Step-by-step installation of a dashcam. Part 3

Part 1: http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77627

Part 2: http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78161

More Information: http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76588

Video overview of the dashcam components and functionality: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqhZ1OowGmM]YouTube - Overview of my DVR[/ame]

Example dashcam video: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPhiOj0EWJM]YouTube - Near miss for left-turner[/ame]

 

I installed a new camera in the front - an additional camera with really wide-angle (2.9mm) lens. Hopefully this camera will be able to see cars approaching from side streets (and if they stopped at their stopsign)

 

 

Anyways, I wound up replacing almost all the wiring between the DVR in the trunk and the cameras on the windshield. I removed the thick heavy (overkill) RG6 and just used RG59/U instead. The thinner cable is easier bend and lets me run 3 wires in a space that woul only accomodate 2 RG6 runs.

 

I took some pictures of the wire routing. Enjoy.

 

 

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m159/Scruit/PDRM0071.jpg

Getting started, just laying the wires loose under the rear seat (seat base removed for the install)

 

 

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m159/Scruit/PDRM0072.jpg

I cipped two of the RG59s into spaces in the existing conduits, and then zip-tied the 3rd cable to the first two. This keeps them spaced well from the other wires to help further reduce an kind of interferance.

 

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m159/Scruit/PDRM0073.jpg

After running the length of the floor in the factory conduits, it's time to route the wires up through the dash. This little removable panel is very convenient for this. Two of the wires are in there and the 3rd one is still being pulled through here.

 

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m159/Scruit/PDRM0074.jpg

This is the main camera and mount showing the wiring poking out of the headliner.

 

 

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m159/Scruit/PDRM0075.jpg

Sorry this one is blurry, it was an awkward angle. The wires run up behind the a-pillar panel. I was careful to run everything behind the black plastic airbag support - NOTHING runs in front of the airbag.

 

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m159/Scruit/PDRM0076.jpg

Getting stuff zipped into their final places.

In response to questions:

 

Power Controller:

 

The power controller has 6 triggers. 3 are positive triggers (apply 12v to the pin to turn the power controller on) and 3 are negative triggers (aka ground output) (connect the pin to ground to turn on the power controller.

 

If one or more trigger inputs is activated, the power controller turns on and provides +12v to the DVR and cameras. It does this for an amount of time determined by a simple resistor/capacitor timer. There are two seperate timers - one runs for 17 seconds and powers the cameras, the other runs for 34 seconds and powers the DVR. The cameras shut off first because it forces the DVR to stop recording and gives it time to commit the video to disk.

 

The timer does not count down while the trigger is activated. Therefore the power controller will run constantly until all triggers stop. Once all triggers have stopped the two timers start to count down. If no trigger is activated in the 17 seconds that the camera timer is counting down, then the power output to the cameras switch off. 17 seconds later, assuming no more triggers, the power output to the DVR is switched off.

 

Once turned off, the power controller lies dormant until it gets another trigger.

 

 

Triggers I am using:

 

1(Neg) Vibration / bump sensor (In case someone hits my car in a parking lot, or breaks a window)

2(Neg) Trunk lid switch (In case someone pops my trunk)

3(Neg) Interior Motion Detector (Any time someone is in my car for any reason, regardless how they got there)

4(Pos) Ignition turned on (Always runs while I driving)

5(Pos) Manual "ON" switch on the dashboard (I can make it keep running if I run into a store, leave it with Squiffy l00b, etc

6(Pos) Unused

 

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m159/Scruit/powercontroller.jpg

 

The Alarm COM and Alarm TRG are for DVRs that need to be manually told to start recording.

 

This is all my work from the ground up, so cut me in if you make a million bucks off it, ok?

Wow. Do people mistake you for a cop with that cam in the windshield like that?

Latest additions:

 

Automatic Camera Switcher

 

Inspired by every gosh-darned tech who every gets withing a hundred feet of my car and is magnetically drawn to fudge around with the camera system wiring in the trunk... Designed to provide evidence in case of a trunk break-in...

 

I installed a tiny hidden camera in the trunk, and made a switcher box. When you open the trunk the rear-facing camera channel on the DVR will switch from the backup camera to the trunk interior camera. Clear shot of the face of anyone who messes around with the trunk or it's contents. When you close the trunk lid it switches back to the backup camera.

 

Tamper Alarm

 

Anyone who opens the false panel in the trunk that hides the camera gear will be met with a 120dB car alarm siren mounted in the trunk. They will get 3 seconds of beeping to warn them, then a rising siren going from quiet to ear-bleeding-loud over the course of 5 seconds. The siren has a backup battery so don't bother unplugging the main battery. If you trigger the tamper alarm and don't close the panel before it reaches full volume then then you'll have to call me on the phone and I'll tell you how to disable it, as soon as you explain how you managed to set it off when you have no business messing around in the trunk.

Wow. Do people mistake you for a cop with that cam in the windshield like that?

 

In a legacy GT? Nope.

 

The camera is black, in a black car with tinted windows. You can't see it from outside the car unless you're standing by the fender.

 

The camera is also pretty small and mounted up behind the mirror - I can't see it from my perspective in the driver's seat.

 

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m159/Scruit/Cam_noflash.jpg

I am more than impressed

That's pretty amazing... but why?

 

Just cuz?

If I had those skills I guess I would do it just because I could.

That's pretty amazing... but why?

 

Just cuz?

 

Here's a reason.

 

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfwfSzbr5Ac&e]YouTube - joyride[/ame]

If I had those skills I guess I would do it just because I could.

 

Good point...

 

And zmarko, I saw that video before. Also a good point.

That's pretty amazing... but why?

 

Just cuz?

 

It's a perfect mix of my 4 hobbies. Cars, Electronics, Computers and CCTV tech.

 

I've just started working on my '87 Bronco again - it's a frame-up restification for offroading (Lifted for 33" mudders, lockers front and back, new engine/trans/tcase). I'm looking to install a similar system in there to capture my offroading.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m159/Scruit/powercontroller.jpg

What program are you using here?

Bringing back the dead. I'm looking for what backup camera I want to use.

 

I think that is Microsoft Visio 2003, but I'm not sure. Visio works great for doing circuit diagrams on a hobbyist level.

I have a dashcam, but it stands out too much suction-cupped to the windshield..

 

I think I will try and source one of those rain-sensing wiper housings that sit in front of the rear-view mirror to hide the camera in.

 

As for back-up cameras.. I don't know. Did the Outback factory nav offer that as an option? I would think the cleanest install would be whatever factory camera is available, but you'd have to replace some trim pieces too.

As far as I know, no 4th gen wagon was ever equipped with a backup camera in NTSC countries. Which sucks. I want to snag the OEM one off of something like an Acura MDX or something, or possibly off of a Tribeca. But finding one won't be easy.

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