Review on 📷 Garmin BC 40 Wireless Backup Camera - Enhanced Compatibility with Garmin Navigators - Black by Jonathan Suarez

The camera has been working for a few days, here is my first review: Pros: * Installation is easy, no wiring required * Pairing with a supported GPS is very easy Cons: * It's not listed in the literature, but high resolution can be obtained of images (1280 x 720), you should have a DriveSmart 55 or 65. However, my DriveSmart 61 has a firmware update to support the camera. There is only one low resolution image (640x480 in my opinion), on a 7" display it's not good, all the jagged edges are visible, like the image on an old children's toy. The quality of the image I would rate as fair at best , but it really belongs in the bad category.* If you are in a theft area and you know what the BC40 is, it takes 2 seconds to remove it from your car, just press the clip and it will come right away there is no way to fix it it pops out you have to take it out every time you park and snap it back in place when you get in the car despite the hassle of wiring you are dealing with a lot better off wired device as it gets old very quickly Complete lack of security is perhaps this camera's worst design. Alternatively, you can set the GPS to look at the camera every time, we nn you turn it on, it turns off when you move. This setting only works if you have a dial-up connection. Can have a 12V outlet.* Each time you wake the camera, it takes a few Seconds until it turns on and displays an image so be patient.* The image looks like a fish eye, if you're not used to the distorted image, you probably won't like it. Now back to some common questions I've found online but rarely answered.* I installed it in a sedan, no connection issues. Although the device claims to connect to WiFi-enabled GPS (2.4GHz band) via WiFi, it only connects via Bluetooth on the DS 61. There is no option to select the connection method. * It can only use WiFi for DS 55. and 65 for high resolution images (I have no way to verify), in WiFi mode it communicates on 2.4GHz band, channel 11. Next WiFi is on this channel (one of the two most common channels) can cause picture loss when this signal is strong. I suspect some people are having connection issues because their cars have built-in Wi-Fi hotspot and they can use the same channel. And if you park next to another vehicle with Wi-Fi, their Wi-Fi could potentially ruin your picture.* Battery type: The manual calls for lithium batteries for their resistance to cold. It's relatively warm right now, so I'm using a couple of NiMH batteries. I will report on the battery life later when it is empty. All in all I'm a bit disappointed. My biggest disappointment (ok): * With a large 7" screen, HD mode should be available on the DS 61 via a firmware update. * Must be able to connect via WiFi or Bluetooth if both GPS and BC 40 support this * They really need a way to secure the device, null security is not possible for external car electronics If they can update the firmware to provide the same functionality for all supported devices (rather than on DS 55/ 65 being limited) that would be a good buy. As it stands I would advise waiting for a better option or going the wired route. It just came out, I hope Garmin makes the necessary updates. in the near future Future to improve the functionality of the product Update: Latest firmware 6.1 does not make any changes in performance or resolution I also added some pictures for you to see how it looks compared to the car device. This is a BC40 with a DS61, below is a factory unit from my car (2019 BMW 640xiGT). The difference in resolution is striking, and the image is a little blurry. Unfortunately, it is impossible to control the contrast and color saturation of the image like in the auto block. While some people consider the 7-inch Garmin to be too big, it's actually quite small compared to those used in today's cars. Update 2: The BC 40 goes into Bluetooth low energy mode when the GPS is not requesting an image to save battery. . When someone presses the camera button, the GPS sends out a Bluetooth signal to wake up the BC 40. The BC 40 takes a while to wake up (hence the image lag), once awake it transmits via both Bluetooth and WiFi. How can you find it with WiFi Analyzer? For devices other than DS 65/55, even if Wi-Fi is enabled on them, they cannot receive an image only over the low-resolution Bluetooth band. With that in mind, battery life will depend on usage.