Tip 1: Understand your vehicle
Though you’re going to be viewing your car through the front windshield and the backup camera most of the time, knowing the dimensions and clearances of your vehicle beforehand is essential to creating a safe environment in and around your car. Take a moment to look around the exterior and interior of your car. Here are some things to take notice of:
- Approximately where your bumpers are in relation to where your vantage point is when you’re sitting in the driver’s seat. This will help ensure that you know how much clearance you have.
- Check the view that you’re getting from your rearview mirrors and your side view mirrors. This way, you can be sure that you’ve got a 360 degree perspective on your car.
- Are there sound alarms? If you’ve got proximity sensors on your car, know when they’ll go off so you’re not surprised when they do.
- And of course, understand the basics of general mirror usage.
Knowing what your vehicle looks like on the outside is going to help keep you safe when you’re on its inside.
Tip 2: Make sure your camera is clean
Knowing how to clean a backup camera is an important part of a safe and effective backup process. If you’ve been driving through rain, dirt, or mud, make sure to give your camera a thorough cleaning afterwards, and be ready to debug it when you need to fix a blurry backup camera. Here’s what you’ll need for that:
- Microfiber cloth (toilet paper will do in a pinch)
- Some sort of glass and electronics safe cleaner
Now, how do you clean your backup camera? Well, it’s not particularly difficult. All you need to do is apply a little bit of cleaner to the cloth and wipe the lens with small, gentle, circular motions until you’re clean. Make sure to not spray any liquid on the camera if the casing or the lens is cracked, as you might short circuit the camera. If your camera isn’t working, check out one of our many repair and replacement guides for more information. This should probably be obvious but if you went the DIY route and installed your own backup camera then you might need to adjust your backup camera so it isn’t showing your license plate or just generally troubleshoot a broken backup camera.
Tip 3: Know the lines
Different cameras have different types of lines, you should understand how to use these backup camera lines no matter what the model. Some lines remain stationary when you back up, giving you a consistent idea of where you’re at when you’re moving backwards. Other cameras will provide small degrees of augmented reality feedback, with a moving backup camera line that shows you where you should start turning your wheels when you’re parallel parking.
So, what to do? Well, make sure you check your owner’s manual to see how your backup camera lines work, and how they can best help you stay safe and sound when you’re using the camera in a variety of different environments.
Tip 4: Check the conditions
A camera lens doesn’t provide the perfect view--looking through one naturally carries with it some distortion. Making sure that you’re aware that when you’re driving in rough conditions (rain, snow, etc.), so you don’t end up backing into something or losing sight of your park job when you’re backing up.
If you’re experiencing persistent trouble with your backup camera fogging up or its view being obstructed, consider applying a water or moisture repellant. This will help keep the lens of the camera hydrophobic, so you won’t have to worry about moisture troubles as much.
Tip 5: When in doubt, look back!
Cameras are a powerful tool that can give us insight and keep us in touch with the world, but that really doesn’t matter that much when you’re trying to back your car up. If you can’t see through your camera, your safety and the safety of those around your vehicle should be the top priority. Make sure to avoid accidents and keep yourself safe by looking behind you when you’re backing up!
Finally, if you’re having a hard time viewing the world through your backup camera, maybe it’s time for a replacement. Camera Source has you covered. With a massive inventory of backup cameras, rear view cameras, and multi-camera systems, we make finding the right camera for the right job an easy process, so you’ll be able to find what works for your. If you’ve got questions about backup cameras, our helpful staff is ready to answer them. Get in touch with us, or start browsing our products.
