What did you do to your Ultimate Jeep today - 2013

[Adondo]

I've been pretty much hibernating all winter. Now, the weather is getting better, and I'm starting to come back out of my den... like Punxsutawney Phil.

I'm in the middle of a camera and GPS upgrade. I got tired of my flaky cheap Chinese eBay GPS/rear-view camera locking up. The screen was never easy to see anyway. And, the camera is wireless, and sometimes the video is jagged or snowy, just what I need when backing up a half mile on an old railroad bed in the dark.

A while back, I got a CCD camera for my Chrysler 300. It's a nice camera, and when backing up in the pitch dark, I have "daylight" in the monitor. The backup lights alone make it look like I'm backing up in a football stadium. The same eBay order for the camera etc. was the logo projectors. They sent the wrong ones the first time, so they resent the entire order. So... I ended up with a 2nd CCD camera. Woohoo! The XK has not only LED backup lights, but a pair of 50 watt halogens on the roof rack, so it's be full daylight in the dark!

I'm putting the camera into a small enclosure since it's designed to replace a Chrysler 300's license light, so it mounts up under the trunk lid. (sorta) It's put in with silicone in the box's lid, and will be mounted on my roof rack with the lid and/or installed camera upside down to keep water out. (The box will be lid down, but the camera correct) It probably doesn't matter as the camera is weather sealed anyway, but why push my luck? A test run of the camera works good at 6 feet high. (on a portable monitor) The car's camera is only about 2 feet off the ground.

The new WIRED camera (no more flaky wireless crap) will be connected to a 7" mirror/monitor. (Replaces the Jeep's rear-view mirror) That has two inputs, so I'm going to put a second camera somewhere up front to get a close-up of rocks etc. when off-roading. I'm even considering the forward facing camera to be underneath somewhere to see the chassis. I also ran a power wire from the backup lights because the monitor switches to backup mode to prioritize the rear view cam. That way, when I switch to reverse, it goes from cam 1 to cam 2. (The rear facing cam) That input wire also turns on the monitor in case it's turned off. (The monitor is a mirror unless it's on and lit up)

The Chinese no-name GPS will be replaced by an easy-to-see-in-daylight Garmin, which I already have.

ALSO...

I just ordered a 40 inch LED light bar. After a Jeep rally last year and seeing one putting out a massive beam much like the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" I just HAD to have one. It should be here on the 20th via FedEx. That will replace the two halogens on the roof rack. The light bar is a 30 degree spot, with five figures of lumen output. My front bumper HID's are 3,500 lumens each for about 7,000 total, and the new bar will be double THAT.

[Adondo]

Got the camera project done, and I LOVE IT!!

The front camera works GREAT for break-over hills. I played around this weekend at Hover, which is what I'd call "Colorado Jr." because it's STEEP with loose clechy soil. In the past, wheeling there is a PITA because climbing a hill that's 30 degrees means all you see is sky past the hood, and you either need blind faith to hope there's ground on the other side, or get out and scout it first.

Now, I have forward vision with a somewhat down angled camera, so I can see what's there.

The camera:


Heading up a much steeper than it looks hill:


Normally, all I can see is sky thru the windshield. Or, lean out the side window, but you still can't see what's over the top.

[Adondo]

The 7 inch monitor mounts on top of the mirror, and becomes a new, dark tinted mirror. I've noticed that even if it's on, I can refocus my eyes and either see that forward camera view, or what's behind. Going into reverse switches to the rear camera, which has a feel somewhat of looking down from a 2 story building. (Fish eye lens, mounted on the roof rack)



The rear cam.


Oops. I gotta get that copyright text changed... its 2013 now.

[Lt_JWS]

I like that dual camera setup.... what brand is that monitor and does it just "clip" on the factory visor.

[Adondo]

I bought the monitor from here: http://stores.ebay.com/SainSpeed?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 (The eBay seller's store) He's selling the monitors alone as well as packages with cameras. I bought the camera along with the logo projectors because the camera was specific to the Chrysler 300, and that was a different seller.

The monitor has rubber grippers and a sliding bracket thing much like the convex mirrors that fit over the rearview mirror. It's pretty secure too, and takes only seconds to install.

Installed the light bar last night. It's OHMYGOD bright!! Photos later...

Okay, here's a crappy cell phone one. I can tell you this: it's high noon in front when the thing's on!!

[pjmjr508]

that's looking great, need to come out & play again

[Adondo]

Yes, pjmjr508, it's time to go play. The weather is getting more into JEEPING!!

Some photos.

The whole look. But... I'm now considering a 30" bar to replace the bumper's HID's. They almost look like Mickey Mouse ears now. The 30" would be perfect, as it would be about the width of the grill, and my HID bracket setup would retrofit easy.


Little closer.


3/4 view.


And... how it's mounted.

[Adondo]

Once again, I did consider a double row, 240 watt bar. If it was a new installation, you betcha. We're talking a good 19 amps running, so #8 AWG would be needed. I had #10 already up there for the halogen driving lights. (Which are truly worthless compared to the LED bar) The single row, 120 watt bar runs about 8.8 amps at 13.5 volts. I didn't want over current and/or voltage sag problems, and I'm too lazy to rewire the roof rack.

I went on a fuel run last night, and used the card lock by the airport. I had it on when I turned a corner, and it lit up an ENTIRE four story industrial building. We're talking a 40 foot tall, maybe 80 foot wide building, and it's COMPLETELY lit up, side to side, top to bottom, and from about maybe 800 feet away. I stopped, turned the bar off, then used high beams only. The building became a big object in the dark, with the upper part fading into black. With the bar, it's BRIGHTLY LIT and ALL OF IT.

What's funny, is the thing almost makes the rest of the lights on the Jeep invalid. They don't even seem to add much to the mix anymore. That's why I'm thinking about getting a 30" bar to replace the bumper HID's.

A) LED's are on RIGHT NOW, there's no brightening up over half a minute like HID's. My HID's are tied into the high beams, so there's a delay as they get started.
B) The LED's beam pattern leaves nothing in the dark.
C) I think it's cool looking, and 21st century. My round HID's suddenly look so 1970's. The only thing missing is the yellow KC smiley face covers.

[Matt]

Wow man that's looking great!!! You think you even need another light bar on the bumper with that one up top? I'd say put a 20" on each side of the roof rack and take the round lights off the front and rack.

[Adondo]

Wow man that's looking great!!! You think you even need another light bar on the bumper with that one up top? I'd say put a 20" on each side of the roof rack and take the round lights off the front and rack.

That's next. Maybe 10" long alley light bars.

Probably not on the bumper. But... those HID's are wired with an "arming" switch, and they follow the high beams. The uppers are on another switch in a different place, so I can't just flick the high/low lever and go dim. While playing around in town, I have to drive with a finger resting on that roof rack light switch so I don't make someone wreck their car.

Besides, I can visualize a matching bar on the bumper instead of those round HID's. The bar will sit low too, and more grill will be exposed.

On edit:

A 30" bar is on the way!!