anyone know much about security type cameras? (1 Viewer)

[Philip_G]

there HAS to be an engineer or someone in the security industry that can help me with this (couldn't find a more suitable forum )
here's the deal, I've got a motorcycle, and the prev owner shaved the damn mirrors off, had a body shop remove them and fill in the holes with filler. So, to moun mirrors I'd need a new upper ($350) and have it custom painted to match (no clue on the $ at least a bill or two)
so since LCD technology for in car electronics applications is so inexpensive these days I thought HEY I'll take a B&W pinhole cam, mount it above the rear fender where it can't be seen (it's like 1.25" square, pretty small) and hook it up to a 4" LCD I can mount under the instrument cluster.
seems simple enough, a few concerns though
is there any way to "mirror" the camera output somehow, meaning when I look at the lcd a vehicle on my left will appear on the right side of the screen, fairly confusing, but something I can get over if I have to.
also is there a cheap way to display 2 cameras on 1 screen?
the quad splitters for security applications are bukly and expensive :frowning:
thanks for the input!

 

[Philip_G]

^

 

[Randy Tennison]

Yes, everything you talked about can be done. I think that security cameras are out. Much too bulky for a motorcycle. I am afraid that doing it would cost more than the expense of mounting new mirrors.
In police work, there are cameras in the patrol vehicles. They use a CCD camera, which goes into a VCR, and is viewed by an LCD monitor. However, you are talking major bucks for one of these systems, over two thousand dollars.
http://www.kustomsignals.com/product...pagename=video
The other idea I have is the units that they install on large mobile homes where there is no back window.
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That seems to be the best route. Hope this helps.
Good Luck

 

[Philip_G]

I've already got most of the hardware...
the LCD cost me $90 shipped
the pinhole camera (1.25" square and about an inch deep) cost me 40$ shipped, it's black and white, but thats fine, either a car is there or it isn't, I'm not looking for fine details.
the only problems left are
field of view, if I need 2 cams displaying them on 1 LCD
reveresed view, objects appearing to the right when they're to the left, I have pondered mounting a small mirror to point the cam into, that would correct the error.. but there HAS to be some kind of video mirror out there, the ? is how expensive is it... I'm looking at a minumum of $500 to mount new mirrors.
here's the cam I used.
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[Ryan Wright]

Camera splitting equipment is expensive. You'd be better off just using two cameras and two LCDs.

As for the mirroring, you could (as you said) use an actual mirror, or, why not just turn the monitor 180 degrees? This would also result in the images being displayed at the bottom of the screen - more intuitive, since it's displaying things that are behind you.

 

[Philip_G]

AHH all the cars would be upside down I might do that..
we'll see.
I got the LCD today and it's larger than I thought...too large to mount two of them in fact.
here it is hooked up to my DVD player at home.

 

[Philip_G]

afterthought #1

a mirror may be the way to go, a convex type... it solves 3 problems!

reversed image!

vield of view, it will see more.

aaaaaand focus... I'm not sur ehow the focus works on these little cams, but a morror gives me a fixed object to focus on and I don't have to worry about it

 

[Philip_G]

^ :b

 

[Ryan Wright]

Hey, you said that monitor was only $90? Where did you get it? I'd like to stick one on my nightstand, so if I hear a noise in the middle of the night I can see what's going on out front easily.

 

[Philip_G]

ebay.. 90 shipped..

 

[Ryan Wright]

Thanks. I'll have to do some searching tonight!

 

[Philip_G]

I'll sell ya mine
beware, these have an RJ11 connector on the back that has to be removed to plug in power and video, no big deal though.
I need a smaller one for the bike, this thing is too beg