Wireless camera with viewing screen 'nerd alert'

[Sylvo]

As a fully fledged nerd, I would like to fit a remote camera at the front of the boat with a viewing screen so I can see the blind side and gap distances whilst steering...I also thought it would be handy to see what is ahead and also view the wild life. Does anyone know of such a device? Only ones that seem to fit the bill are reversing cameras...not sure if they would be suitable. Any advice would be welcome

 

Y 

[robtheplod]

i seem to recall this being discussed before and people recommending reversing cameras?

[Sylvo]

Thanks Rob, yes seems to be only thing available that fits the bill. 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

32 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

i seem to recall this being discussed before and people recommending reversing cameras?

But @Sylvo would be using it going forwards. Won't that invalidate the warrantee? 😀

I did think that the image would end up reversed, but apparently most cameras have an option to flip the image left for right.

[magnetman]

I looked into this and came across suggestions that reversing cameras may have problems with heat management if used continuously. 

 

Not sure if it is true but it does make sense as reversing is an occasional intermittent activity so the camera will not be on all the time. 

 

This was referring to the cheap ones.

 

They also have coloured bands for distance which may not be removable from the image. 

 

 

 

[Mike Hurley]

Depending on boat length a Gopro with bluetooth to your phone might work.

[DShK]

Digital FPV gear is an option. The type used by first person drones. These can suffer from heat issues too as they are designed to be constantly moving on drones (as well as the prop wash). But I am sure you could mount a fan to them.

 

The bonus would be you could mount one to the front of the boat, wear goggles, and pretend you ARE the boat.

 

A real bonus is that it's wireless so no cable running. However, radio signal can't penetrate surfaces to ideally you'd have line of sight of antennas.

 

There are analog types and digital types (digital - look for DJI vista)

Edited June 21, 2023 by DShK

[magnetman]

It would be quite cool to have a camera and powerful IR lamp where the tunnel light is. If you wore the goggles you could steer the boat in the dark. 

I have often thought how good proper night vision gear would be as it is much less busy at night.

Edited June 21, 2023 by magnetman

[Jen-in-Wellies]

1 minute ago, magnetman said:

It would be quite cool to have a camera and powerful IR lamp where the tunnel light is. If you wore the goggles you could steer the boat in the dark. 

Until you crash in to a boat coming the other way, whose steerer complains that your IR lamp was too bright and swamping their night vision goggles.

[magnetman]

Didn't think of that ! 

[DShK]

57 minutes ago, magnetman said:

It would be quite cool to have a camera and powerful IR lamp where the tunnel light is. If you wore the goggles you could steer the boat in the dark. 

I have often thought how good proper night vision gear would be as it is much less busy at night.

 

Proper nightvision gear costs many thousands and regularly requires thousands spent on servicing them.

 

Well inline with boat ownership then.

[restlessnomad]

can you not use an outdoor security cam and view on your tablet/mobile? like https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eufy-eufy-eufyCam-Solo-2K

or a wired one.

[magnetman]

This does work. 

 

I have a 4G camera which I can view with the phone. It takes its own data sim £10 a month. Quite good and a sensible suggestion to solve this problem. 

 

 

 

 

[tree monkey]

2 minutes ago, restlessnomad said:

can you not use an outdoor security cam and view on your tablet/mobile? like https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eufy-eufy-eufyCam-Solo-2K

or a wired one.

I was just going to suggest that, just recently bought 2 cameras and a base station, so far well impressed 

[restlessnomad]

2 minutes ago, magnetman said:

This does work. 

 

I have a 4G camera which I can view with the phone. It takes its own data sim £10 a month. Quite good and a sensible suggestion to solve this problem. 

 

 

 

 

some brands like eufy/reolink have local storage option so in theory one might do away with £10 data sim(just use a cheap wifi router) if using for navigation. google says its fiddly but possible if you are a nerd  

[magnetman]

23 minutes ago, restlessnomad said:

some brands like eufy/reolink have local storage option so in theory one might do away with £10 data sim(just use a cheap wifi router) if using for navigation. google says its fiddly but possible if you are a nerd  

One thing I like with my camera is that it also acts as a wireless hotspot so gives a second internet connection on the boat. The first being the phone sim. 

 

It works really well. It is IP67 rated so one can mount it outside and high up if desirable for a good signal and a good view. 

 

The one I got comes under the search term 'foaling camera' on ebay from a company called Zopkins. 

 

Good item. 

Edited June 21, 2023 by magnetman

[blackrose]

Would something cheap like this work, connected by bluetooth to your phone?

 

Dioche Wireless Web Camera Bluetooth Wireless Cfor OMPuter Camera Webcam Hd 1080P Wireless Wifi Remote Home Chargeable Camera For Desktop Notebook Tv Box (White) https://amzn.eu/d/idASJWi

[restlessnomad]

12 minutes ago, blackrose said:

Would something cheap like this work, connected by bluetooth to your phone?

