Camera for backing boat trailer

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Thinking about installing a wireless camera on the back wall of my garage so I can better see the boat when I'm backing it in.

Onr that would work with my iPad, or smartphone is preferred.

Thoughts?

[Big Dave2]

2 hours ago, Wish-I-Were-Fishn said:

Thinking about installing a wireless camera on the back wall of my garage so I can better see the boat when I'm backing it in.

Onr that would work with my iPad, or smartphone is preferred.

Thoughts?

I would just hang up a mirror. Better yet, get one of those concave ones they have at grocery stores.

[delcecchi]

Sure.  They are cheap. 

[papadarv]

I have an older pick-up where a back-up camera aimed at the receiver hitch would be desirable. I came up with an idea that is Free. (I like Free).

What you need
Apple Ipad2, any tablet or 4g cell phone, android, apple i.e. your smart phone will work great. You need 4g iPhone for video display speed. (I own the Ipad2)

Most of us have wireless WiFi in our homes, if not an old wireless router works great. In 2013 I replaced my 12 year old Linksys wireless router with a new model which had the higher speed and latest technology (wife got a new computer). If you don’t have a router, you can get one from Walmart for about $25.00. Make sure the power supply is 12 volt, most of them are 12volt
 

6”x8” piece of tin
2 strong magnets (Walmart or Home Depot)

Whatever cell phone iPad etc. you use you need to go to the App Store and get the free app  called webofcam. If it’s android, use google play store, if iPhone go to the apple app store.

Also download webofcam to your iPad or 4g Cell phone same as you do for the free phone. You need 2 smartphones or 1 smartphone and one iPad, tablet etc. i.e. you need 2 camera devices. One is the camera other receiver.

I built phone holding frame out of the tin sheeting. Attach the 2 magnets to the back with double stick tape. Also made one that I use in my Wheel House when centering the drilled holes with the shack hole. You said you’re also doing this in your garage so you need some way to mount a phone with the camera looking at your back-up area. All for Free if you have phones etc.

Some phones have about a 1 second delay so back up slow.

Phone holder on back of pickup

iPad looking at ball and hitch

Hole in Wheel house, iPad next to hole. Works up to about 150 feet.

Lookin out my office window camera shot on my computer. Camera on window showing back of my boat. Because its on my home WiFi I can view the camera from anywhere there is WiFi just aim the camera out the front window and plug the camera in to keep charged.

Edited July 29, 2016 by papadarv

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

48 minutes ago, papadarv said:

I have an older pick-up where a back-up camera aimed at the receiver hitch would be desirable. I came up with an idea that is Free. (I like Free).

What you need
Apple Ipad2, any tablet or 4g cell phone, android, apple i.e. your smart phone will work great. You need 4g iPhone for video display speed. (I own the Ipad2)

Most of us have wireless WiFi in our homes, if not an old wireless router works great. In 2013 I replaced my 12 year old Linksys wireless router with a new model which had the higher speed and latest technology (wife got a new computer). If you don’t have a router, you can get one from Walmart for about $25.00. Make sure the power supply is 12 volt, most of them are 12volt
 

6”x8” piece of tin
2 strong magnets (Walmart or Home Depot)

Whatever cell phone iPad etc. you use you need to go to the App Store and get the free app  called webofcam. If it’s android, use google play store, if iPhone go to the apple app store.

Also download webofcam to your iPad or 4g Cell phone same as you do for the free phone. You need 2 smartphones or 1 smartphone and one iPad, tablet etc. i.e. you need 2 camera devices. One is the camera other receiver.

I built phone holding frame out of the tin sheeting. Attach the 2 magnets to the back with double stick tape. Also made one that I use in my Wheel House when centering the drilled holes with the shack hole. You said you’re also doing this in your garage so you need some way to mount a phone with the camera looking at your back-up area. All for Free if you have phones etc.

Some phones have about a 1 second delay so back up slow.

Phone holder on back of pickup

iPad looking at ball and hitch

Hole in Wheel house, iPad next to hole. Works up to about 150 feet.

Lookin out my office window camera shot on my computer. Camera on window showing back of my boat. Because its on my home WiFi I can view the camera from anywhere there is WiFi just aim the camera out the front window and plug the camera in to keep charged.

Love this idea! Just what I need.

Mirrors won't work for my application. I need to simulate standing in the back of the garage and I think this phone and iPad combo should work great.

I will report back.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Just installed the ap on my smartphone and ipad2, got them paired and ready to go.

I'm using the phone camera and veiwing on the iPad. Going to prop the phone on the garbage can in the back of the garage, should be ideal spot and easy to do.

Bringing the boat home next week so we will give it a test.

I store my boat in another garage and only bring it home occasionally. Can I use this on multiple networks?

[papadarv]

1 hour ago, Wish-I-Were-Fishn said:

Just installed the ap on my smartphone and ipad2, got them paired and ready to go.

I'm using the phone camera and veiwing on the iPad. Going to prop the phone on the garbage can in the back of the garage, should be ideal spot and easy to do.

Bringing the boat home next week so we will give it a test.

I store my boat in another garage and only bring it home occasionally. Can I use this on multiple networks?

