Installing a wireless Back up camera/iPhone

Seeing behind me in the 328 when in reverse has always been problematic for me at best. I decided, especially since I'm getting it for free, to try a wireless back up camera on the 328. It's wireless in the sense that there is no wire needed from the camera to the iPhone but a wire connection is required to supply power to the camera.

The camera can be mounted as part of the license-plate frame so it doesn't seem to me that it will be noticeable. If it is, I'll probably elect not to install it. It's cheap (even when not free) and it's Chinese-made. That combination is, in my mind, extremely questionable quality-wise but I did some research and it got decent reviews. I figured what the heck..it's not costing me anything and it's easy enough to temporarily install with a power wire from a small 12v battery without any actual car wiring changes to see if it looks OK/functions well. If it does, I'll run a wire as needed.

It's this unit: https://www.amazon.com/License-GreenYi-Wireless-Reverse-Android/dp/B06Y3TSWLK/ref=sr_1_5?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QPSq4pMgy34nQYimH8RXswea9GVgkxlrOAOi1GaDeKz0SCugqqFFAJYYST9hpI4KaqvYa185oJr1uKiFjyNkxRJOGYAkG4nu7WNCgkTKuQ6sWfSZyyZKhZAzz77gYXZWwHlz4jMegq6PjhhB6KjZACq_NoD2vARmUt863BSUF5d-fnpiDAROlbemTa_2XSin7cAhEYxYh6_Q8OWZV2GaSBCb1IsF2yrtccOU0mLXkyw.-wD1oo_vwrGQq-iT7HwpRjmCpNRYoyoNHVGeNjAJ_Hg&dib_tag=se&keywords=wireless+backup+camera+for+iphone&qid=1709742704&sr=8-5

 

Two options pictured below.

In the first, the "license plate" camera could have a 12V 'ignition-on' wire from the Digiplex feed. The mount could be shortened length wise by a bit over an inch on either side - cutting off the portion showing in the slot so it would be a bit less noticeable.

The second has the camera attached to the engine lid. The power could be supplied by the parking lights. The down side of that is that to operate the camera I would have to turn on the parking lights/wait for the camera to activate/link to the iPhone to get rear camera view. OTOH, I turn on the parking lights for normal driving to use as running lights so that's really not an issue...though I often forget to turn them off!

Regardless of how the unit is powered, it takes about 25 seconds to connect from the time it receives power. So if using an ignition-on, that would be the delay to get a picture before backing up. If using a back up light or parking light connection, it would be 25 seconds from turning on the parking lights or placing the gear lever in reverse. The latter, 25 seconds after putting the gear lever in reverse, is totally unworkable, IMO. If connected to a permanently hot connection - recommended by the instructions - there is no delay at all, just hit the iPhone app and the rear view is there. Of course that means there would be a permanent drain on the battery. I doubt that the battery current draw is meaningful and probably not an issue at all if the car is driven regularly or on a smart charger. Unfortunately I couldn't check the amp draw because I blew the fuses on my Fluke MM a while back when checking amps with the probe in the wrong (DUH!) position and haven't replaced them.

Frankly, I tend to think that a 25 second delay any time I need to use reverse would become annoying. So I'm inclined to the constant power choice. That idea could change if the power draw is excessive. I should buy some fuses for the Fluke!




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Accidentally attached too many pics, sorry!

Found another way - attaching to the license plate bracket but without the large mount. The little bracket does not touch the car body, it is sandwiched between the black license plate frame and the license plate itself. It would be perfectly centered/JB welded onto the license plate frame. The camera's just sitting there at the moment with some blu-tack holding it/the wire in place. The wire can just go straight up into the trunk area across the rubber gasket and then to wherever.... I could put a hole in the gasket for the wire but don't see any reason to do that. Would paint the little bracket red with some Rosso Corso touch up paint so it would be even less noticeable.
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Oops...
to avoid any confusion, in my earlier post I mentioned one possibility for power was to pick up 12VDC from "the Digiplex." Of course, my 328 has a Microplex, not a Digiplex.

 

Really? That would be perfect for the mounting method I'm going to use! I ASSumed that the antenna only received power when the raise/lower button on the console was pressed. Didn't even occur to me to check if power was there, thanks!

 

"Why not. Get power from the backup light you select reverse the camera will get power"

It requires 20-30 seconds for the camera/phone to link from the time power is applied to the camera. I'm too impatient to deal with selecting reverse and then waiting 20-30 seconds before moving. The best option is camera constant on - no delay at all for the back up view.

I'm awaiting a pair of new fuses for my Fluke multimeter so I can check the amperage draw of the camera. I suspect it's much lower than the car's clock so constant-on power to the camera shouldn't be an issue as far as battery drain over any reasonable time.

 

The camera draws 5.6 mA on standby. The Ferrari clock on my 328 draws 4 mA so a total of around 10mA (.01A) would be the draw on the battery in the garage/on the driveway if the camera is "always on" for instant response when selecting the rear view app.

10mA is very low and for practical purposes is not an issue unless the car is not driven or not on a charger for a couple of months.

 

Yes there is a nearby ignition-on 12v power source. But, as I said earlier, that means there would be a 20-25 second delay from the time you turn on the ignition until the camera can link to the phone. That wouldn't be an issue with the first start of the day but I would find subsequent startups with that delay before being able to see behind rather annoying. I shouldn't have referred to the camera being "always on" when it has power. The camera is only "on" if the app on the phone is activated, otherwise the camera is in standby.

The instructions for the camera recommend constant power to it so I ASSume (!) it's fine with that. The amp draw when the camera is "on" is 28mA as opposed to the 5.6 mA on standby. My plan is to connect it to a constant power source; we'll see what happens... Heck, I may find the whole iPhone-as-backup-camera-display annoying anyway!

 

Another update: on post #9 of this thread it was stated, "The antenna has a constant live feed"

Perhaps on other/earlier 3x8's but it does not on my '89 328. There is no power applied to the antenna until the up/down antenna switch on the console is pressed. In that case 12v is applied to one of the two power leads on the antenna motor depending on whether up or down is pressed. SO...absent any other source - of which I am unaware - the only way to get constant power is to run a wire from somewhere forward - either from the fuse/relay panel or directly from the battery.

I hooked up a small 12v batt just to see how the camera actually worked and am quite impressed - it looks good on the iPhone and, with constant power it activates almost instantly when the app is selected. Just have to decide whether to run a direct power wire or deal with the delay involved with an ignition-on power supply.

 

Ah, OK...I assumed it was saying there was power AT the antenna motor which would have been convenient for hooking up the camera.

 

I left the US for 6 months before completing this project. We're in the UK and won't be back to the US (and the 328) until late November. In a different thread recently, it was pointed out that there is a 12v feed to some engine sensors. I don't recall at the moment the specific sensor(s) mentioned but it was suggested that if the camera draw is less than an amp - which it is - one of those sensor wires might be suitable to supply key-on power.

So that's my current plan; I'd rather not run a new wire from the front if I can avoid it.

FWIW, another option is a device that supplies battery power full time but shuts itself off when the battery voltage drops to the low 12v range. That would provide instant-on for the backup camera at all times which would be a good thing but it would require a dedicated circuit/new wire/fuse from the battery or electrical panel.