 

Dioche Wireless Web Camera Bluetooth Wireless Cfor OMPuter Camera Webcam Hd 1080P Wireless Wifi Remote Home Chargeable Camera For Desktop Notebook Tv Box (White) https://amzn.eu/d/idASJWi

assuming its a 30+ ft boat,  not sure about the data transfer speed (and whether you can even connect). plus it seems to be an indoor cam.

 

 

[blackrose]

Oh is the Bluetooth max 30ft range? Didn't notice that. I don't need a waterproof camera, the overhang of the roof at the bow will keep any rain off and I'd just mount the camera with self adhesive thin magnets so I'd take it off and keep it indoors after use.

[magnetman]

Usually given an open helm at the stern, which is common on canal boats, and a zero or reasonably low bac count one will find that the sensory equipment supplied with the body is sufficient for safe boat handling.  

 

The problem with cameras and screens is it can take away attention and potentially make things more hazardous rather than less hazardous. 

 

I don't know how much boating the OP has done but they might find that this system is not in fact required. 

 

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

10 hours ago, magnetman said:

Usually given an open helm at the stern, which is common on canal boats, and a zero or reasonably low bac count one will find that the sensory equipment supplied with the body is sufficient for safe boat handling.  

 

The problem with cameras and screens is it can take away attention and potentially make things more hazardous rather than less hazardous. 

 

I don't know how much boating the OP has done but they might find that this system is not in fact required. 

 

 

This is a good point. Apologies to @Sylvo if they have been boating since they were a nipper. When I first started boating I thought that trying to work out what was going on at the bow would be impossible from the stern. In practice, this is not the case. You rapidly pick up how long the boat is and how far you have to go before hitting some canal infrastructure, after a few early errors CRASH!!

This can be another of those things that can seem like a huge problem early on, but turns out not to be at all.

[Tam & Di]

When we were a boating school for the ICC that steerers require on the continent I had one couple where the wife stood on the bow as they came to each lock, indicting which way to steer. After a couple of locks I told him I could not issue him a licence, as that was evidence of HIS ability, not of his wife signalling skills. He then did the next locks, getting progressively confident on his own. Seeing him again a year or so later he could go into locks with his eyes closed (metaphorically, at least).

 

I don't decry all modern boating aids, but some of them are rather like having a bike with side wheels - you never really learn the art of balance unaided. In this instance, what happens the day the camera fails?

 

Tam

[IanD]

9 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

When we were a boating school for the ICC that steerers require on the continent I had one couple where the wife stood on the bow as they came to each lock, indicting which way to steer. After a couple of locks I told him I could not issue him a licence, as that was evidence of HIS ability, not of his wife signalling skills. He then did the next locks, getting progressively confident on his own. Seeing him again a year or so later he could go into locks with his eyes closed (metaphorically, at least).

 

I don't decry all modern boating aids, but some of them are rather like having a bike with side wheels - you never really learn the art of balance unaided. In this instance, what happens the day the camera fails?

 

Tam

 

I don't really see how a camera helps getting into canal locks anyway -- if they're narrow you know that if the gunwale of the boat the steerer can see (port side) lines up and clears the lockside by a few inches then so will the other one, if they're wide you don't have a problem. Same with bridges, miss the side you can see by a foot or so and the other side will invariably be fine.

 

It's the same issue as cars with width restrictions -- I could never understand why some drivers try to see how much clearance they're got on the passenger side as well as the driver side, just miss the post you can see by a few inches and it'll all be OK.

[Hudds Lad]

1 hour ago, IanD said:

 

I don't really see how a camera helps getting into canal locks anyway -- if they're narrow you know that if the gunwale of the boat the steerer can see (port side) lines up and clears the lockside by a few inches then so will the other one, if they're wide you don't have a problem. Same with bridges, miss the side you can see by a foot or so and the other side will invariably be fine.

 

It's the same issue as cars with width restrictions -- I could never understand why some drivers try to see how much clearance they're got on the passenger side as well as the driver side, just miss the post you can see by a few inches and it'll all be OK.

So true. Often see someone on the tiller "meerkatting" from side to side to check clearance, then causing the boat to rock which only cause more instability and increases likelihood of a bump IMHO.

 

The other problem you'll have with any camera system, unless directly wired, will be lag from the camera to the screen.

[IanD]

29 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

So true. Often see someone on the tiller "meerkatting" from side to side to check clearance, then causing the boat to rock which only cause more instability and increases likelihood of a bump IMHO.

 

The other problem you'll have with any camera system, unless directly wired, will be lag from the camera to the screen.

 

The bigger problem with a camera/screen is that unlike eyes the view is 2D, there's no real depth perception which is crucial.

 

Cameras/screens instead of side (or rear) mirrors in cars have exactly the same problem, in case anyone has never tried them -- good for drag reduction, bad for their main purpose of judging vehicles coming up behind...