Setting up your blind spot system all by yourself may or may not befit you. In the case of a simple and basic blind spot monitor for car, it will bring certain advantages. Although, whenever it jumps to a much more complicated system, things can go wrong. Nowadays, firms are providing factory installed systems inside their vehicles that minimize all the fuss about setting up the system.
The home set-up blind spot system is reliable, but like any other monitor, it also remains vulnerable to errors. Any carelessness during the setup process can make it prone to errors and failures. Before judging the procedure and effectiveness of the owner set up system, it is better to review how the ideal one works. Keep reading to witness the effect of a home set up procedure on an ideal blind spot monitor for car.
General Overview Of An Ideal Blind Spot Monitor For Car
Driving has never been easy, especially on highways. Ten years back, blind spot warning detection systems weren’t a thing. Typically, people relied on their senses and abilities to drive a car. However, with time things changed, and so did the assisting systems. Since then, blind spot monitors have been preventing unwanted collisions. Their increasing accuracy ensures the safety of cars and drivers.
Car firms design their products to withhold extreme pressure in collisions. Therefore, the car has several supporting pillars. Several spots stay hidden from the driver’s eyes no matter how much the firms try.
Blind areas are hazardous for drivers. Any object inside the area will be a hidden and direct threat to the car. To minimize those risks, car manufacturers came up with the idea of a blind spot monitor for cars that assists the driver. Cars with blind spot detection are less likely to catch up in an accident and save many lives.
A Blind Spot Monitor Kit:
A universal blind spot monitor for car is a wave emitting system that continuously throws out signals to detect the object. It is not just the name of a single component; rather, it includes a complete set of equipment. The complete package of the product is usually referred to as a blind spot monitor kit.
The bigger the list of components, the more complicated, challenging, and time-consuming setup procedure will be. A standard package includes the following items in the set.
- Millimeter wave radar
- Wire harnesses for the radar, alarm buzzer, and lights
- Power supply wire
- Bracket for installation of radar
- Double sided stickers for indication light attachment
- Extra protractor or angled arrow for alignment.
These items are obligatory for every blind spot monitor for car. It means even the most basic system will have these inside its blind spot monitor kit. However, the aftermarket blind spot warning system doesn’t stop just there. Some advanced ones have extra features and extra items. Such as:
- Extra camera setups
- Multiple radars
- Control box
A control box is essential to control the indicator lights and buzzer. With its help, you can control the brightness of lights and the volume intensity of the buzzer. Remember that increasing components will bring more features that make the system complex. Therefore, the extra featured blind spot monitor for cars can become a problem for the home setup procedures.
Working Of A System And Its Relation With The Set Up Procedure:
A blind spot system works on manual components and digital algorithms. The accurate functioning aftermarket blind spot detection system emits microwaves continuously that originate from the radar. The system includes a radar that can have more than one frequency band. Typically, these systems come in 3 different variants.
- 24 GHz Frequency Band
- 77 GHz Frequency Band
- 79 GHz Frequency Band
These bands have a direct impact on the radar’s functioning. They can increase or decrease its detection range. Moreover, they affect the detection accuracy of the radar greatly.
The very first step of the working includes the oscillation of wave signals inside the detection area. In the case of an object entering the range, microwaves get disrupted. This interference helps the digital algorithms to detect the vehicle.
However, the detection procedure isn’t the same for the night vision blind spot sensors. This type of blind spot monitor for car detects the vehicle with the help of headlight assumption and wave signals collectively. Therefore, it increases the accuracy of nighttime detection. Plus, the overall digital algorithms also vary from the daytime.
After the accurate detection, some systems send the signals to an alarming sub-system, whereas some start the judging process. The monitor uses extra systematic strategies to detect the object’s relative speed and distance to decide whether it is a risk. On top of that, the vehicle’s speed also helps the system accurately judge the object’s status.
The alarm system of the blind spot monitor for car includes two warning lights that warn the driver about the risk on the respective side. Furthermore, some systems include an extra buzzer. It prompts a sound whenever the turn signal is on, and the blind spot has an object inside it.
The buzzer and lights collectively warn the driver and make them cautious. It tempts them to take preventive measures that stop potential collisions.
Process To Set Up A Blind Spot Monitor For Car At Your Home:
Setting up a blind spot system at home might be a good idea for most drivers. Its procedure resembles a factory installation procedure. However, the steps are far simpler, and the equipment used for the setup procedure has no rocket science.
The basic blind spot manufacturers encourage the drivers to set up the system themselves at home. It expresses how user-friendly and easy to use their system is. However, not every blind spot monitor for car has the exact instructions. Some of them require special precision and experience for installation.
Every system includes two basic purposes. One is the detection, and the other is warning. For detection, a driver sets up the radar. Whereas, for the alert procedure, buzzer and warning lights help.
Here, we’ll divide the entire process into two steps that a driver with minimum product knowledge can use to set up a basic system at home.
Radar Set Up And Alignment:
Radar is the most basic yet crucial part of the blind spot detection system. A slight error in its setup procedure can change the detection range and strategy entirely. Therefore, the drivers must be careful while installing it.
- First, find out how many radars you got in the package for yourself. Identify if all of them are of the same type. Some blind spot monitor for car has different types of radar with different frequency bands that go at varying places.
- Find out the appropriate place for every radar in the package. Some go at the rear side, while some on the lateral position of the car.
- Now attach the blind spot monitor for car’s bracket to the surface using screws. Look inside the manual for the optimum angle and orientation of the radar. Moreover, keep an eye on the height of radar from the ground.
