Off-road Camera System

[wikid]

I am not sure where to post this, but I am Working with Total Visions of Tucson developing a camera system to use for trail recording, spotting, with GPS tracking and quad channel recording with audio.
Currently we are doing the final phase of the install of a 8 camera system with the capabilities of running 16 . Here's where you ask the question.
Why so many camera's?
The answer is since these are fixed camera's you can choose between several different views.
The list for camera locations are (2) forward facing roof mounts long, view, wide view (2) rock spotters on the front bumper corners (1) front lower approach camera (1) Axle camera facing the rear axle area (1) rear roof camera (1) departure or backup camera
I have made a custom overhead console for my FJ Cruiser that will have (4) 5.6" Screens with 2 digital keypads to control which camera's are viewed and recorded. I plan on doing lots of trail video and reports. I have complete build of it with pictures, if folks are interested in seeing it evolve to the working stage. It will be displayed at the expo in the Total Vision area.
Would this be the right thead to put build pictures of it?

thanks
Don

[Lizardo]

I've been contemplating similar but am nowhere near so far along. It'd be great to hear and see more about your setup.

David

[wikid]

WIKID has eyes for you... Baja Camera System install
From the Beginning.
I made several configurations of this OH console this is what I went with. Its actually secured from the lip of the front roof frame to the first cross support It will not come loose or down


While I am doing this project I am adding stuff as I go

Since the headliner is down I am doing a few things to make life easier.
Wilson 1000 antenna roof mounted. Say good bye to the lil will Mag mount. You won't see cables on the roof now. This antenna is about the best you can get for a CB The really nice feature is that you can unscrew the base of the antenna with you hand and screw a cap on the stub so you don't have to have the antenna up all the time. Its just a little black cap that is left.





Next will be one more set of cables to run then the headliner can go back up.
I am waiting for the cables though

I decided to quiet the beast some with a product from Second Skin Audio
Sound Deadening Materials for Noise Reduction from Second Skin
The product is called Damplifier Pro. kills, vibration, heat and noise
It comes in 12"x20" sheets that have paper you peel to adhere to the roof. Its very sticky and I cannot see it coming off even if you begged it.





Next will be another insulation product I glue to the face of the Damplifier Pro
Its about 1/2 to 5/8th thick called "heat wave" and has great insulation properties

Friday I will have all the parts and doodads to begin installing the next phase of this project

Second part of insulating



I left it short till I secure the rest of my stuff but it will be finalized after it it all done


Camera mount and wiring day. I completed 3 camera installs and ran about 80% of the wire/cables Location, location, location, was the theme of the day.
The picture below shows 2 of the 3 cameras installed today.
Camera 1
Drivers side on the roof Narrow view camera that shows lots of distance but not as much on the sides
Camera 2
Passenger side a wide angle but not much distance
My logic behind where there are mounted is..
I wanted to be able to easily clean them without having to make some kind of boom to reach the center ( remember I am short) I decided to follow the line of the washer nozzles. With that I also needed to establish an axis for where center would be in front of the truck. 8Ball and I worked it out with much effort

Side view Note: the covers have not been placed untill they are sealed with silicone into place.


Continue next post...

[wikid]

A longer view


Camera 3
Rear roof . I decided a narrow view camera would be best for most conditions since I will also have a wide angle camera on the bumper


Cable and wire runs were also done today pictures to follow
Progress on the overhead console

I used headliner material to cover the monitor pods and made a center section which will house both of the keypads, cb radio and a few other goodies I have planned for it.

Here is a sample Keypad that will control the cameras. The center was cut and formed from 18 gauge steel. Angles were important along with forming a rigid back edge




One more view from the back of the truck.
The top edge should be the approx height of the headliner


I am working with Rod from Total Vision of Tucson, AZ. Total Vision Products: The new standard in mobile vision products I gave him the thoughts I had and he developed the system. We are working together with the install. So far my end of the install is almost done. Rod is designing another system that could be a great addition to the FJ crowd along with others who may want something like it. The system being designed is not this involved for the install. Mine is just over the top. I will post more details about that soon
Besides all of the wiring I accomplished the oh center console is painted and fitted.

