Engine Room Cameras

[Dino]

Hi,
I recently tried setting up a cheap eBay security camera in my engine room. It was advertised that it would work with just a phone or tablet but it needs to be set up on a WiFi network and every time it powers down it loses its password and has to be set up again. I only paid £30 for it and I knew I was taking a punt.
Can anyone recommend a12v camera that doesn’t require a WiFi network but can just connect to a phone or iPad when underway. Ideally a link to one would be ideal. I would like to set up one or two cameras to monitor the engine room when travelling.
Alternatively something that I can connect into my Raymarine A95 Chartplotter
Thanks

 

[markc]

Hi,
I recently tried setting up a cheap eBay security camera in my engine room. It was advertised that it would work with just a phone or tablet but it needs to be set up on a WiFi network and every time it powers down it loses its password and has to be set up again. I only paid £30 for it and I knew I was taking a punt.
Can anyone recommend a12v camera that doesn’t require a WiFi network but can just connect to a phone or iPad when underway. Ideally a link to one would be ideal. I would like to set up one or two cameras to monitor the engine room when travelling.
Thanks

How about a 2nd hand GoPro, they link directly to a phone or tablet without WiFi. Or you need to look for a Bluetooth camera. Anything powered via USB could be powered by 12v 'cigarette lighter' adapter wired into your 12v supply

 

[Dino]

Has anyone tried one of these 12v wireless truck reversing cameras
2 x Reversing Camera + 7" LCD Monitor Car Rear View Kit For Bus Truck 12V/24V | eBay

 

[markc]

Has anyone tried one of these 12v wireless truck reversing cameras
2 x Reversing Camera + 7" LCD Monitor Car Rear View Kit For Bus Truck 12V/24V | eBay

I have 2 of these cameras on the boat, facing aft for mooring, but I don't think the monitor would be good enough in daylight to easily see the kind of detail you'd want for engine room monitoring. Maybe OK inside.

 

[MapisM]

M, you connected them directly to your onboard 24V DC circuit, I suppose?
If so, do they work fine whenever the battery charger or the alternator make the voltage higher?
I always fear that stuff rated for 12/24V could go nuts with 27+, though I guess it happens also on trucks, when the engine is running...

 

[markc]

M, you connected them directly to your onboard 24V DC circuit, I suppose?
If so, do they work fine whenever the battery charger or the alternator make the voltage higher?
I always fear that stuff rated for 12/24V could go nuts with 27+, though I guess it happens also on trucks, when the engine is running...

Hey P, yes connected into the 24v and they work fine. I always assume that things made for cars / trucks will have made allowances for the charging voltage. This has not always been correct of course - I had some 24v leds that lasted about an hour at 27v then gave up!

At the time I bought 3 extra cameras for the ER, but as mentioned above the monitor is not so good, so haven't bothered fitting them

 

[Scubadoo]

Has anyone tried one of these 12v wireless truck reversing cameras
2 x Reversing Camera + 7" LCD Monitor Car Rear View Kit For Bus Truck 12V/24V | eBay

Yes, used those type car reversing cameras in my engine bay and it worked well for the first year, then it started to fail and the housing started to rust. I tried another different make camera and that too has now failed after about 2 years, I now treat them as throw away items as they are very low cost. Not tried the 7" lcd monitor.

With regards to wifi issue, I purchased a wifi transmitter design for car reversing camera and connected directly to the camera and this is still working after quite a few years without any issues. Basically it broadcasts like any other wifi "hub" , connect to the set SSID with either my phone or tablet and then launch the APP. Example (many to choose from) Audio Video Transmitter for FPV Wifi Car Rear View Camera for Android/iOS Phone | eBay

In my experience the car reversing cars are okay for a cheap solution, and work fine in the dark space of an engine room either by the camera's IR (night vision) or leave the engine bay light on, I could see clearing the engine and the surrounding space.

However, now thinking of trying something different like a home type "mini" wifi camera (outdoor or indoor types) that can also be connected remotely via a mifi router, should be able to do this less than £100. The challenge for me is to run from the 220v mains (rather than risk draining the battery) and auto switching to 12v when onboard cruising, one solution could be leaving the battery charger on unattended which I don't like doing. Can anyone recommend an inexpensive switching device to switch from 220v to 12v when detected similar to a fridge?

