I have been meaning to put a few more notes up on this thread as to what I have done and discovered so far during this project.
To begin with I have to tell you this works great! The issues I am dealing with right now all deal with camera mounting brackets, and mounting locations.
When I started this project I thought I would attach large donut shaped magnets to the bottoms of the camera?s so I could temporarily move them around from place to place to see which would provide the greatest benefit in location.
If you decide to try a video system, DO NOT use these magnets (CB Antenna Magnets). The magnetic field is too strong and interferes with the operations of the video cameras. If you don?t know this up front you will spend a few hours trying to figure out what just went wrong. (experience talking here.)
Camera Brackets
I made four camera-mounting brackets.
Each of these brackets can hold two cameras. And each bracket can be mounted behind the side view mirror mounts, or on two bolts inside the front wheel wheels where the flair meets the fender on my TJ.
To each bracket I mounted one or two camera swivel mounts.
Here is a picture of two brackets each having two camera swivel mounts attached.
The slots cut in the brackets allow for quickly mounting and de-mounting the brackets.
The camera swivel mounts allow the cameras to be attached with just a thumbscrew.
Here is a shot of a bracket mounted behind the mirror mount on the driver?s door with two cameras attached.
*Loosen the screws and slide the bracket in place.
*Attach the cameras and tighten the thumbscrews.
From this location, on both the drivers and passenger side doors I can see the entire sides of my Jeep, from about 3 feet in front of the front wheels, to about 2 feet behind the rear wheels as the camera field of vision overlap just a bit.
I have two more mounts inside the front wheel wells. I have moved the driver?s side cameras there to see how that performs. Again very well, but you can?t see everything. What I can say is I can see much much more then I can just with my eyes from the drivers seat.
Blaine gave me a great idea to mount the cameras on the four corners of the T/case skid plate. I tried this but couldn?t make it work because of the heat from the exhaust system.
I then tried to mount two cameras on the skid plate with one pointing forward and one backward. I couldn?t get enough angle out of this location to see very much with the drive shafts getting in the way. Thanks Blaine, it was a great idea that I just don?t seem to be able to make work. (I do have a few more thoughts on this one I still want to try.)
My intent is to mount these cameras only while off roading. The brackets and mounting system I am using make this very easy to do. I am estimating it will take less then 10 to 15 minutes to mount and point the cameras and monitor. While I have not completed this yet, I will wire my Jeep so the cameras simply plug in by the mounting brackets.
Monitor Location
When I started this project I thought of mounting the 5-inch LCD display up above the mirror on the windshield frame. I made a bracket and tried this but I wasn?t pleased with the location. There was far too much glare on the monitor when looking it from below and off to the side.
In looking around at the available real estate in my Jeep I came up with a much better location. On the Steering Wheel Collar.
I made a bracket that mounts the LCD to this location with a thumbscrew. The monitor does indeed block the entire Speedometer and tach, but I don?t see that as any great lose when off roading, and that will be the only time the LCD monitor is there.
Here is a picture of the monitor mounted at this location.
I think you can see that the entire LCD screen is viewable through the steering wheel.
(The glare in this shot is from my digital camera flash. The LCD monitor is actually very clear when viewed from this mounting location.)
Camera Selection[
The video sequencer works great, but I had to mount it all the way in front of my console. This is not a convenient location to access the two key controls; turning sequencing on and off, and selecting any individual camera.
While I have not done this yet I plane to wire up two micro-switches(in parallel to the sequencer switches) that will mount on my gear sifter so I can access and control these two functions more easily.
When I get the entire project worked out in full I will be sure to post a few more pictures and any other notes that may be of interest.
Have a nice evening.
Frank