I am pleased with the way it came out. There are still some things to add to it but it is on the way to being complete.


I will start with a view from the drivers seat while driving home from Tucson. The left picture is facing forward from one of the 2 front facing roof cams. The right picture is the long view rear roof cam picture. I was hoping to catch this guy pickin his nose


We have most of the system in and 2 of the cameras viewing.

There is lots of wiring and configuring to do. This is the semi complete oh console after today's progress


Even though it doesn't look like it, we are fairly close to trimming everything out and doing final adjustments, before the headliner goes back up. Its a slow process because this is totally custom and there are many things that come up while we progress

Continue next post..

[wikid]

Wiring in the 2 ecu's that are controlled from the keypads on the console


I can't wait till I can start putting stuff back together. It seems like the more we do the more we take apart, but that's the fun of making something from nothing.

The part you don't see is the DVR. I forgot pictures of it, but pictures will follow
I decided to make a harness for all the switches in the OH console. I ran one 12 gauge wire for power and a ground. Then soldered and wired each switch. I used (2) 5 wire cables to use as trigger wires to run to all of the accessories that will need to be switched. I should never have to pull anything apart in the roof area to add anything from now on .
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This is just a pic of all the switches being tested


Of the 9 switches in the console 5 are already dedicated off-road light and The Baja Camera System.

Today is camera install day part 2
Here is a rock spotting camera located on the front drivers side. The passenger side has the same


I drilled a 1" hole angled down and painted the exposed edge. The camera's have brackets that are epoxied in place


Approach angle camera


Here is the departure camera or backup cam




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[wikid]

Rear axle cam protected buy my skids and with clear view of the dif and inner tires


Quad channel DVR with GPS tracking and alarm mode


Here is the wiring finalized. It will not move or show after the headliner is installed. We still have to test the whole system before the headliner goes up just in case..


Here are the 2 ecu's wired and ready for testing. I am going to make a wire keeper for the top of this where all the wires that come out of the ecu's will so have support above them so they won't wiggle out. Testing mode doesn't require neat appearance til I know its right



As part of my Camera mod I have had to relocate a few things
This is a picture of the way my GPS was mounted before the Camera Mod


Since this is close to the configuration I am dealing with now the GPS needed a new home


Here is what I fabbed up today to make that new home for my Lowrance



Pardon the sloppy look I tack welded it in many places not to distort the metal. I will clean it up and paint it.


This has a swivel mount from a fishfinder like it was in it's previous location



Here it is where it will be mounted. I still have access to the transfer case shifter and all the controls on the dash along with still being able to see the radio controls


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[wikid]

I made the angles specific so I could still shift with no interference. Its 16 gauge steel with formed edges and 1 inch bar stock to re enforce the lower plate then 1/4 inch dowl rod bend and joined in the middle with a baseplate welded on top to attach the mount

I can now reattach my rear view mirror.

I may mount it with industrial strength velcro but am still pondering it as of now.

[wikid]

Like most weekends I was consumed with finishing this project. We had all of the cameras going today and actually recorded on the DVR. Its cool because you can use one screen to play back anything you have recorded. You can choose to playback all of the channels at once with a quad split on the screen and also pull up any recording you have done with a time stamp on it . It will also record GPS tracks where the recording took place. There is an option to have it power on with motion and also track braking, turning backing up etc. As a simple backup feature it will power on by itself when you put it in reverse to view as many as 4 cameras if you choose to but for sure I will have the rear cameras active on backup. Pictures will follow when I have more light to take them, with all the bells and whistles going.

[C Red]

With all those cameras I would never have to worry about blind spots ever again.
I think the camera system is a great idea and will probably give you some interesting view of obstacles as you traverse them.
Your execution seems well thought out. Bravo!

[craig]

Your wife's going to kill you for putting that greasy bracket on her white dining chair.

Looks like a lot of work, and it is coming together nicely.

What sort of work did you do to determine overall power consumption and what changes did you make to the vehicle charging system/battery to accoodate the extra load?