Docking cameras

jimmy_the_builder

jimmy_the_builder

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I've got an Iris Marine docking camera connected to my E120's. I want to flip the image vertically and horizontally so that the picture of the bathing platform on my screen is aligned the same way as the boat. Make sense? Does a converter of some sort exist to do this?

Cheers
Jimmy
 
Just had a further thought, turn the camera upside down and view via a mirror to invert horizontally.

I don't know of any systems available to do it electronically I'm afraid, but I know we had a security camera system at work once which had a digital manipulator to put all the camera views on one screen. It was very unreliable and the resolution was awful because so much quality was lost by the manipulation process, so hence my thinking above. A bit more Heath Robinson I know, but as I said, probably simpler, cheaper and more reliable, with better resolution.
 
Not much help I know but I have a flip screen lcd tv on the Bayliner and in menu settings you are able to chose which way up to view the picture depending on ceiling or wall mounting of unit.
 
Physically turning it upside down will solve half the problem - but I still need to flip the image side to side somehow. Mirrors etc won't work. I was hoping that some little converter might exist that I can plug the output of the camera into to achieve this. Can't find anything obvious via google though.

Cheers
Jimmy
 
Have you checked the E120 Jimmy?

I bought one of these a few years back
http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/Monito1.jpg
and there is a function in the monitor setup that flips the image just like you get when you look in the rear view mirror of a car - in fact that's exactly what its for.

Actually this is a subject that I've thought quite a lot about.
Think carefully how you actually use the camera.
As you know, I've fitted two docking cameras - one on each rear quarter. Now the problem/question is more involved in my case. Question - did I want to consider that I'm looking forward - in which case I might have wanted both the images reversed (like in the car) - but that would be quite strange to get your head round when you are looking at two separate screens side by side both of which are flipped. Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that its best to have the images the correct way round (not flipped) and imagine in my mind that I've turned round - I then keep the starboard camera on the starboard display and the port one on the port display. So if I want to see the crew tieing off on the port side I just look at the port camera but imagine that I'm watching as though I'd turned round.

I think I've explained that correctly - blows you mind if you think too hard on these things.

Actually, my G Series displays allow me to join the inputs of the two cameras together to get a continuous single image from both cameras on a single display - a bit like this but imagine that the image on the left is the other camera.

IMG_5282Medium.jpg


I daren't try and flip that!!!

BTW there is another permutation - almost what I need.
I always face backwards when driving the boat backwards - in this case, the displays are behind me and one easy way of looking at them is to put my head down and look at them upside down.

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Awww - this is just getting silly now!!!

But you know what I mean -----
 
Funny you should say that mike cos I was thinking the same this weekend when doing my raymarine shopping list for the new boat. I decided to get all the cameras non reversed and just use brain to interpret the image. The more i thought about it the more I thought I didn't want the image reversed. I want the picture of the bathing platform to be as it would be if my eye were located where the camera image is, ie not flipped. In other words i 100% agree your "and imagine in my mind that I've turned round - I then keep the starboard camera on the starboard display and the port one on the port display. So if I want to see the crew tieing off on the port side I just look at the port camera but imagine that I'm watching as though I'd turned round"
 
Actually, they do take a bit of getting "used to".

I fitted them mainly because I cant actually see the bathing platform from the flybridge at all - It's that bloody great big engine and the Walker Bay dinghy that gets in the way!!! I only do close quarter manouvering from the flybridge but I had the docking cameras fed to the lower helm just in case and to make the system more complete.

Now, actually, you have to concentrate and make a deliberate effort to use them - I often find myself trying to peer through the flybridge staircase when if I only turned my head a little - the camera shows a much better view.

An other point - I didnt buy the Raymarine cameras - I thought that they were just too expensive for what they are - I think that some of the parts arent entirely made of non corrosive metals either - they do seem to rust a lot. Instead, I went for small dome cameras - these actually.
http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/armour_dome_ir.htm
Brilliant quality in daylight - not too good at night but what is?
Only 90 quid each as well.

However, I bought two and one has packed up already - sent it back and was sent a replacement without any queries. So I have now bought a spare - at that price, you can buy about 4 or 5 for every Raymarine one.

The other thing is that they fit in nicely and dont look intrusive.
You can just see them in this pic in the cockpit coach roof under the dinghy storage area - one each side.

IMG_5236Medium.jpg


Finally, I didnt fit the Raymarine G Series AV unit either. Each of the G Series monitors can control about 8 different video inputs and adding the AV unit seemed to me to limit the system so that you could only control the video sources when you had the whold G Series system running and even then only if you used a keyboard - simply pressing a monitor button to get the input you want on that monitor seems to me to be the best and easiest way of controllong it.
 
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