side-cameras?

[trikkonceptz]

That is quickly climbing the list as the next mod I am going to do. As far as placement I am going outside the box for this.

I am going to mount my cameras low on the door around the area of the door handle, just lower, for a simple reason. Without mirrors backing into spaces becomes more difficult as far as detecting space lines etc ..

Therefore A camera set lower can become a park assist as well while detecting large objects in its field of vision. I still double check with a head check before changing lanes.

As far as Johnny Law, he has to be really bored to pull me over for something as trivial as a mirror violation, in the end, I may tap one of the mirror plates and carry a bicycle mirror in case they want to be pricks, I'll just screw in a mirror and remove it at the next intersection ..

If I find any that are worh while I'll post them with links..

[azraelswrd]

Only thing the law cares about for most states is a driver-side mirror and a rearview. If you play prevention and don't give them a reason to stop you, you may be fine. In my town there are quite a few mandatory DUI checkpoints around town once a month or when a holiday comes up.

When I have 6-8 cops looking over my car and I'm already stopped that's just a ticket waiting to happen if I don't have the mirrors present.

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi,

Saab is using side cameras on the 9X BioHybrid car:

YouTube - Efficiency at Work

[azraelswrd]

I wonder why the prototype Saab (like nearly every car I see) still insists on traditional fog well "divots" and not a more aerodynamic shell or covering over it?

[AeroAl]

check out
Coslinger special HPV streamliner recumbent bicycle
halfway down there is a picture of their video system and a link to a source.

Al

[Red]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

Could you link the wal-mart thing? I'm interested.

I've also been thinking about this a lot lately, and I hope that yahya will chime in since I know he's looked into it. I tried searching on insightcentral but it seemed to no avail, *shrug*

IC is not the greatest place to look for mods. Its great for bragging about MPG though

I never did it due to funds, but the model I checked into was a RoadMaster VR3 back up camera. The newest one comes with a 3.5" color LCD screen. You won't be able to count the paint chips on the car next to you but you'll be able to tell its there. Lens is a fish eye setup and its integral to the cam. I didn't see it as too much of a down side as I use my mirrors to get an overall view of my surroundings not as blind spot checking. Its got an RF range of around 20ft and is capable of transmitting over a couple of channels so you could run two at once. The LCD plugs into your 12v and the cam you splice into your back up lights or some 12v source. Since the receiver is mounted in the LCD and the cams are going to be used as mirrors, you are talking about a receiver-transmitter distance of 8ft tops, so the signal should be more than strong enough.

Legally out here in Cali you need your rear view and your driver side mirror. Never really been bothered about it in the Jeep and from what I have heard, you just need them where they should be, whether they are actually functional isn't that big of a deal.

[Coyote X]

Mine was pretty cheap, $25 for the camera and the 3.5" screen for $53

I did it by cutting off the base of the stock mirror then using a tube that the cameras fit inside to fiberglass into the base. After the fiberglass was strong enough I filled and smoothed it with lightweight body filler before painting it. They work pretty good and give a lot wider range than a normal mirror. The passenger side screen is a bit small but it gets the job done. Drivers side works great. Only bad thing is I have only managed to put 125 miles on the car since putting them on I need to get out and drive some more

[tasdrouille]

Cameras won't cut it in Canada. The best you can do is get rid of the passenger side mirror and downsize the driver side mirror as long as it meets the minimal specs.

Canada's motor vehicle safety act:

Mirrors

General


111. (1) Any mirror referred to in this section that is installed on a vehicle shall

(a) have a stable support;

(b) be adjustable in the horizontal and vertical directions;

(c) be a unit magnification mirror, except in the cases referred to in subsection (6), paragraph (13)( b) and subsection (16);

(d) be free of sharp points or edges that could cause an injury to an occupant of the vehicle or to a pedestrian;

(e) except in the case of a System B mirror installed on a school bus that has a forward control configuration, be installed so that the driver's field of view through the mirror is not obscured by the portion of the windshield that is not wiped by the windshield wipers or by any opaque portion of the vehicle structure; and

(f) in the case of an outside rearview mirror, have no greater protrusion beyond the perimeter of the vehicle than is necessary to meet the field-of-view requirements for the mirror prescribed in this section.

