About our Male 4 Pin Aviation connector to splice in to existing reversing camera cable

We often get people with an old reversing camera system wishing to install a replacement one. Usually, the old systems will use either a proprietary connector or, more commonly, a connector such as a PS/2 or S-Video, which has been re-purposed to carry power in an unknown pin-out configuration.  In these cases, this product is ideal, as it allows a more modern 4-pin aviation connector reversing camera to be added. This cable is 100cm in length.

Please note the following instructions for adding a lead to your existing wiring:

The red wire is for powering +12V's device. The twisted copper braiding is the earth, which can be twisted together and soldered to this wire if your old video signal cable has twisted braiding around it. The white wire is for audio, but it can be left unconnected in most cases as most cameras don't have a microphone. The yellow wire is for the video signal.

Suppose you have checked our adaptors for reversing cameras page and can't find anything to fit your system; you can upgrade your connector to the more modern style used in cameras like ours using this patch lead. You will need the following tools: a multimeter, wire cutter/stripper, insulation tape or heat shrink, soldering iron, soldering gun, and 1M 4-pin cable to bare wires (this listing).

Warning: Do not cut the wires to the new camera as this may allow atmospheric moisture to enter down the cable and wire colours will be different from the advice on this page. Never cut the extension cable while there is power to the camera system, as this may cause a short. Never just put the same colour to the same colour - as colours don't always match the function of the wire.

Follow these steps to connect the lead to your existing wiring:

1. Ensure that the power is dead to the system and cut the old connector off on the main extension wire (not the camera cable, as this often has extra wires and no screening).
2. Separate the wires so they aren’t touching each other.
3. Power up the system by turning the monitor on.
4. Use your multimeter to determine which wire(s) carry power (usually just one - but occasionally more) and note the colour down (do not assume colours follow convention - we have seen lots of colours used for various purposes).
5. Remove power from the system so that you can make your connections.
6. Connect the red wire on our cable to the coloured wire you identified as +12V on your existing wiring (solder is the gold standard). A positive power supply is the only wire that can cause damage if you get it around the wrong way, so please be careful.
7. With luck, you will find a wire with shielding on your main extension cable. This should be the video signal cable. Connect this with the video cable on the new lead (the yellow wire). The shielding from the old signal wire can be twisted together with your earthed cable shielding on the new cable. Insulate the connections made.
8. If you power the system now, you might find the camera works already (because many systems link the earth screening up with the main earth in the connector). If it doesn't, you must identify the earth cable by touching the remaining spare wires in your old cable (ensure none are positive first) against the earth/screening on the new connection cable until you get a picture on the screen.
9. If your camera has sound (we only stock a few that do) and your monitor has a speaker, you can enable sound by attaching the white wire from our cable. You must touch it against the spare wires on your cable until you find one giving you audio.
10. Tidy up your wiring, ensuring all the wires are well-soldered and insulated.
11. Congratulations, the job is done! It's time to put the kettle on.