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Rear view from Bathtub

Maxwellian

By Maxwellian
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Maxwellian

Maxwellian

Posted
Posted

We are hiring Kingfisher from Maffetts in August, we hired Swallow last year. Both are front steer single level. I like this kind of boat but one of the problems is stern mooring visibility especially the opposite corner to the one you are steering from if it is raining. If the weather is fine I have the roof back and the rear door open. By standing up and looking over the roof or looking through the rear door I can see my wife's hand instructions. As some of you will know this is not always a good solution.

Question is. I would like to put a camera inside the rear window looking out and relay the picture to my IPad at the front. Has anyone tried this or have some solutions. kingfisher is 32foot long.

Just thought to mention Swallow does have a step up into the Saloon.

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LondonRascal

LondonRascal

Posted
Posted

@Maxwellian:

 

Hello, well the way I see it you could go down the camera route - it will cost about £50 all in and require some knowledge of soldering, and electrics because you want something 'portable'  that the camera and the small screen can both be plugged into the accessory socket (cigar lighter socket) and run of the boats 12v system.

 

Or you could get a couple of PMR 'walkie talkies' cheap and be guided by how much you've got to go.

 

Both ideas have their flaws - the camera means a box of kit to take, a lot of wire to run the length of the boat and tape to fix it all and once done will give a very distorted aspect on the world with close up things appearing far away - the walkie talky route requires the person giving guidance to be very clear and the one reacting to such to have absolute faith in their instructions.

 

There is the third option - and one I use with relative ease - use the actual boat as your guide.  Now that might seem an odd way to put it but have a look at the littel video guide I've made with urm paper boats ...

 

http://youtu.be/pRMkJROSsdM

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Maxwellian

Maxwellian

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Thanks for the replies and thanks Robin for the impromptu explaination. That is the way that I have done it upto now although I tend to turn the opposite way to the side the wheel is on so that I can maintain visibility as much as possible. That short film explanation will be really useful for lots of us.....thanks. I find that even though I visit every year it takes a little while to get into the swing of things.

So I take it there is no easy way to do it without the laying wires and even if I did the camera view is distorted?

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Hockham Admiral

Hockham Admiral

Posted
Posted

I bought exactly what you are talking about (a colour surveillance camera) and installed it recently, wiring it directly to our TV screen (it doesn't have a monitor).

 

My first attempt at using it was a disaster because I just couldn't remember that what I saw was a reversal of what was happening (i.e. Left was Right!). I ended up reversing (albeit very slowly) directly onto the bow of the boat |I was trying to avoid......

 

It's all wired up for 12V with an accessory socket plug and I'll post it to you for £25 (Inc. P&P) if you want it!  It's got full colour, night vision, sound and 18M of cable. I fixed it to a heavy block of wood and stood it in the rear window, the wires I just laid along the side of the galley passageway.

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Hylander

Hylander

Posted
Posted

I bought hubby one of these cameras for Christmas, as Robin will confirm.      Robin was a gem in helping me choose the right camera and definitely helped a lot when it came to ordering the wiring etc.     Camera now in situ on boat,  brilliant, best thing I ever bought.      We did find that on bright days the glare from the water made viewing the picture quite difficult but now it has been taken off of the dash and put up higher above the window above the dash and a small cover purchased from Amazon to put around it, we do not have the problem anymore.

 

I now sit down , do not say a word when hubby is mooring our boat (stern) and hubby can now do this all on his own.      He certainly would never have managed before.   So all of that yelling from me from stern to bow like a fish wife, a thing of the past.   We did try walkie talkies but I kept forgetting to press the button and was yelling into mid air.    To be able to moor without all of that hassle on a Bounty 30 is a bonus.   

 

We even got a congratulations from people watching us moor the other day.      Believe me people are always watching when you make a hash of it.

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650xs

650xs

Posted
Posted

naw then then what did i do befor bow thruster ...cameras............stern thruster .....

 

 

elec winch for mud dragger elec roof

 

 

dongle ....wifi..........................tv................that new fangle thang skaterlite  etc etc etc .......

 

 

ohhh yes i remember ..........................................

 

 

 

 

used me ole skool method ...............................i did it ...................!!!!!!

 

 

 

all in gest and to get a rise ...............................!!!!!?????

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ExSurveyor

ExSurveyor

Posted
Posted

I fitted two cameras and one monitor on our Topliner. One to the rear and one to the side. Topliners have very limited view when mooring side on and no view stern on.

It does make for peaceful mooring. Matron found handling two ropes and a walkie talkie difficult "and if you can do better, do it your bl##dy self".

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Hylander

Hylander

Posted
Posted

It does make for peaceful mooring. Matron found handling two ropes and a walkie talkie difficult "and if you can do better, do it your bl##dy self". 

