Anyone have one of the Garmin backup cameras?

I have Garmin’s BC20 backup cam which is the predecessor to the BC30. Both are wireless and relatively easy to install depending on your vehicle. On my pickup, I mounted the camera on the trailer hitch and tapped into the backup light circuit by removing the tail light housing. The process took about a half hour. The camera and GPS screen are activated when the vehicle is put into reverse.

An alternative is to wire the camera to the parking lamp circuit. That way, you can toggle between rear view and nav screens whenever the parking and or headlamps are on. With this setup, you get a rear view anytime instead of just when you are backing up.

The video quality on the BC20 is likely comparable with the BC30 and is quite good. It isn’t as clear as a direct wired system though. The quality does degrade somewhat with distance. Garmin advertises a 45’ range but I have used it on the rear of my trailer at close to 60’ and the image is snowy but still useable.

Although a bit pricey, I would definitely recommend the unit to anyone with a compatible GPSr.

There were some earlier discussions here on this subject:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/42577
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/44256
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/44273

I installed the BC-30 and paired with my Garmin nuvi 2599.

I drive a Honda Ridgeline truck and have experienced a few scrapes. Found the BC-30 on Crutchfield priced at $130.

Always wanted to install a back up camera but was put off by the effort to install the wiring.

So easy to install. Wireless transmitter works perfectly. Little image lag once the camera is activated.