JosephDA
Junior Member
So I bought the PAC device thinking I could hook up a front-view camera along with the factory rear-view on the 8.4's screen. But after taking a closer look it seems you need to buy their video switcher as well if you want more than one camera. After browsing the device's settings (there are lots of options) I found that you can set the device to show the front camera when the front parking sensors get activated which is ultimately what I wanted. But without their Video Switcher all you see if the backup camera anytime a camera is activated.
The Fix:
Another feature of the BCI-CH41 is to have it output 12v on one of its 3 trigger wires whenever the front camera is active. Using a 12v DPDT relay from Radio Shack and a couple of old audio connectors I was able to make my own 2-camera video switch. The programmable output of the BCI-CH41 activates the relay when it activates the front camera.

In theory you can daisy chain the relays to accommodate a total of 4 cameras. The device, 3 relays, a few audio connectors and 4 cameras could probably be had for less than $300 total.
The camera itself is a down-looking camera from Amazon. Not wanting to drill the grill I was able to make a large enough hole in the RAM emblem so that if I remove the camera I just need to replace the emblem and not the entire grill. And, it clears the bug screen.
The Fix:
Another feature of the BCI-CH41 is to have it output 12v on one of its 3 trigger wires whenever the front camera is active. Using a 12v DPDT relay from Radio Shack and a couple of old audio connectors I was able to make my own 2-camera video switch. The programmable output of the BCI-CH41 activates the relay when it activates the front camera.

In theory you can daisy chain the relays to accommodate a total of 4 cameras. The device, 3 relays, a few audio connectors and 4 cameras could probably be had for less than $300 total.
The camera itself is a down-looking camera from Amazon. Not wanting to drill the grill I was able to make a large enough hole in the RAM emblem so that if I remove the camera I just need to replace the emblem and not the entire grill. And, it clears the bug screen.
