.

Is there an easy answer for this ? I don't want to start till I decide on the correct approach.

*** update, project finished. See Thread here-->
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/au...dp-video-dbc366-live-video-demonstration.html

 

You will have to run power from the front of the truck. If you have power in the cab for amps...etc you can tap into that line but make sure you put an inline fuse.

You can ground anywhere to the frame, in the back of the truck. Just sand some paint off at an existing hole in the frame, so you have a good connection to the metal and use it to ground. After installing your ground, you can cake some grease on the joint to prevent corrosion.

Let us know what camera you have and how you like it. I am shopping for one too

 

Thanks, yeah I have to open the dash anyways, so I just prepped the cables and i'm running it all into the dash and will Catch a ride from my Head Unit setup and all my other things already connected there.

If I go that approach, do I still need an inline Fuse ? I was not even considering that... how many amp fuse 15 ?

( camera is DP Video ) DBC366
from fry's by my house.

 

15 Amp is too much for the little camera but it will still serve the purpose if you have one laying around. Does the spec sheet tell you the Amp draw of the camera (will vary depending if it has night vision or not). If it does, just take the rated Amps and double it - this is your fuse size. I think a 5 Amp or 7.5 Amp will be sufficient.

If you do not put an inline fuse and down the road you end up having a short in the circuit, it will blow the Head Unit fuse and then you will have to debug and figure out where the problem was - in the camera or in the audio system. I think it is a good idea to have a fuse on any independent power line that you run for an added accessory.

 

Got it. I have an inline but it's 30 amp. not sure if it's 'risky' to have too much, if it won't trip properly from short etc, but I think it'll work.

I don't speak this language, but on the box is says:
Current Consumption: no more than 150mA
Power Supply dc12+- 10%

 

okay - so basically all that means is that the camera will draw no more than 0.15 Amps. So even a 1/2 Amp fuse will work. You can buy a glass type inline fuse holder and the required fuse from your local Radio Shaft and splice it inline

 

I just installed one of these yesterday in my pioneer unit.All I did was run the yellow video cable to the back of the truck. And for the red and black wires(power), I tapped into the two wires that go to the driverside taillight reverse bulb. So when I put it in reverse it shots power to the camera. Works fine for me

 

Got it again. and Thanks.
Because there is a local radio shack, it's worth a few minutes to grab what I need I also don't like the wire I have (feels to brittle for a long run) so I guess i'll replace that since i'll be feeding all the way to the back of the truck.

Once I grab this stuff, the install won't take long since i've done it in the past. I may not do it till tomorrow as I started ripping off my headliner. Or I could just make it a long nice and work in the garage

thanks!
AC

 

I had seen some folks do that, but because I'm a nerd that likes options, I want 'any time' video. If the camera works decently, then I may wire another in the front and then just plug in the one that I want since i'll be running an extender out of my dash for my RCA Cables.. I'm curious of having the backup camera for parking etc, but 1/2 of this project is me just having fun learning this crap. And my head unit ( kd-avx 44 jvc kamelion ) is so very flexible on it's inputs, I just have to see what it looks like.

Further Nerd-ism is that I can actually record the video signal, so for fun i'm gonna show that happen with just a laptop and my little "dazzle 100" recording device

 

Glad to be of help. Now tell me about the camera you have. What model you got and how much it cost Thx.

Also why have you taken the headliner out? Working more than 1 project at a time?

 

Please tell what head unit you have, and where did you put the video cable on the head, video in or "r" camera, what if any setting on your head unit did you use. Is there anyway to test one of these cameras? I might just have a bad one.

 

( camera is DP Video ) DBC366
from fry's by my house. Bullet Style(keyhole style I guess), testing mount with hole in hitch plug. It will be a detachable system because I will be hauling my motorcycles around for service etc.

Headliner Removal because I sound deadened doors, back wall a long time ago, and I have had all this Raammat just sitting around waiting to be applied. I was always scared to remove the top, but found a couple good posts and I"m just gonna "start undoing shit until the roof is down". Taking lots of pics of everything

AC

 

I got the pioneer AVIC-X920BT. I put the yellow video cable in the brown reverse camera input in the back of the unit. I then ran the reverse gear signal input, (in simple terms tells the pioneer unit that the truck is in reverse) to a red with a white strip wire(picture below). Then I ran the yellow RCA cable to the back of the truck to the camera. And tapped into my reverse tail light for the power of the camera. Now as far as settings on the pioneer, all my settings were is to turn the camera on/off.

 

OK, thanks for the help and quick reply. I tapped into the reverse light wires behind the tail light with speed taps, checked polarity and voltage with multi-tester and every thing was fine. Plugged the yellow video jack into the brown R camera jack and the only thing I got was "image my be reversed" text on a black screen, Pioneer AVH3200. I'm thinking I've got a bad camera, any away to test and see?

 

Yea I get that "image may be reversed" too. I have no idea how to take that off.Good luck with your install

 

You can test the camera by plugging into anything that accepts an RCA type video input. Looking around my living room, my TV has an RCA Video IN jack in the front to plug in a video gaming console. Some of those cheap LCD picture frames also have an RCA connection on the back.

Another option is to use the yellow video-IN jack on the back of the pioneer. To view the image you will have to go to the menu and select video-In instead of rear view camera. Problem with this option is if it still does not work, you wont know if it is the camera or the head unit.

Also you are remembering to put the truck in Reverse, in order to power the camera, right?

 

Yeah, I tried both inputs, nothing. The head unit is only a few months old, should be fine. My TV has only HDMI inputs best I remember, cause I had to get a new cable box that was HDMI. The camera was a cheap one from Amazon, I'm starting to think that's the problem, thanks to all that have tried to help, and yeah, the truck was in reverse...

 

Sorry I can't help, all I can say is double check your work and read your manuals.

 

The HU should have a green reverse sensor wire and you need to tap that into a reverse wire. This tells the HU to switch to the reverse camera input when the green reverse sensor wire gets power. Otherwise the hu doesn't know when its in reverse and won't switch to that input. The red power lead and black ground coming from the camera only power the camera, they don't tell the HU anything. If you are looking for a camera image on demand (as I think I read earlier in this thread), you are just asking for frustration. I don't know why anyone would want that. The backup cam has a very limited usefulness: for what is within a few feet of the back of your truck. Its otherwise boring as hell and meaningless.