1. I wanted to avoid running wires front to rear for ease of installation
2. Separate cameras have better resolution compared to 2-channel systems which sacrifice rear cam quality
3. SD cards don't have to be large capacity since storage is split over two cards. Also less rewriting cycles prolong the SD card
4. I wanted to run only one camera in parking mode to extend the run time with an external battery
I went with the Blackvue DR750S-1CH due to the small form factor, allows viewing footage wirelessly while recording, ability to download files to my iPhone, and most importantly, the ability to switch to parking mode automatically. Blackvue is also not as finicky with 3rd party SD cards (like Thinkware).
Parts List:
2 Blackvue DR750s-1CH cameras
1 Cellink Neo external battery (for rear cam parking mode). You can check remaining battery levels using a bluetooth app.
2 Sandisk Endurance 64GB micro SD cards.
*Caution* use SD cards specifically designed for repeated read write cycles only or risk premature failure. If you have a lot of time, here is a good explanation: https://www.rdforum.org/index.php?threads/57805/
1 Mirror tap for front camera. I chose the RadarMount version as it was cheaper and the barrel is a perfect fit for Blackvue.
1 Blank aluminum business card for mounting rear camera. Any rigid plastic credit card size card will also do the trick too, but won't look as nice.
Step 1:
Pry top piece of mirror cover to expose wiring harness.
Step 2:
Plug in mirror tap wires. Blue/red wire is switched 12V and Brown wire is ground. Your mirror may differ so have a voltmeter on hand to test. I chose the mirror tap option to avoid the hassle of running wires to the fuse panel.
Step 3:
Mount camera lens directly in front of and as close to the bottom of the rear view mirror so it's centered. I found this position gives the camera full unobstructed view with minimal glare from the dash. With the mirror tap, no wires are visible from the outside for a clean look.
Step 4:
Power cable can exit through small opening without need to drill hole in the cover. From the inside, the camera is almost fully hidden from driver view as it sits behind the rear view mirror.
Step 5:
Mount rear camera underneath the headliner. Using a bent blank aluminum card to stick the camera mount on. Tuck wire under weather stripping.
I avoided mounting on the rear glass because I didn't want to risk damaging the camera every time I slammed the hatch shut. Also, slack is required in the power cable to allow opening/closing of the hatch. If you have tint on the rear glass, removing the camera mount may cause damage as well.
Step 6:
To power the rear cam, simply plug in the 12V socket. In my case, I have a separate external battery to run the rear camera 24/7 to avoid draining the car battery. Since the TTRS doesn't have a spare tire, there is lots of space underneath to hide the battery, but I've left it exposed in the photo so you can see how it's wired.
The Cellink Neo provides over 30+ hours for my rear camera. After leaving my car parked overnight, it only takes ~15-20 minutes to top up to full charge. The Neo has an option to charge faster if you wire directly to the fuse panel with higher current, but the 12V socket is fast enough for my needs.
For those that may only need parking mode occasionally (i.e. parking in a sketchy area), a cheaper option is to get a readily available 5V power bank and a 5V to 12V convertor cable. Also useful for powering camera when removed from the car.
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Originally Posted by StraySheep
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