Garmin has announced a new reversing camera the BC-40 that has solved two of the biggest pains for custom reversing cameras in the industry. The first issue is that typically, custom reversing cameras need to be hard-wired into a vehicle – The BC40 is completely wireless, eliminating this particular problem. The other issue is the installation process often need to drill directly into the vehicle in some manner – The BC40 is designed to mount to your vehicle without the need to drill into it at all.
BC40 vs BC30
The BC40 sits at the same price point as the BC30 at $249 AUD but overall displays a higher quality picture than the original reversing camera model. Below is a quick breakdown of each of the models:
| BC40 | BC30 | |
| Physical Size | WxHxD: 15.85cm x 2.18cm x 2.49cm
|
WxHxD: 3.0cm x 2.6cm x 2.8cm
|
| Battery | 2 AA Batteries (Lasts 3 Months – Average Use) | Hard wired power |
| Water Rating | IPX7 | IPX7 |
| Camera Resolution | 720p | 240p |
| FOV (Field of View) | 160 degrees | 140 degrees |
| Wireless Transmission Distance | Up to 26 Feet | Up to 45 Feet |
The big points to note here are the improved camera resolution from 240p to 720p and the wider field of view moving from 140 degrees to 160 degrees. Both these features improve the visual clarity and your environmental awareness allowing you to catch other vehicles moving behind you earlier.
The slider above shows the default view setting of the BC30 and the BC40. The visual clarity is very obvious between these two shots alongside the increased viewing angle. I've also included screenshots below as the resolution constraint for the slider don't allow the full picture captured to be displayed. The screenshots show the same room exactly as it would be captured on each device.
Just as an aside the default setting the live video is shown as mirrored on your navigator display, this can be changed in the Garmin camera/display settings.
How to automatically display the BC40 Video - Voice Activation
The BC40 can also be toggled to display on your navigator either through the GPS menu or by the voice activation command “Show Video”.
How to set up Garmin BC40 Reversing Camera
The setup is very straightforward, only requiring the following:
The hardest part is unscrewing the license plate and setting it into the supplied metal mounting bracket.
The first step is to unscrew your license plate from the car, typically held by two screws on the top left and right sides.
Next up slide your license plate into the gap between the metal bracket just underneath where the camera will sit. The Garmin plate in this image is where your license plate will slot into.
Once you done this position the bracket to line up with the screw holes that you previously unscrewed the license plate screws from and screw them back in to hold everything securely in place.
Now that you’ve done that you just need to clip the BC40 camera into place via the camera bracket on the side. Make sure you install the batteries prior to this*
This is how your setup should look when installed with a license plate.
After you’ve mounted it and installed the batteries the device will have a flashing blue light. The flashing blue light means that the device is ready to be paired. You just need to turn on your compatible Garmin navigator (Full list of Garmin GPS devices compatible with the BC40 below) you should receive a message on the Garmin device that a BC40 camera wants to pair, just click yes and your BC40 will be paired.
If this prompt did not come up you will need to go to settings à wireless camera à add a new camera. From there it should find and pair with your BC40. If you’re still have trouble make sure your device has been updated to the latest firmware via Garmin Express.
Full List of Garmin GPS Devices Compatible with the BC40
These devices have all been tested and shown to be compatible with BC40 when updated to the latest firmware.