iPhone Wifi Camera for backing into campsite

[chartrand]

I have an iPhone and and work issued me an iPad. I found an app for $4 that lets me see from the camera on the other device. So I grab a 1 foot piece of Velcro and use it to strap my iPhone around the bumper of the trailer. (I would not do this until your ready to back into your camp site.) Then from my iPad in the vehicle I'm able to see what the iPhone sees. I know, not everyone has these devices, but for those that do... You might just have a wireless backup camera and didn't even know it. The app I found is called AirBeam, there a probably others as well.

Now my trailer has not been delivered yet, so I have not actually done this, but the testing I've done with it around the house has proved to me it will work great.

-Pat

[f6bits]

Just bought it. Thanks for the tip! Audio and video. Like a modern day baby monitor. Now my wife can show me how the trailer is lining up and give me the play by play.

[f6bits]

Ok, so in the few seconds I have it, I actually read the specs. It works over WiFi. I guess I'll have to fiddle with our phones to see if it can work in the wild. But it'll be great around the house. I also just realized that I think newer iPhones can now do FaceTime over the cellular network.

[Mighty Ming]

Yup FaceTime is cool. But depending on the network you have, you need wifi. So she wont work in the wild. Hopefully I'm wrong. Ask my wife and she will tell you I am. ...AGAIN. Keep us updated. Used face time once to run wire thru the ceiling ... Saved my bacon.


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[davidjsimons]

I tried this once before. All was well until I actually tried it on the truck and trailer. I lost signal once I had everything in the actual placement. But for $4 it doesn't hurt to try.


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[SlowPoke]

I have Androids in the family, so I can't use some of the apps mentioned, I have found that Skype has worked well when backing the lift trailer at work, and will apply it to the TT once I start voyaging out at the end of the month... I have three phones between mine, DW, and DS, so when I group videochat, I can get two angles at once.

(Oh, yeah, and it's FREE - wOOt WooT!):P

But, gotta have a decent 3G or 4G signal, or WIFI to use it

[x96mnn]

This will work but when out in the wild so to speak you will either have to connect to the campground wifi or depending on your phone provider you can enable personal hot spot feature on you phone hat your iPad can on next to he Internet through.

[FireMech]

I'm reading conflicting reviews; does this app work only when connected to wifi or 3G/4G cellular? I never have wifi or cellualr service where I camp.

[x96mnn]

Not sure about the app but there is no technical reason why it should not. I use facetime and it works fine.

The main issue is not all data plans on phones support tethering and you need to have that enabled on your plan in order for this to work. Once you have a plan with tethering enabled you go into Settings\General\Cellular scroll to the half point and click setup Personal Hot Spot. It will ask you for a password which you create and you turn the service on. Always have a PW...never leave it open! Had I guy make a mistake doing this at a work camp one time and he got hit with a huge bill as everyone and their dog locked on and used his plan.

Once this is done on your computer or iPad you will notice a wireless network found called most likely Your Name iPhone (Wayne's iPhone) in the connections. Select it and input the password you created and you are on the web.

I use this the majority of the camping season as I work from my camper roughly 35 days or so a year. I have a plan through Telus that gives me 6 Gigs of data that supports tethering. Not only that but my business has about 8 phones all with the same plan so that if I go over my usage and they have not I borrow from their unused usage. With that said I have never seen me go past 2.5 gigs usage but I do not live stream video say from You Tube, satellite radio or Netflix as that is what eats your data. All my browsing, business and email are more then covered and even the app or song download at will.

PS for those nervous about how much data they are using on the iphone go into Settings\General\Usage scroll to the bottom and you will find cellular Usage and you can reset the statistics at the bottom so you can monitor your Data used while camping. I reset mine at my billing cycle date every month to be safe. Also keep in mind that MOST data plans have area restrictions. Mine lets it be used anywhere in Canada but if I cross the border I no longer have 6 gigs of data and only have a 100MB which I pay $10 for every 1MB after that unless I add a US plan. Check with your provider and find out what restrictions you are under while you travel. A long distance plan does not have you covered for your data!

[chartrand]

This app does need wifi. I have a hot spot I carry with me, so I have wifi. It is possible to find/buy a wireless access point and just turn it on, no need for an Internet connection, just for wifi. You may already have an old b/g access point shoved away in a box that you no longer use.

Pat

[f6bits]

Cool idea on repurposing an old base station. And for kicks, leave it on and unprotected at the campground and let everybody connect to it.