After market stereo & duel camera question

[MrBret]

Evening everyone.

I have a question for the tech savy stereo people.

I am looking at getting something like a Kenwood DDX470 or DDX770 for my 2012 Ram 1500. I also want to get a front & rear camera linked to the stereo.
I assume there is some wire that would normally go to the shifter so when in reverse it turns the camera on & puts the stereo on the camera/aux input so you can see via the camera. Well, in stead of the wire going to the shifter could you have a 3 way switch (front - off - rear) so you could just flick the switch to Front to engage the front cam, rear to engage the rear cam & off to play whatever is on the stereo?
Seems simple enough BUT is it?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[Heywood]

Yes.

The coastaltech Lockpick lets me do that on my car. It's not on a switch, but on the deck itself. part of the programing. I can still switch songs or volume.

They are not the greatest for support and I'm not sure they have a newer version out.

I have the Crux Interface on my Truck. One thing you have to consider is that the camera gets it's power from usually the backup lights. My Crux does this. The screen comes up black because the power to the camera comes from the back-up wire in the trailer package. If the power came from somewhere constant, then it would do it too.

My Costaltech gets it's power elsewhere so I can bring up the camera... or camera's on demand. Watching the rear camera while driving forward gave my daughter a little motion sickness.

They make the set-up so when your below 5 mph, the front camera will come on so you don't bash the front spoiler on parking curbs.

It can be done, but you'll more than likely need one of these two interfaces to make it possible.

 

[baum]

If he is replacing his radio the coastaltech, crux adapters are a waste of money. they are ONLY needed if he is keeping the factory radio.

most aftermarket radios have a camera input and also an extra video input. i would use the cam input for the rear, and the video for the front. just get one of the $60 wire harness and they have all the necessary nav wires in them (back-up, speed sense..)

 

[RamExpress]

what baum said.

The harness will have a wire that will power when you put the truck in reverse and you use that to automatically switch your head unit to the video input. Alot of aftermarket radios have dual video input so if your does then you would manually flip to that input when you want to see the front cam. as far as i know there is no way to automatically flip to the front camera input, only the rear camera.

 

[Heywood]

The coastalteck has at least 4 video inputs..

Front, rear, and you can add 2 fish eyes for the mirrors that trigger when you turn on each signal light.

Judging how mine acts, it looks like the Costaltech supplies it's own power to the camera vs the crux that get's it from the reverse light.

I can also watch video's and music off my iPhone with the adapter in the glove box. Generally I only use the factory iPhone connection in the center console.

Not a fan of movies while I drive. I did try it to see if it would work, just because it said it would... but generally it's primary focus is for the back-up camera and nothing more.

 

[baum]

Like i said before the coastaltech is not meant for aftermarket radios its meant for factory.

None of these functions will do anything with an aftermarket radio like he is talking about!