Falcon Technology
Comments
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Steve - it sounds to me that there is something wrong with the magnet. Mine actually grabs the plate from about three inches away and when it's on the van it feels really secure - that said, it was on that flat bit at the back. I won't be using mine until a week on Thursday, so I will hang fire until after Tuesday and see what they have to say to you before I fix the plate permanently.
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Well, that's a 100-mile round trip to have van service done with a two-night sleepover to get the most out of the Journey and from start, to finish, the camera never gave me cause for concern. Of course, I've never owned a rearview camera before so I have nothing to compare it with the magnet held well and the battery lasted. The steel plate could do with a redesign but apart from that no problems.The tablet that you use to receive the picture on can be a different reaction used the tablet i got with the Swift Elegance (unable to class that as a rearview camera) and it works just suffered when i went near an area with a strong wi-fi signal it knocked out the signal from the camera only happened once as i was coming out of the storage, just had to tap the file and it started up again.
Steve
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Steve - thanks - that's reassuring. I will be using mine on Thursday when we go to Woodhall Spa for a few days - so that should be a good test. Did you hear anything from Falcon about possibly re-designing the plate? Might be wrong but I suspect they are just a re-seller and not the manufacturer so that's probably an unlikely option.
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Hi R&R, no I've not been able to get in touch as yet, Not Falcons fault more mine, but i think you may be right regarding the design.Hold the front page just been in touch with Lee from Falcon and the new plates have been redesigned and include a lip along the bottom to prevent the camera from sliding of the plate they also have the hole drilled for attaching a quick release safety wire to just in case. I wondered what that hole was for!!!
Steve
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Thanks Steve - just spoken to Lee. He tells me that of the hundreds they have sold, only one, to their knowledge has fallen off - and that fell off with the plate attached! Nevertheless, just to be on the safe side, I have ordered the revised plate which they are sending out today.
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Better to be safe than sorry! Couldn't do with another insurance claim, some cretin ran into my car over the last two weeks and left it. Leaving no notification of apology and contact details and with a casual look it's easy to miss so didn't notice till it got its yearly wash. Nobody to claim excess back off so that's £400 down.
Steve
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I did eventually get my hands on one from Go Outdoors but I couldn't get the WiFi to work and neither could Go Outdoors when I took it back and got a refund. They were going to let me know about finding another or getting the one I returned working but I have heard nothing since.
peedee
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PD - I know you're pretty switched on technologically, but did you switch the Wifi settings on your phone / tablet over to the camera Wifi - it's called Sonic something or other. Mine finds it straightaway - in fact I was fiddling with it a few minutes ago prior to our trip on Thursday - works a treat.
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Yup tried it on my phone and tablet, even Go Outdoors couldn't find it. As they have not phoned me, they have either forgotten about it or have no solution or an alternative to offer. I have been driving a motorhome 17 years without one so a few more days or weeks until I find another one isn't going to bother me.
peedee
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I suppose, having started this thread off, I ought to add my experience of actually using the rear view camera. It's OK, but I wouldn't buy it again. It does everything it says it does - fixes firmly to the metal plate on the van - gives a clear picture with no interference - and works as it should at an extended range (VW Touareg and Bailey Barcelona) and has an adequate battery life- so technically, I can't fault it. The main problem, however, is that because it has such a wide angle lens, distances are grossly distorted and take some getting used to. A car which, in reality is probably about two cars lengths behind, appears to be in the far distance at at least 10 car's lengths - probably more. Secondly, viewing it on even a large iPhone (6sPlus with a 5" screen), it's difficult to see any detail (at least for someone like me who needs glasses for reading - but not distance). It may work better on an iPad, but that's not terribly convenient to mount in a car.
Certainly not a replacement for a good set of mirrors.
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We have tried our camera R&R on a trip to Bellingham in Northumberland (300-mile round trip) with a very similar set up to yours Treg towing a Swift Elegance 650, I agree with most of what you have said but i soon got used to the distance of the vehicle behind, remember when it used to say on wing mirrors.The image in the wing mirror may be closer than at first appears, i found it very good for when overtaking HGVs. If i did have one problem that has nothing to do with the camera, more to do with trying to shade the tablet screen from sunlight? Will have to sort this out before we go to Spain
I did find that using it in the U.K. you become a bit Blase and tend not to use it that often, not as often as you would use the rearview mirror.Steve
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Steve - yes, I experienced the sunlight problem as well. Before our next trip in a couple of week's time, I may well experiment with where I have the phone mounted. At the moment, it's on a magnetic mount attached to the air vent to the left of the steering wheel, which isn't ideal either for viewing or catching the sunlight. My neighbour was showing me a cowl he has found on the internet designed to go over the top of his Tomtom which eliminates the problem of sunlight on the screen and I may have a look around and see if there is anything suitable / adaptable for my phone. The only other comment I would make is that I'm starting to suffer from 'information overload'! I now have my phone - the Tyrepal TPMS monitor and a Tomtom 6200 (in addition to the fitted Satnav which tends to do it's own thing!) all mounted on my dashboard. Have to keep reminding myself to look at the road!
