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Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup

1996cc

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Well, Joe (Tazer guy/Zautomotive) figured it out...as a last minute ditch before claiming that it was the brand new software in my radio, Joe has me use ports 21 and 22 versus the 24 and 25 and wala, I have a front cam! LOL. Gotta love it.
So is this a thing? I got mine installed yesterday and triple checked the pins before I pushed them in. When it was all done, I also got the blue screen of death!
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Jmonroe

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Well, Joe (Tazer guy/Zautomotive) figured it out...as a last minute ditch before claiming that it was the brand new software in my radio, Joe has me use ports 21 and 22 versus the 24 and 25 and wala, I have a front cam! LOL. Gotta love it.
So, using the photo in their instructions those would be three straight down?
 

1996cc

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So, using the photo in their instructions those would be three straight down?
YES! So I just did this today because my camera wasn’t working after install. Move the yellow to 21 and black to 22, as you said, lower in the photo. Pin 21 is the 1st pin in that row. If you look at the back of the Uconnect head unit, the start and end of each row are numbered. Time for Z Automotive to update their instructions, at least for 2019 Rubicons...

If you slide a small pick on the side of the pin with the clip on it, it will easily push out. If it doesn’t come out easy, try the other side. It will be one of the shorter sides of the rectangle hole, not the long sides. Once the red retainer was popped loose, mine actually came right off without breaking, and I worked the pins and pushed them out from that side.
 

thundermuffin

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I finally got my camera hooked up. Broke the black wire pin on initial install, so I ended up purchasing a near match harness from eBay to harvest the pin and pigtail. Replacement pin was a tiny bit smaller than the original, but after fattening it up slightly with some solder I managed to get it to stay in place.
566B9C5C-18F8-4A7F-B3F1-F056D1B3F193.jpeg
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DCBlake

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I finally got my camera hooked up. Broke the black wire pin on initial install, so I ended up purchasing a near match harness from eBay to harvest the pin and pigtail. Replacement pin was a tiny bit smaller than the original, but after fattening it up slightly with some solder I managed to get it to stay in place.
566B9C5C-18F8-4A7F-B3F1-F056D1B3F193.jpeg
94A08B2B-BBD8-4FA3-A43F-B469C982272C.jpeg
what camera did you use?
 

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thundermuffin

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what camera did you use?
The one that came with the Zautomotive camera kit. Not sure the FOV but it’s really wide. Objects in camera are much closer than they appear.

already put it to good use though - my neighborhood is getting all torn up for utility work, and now I can see right in front of my tires & pick my way through the random gaping holes in the road
 

mreloc

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I need some help. Installed my zautomotive cargo cam and only get a black and white scrolling image like on a tv from the 60’s. Any ideas as to what went wrong?
 

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I need some help. Installed my zautomotive cargo cam and only get a black and white scrolling image like on a tv from the 60’s. Any ideas as to what went wrong?
I’d start with all your contacts and connections... I once had a flipped image stuck on my front camera and to solve the issue simply unplugged and Re plugged the camera and it resolved.
 

MichaelAnthony

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Dang.... I guess i am going to have to get me one of those.....
 
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I bought my Wrangler at the end of May after dreaming about it for a few months. I got a Recon and don't plan to do any wheeling more difficult than what it can do stock, but when I found this thread I decided that I needed a trailcam.

Here's what I bought and the costs:

29.00 vgate iCar Pro BLE 4.0 OBD2 Diagnostic Tool
24.99 AUGOCOM FCA 12+8 Universal Adapter Cable Adapter Compatible for Chrysler
18.99 OBD JSCAN license

29.98 12 Volt Power Adapter for 2018 2019 2020 Jeep Wrangler JL & Gladiator JT
8.99 22 Gauge Silicone Electric Wire-33 ft
a few bullet terminals
9.73 METRA 52-Pin OE Harness for 2013-Up Dodge Vehicles
39.99 NATIKA 720P Backup/Front View Camera, 170 degree view (fisheye)
32.99 NATIKA Backup/Front/Side View Camera, 135 degree view


I started off thinking that a fisheye camera would be best and give me a view closer to the front tires, but you can see from the pictures that it gives a really distorted view. I hated that camera, so I got a different one with a 135 degree view. It is much more watchable and still shows almost as much of the important area in front of the Jeep. The second camera is also designed differently and can be flush mounted. It came with a carbide hole saw that let me drill the right sized hole in the skid plate and makes for a much better looking and more protected installation. I am attaching some pictures for comparison of the two cameras. The quality of both cameras seems good. They seem solid and heavy for their size and even though they are not HD like the backup camera, they seem plenty adequate.

