More elegant solution for camera power?

DiscoDave · 30 Jul 2014 at 18:38

Hi Everyone,

I have a standard car camera mounted on my windscreen which (like most others) receives power via a connector located in the cigarette lighter.

Is there a better way of doing this for better cable management? IE, is there a way to receive power directly from the fuse box, or create another connector located in another place (say glove box) so I don't have to have a cable dangle down from above?

Thanks.

Tom_ed1987 · 30 Jul 2014 at 18:44

Route cable round windscreen and behind dash, take the 12v adapter that came with the camera and solder it directly to the wires which feed the cigarette lighter.

tl45 · 30 Jul 2014 at 19:03

Not used them myself but you can get piggy-back connectors which plug into the fusebox like a fuse would, and let you get a fused power feed from it.

You could do this with the fuse for your cigarette lighter socket but you'd still need to sort out an earth connection as well.

Tapping into the cigarette lighter wiring is another option, just depends on how hard it is to get access to.

DiscoDave · 31 Jul 2014 at 09:58

I wouldn't have thought soldering the wires directly to the cigarette lighter would work as you'd need a voltage reducer of some kind? (My lack of electronics knowledge showing through

)

lemonade · 31 Jul 2014 at 10:46

You can use a fuse tap and piggyback onto the interior fusebox.

azibux1 · 31 Jul 2014 at 11:35

I did this on monday.

You're right with the voltage reducer etc, that is built in to the 12v plug so ideally you'd like to keep the plug itself in-use

I got a fuse tap from Amazon, search "add a circuit fuse" then pick the correct one depending on if you need mini blade fuse or standard blade fuse

I found a fuse bay in the fusebox that was not in use, was something relating to a caravan, but basically you want any one that is only on with the ignition. I'd say look for one that is not in use at all so you're not putting extra load on an existing circuit, but a camera won't add a lot anyway.

Then I got a 12v socket from ebay and wired one end to the fuse tap and the negative to an earth point.

I did all of this because my original 12v socket was constant live rather than ignition live, it would do the same job to splice another 12v socket from your original if that is ignition live. Up to you which route you take

EDIT: Then obviously all you do is route the cable in the edge of the headlining and down behind the a pillar trim, then from there will vary depending on where you fusebox is. Mine is behind the glovebox.

thecremeegg · 31 Jul 2014 at 13:04

In my car it's easy since it's so old but all I did was remove cables from cigarette lighter and solder in a new lighter socket with multiple ports in the glovebox. I then ran the cable behind the dash so it plugs into the port in the glovebox.
Means I can unplug etc as necessary and it's hidden