Ah!!    a woman after my own heart.         I thought I was the only person in whole world who couldnt not get the knack of the walkie talkie.     Well you would have thought so if you had been on our boat.     You certainly dont have to watch TV.      Real life is far more entertaining.       We could have done a half hour programme on how not to do it before the camera.     As you say like us your vision is limited.     
 
God only knows what has happened with my reply.     It is coming out in all kinds of fonts and lines.........
 
Yes it is probably me.   
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LondonRascal

LondonRascal

Posted
Posted

You think having a camera and WiFi on board is a bit overkill...? Cor blimey wait until the day I get my hands on me own boat.

 

I'd liked the idea of a RayMarine thermal l imaging camera with gyro stabilization to turn the night into daytime and see through snow and fog as if it was not there.  Then I saw the cost...

 

RayMarine System:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anI0fXbZ-sw

 

 

So I've figured my own system out......

 

See the photos to see the components :)

 

Your need :

 

* An  outdoor HD dome camera (one without a super wide angle lens)
* A small 10" to 12" HD monitor capable of turning an image upside down and back to front
* HUD window projection film
* Two 12v Infrared LED arrays

 

Mount the dome camera on the roof of the boat pointing forward above your helm in the centre.  Place the two LED Infrared arrays on the bow of the boat giving full coverage to the left and right of the boat (e.g. to the banks) with the right powered array you will get 'up to' 100 metres range, but realistically be more 30 to 50 metres range.  Have them inset into the bow of the boat for that flush sleek look. 

 

Next up install the monitor -  now this could be folded down from the roof, or placed on the dash -but if you have the right design of dash it may be possible to cut a hole and inset the monitor into the dash and have it pointing up to the windscreen. 

 

if so, set the monitor to reverse the image and make it upside down.  The image reflected in the windscreen will now be the right way up and the right way round.  Use HUD projection film to remove ghosting of the image and improve the result you see.

 

Wire up, and off you go - at night in complete darkness you will be now able to see the river and banks with no need to look down to a screen or into a screen -  your see what is going on live outside right in front of your eyes as you look through the windscreen, albeit in black and white. Turn the brightness and contrast down nice and low and your night vision won't be dulled too much.  No need for a spot lamp to blind anyone else with.

 

Back at your home mooring the same system can be linked to a DVR to become a CCTV system - even link it to some other smaller cameras to keep an eye on your boat from all angles  when you're not there.

 

Use your onboard WiFi (or marina provided WiFi) to connect to the boat and system anytime day or night to see what is going on, or have movement within a set area to trigger a snapshot or 30 second video clip to be emailed to you.

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donnygeoff

donnygeoff

Posted
Posted

all too complicated.......

 

stern on.... 

 

in a bath tub.....

 

At ranworth....

 

or any mooring....

 

Go horizontal to the moored boats, about 3/4 to one boat length in front of them, when the bow of your boat gets level with the gap, full rudder away from the mooring point, the stern will swing towards the mooring, the bow will go mid broad, little reverse the stern will go into the gap.... little adjustment with throttle for and aft....with the wheel in the same position...

 

JOB DONE

 

 

Easy peasy

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  • 2 months later...
Mowjo

Mowjo

Posted
Posted

I'm old school! Judi stands in the rear door giving directions when stern on mooring, the trouble is if she says go left a bit I have to do the reverse, because as she facing out the back door and I'm facing forward her left is my right, it was real fun when we first got the boat but after a lot of swearing and me telling her to get out the B****Y way we got the hang of it, now it's me that sometimes forget to reverse things so it's me that gets called an idiot and sworn at,,,

 

Frank,,,,,

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SPEEDTRIPLE

SPEEDTRIPLE

Posted
Posted

Reversing a bathtub is always going to be difficult, due to the very shallow draught. When i used to reverse Swallow, i actually got used to her, and could steer her in reverse. Unfortunately, Kingfisher just goes one way, which is typical of that design. I think John (Hockham Admiral) has the right answer, a bow AND stern thruster, with a hand held remote unit. SIMPLES>

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FairTmiddlin

FairTmiddlin

Posted
Posted

These three and a power plug from the ciggie lighter and away you go

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/7-Inch-Color-TFT-LCD-Headrest-Car-Rear-View-Monitor-7-Parking-Rearview-Monitor-2-Video/1150988913.html

 

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shipping-1-3-Wide-Angle-700-TVL-24Pcs-IR-LED-Color-Indoor-Dome-CCTV-Security/1750120169.html

 

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-10M-Power-Video-Audio-Pre-Made-CCTV-Cable-for-Cameras-F31/680727647.html

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