I bought the radio harness to scavenge a couple of wires with pins to plug into pins 21 and 22 of the existing harness. Even so, I don't think that the pins are 100% identical to the OEM ones. They don't lock into place like they should, but they work and I am not worried about them coming out. (Z Automotive sells a video cable for $25 that plugs into the wiring harness so you don't have to fabricate your own. If I were doing it again I would buy it.) The 22 gauge wire is to power the camera. The wire included with the camera is too short to reach through the firewall and I wanted to tap into the cigarette lighter outlet so it would only get power when the Jeep was running. The 12 volt power adapter was worth it for me. Trying to tap directly into the lighter would have been a pain. This is cleaner.

JSCAN works great for this. If I had to buy a Tazer just to activate the cargo camera function, I would not have done this. JSCAN is pretty cool for the price and does a lot more things.

I haven't tried out the camera yet on a trail, but the wife and I are going to Moab, Canyonlands, and Grand Canyon North Rim in a week. I can see if it is all worth it then. One thing I've noticed is that the front camera switches back to the previous screen if you go over 15 or 20 mph. I haven't found a way to override this. If it times out when going 2-5 mph on a trail that would be annoying.

I have a leftover fisheye camera. If anyone wants it, PM me. You can have it for the postage it costs to send it. I'll also throw in a couple of wires with pins from the radio harness I bought.

Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Fisheye1


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Fisheye2


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Fisheye3


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Fisheye4


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Normal1


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Normal2


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Normal3


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Normal4
 

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sstuner

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BillinDanville, nice write-up. I may be going this rout on my JL.
 

ShannonC

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I bought my Wrangler at the end of May after dreaming about it for a few months. I got a Recon and don't plan to do any wheeling more difficult than what it can do stock, but when I found this thread I decided that I needed a trailcam.

Here's what I bought and the costs:

29.00 vgate iCar Pro BLE 4.0 OBD2 Diagnostic Tool
24.99 AUGOCOM FCA 12+8 Universal Adapter Cable Adapter Compatible for Chrysler
18.99 OBD JSCAN license

29.98 12 Volt Power Adapter for 2018 2019 2020 Jeep Wrangler JL & Gladiator JT
8.99 22 Gauge Silicone Electric Wire-33 ft
a few bullet terminals
9.73 METRA 52-Pin OE Harness for 2013-Up Dodge Vehicles
39.99 NATIKA 720P Backup/Front View Camera, 170 degree view (fisheye)
32.99 NATIKA Backup/Front/Side View Camera, 135 degree view


I started off thinking that a fisheye camera would be best and give me a view closer to the front tires, but you can see from the pictures that it gives a really distorted view. I hated that camera, so I got a different one with a 135 degree view. It is much more watchable and still shows almost as much of the important area in front of the Jeep. The second camera is also designed differently and can be flush mounted. It came with a carbide hole saw that let me drill the right sized hole in the skid plate and makes for a much better looking and more protected installation. I am attaching some pictures for comparison of the two cameras. The quality of both cameras seems good. They seem solid and heavy for their size and even though they are not HD like the backup camera, they seem plenty adequate.

I bought the radio harness to scavenge a couple of wires with pins to plug into pins 21 and 22 of the existing harness. Even so, I don't think that the pins are 100% identical to the OEM ones. They don't lock into place like they should, but they work and I am not worried about them coming out. (Z Automotive sells a video cable for $25 that plugs into the wiring harness so you don't have to fabricate your own. If I were doing it again I would buy it.) The 22 gauge wire is to power the camera. The wire included with the camera is too short to reach through the firewall and I wanted to tap into the cigarette lighter outlet so it would only get power when the Jeep was running. The 12 volt power adapter was worth it for me. Trying to tap directly into the lighter would have been a pain. This is cleaner.

JSCAN works great for this. If I had to buy a Tazer just to activate the cargo camera function, I would not have done this. JSCAN is pretty cool for the price and does a lot more things.

