2024 season upgrades/mods

Since you're mounting the camera on the boat, would it be useful at all as rear view when you're on the water?

AlpharettaRK said:

Since you're mounting the camera on the boat, would it be useful at all as rear view when you're on the water?

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Although I don't know the answer to this, my first thought on it is that I would prefer a mirror for this purpose. The electrical draw, no matter how minor, wouldn't be worth it to me. Others may not see it as an issue, but my mirror can be easily mounted/dismounted, and won't detract from my possible power needs. A secondary thought that comes to mind is that you're going to introduce shaking from the camera, transmitted to the screen, which is ALSO going to be shaking. Whether this plays out in real-world experience, I don't know, but it seems like it might double the frustration of trying to get a clear image.

I'm wondering how well the wireless signal is going to reconnect when retrieving the boat. If it syncs up well, that looks to me to be the best solution possible, as I can see the value and potential @Ronnie points out, of that vantage point while towing and launching. Looking forward to feedback!

drewkaree said:

I'm wondering how well the wireless signal is going to reconnect when retrieving the boat. If it syncs up well, that looks to me to be the best solution possible, as I can see the value and potential @Ronnie points out, of that vantage point while towing and launching. Looking forward to feedback!

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I’m not considering using the camera to view people being towed by the boat. I have a large tower mounted mirror for that plus this really isn’t the right camera for the task. I’d be better off getting a go pro or 360 with image stabilization to record water sports. The main reason I’m thinking about mounting the camera to the boat instead of the trailer is that I don’t trust the camera to be water resistant. I’ve had other cameras go bad after one immersion.

Additionally this camera has an antennae whose height would be over the rear trailer support rail the camera would be mounted to. Right now I’m kicking myself for not taking a measurement of the tower tow point while the sun was out.

I still haven’t determined how I’m going to power the camera. I’m considering two options so far. 1. Rin the power cable through the tower and splice it into the fresh water tank/ shower switch. 2. Bring a small 12v battery onboard and Plug and unplug the power line whenever I trailer the boat long distances.

Ronnie said:

I’m not considering using the camera to view people being towed by the boat. I have a large tower mounted mirror for that plus this really isn’t the right camera for the task. I’d be better off getting a go pro or 360 with image stabilization to record water sports. The main reason I’m thinking about mounting the camera to the boat instead of the trailer is that I don’t trust the camera to be water resistant. I’ve had other cameras go bad after one immersion.

Additionally this camera has an antennae whose height would be over the rear trailer support rail the camera would be mounted to. Right now I’m kicking myself for not taking a measurement of the tower tow point while the sun was out.

I still haven’t determined how I’m going to power the camera. I’m considering two options so far. 1. Rin the power cable through the tower and splice it into the fresh water tank/ shower switch. 2. Bring a small 12v battery onboard and Plug and unplug the power line whenever I trailer the boat long distances.

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You got me looking when you posted this previously, and I found something that may work for you. Check this out:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5SZNG17?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Just arrived today. 6 magnets on the bottom, super strong, and covered with what looks to be a rubberized substance. I may spray the bottom with some Plasti-Dip for additional protection. It's charged via USB-C, and is supposed to work up to 12 hours per charge, and can be turned off in between uses. I've currently got it charging, and will be testing it out sometime this week. Wireless is supposed to be good to 300 feet, or 180 feet when used with an RV or trailer. I'm likely going to use an old cell phone for the "monitor" to avoid tying up my current phone, as they don't recommend any other bluetooth connection while using the camera. My purpose for looking to buy something like this is to help my wife get better at backing up the boat, and if it works well, I'm guessing the other ladies in the neighborhood will be buying this, or something similar, to help them with the same issue.

I'm with you, the reports of these cameras being "waterproof" seem to be sketchy at best, and trying to warranty them for a new one usually results in failure, so something more mobile or with a better vantage point were preferable.

I'll report back, mebbe with some screenshots if I can manage it.

@drewkaree please let us know how this works for you. If well, I will buy it to replace the system I’ve already purchased but not installed. I usually have my phone mounted on the dash and charging while towing so this system would let me avoid adding a dedicated monitor plus I wouldn’t have to add an extra charging lead. I don’t think the camera will stick to the tower so I’ll have to mount it on the trailer (rear cross bar, near the center top or rear face). Finally, I measured the height of the tow point from the base to the lower tow line groove, it’s 2.25”, so an inch short in relation to the camera I have now.

drewkaree said:

You got me looking when you posted this previously, and I found something that may work for you. Check this out:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5SZNG17?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Just arrived today. 6 magnets on the bottom, super strong, and covered with what looks to be a rubberized substance. I may spray the bottom with some Plasti-Dip for additional protection. It's charged via USB-C, and is supposed to work up to 12 hours per charge, and can be turned off in between uses. I've currently got it charging, and will be testing it out sometime this week. Wireless is supposed to be good to 300 feet, or 180 feet when used with an RV or trailer. I'm likely going to use an old cell phone for the "monitor" to avoid tying up my current phone, as they don't recommend any other bluetooth connection while using the camera. My purpose for looking to buy something like this is to help my wife get better at backing up the boat, and if it works well, I'm guessing the other ladies in the neighborhood will be buying this, or something similar, to help them with the same issue.

