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South Africa, Pretoria
1 Level
720 Review
39 Karma

Review on Reversing Waterproof 170 Degree Viewing License by Joshua Pilla

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Good value for car electronics

Two years ago I installed a Sony XAV-100 AV Receiver in my 2002 Lincoln Continental. This receiver provides rear view camera support with a rear video input. It also has a 12V reverse input to enable video display. I wanted to have a backup camera, but the problem of running the cable from the taillight to the receiver put me off. Eventually after watching enough youtube and reading the Ford service and electrical manual I figured out how to do the job. It required partial removal of the trunk lid upholstery, removal of the rear seat and backrest, removal of the left rocker panels, removal of the left driver's panel, removal of the driver's side lower instrument panel and removal of the radio. The main part of this work was laying the wire. The camera itself is very simple and small and is located under the license plate with one of the top license plate mounting screws. I drilled a hole under the license plate to route the cable through the trunk lid (I have my license plate and reversing lights on the trunk lid). I only had to drill a 1/4" hole because the connector on the camera cable is small. The main cable was perfect for my setup, especially because it has power connectors on both ends. On the camera side, I connected the red and black wires to the Connected backup wiring in the trunk lid so that the camera turns on whenever I put the reverse gear in. At the end of the receiver I connected the yellow RCA connector to the receiver and connected the red wire to the reverse input of the receiver so that the Receiver backup video activates when I shift into reverse This cable was perfect for my needs and I didn't have to run any other cables The cable is 20 feet long and I was lucky it was just what I needed no more. The video quality in daylight is quite good, clear and with good color reproduction. At night everything is fine, colored depending on the ambient light. I still prefer this infrared syst emen that shows night videos in black and white. The Sony receiver shows horizontal distance lines while the camera shows vertical lines. I can match the horizontal stripes to the camera's vertical lines, so I decided to keep them both. The camera leads can be disabled by cutting the wire on the cable. I think at $26 it was a great deal and after installing it I was convinced it was good value for money.

Pros
  • Great for a small home
Cons
  • Questionable purchase for seniors