I haven't tried out the camera yet on a trail, but the wife and I are going to Moab, Canyonlands, and Grand Canyon North Rim in a week. I can see if it is all worth it then. One thing I've noticed is that the front camera switches back to the previous screen if you go over 15 or 20 mph. I haven't found a way to override this. If it times out when going 2-5 mph on a trail that would be annoying.

I have a leftover fisheye camera. If anyone wants it, PM me. You can have it for the postage it costs to send it. I'll also throw in a couple of wires with pins from the radio harness I bought.

Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Normal4


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Normal4


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Normal4


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Normal4


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Normal4


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Normal4


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Normal4


Jeep Wrangler JL Off-Road Camera (front facing) writeup Normal4
Bill, just curious how your trip to Moab went and if your still happy with the camera location? I was concerned about the dirt and dust but I'm sure that will get on any camera. I think I'm getting ready to do the same thing. I had just purchased a TAZER when I saw this but I'm thinking I will return it and go the route you went. For the money, it doesn't look like you can go wrong. Thanks for the great post!
 
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Bill, just curious how your trip to Moab went and if your still happy with the camera location? I was concerned about the dirt and dust but I'm sure that will get on any camera. I think I'm getting ready to do the same thing. I had just purchased a TAZER when I saw this but I'm thinking I will return it and go the route you went. For the money, it doesn't look like you can go wrong. Thanks for the great post!
I'm still on my trip with a few days to go. The wife and I spent 5 nights in Moab and did some moderate and low-end difficult trails. Then we drove the White Rim Road in Canyonlands and camped 3 nights. We both love the front camera. We did all the trails alone and many times all we needed was a peek up front to avoid having one of us get out and be a spotter. And obviously it doesn't replace a spotter for difficult spots. Dust and dirt was not a problem, and it is dry and dusty and hot here now. One or twice I wiped off the lens with my finger and the view returned to perfect.

The location and the flush mount is great in my opinion. The view of the road is super, since there is no bumper, lights or bar in front of the camera. It's hard to imagine how you could damage the camera where it's mounted in the skid plate, but if you do, just buy another $33 camera. Also I am happy with the 135 degree view camera--much better than the fisheye. One thing that I thought might be a problem turns out not to be one. If you are moving slowly the front camera does not time out and return to the previous screen. And if you are moving faster you want the camera to time out because the view is distracting at speeds over 10 mph.

This has been a great mod. I'm super happy I did it.
 

ShannonC

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I'm still on my trip with a few days to go. The wife and I spent 5 nights in Moab and did some moderate and low-end difficult trails. Then we drove the White Rim Road in Canyonlands and camped 3 nights. We both love the front camera. We did all the trails alone and many times all we needed was a peek up front to avoid having one of us get out and be a spotter. And obviously it doesn't replace a spotter for difficult spots. Dust and dirt was not a problem, and it is dry and dusty and hot here now. One or twice I wiped off the lens with my finger and the view returned to perfect.

The location and the flush mount is great in my opinion. The view of the road is super, since there is no bumper, lights or bar in front of the camera. It's hard to imagine how you could damage the camera where it's mounted in the skid plate, but if you do, just buy another $33 camera. Also I am happy with the 135 degree view camera--much better than the fisheye. One thing that I thought might be a problem turns out not to be one. If you are moving slowly the front camera does not time out and return to the previous screen. And if you are moving faster you want the camera to time out because the view is distracting at speeds over 10 mph.

This has been a great mod. I'm super happy I did it.
Awesome, I ordered all the stuff and should have it by Tuesday. I think if your in 4 wheel drive, maybe just low the camera doesn’t time out. I know that’s how the back up camera works.
We’ve been to Moab several times over the years and every time I say I want a front camera. We have a trip planned for next month so I’m looking forward to adding the camera for the trip.
Thanks for the write up, once I send back the Tazer I’ll be ahead about $250. Enjoy your trip and stay safe.
 

Goin2drt

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So I am ready to mount a front camera and like the one above from @BillInDanville from Amazon however I do have the Tazer and want to know what wires/harness I need to mount that camera. I do not want the Tazer camera set up as I want to mount lower on the bumper not,in the grill.
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