Thanks a lot Steve for your imput.
Geoff.

Can't you just hook the wires up backwards?  Or, better yet, mount the
camera backwards...

For wired camera systems at pretty good prices with _excellent_ service
and post-sales support, try www.rvcams.com.  No business interest in the
company, just a _real_ happy customer.  My color day / IR night system
cost me $335.

I tried a cheaper X-10 based system first.  The picture wasn't good,
and it didn't last.  As always, YMMV.

I figure that the cost of a back-up cam is more than offset  by the
first backing accident you didn't have.... it's just hard to tell when
that was... or wasn't...;-)

Jim, "If you drink, don't park; accidents cause people."

'02 Roadtrek Chevy 190 Pop

The above address is invalid;  send email to fesser at same domain name.

http://community.webtv.net/IronDuff/SpringBreak
http://community.webtv.net/a968/ContinentalDivide
http://community.webtv.net/a968/TennentMountain

Just found an excellent little video camera at Sam's Club tonight.  They
had a whole pallet of them, $39.99 each.  I bought two:  one for a backup
camera, one for a front door surveillance for my daughter's apartment.

It comes with an attached 100 ft. cable which has male RCA plugs for the
video and audio inputs to a TV.  There is a third female RCA connector
which connects to the included 12V DC wall transformer.  One could omit
the transformer and connect it directly to any 12V DC source.

Picture is full color in even moderate light.  In the dimmest ambient
light, it gives a decent mono picture -- while watching on a monitor, the
camera picture always looked much brighter than it did to the naked eye.

Resolution is good; not as sharp as a good cam-corder, of course, but
better than most webcams.  Lens is moderately wide-field, but not a fish-
eye.  It seems about right for both close work and also large area
monitoring.  The lens is manually focused by screwing it in or out and
the depth of field was fine.  There are no other controls or adjustments
of any kind.

For night use, there are eight embedded infrared LEDs surrounding the
lens.  Although they only appear as a dim ruby red when looking at them,  
they light the field brightly when viewed on the monitor.  At distances
less than about three or four feet, their glare overwhelms the camera.    
If intended for close-ups, one would need to cover some, or all, of the
LEDs to dim their output.  (There is no way to just turn them off.)  At
about six feet or more, they light up the center of the field like a spot
light.

The camera incorporates a microphone, intended for monitor/surveillance
purposes.  There is no speaker for having a two-way conversation.

The camera is in a metal case about 1.5 inches square, and about 1 inch
thick, including the lens.  It is mounted by means of a ball joint swivel
to a base with pre-drilled holes for mounting it.  This adds another inch
or so to the height.  It is small and light enough that Velcro would
probably hold it in place if you didn't want to use screws.

The package insert warns that the case is not dust or waterproof, so one
would have to provide a good, tight enclosure if used outside.