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I have a C-Class motorhome and the overcab tends to restrict sunlight into the cab, not always but a lot of the time. I use a Samsung Android Tablet as a multifunction device fixed to a sceen mount in the top right of the screen where is does not restrict any forward view. It hosts a Co-Pilot sat nav and my Apps many of which are used for travel and I will use it for the reversing camera when I can get one. (they still seem to be in short supply). I also have a TPMS sytem but I have mounted that below the steering wheel. It is less visible but you don't need to look at it that often and it does emit an audible warning signal when tyre pressures are at fault. I keep my Android phone as a phone and as a back up or more portable device if needed. Apart from the tablet, the only other object mounted on the screen is a dash cam which is fixed behind the rear view mirror.
peedee
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Hi peedee, please excuse my naivety but what the hell is a TPMS System
and do i need one????. Or is it a M/H secret
. Just read R&Rs reply and i now know what it stands for silly me !!!. As for the shading of the screen, well when we finish the enormous box of Corn Flakes we've got I'm going to go back to my Blue Peter years and make one myself it can't be any harder than "Tracy Island"?.Steve
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I think TPMS stands for tyre pressure monitoring system. We don't have them, nothing wrong with a manual check 😉. I read reports/comments that they can set alarms off or give false info 😲 modern technology
I agree sometimes one has to stop and regroup over the use of initial referrng to posters. In some cases there are more than one poster with the same abbrevited initial!
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I believe all new vehicles these days must be fitted with a TPMS system. On my motorhome they are an after sales fit and I have never been happy with it. The front wheel sensors are too exposed to the elements and have failed one to many times. I now only monitor my rear wheels which are more protected from the wet and road grime. With regard to them triggering for no reason, on the retrofit ones, you can set at what point the alarms are riggered, get that right and it is not a problem.
peedee
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PD - correct - TPMS was compulsory on all vehicles registered after October 2014. I have been pleased with the Tyrepal system as fitted by Bailey (albeit that you have to shell out an additional £99 for the monitor). It allows me to keep an eye on both pressure and temperature of tyres and the alarm can be set at whatever level you require. And it does work. I was unfortunate / stupid enough to clip the gritstone kerb outside Reception at Hawes CC site a couple of years ago resulting in a tear in the sidewall and instant deflation. The noise from the alarm was deafening! Having had a bad experience on the M5 a few years ago, towing a boat trailer behind a Disco - which unbeknown to me had a shredded tyre with no adverse effects on handling - I wouldn't be without TPMS. Didn't know it had happened until someone went passed and flagged me down.
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Back to the Falcon WiFi reversing camera. I have had one for about six months now and I have been using it with the RoadVue App. I am not that happy with it because it keeps cutting out at critical moments. The picture is great when it is there but it disappears after about 30 secs but I can get it back by restarting the App only for it to cut out again. I have had a word with Falcon but haven't really had a satisfactory explanation as to why this happens. Has anyone else had this problem? If so, how was it solved?
peedee
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It's happened on mine a couple of times when I've been setting up and the picture has frozen suggesting the Wifi signal has been lost. Re-starting has solved the problem and I've suspected that although my phone is showing it is locked onto the camera Wifi, the house Wifi might be interfering with it. I've not had a problem whilst driving (yet!)
I'm wondering if there may be a battery problem with your camera and the Wifi signal isn't as strong as it should be?
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Tried it in my car yesterday using "SaftyEye" App on my phone, didn't have any problems at all. Of course the WiFi range is much shorter than when in use in the motorhome so it does point to poor WiFi performance? I'll have to do some more testing with the motorhome.
peedee.
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The distance from the rear of my ‘van to the car dashboard is going to be about 11m and other than that odd glitch when setting up, I haven’t had a signal problem.
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From my experience with my 'van's TPMS, not wifi I know but another similar radio technology; the location of the receiver was quite critical. Most places on the dash lead to occasional "drop-out" issues when I sat in the drivers seat, but not when not sat there. I did find a workable position where my body being sat there did not interfere with the signal.
So, for the effort it takes it could be worth testing with the phone located in differing locations to explore if that is the issue here. Hopeful of course to find a viable position for both signal and use.
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May I suggest that you try to use the auxilliary jack on your television and connect it to your caravan/motorhome radio. you may need two cables joined together to reach from one to the other if you choose to hide theb cable, asda do them for about £6. much cheaper than a soundbar, takes up no space or weight and is very effective.
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Same as you, I think - Road Vue.
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Crossed wires I think!😋 PD is talking about problems with the rear view camera - not the sound bar.
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I would be vary wary of Falcon, we bought a satellite system QSA85 2 years ago as we go to France and northern Spain which they advertise this system as coverage for but just returned from our first chance touring through France and Spain because of Covid visiting 7 sites and as soon as we got into France the system wouldn’t pick up any UK channels even though the dish showed as locked on to Astra 2. Now back in UK works fine again. The system has 3 years warranty with 1 year labour Falcon have no answer apart from telling me to pay them £180 to book it in for a ‘service’ but won’t reply when I ask them to guarantee it will work abroad after.
From my experience I wouldn’t recommend this company to anyone.0