 

[Forty_Two]

I replaced my engine room camera last year with one of these

Dericam 4MP HD 2K@25fps Outdoor: Amazon.co.uk: Camera & Photo

Running from normal boat 12v, ran fine all last year. I run with 12v lighting on so get a colour pic & display on a dedicated 10" monitor with a four way splitter. I also have two cameras showing me my stern glands & a 4th showing my stabiliser fluid pressure gauge.

You can see it on the right, sorry best pic I have to hand.



For those interested, in the middle of the engine instruments is a gauge i made that shows the temperatures on my engine & generator exhaust elbows using Mini Arduino's. Lower left the red displays show the "famous" EGT's, I'm a convert.

In between the autopilot & wheel is a Raspberry Pi 7" touch screen running with a Rpi3b+ showing battery volts, charging amps & temperatures of batteries, stern glands, gearboxes & more. I also ran Cpn (OpenPlotter) on a Rpi4b this year, it's excellent.

So together with my Rpi media player & my Rpi boat monitor system, nearly forgot a seperate Rpi for general use as a Linux pc, I'm running five Rpi's in total. All good fun.

ps that good old radar is from 1989 still going strong.

 

[vas]

lol, you win 42, on latest count I have five headless teensy 3.5 onboard, BUT about to install a pi 3B+ for monitoring all my Victron kit (running venus os). Not bad these pi s especially with the dedicated 7in touch screen! Testing it at home for the last week since building it, well impressed for 30 odd quid.

and to be on topic, I've bought 2 IR cameras with composite video out (you know the yellow RCA ones) and struggled to route the cabling to the plotter. My plotter has 2 composite inputs, so can run them.
TBH, only tried them a couple of times on dock, never bothered under way (mainly due to the fact that I need the screen for more important things... OTOH, plotter display is fine for showing such stuff.
No space for another display, so got to live with that (or rip the cameras off the e/r...

V.

 

[Forty_Two]

Make sure you use good quality RCA leads, the screens on some are pathetic & can cause patterning on the image

 

[Assassin]

M, you connected them directly to your onboard 24V DC circuit, I suppose?
If so, do they work fine whenever the battery charger or the alternator make the voltage higher?
I always fear that stuff rated for 12/24V could go nuts with 27+, though I guess it happens also on trucks, when the engine is running...

Truck alternators can go as high as 28.8 volts, particularly with Bosch alternators so it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[vas]

FWIW, the only way I believe I've managed to burn something on board (2X electronic float switches) was by equalising (often!) my Trojans to 30.5V (iirc)
stopped doing that, and next time I decide to do a manual equalise, i'll get all the 24V systems OFFline first, just in case...

V

 

[Dino]

Great information folks, thanks a million. I’ll have a look through the various options and pick one. I really just want a way to keep an eye on what’s going on in the engine room on longer sea passages where I might run the engines a bit harder. I typically boat on inland lakes but like to go to sea for a 2-3 week cruise every year. 60-80nm legs are a lot easier at 13-14 knots rather than 7-8 knots. I’ve fitted a 6kg Fireblitz FE36 Clean Agent auto fire extinguisher and a Fireangel WiFi heat alarm in the engine room already but it would be great to see what’s going on inside. I’m tempted to fit a Silicon Marine exhaust temperature alarm also.

 

[Forty_Two]

Do it, exhaust temp alarms are essential kit as far as I am concerned, good luck ?

 

[pumpsmynads]

A Samsung gear360 fixed upside down to the ceiling would work. Like a gopro you can secure it with a camera mount and 12v usb power. The added bonus is that you can ‘look around’ the whole engine room with it.

 

[Plum]

A Samsung gear360 fixed upside down to the ceiling would work. Like a gopro you can secure it with a camera mount and 12v usb power. The added bonus is that you can ‘look around’ the whole engine room with it.

That's the type of solution I have been considering and was going to try one of these linked direct via bluetooth or wifi to an android tablet at the helm or to my phone while on board UK HD 1080P CCTV Wireless WIFI IP Camera Smart Home Surveillance Security IR CUT | eBay

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