I'm with you, the reports of these cameras being "waterproof" seem to be sketchy at best, and trying to warranty them for a new one usually results in failure, so something more mobile or with a better vantage point were preferable.

I'll report back, mebbe with some screenshots if I can manage it.

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I'll definitely be interested in how this works too. I have a long, steep, uphill driveway with a sharp turn into the garage. I like to put the boat in there in the early spring for maintenance, upgrades, and to just sit in it and wait for the weather to break. This could definitely make that job easier whether I'm using my front or rear hitch on the truck.

@Ronnie is the tower aluminum or stainless? I thought it was magnetic, but I can't recall if I ever verified it. I do have a metal clamp in the area that will work, and I could easily see being able to epoxy or glue a metal plate to hang this from, on the tower, if the tower proves to not be magnetic.

My test is going to be with my work truck, but it should be sufficient to get an idea if it'll work for the boat. I tracked down an old phone, and hopefully when I get back from work tomorrow morning, I'll be able to tinker with it and at least get the Bluetooth paired.

Like all these Chinese cameras, the companies put out a generic app, then try to make it appear unique, so you won't notice that they're selling them at multiple price points. This seemed to be the lowest price for "waterproof", but if it works from the tower, there's another one that doesn't mention being "waterproof", and it's $20-ish less, but seems to have the exact same capabilities.

I'll post up what happens - Thursday afternoon should be the latest, if I run into problems

So the camera definitely works! It uses its own wifi network, not Bluetooth, so if you have an old smart phone to throw at this like I'm doing, I think that's the perfect solution.

I don't know if our towers are magnetic, but adding a metal plate isn't going to be difficult. I showed the flipped image, as I'm going to mount this upside down on the underside of the tower, under the light/tow point. There's 4 options for the camera angle, so something should work.

I tested a straight uninterrupted line-of-sight distance of 50' (longest tape measure I had), with zero connection issues, so this should work for darn near anyone's setup. Those pics and the signal were having to pass through all my cab electronics, 2 separate Bluetooth draws, 2 separate in-truck network connections, my personal Bluetooth setup, and my phone connection to the work intranet over 25+ feet. If you have more potential interference than I threw at it, I'd love to hear about your setup LOL

The magnets are super strong, you'll be a believer in them the second you get them near any metal. I will be taking a look at adding some plasti dip to the bottom, possibly after removing the piece that's currently covering the magnets. I think it's glued down, and if that's the case, eventually that'll fail, and I'm just looking to make it harder to scratch anything without some real effort on my part.

Knowing what I know now, I'm still going to keep this one, but as I mentioned above, if you don't plan to use it anywhere other than DEFINITE dry areas like the tower, there's another camera for $20-ish less that doesn't have an IP rating (so definitely no water protection).

REALLY happy with initial results, but it's gonna be a few months yet until I can put it through its paces for boat use.

This might do video recordings as well, but I didn't test that out. It does do snapshots, if you'd like, but I haven't taken a closer look beyond getting it charged, and these test pics. Look at the Amazon listing I posted for more info, as I won't be diving into it until Saturday or Sunday

I'm off to bed, throw out any questions, and I'll check in later this evening

WiskyDan said:

I made an appointment this week to have a two-piece bow/stern cover made at N.E.W. Canvas in Neenah WI the first week of May and then to B&C Custom Clean (same building as the canvas guys) to have the exterior detailed. I’m considering adding an onboard battery charger and a second bilge pump but am in my preliminary research stage on these two topics.

Boat comes out of storage the last week of April and first stop is at the dealer to get the oil changed, new spark plugs, and the Connext screen replaced under warranty.

So, what upgrades/mods do others have for this coming season?

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This year I’m finally going to tint the windows! Not only will it look great but also keeps the dash ( & my phone) cooler.

Intersting on the camera. Was doing some homework tonight and discovered the modern context screens can technically accept a camera and can also output to a second screen. Of course it's not possible with Yamaha's current software loaded on them.

adrianp89 said:

Intersting on the camera. Was doing some homework tonight and discovered the modern context screens can technically accept a camera and can also output to a second screen. Of course it's not possible with Yamaha's current software loaded on them.

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That's an "upgrade they'll roll out in a year or two... For a fee, of course