(2) A rearview mirror referred to in subsection (7) or (11) or paragraph (26)(a) shall be capable of adjustment from within the occupant compartment of the vehicle.

(3) The average reflectance of a mirror referred to in this section shall be determined in accordance with SAE Standard J964, Test Procedure for Determining Reflectivity of Rear View Mirrors (June 1992).

(4) A mirror referred to in this section that is a single reflectance mirror shall have a reflectance level of at least 35 per cent.

(5) A mirror referred to in this section that is a multiple reflectance mirror shall have a daytime reflectance level of at least 35 per cent and a night-time reflectance level of at least 4 per cent. In the event of electrical failure, the mirror shall be adjustable, either manually or automatically, to a reflectance level of at least 35 per cent.

(6) An outside rearview mirror referred to in paragraph (7)(b) or subsection (26) or (27) that is installed on the side of the vehicle opposite the driver's side may be convex if

(a) its reflective surface area is equal to or greater than the reflective surface area that a unit magnification mirror must have in accordance with that paragraph or subsection;

(b) its average radius of curvature is not less than 890 mm (35 inches) and not greater than 1 800 mm (71.5 inches); and

(c) the radius of curvature at any point does not deviate by more than 12.5 per cent from the average of any five radius-of-curvature measurements made on its reflective surface at least 6 mm (0.25 inch) from the edge of the image display.

Passenger Cars and Three-wheeled Vehicles

(7) An inside rearview mirror shall be installed on every passenger car and three-wheeled vehicle and shall, under the conditions prescribed in subsection (8),

(a) provide the driver with a field of view to the rear that

(i) is not less than 20° measured horizontally rearward from the projected eye point, and

(ii) extends to the horizon and includes a point on the road surface not more than 60 m (200 feet) directly behind the vehicle; or

(b) where the inside rearview mirror does not provide the field of view to the rear described in paragraph ( a), be accompanied, on the side opposite the driver's side, by an outside rearview mirror that has not less than 90 per cent of the reflective surface area of an outside rearview mirror installed pursuant to subsection (11).

(8) For the purposes of subsection (7), the vehicle shall be on a level road surface and loaded with the lighter of the following loads, calculated on the basis of the driver and each occupant weighing 68 kg (150 pounds):

(a) a driver and four other occupants; and

(b) an occupant in each designated seating position.

(9) A field of view to the rear described in paragraph (7)(a) may be partially obscured by seated occupants or head restraints.

(10) An inside rearview mirror referred to in subsection (7), if situated in the head impact area, shall, when the reflective surface of the mirror is subjected to a force of 400 N (90 pounds) in any direction that is not more than 45º from the forward longitudinal direction, deflect, collapse or break away without leaving sharp edges.

(11) An outside rearview mirror shall be installed on the driver's side of every passenger car and three-wheeled vehicle in such a manner as to provide the driver with a field of view to the rear on a level road surface that

(a) may be partially obscured by the rear body or fender contours;

(b) extends to the horizon; and

(c) includes a line measuring 2.5 m (8 feet) perpendicular to and outboard from the vertical longitudinal plane tangent to the driver's side of the vehicle at its widest part, at a point 10.6 m (35 feet) behind the eyes of the driver seated with the driver's seat in the rearmost position.

(12) For the purposes of subsections (7), (9) and (11), the field of view to the rear of the driver shall be evaluated by using

(a) the location of the driver's eye reference points for the 95th percentile tangential cut-off specified in SAE Recommended Practice J941a, Passenger Car Driver's Eye Range (August 1967); or

(b) the driver's eye reference points at a nominal location appropriate for any 95th percentile adult male driver.

[MazdaMatt]

so... there goes that idea. I can't believe that someone would put that much effort into the description of a mirror... and not consider "other sighting devices".

[trikkonceptz]

Remember these laws were put into place long before the technology came about. I would take the chance and if stopped then take the data to the courts explaining the benefits to the technology. Not the aero-side, but the advantages of eliminating blind spots, better visibility, etc..

Eventually these laws will be updated, some one however has to be the sacrificial lamb.