Review on 🚗 Pyle PLCM4700 Rearview Monitor System with Backup Car Camera - Waterproof, Night Vision, Wide Angle Lens, Distance Scale Line, 4.7" Display by Micky Lovett

Not a bad little gadget for the money although I don't think I would pay full retail price. Cheap and cheerful, as the British say. As others have pointed out, the included installation instructions are useless and I couldn't find anything online. Below are some installation suggestions. They are for a 2007 Honda Civic. Not very difficult but there are some plans of where you want to mount the display and how to route the cables from the trunk to the dash. Total time about 2.5 hours. YMMV.1. Camera: a. You have to somehow pull the power and camera cables into the trunk. The camera cable is a little more problematic as it has a ½" RCA connector and another ½" connector that connects the video input cable to the power cable. b. On the Honda I was able to drill two adjacent ½ inch holes from the inside right of the upper right license plate light. It is not exposed to the elements and is covered by the valence of the license plate light. I put a rubber grommet in the hole to keep the camera cables from rubbing against the metal ridge. Then I sealed the hole with silicone. (CT), but not much. It can still be read. If you are afraid of theft, use the license plate mounting screws that Revain sells here: http://www.amazon.com/Cruiser-Accessories-81500-Stainless-Ultimate/dp/B0040M30O2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid = 1406404795&sr=8-1&keywords=license+plate+latch+screws (I use these to attach my cosmetic plate and they work fine.) d. Connect one of the power lines to the camera (the other is used for the display) . 2. Foraging: a. I wanted the camera and display to turn on when I was tense. So the smart way is to separate the camera power AND the 12V display power from the backup light source. On the Honda, finding the reverse light was easy by unscrewing the two plastic trim screws and prying back the inner cover. You have access to the power plug. Find the latch, press and the connector slides out of the housing. This makes the work much easier b. Use a knife or razor blade and carefully cut the black rubber tube protecting the lamp cord. This will expose the brown and black lamp wires. Do not cut wires. c. To connect 12V without cutting the outgoing wires I used a tap (or vampire) connector. http://www.amazon.com/Cruiser-Accessories-81500-Stainless-Ultimate/dp/B0040M30O2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406404795&sr=8-1&keywords=license+plate+locking+screwsIt Place the connector on the outgoing cable by inserting the connection cable into the slot on the plug and then pressing it down firmly with pliers. An internal mini wire cutter pierces the insulation of the existing terminal and connects the 12V to the connecting wire. Clean installation and a breeze. (A lot of people don't like vamp connectors, but I've been good at them, especially when they're weatherproof. If cleanliness is your thing - and I'll admit that's the best way to go - by all means cut, splice, solder, and seal a lot luck .) d. Pay attention to the 12V polarity. For Honda, brown reversing light wire +12V, black -12V. I suspect other cars will also use black or green for -12v.3. Make a wire harness. If you want the display to turn on when reversing you will need to create a power harness to provide 12v to the front of the vehicle for the display. (Alternatively, you can use the included 12v cigarette lighter plug and plug and unplug it when backing up. Or leave it on all the time. NO!) For the power harness, I used an 18ga lamp wire since the two wires are going together . One side of the cord should have a strip or comb as a guide. My convention is to use the finned side of the cable to run +12v.4. Wrap the strap forward. At this point I connected the power harness and camera power cable (the one with the yellow RCA connectors) together using electrical tape and zip ties. You need to figure out how to route the wiring harness from the trunk to the area where the display will be placed. For the Honda, I ran it through the right rear passenger's recliner, tucked it under the seat cushion and rear mat, and under the right passenger seat. The display fits nicely in the rectangular space above the switch and below the 12V.5 outlet. Final wiring. Connect the yellow RCA connectors to the yellow RCA CAMERA connector on the display and to the same connector on the camera. The display video connector is not used - unless you want to set up a video stream. This is another project.b. Plug the remaining included power cord into the red connector on the display. At the front end of the wire harness, connect the +12V side to the RED wire of this wire. Connect -12V to the black display wire. c. Connect it to the rear end of the power harness to a) the power line from the camera and b) the disconnected power line from the reversing lamp. All three lines together. Pay attention to the polarity of the voltage. +12V goes to the camera's red wire and the +12V wire of your wiring harness.6. A man Testa. apply parking brakeb. Enter, rotate to add accessories. Do not start the car. c. Foot on the brake, engage reverse gear (automatically assumed) d. Enjoy the ad.e. If you're not happy, check the wire connections and the polarity of the 12v. f. You may need to raise or lower the camera, perhaps using a couple of halved washers on each locking screw so it sees the ground just behind the bumper. On the Honda, a straight stick setup with no spacers, the camera's field of view is too "horizontal" and points more up than I'd like. Calibration update The camera mount is surprisingly well made. It consists of three parts: the middle part, which contains the lens, logic and cable interface, and the left and right mounts. The three parts can be separated by loosening the four screws on the bottom of the device. The center of the camera can also be rotated up and down a few degrees by loosening the other pair of set screws. Before installing the camera on the car, I recommend unscrewing the two set screws (be careful, the heads are easy to remove) and see if you can rotate the camera part up and down. It can still get stuck by friction. If this is the case, remove the 4 screws securing the brackets and disassemble the three pieces. Assemble if necessary by applying a thin layer of lubricant. (I didn't.) Loosen the set screws. Attach the camera unit to the plate holder and check the display. You, like me, may need to point the camera down to see objects closer to the rear bumper. I have mine so I can only see my bumper for reference. If everything is ok, put the set screws back in place. The display shows three solid lines. I thought that for my camera alignment the closest line is about 14 inches from the car. YMMV again.