Wireless rear view camera with battery for 128 euros: Auto-Vox Solar in the test

With a wireless rear view camera with integrated battery, retrofitting older vehicles is relatively easy. Cables don’t need to be pulled through the interior, nor is wiring required to the on-board electronics. The Auto-Vox Solar falls into this category. The wireless rear view camera with battery and solar panel is a simple and easy to install 128 euros It is also a cost-effective way to retrofit the vehicle with a parking aid.

The camera is mounted behind the license plate at the rear of the vehicle. The rear view camera transmits the image wirelessly to a 5-inch display, which is connected to the cockpit like a navigation device. This test shows whether the solution works.

The rear view camera itself is integrated into a cuboid housing on a metal holder. In addition to the lens, which can be tilted up to 70 degrees, there is an additional solar panel that occasionally charges the battery. The rear camera is effectively protected from water according to IP69K.

The holder is attached to the back of the license plate holder with screws either at the top or bottom – provided that the drill holes for the license plate holder also match the openings. We tested this with an Opel Adam, where this was not the case. Alternatively, an adhesive film is available, which we used. However, we would have felt a little more comfortable with a screwed solution or a bracket including the license plate holder.

The diagonal of the display for the interior is about 5 inches, it is rectangular and has a small antenna for radio reception. Plastic screen processing looks a bit cheap, but the competition is no different.

There’s also a suction cup holder for the dashboard or windshield, as well as a plug for a 12-volt connection in the vehicle that also includes an activation button that provides an additional USB-A output. A USB-A to micro-USB cable is also included for charging the camera – but there’s no power supply. You should expect four hours for the first charge.

Before using it for the first time you have to turn on the rear camera with a button. If the car is parked for a long time, we recommend turning off the rear view camera. Once the Auto Vox Solar is charged, mounted, turned on and the screen is connected and plugged in, the system connects automatically. It works great right away. If the camera is under the license plate you should mirror the image vertically in the settings. If desired, the tilt of the camera can be adjusted by hand and locked with a small Allen key included in the scope of delivery.

The camera offers a viewing angle of 110 degrees. The battery capacity is approximately 2800 mAh. According to the manufacturer, this is enough for about 7.5 hours of continuous playback – or up to 75 days of average use. The more often you use the camera, the faster the battery will drain. If you only park in underground car parks, you will have fewer solar cells. If the vehicle is parked outdoors, this increases the running time of the Auto-Vox Solar. A solution with a removable battery would have been nice. Once the camera is mounted, you will need to use a power bank (best list). The manufacturer recommends a capacity of at least 4000 mAh.

There is a Menu button in the middle of the display on the right side to activate the system or access settings. Use the up or down arrow keys to navigate to different menus. There is also a button on the power plug in the cigarette lighter to activate the camera image. The default time-out is 90 seconds; the duration can also be adjusted to 30, 60 or 120 seconds.

The resolution of the 5-inch display is only 480 × 272 pixels, even though the lens has a higher resolution. The image appears a bit grainy, but it is enough to recognize obstacles in the usage scenario. Moreover, the image quality is still good enough to recognize objects even in poor lighting conditions with backlighting. The projected guide lines are also practical for roughly estimating distances.

The Auto-Vox Solar has an RRP of 160 euros. You can currently get them on Amazon 128 euros,

The Auto-Vox Solar is a cheap and quick-to-use retrofit solution for a rear view camera in a vehicle without this parking aid. Thanks to the battery, there is no need to mess with the wiring of the taillights. In testing, the camera reliably transmits the image to the display in the cockpit. The image is not particularly sharp, but it serves its purpose – even in the dark.

Although the installation of the camera varies depending on the vehicle, in our case we had to use adhesive film because the drill holes did not fit our license plate holder. Once the Auto-Vox is attached, you will need a power bank to charge it via micro-USB. The solar cells do not fully charge the camera, but they do extend its useful life.

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