Yes, you need to link (connect) your phone / iPad2 to the same WiFi which is technically a router. Than open the app and pair the two connected to the same WiFi with the app. As long as both phones are "connected" they will work. In fact you could have multiple phones as viewing all seeing the same camera image. If your other garage has WiFi within range, you could us the app there also. One suggestion, when paired move the camera phone and observe how long it takes the image to move on the viewer.  Some phones have a delay which could cause you to back into something. My Samsung S5 has no delay wth the iPad air or my wife's Samsung Galexy Prime.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Let's say the other place didn't have wifi, but I've paired my phone to the iPad at home. Can I use both devices on 4g at the other place?

[papadarv]

Answer no.

Wifi is a trade name patented by WiFi Alliance in 1999 for the IEEE 802.11x wireless LAN digital communication technology developed back in 1971. The name caught on and is now the reference for LAN digital communication. (More technical jargon than you really wanted to know.) 

A piece of equipment called a "Router" manages the receive and send electronics of WiFi. You do NOT need to have the router connected to a LAN network for WebOfCam to work and it makes no difference if it is or is not connected. To run my WebOfCam where there is no WiFi, I use a router. Most of these units run on 12 Volts DC so I made a power cable to connect to my Cig lighter socket.

Pairing is the term use to connect two or more phones (devices) through a router WiFi.  

3g and 4g are communication terms for cell tower communications. You or someone usually needs to pay for this service. You cannot use webofcam throuth 3g or 4g, different technology. You can buy a router at WalMart for about $25 or less.

The Pic shows my 7" tablet on the left, router in the center and iPad on right. You need the router to make it work. Routers have a range of about 150 feet. The 12 VDC power plug is laying on top the router.

 

[delcecchi]

So they won't pair and do this using bluetooth?    

[papadarv]

No Its an Ethernet IEEE app not supported by blue tooth. I've looked but have not found a similar app that uses Bluetooth. Be nice if one did. Make it more versatile. Idea behind this was a security phone camera you could view with your computer anywhere on the web and something to watch a child sleeping from another room in the house.

Edited July 29, 2016 by papadarv

[RebelSS]

And here I thought a pocket mirror on a 2 x4 was pretty slick.  

[delcecchi]

1 hour ago, RebelSS said:

And here I thought a pocket mirror on a 2 x4 was pretty slick.  

Dinosaur

[RebelSS]

PBBBBBBT**    

[PurpleFloyd]

My new Ram has the backup camera and it is sweet but I did have a set of those tennis ball alignment things in the past and they worked. With a cargo trailer I can usually stick the tongue on the ball easily but a boat trailer doesn't have the profile to help align. 

 

 

[PurpleFloyd]

They also sell a camera with monitor on Ammazon dot comm for like 30 dollars

[delcecchi]

I love my back up camera, but it doesn't show the back of the boat approaching the wall of the garage, which was the original problem.   The low tech solution is a brick on the floor in the right place or a ball on a string hanging from the ceiling. 

Edited July 30, 2016 by delcecchi

[RebelSS]

I PL400'd a 12 inch  1 x 2"  across the floor on each side where the boat tires should line up and stop....and a hollowed out 1x6" board "ramp" on the floor where the trailer wheel drops down in and stops.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

My need is to have a set of eyes in the garage to see the boat position while backing in. Not so much where to stop, but to view if it is going in straight or crooked. You can't see the boat position once it's past the door and there is not much room left to right. If it goes in crooked it will hit the wall, or stuff that is on the other side.

Ends up he has wifi there and I connected it to try it out. Lots of delay with mine and camera position wasn't the best. I'm going to try another phone and try putting it in the rafters of the garage for a down view.

[bobberineyes]

I wish you well with your journey backing a boat in a garage wish I were fishing , some super high tech options. Me, ya my space is tight too. I have it all marked , when the trailer disappears in the garage I hit the lights, by using the mirrors I can tell if I'm straight or not. Then when I get to the edge of the neighbors house with my door I'm right where I need to be...easy peasey. 

[PurpleFloyd]

How about painting yellow stripes on the floor just outside the tires that lets you watch how the tire is tracking? If you can see the trailer tire in the side mirror you should be able to back it perfectly every time. Add a short perpendicular line exactly where the tire sits when it is in the proper spot and you should be set. This is what we did in our fire hall so we can get every truck in the right spot.

[RebelSS]

Or use mirror tiles on the back garage wall. 

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

2 hours ago, PurpleFloyd said:

How about painting yellow stripes on the floor just outside the tires that lets you watch how the tire is tracking? If you can see the trailer tire in the side mirror you should be able to back it perfectly every time. Add a short perpendicular line exactly where the tire sits when it is in the proper spot and you should be set. This is what we did in our fire hall so we can get every truck in the right spot.

I can't because it's not my garage. Actually I've considered using a floor laser line level to project a line to follow.

[Finns]

Could you push it in by hand? 

[PurpleFloyd]

1 hour ago, Wish-I-Were-Fishn said:

I can't because it's not my garage. Actually I've considered using a floor laser line level to project a line to follow.

Oh, sorry, in your first post you wrote 

Quote

Thinking about installing a wireless camera on the back wall of my garage so I can better see the boat when I'm backing it in.

Onr that would work with my iPad, or smartphone is preferred.

Thoughts?

How about tape