- Once the bracket is firmly installed, use the given angled arrow to orient the radar accurately. When it is in place, use the radar screws to hold it in place.
- Some radar goes inside the bumper if it is of plastic. So, make sure you are setting it up in the right place.
- Make sure any metal object does not block the radar. Never install the radar inside your bumper if it is of metal. Moreover, some blind spot monitor for car radars do not have brackets. Instead, there are double sided stickers inside the package. These stickers have excellent adherence and grip. Therefore, use them according to the instructions given in the manual to attach the radar to the vehicle body with maximum grip.
- Once the radar setup is complete, you can use the calibration device or mat to confirm its accurate alignment.
Wire Connection:
The wire connection of most of the blind spot systems is the same. It involves several wire harnesses that connect the components with the power supply. The colors of the wires are different to avoid any confusion. It helps the driver to attach the wire harness to a related part of the blind spot monitor for car.
Following are the steps to set up a wire connection to the aftermarket blind spot monitoring system at home.
- The first step is to connect the power line to the main supply. The power line has two different colored wires. First, locate your power supply or batter and connect the black wire to its negative pole. Next, connect the red-colored wire of the power line with the ACC power of the supply.
- Now correspond the extension line of blind spot monitor for car with the indication lamps and plug in its male and female connectors.
- The next step is to lay out the whole extension line of the power line inside the vehicle from head to tail.
- Plug in the power extension line with the radar wire
Moreover, keep the following guidelines in mind while plugging the radar line with the power extension wire.
- Plug in the radar with respective left and right plugs.
- Connect the yellow line of the radar wire with the positive pole of the car’s left turn signal
- Connect the orange-colored line or radar wire with the positive pole of the right turn signal.
- If there is any buzzer given in the package of blind spot monitor for car, attach its wire harness to the power extension wire.
- Some systems include an additional control box that has extra wiring harnesses. It makes the entire process more complex. Out of three different control box wires, one connects to the power supply. Whereas the other two connect with the indicator lights and buzzers individually.
After the wire connection, you can attach the in-car components inside the vehicle. Warning lights and buzzers normally come in with double sided stickers. Attach them to a place suitable for the driver and firmly stick the components there. Make sure you clean and dry the surface before applying the sticker for maximum adherence.
Is It Reliable To Go For A Home Based Set-Up?
A home-based setup is as reliable as a system can be for basic working monitors. However, this procedure is not suitable for every car blind spot monitoring system. From the above discussed steps, the setup process appears easy. However, things take a turn when you jump up to advanced blind spot systems.
High-end blind spot systems bring premium features with them. That is why their wiring and radar installation process is complex. On top of that, setting up additional components inside the package, like the control box, is not easy. For that reason, we can say that a home based set up procedure might be problematic for advanced blind spot monitor for car.
As for the final verdict, we can conclude that if the owner follows every instruction accurately without any carelessness, it will prove reliable for the vehicle. However, there is a condition that the system must never be too complicated.
If things jump up a level, home based setup is no more a better choice for you. Instead, go for other options in the market like individual private workers or blind spot monitor for car firms.
What Other Options Do Drivers Have?
The previous overview shows that a home setup is viable for specific owners. So, you may look for additional ways to set up the system. If you consider that the home-based setup is no longer for you, you can go with the following options.
- Firstly, ensure that the firm you bought it from does not have a free setup policy. Otherwise, you would be wasting your cash and time. Some blind spot monitor for car firms provides free set up service for the customers. However, these firms are primarily credible ones. Startup companies stay away from these promos because it endangers their revenue.
- The next way is to hire the car’s private, professional technical personnel. These workers do not work for a specific company; instead, they are individually paid for the toil. A big advantage to this method is that you won’t have to take the car to a workshop. Some private technical workers get to your home for the set-up procedure.
- The final way is to deliver your car to a blind spot manufacturing firm. These firms have a ton of experience in the product and its problems. The firm can be either the one you bought from or a new one. However, try to avoid startup aftermarket blind spot monitor for car firms as they have the least experience in the field. Keep in mind that the set-up service of a credible firm won’t be cheap. You will have to pay a bit of cash to guarantee the accurate set up procedure.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Setting Up A Blind Spot Monitor For Car At Home?
A home setup is beneficial for low-end systems that do not require much expertise. It has the following pros for the driver and the car.
- It reduces the overall cost of the installation of blind spot systems.
- It is a universal process that every driver can perform effortlessly.
- It is efficient and accurate for a simple blind spot monitor for car.
- It helps the owner to diagnose pre-test errors and initiate a response accordingly.
- It increases the drivers’ product knowledge and helps them deal with future errors before they become a possible risk.
The home based set up process s a better option for most of the systems. However, it is not the best for every other blind spot monitor for car on the road. If you have any formal system with minimum requirements, it’ll be a fine choice to go for a home based set up technique. But, do not mistake going for an unprofessional as it will have the following cons.
- Setting up the blind spot system at home can make it vulnerable to errors.
- There are low chances that you set up the components with perfection. In case of any carelessness, the system may fail.
- It needs an extensive amount of time to set up.
- It is a better choice only for low-end basic blind spot systems.
Conclusion:
Blind spot systems are obligatory for every vehicle on the road. Yet, setting it up may or may not cause a problem. Some of the systems come pre-installed in the vehicles. In comparison, some include instructions for the setup procedure.
You can install the blind spot monitor for car according to the manual at home. But it increases the risk to some extent by making the system exposed to errors. The easy way to minimize it is to be as precise as possible or look for technical personnel with experience in the product range. Moreover, you can take help from the service provider that sold you the system. These credible firms have a channeled strategy for the blind spot system set up.
