Help with wiring 2x reverse cams
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 472
Likes: 83
From: Lafayette LA
Help with wiring 2x reverse cams
So I want to run 2X reverse cams in my C5Z. One goes in the back for a proper reverse cam, and for fun I want to put a 2nd one under the front bumper just to see how close it gets to scraping curbs and stuff.
Reverse cameras are normally powered by the reverse light. You put your car in reverse, the reverse light gets power and then it turns the camera on, and when the receiver detects power from that source it then overrides whatever is on screen and gives priority to that source.
I'm not tying into reverse light so that I can control the power with a switch. So I think I need a DPDT switch with ON-OFF-ON so that I can control the cameras with power. So technically only one camera should be powered at a time.
The issue is that the receiver only takes 1X RCA cable so I need to Y the two cameras together into a single line. Should I need to run diodes in the lines to make sure that camera 1 doesn't shoot power back into camera 2 and then the receiver gets 1 signal that's actually 2 signals combined and then acts wonky?
So my two questions are 1) Do I need a DPDT switch for this?
and 2) Diodes? How do I know what size to get?
I've spent a bit of time searching but can't come up with a clear cut answer to it. Here's a quick diagram I came up with of how I think it should work.
Reverse cameras are normally powered by the reverse light. You put your car in reverse, the reverse light gets power and then it turns the camera on, and when the receiver detects power from that source it then overrides whatever is on screen and gives priority to that source.
I'm not tying into reverse light so that I can control the power with a switch. So I think I need a DPDT switch with ON-OFF-ON so that I can control the cameras with power. So technically only one camera should be powered at a time.
The issue is that the receiver only takes 1X RCA cable so I need to Y the two cameras together into a single line. Should I need to run diodes in the lines to make sure that camera 1 doesn't shoot power back into camera 2 and then the receiver gets 1 signal that's actually 2 signals combined and then acts wonky?
So my two questions are 1) Do I need a DPDT switch for this?
and 2) Diodes? How do I know what size to get?
I've spent a bit of time searching but can't come up with a clear cut answer to it. Here's a quick diagram I came up with of how I think it should work.
Last edited by Acid666; Jan 18, 2017 at 10:40 AM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 7,035
Likes: 134
From: North Augusta, SC
The RCAs should be fine with just a normal Y cable, as long as you only power 1 camera at a time. If you're really uptight about that, I'd use a 4PDT relay instead of a switch and splice the video as well as the power.
I'll post a drawing of how I'd do the switch (or more likely a relay) later, my plane is boarding
I'll post a drawing of how I'd do the switch (or more likely a relay) later, my plane is boarding
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 472
Likes: 83
From: Lafayette LA
I've got the cameras in and plan on testing the y setup tomorrow to see if they'll clash. After talking to friends I'm pretty confident that it'll work like you said. I've got a couple of switches to test it with. Gonna do it outside the car first so I don't waste any time running lines and it not work.
Appreciate the response
Appreciate the response
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 472
Likes: 83
From: Lafayette LA
I got it to work. Found a DPDT switch and soldered up a 9v battery to it and got the 2 cameras connected... Struggled to find extra RCA cables in my spare bedroom, and then had a TV that doesn't even take rca connections so I had to keep plugin away until I found which one worked.
Went between the cameras and it works like a charm. No issues with any of it. And I can have a single power source so that's pretty nice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaUefQ-0Vx8
Went between the cameras and it works like a charm. No issues with any of it. And I can have a single power source so that's pretty nice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaUefQ-0Vx8
