As its name suggest, the iBall 5.8GHz Wireless Magnetic Trailer Hitch Rear View Camera has been designed with a specific purpose in mind. On the plus side, it's extremely simple to setup - all you've got to do is you attach the camera to the back of your vehicle to help you hitch to your trailer. But unfortunately, the iBall backup camera falls short of making the list of the very best backup cameras due to elements of its performance.
The iBall system comes with the camera, monitor and a USB charging cable. The camera has a rechargeable battery that takes about eight hours to charge and can last for three hours of continuous use. The iBall camera attaches to the back of your vehicle using a magnet. The 3.5-inch LCD monitor is attached to a posable arm that you plug into the 12V (cigarette lighter) outlet. The system pairs via Bluetooth automatically, so you get immediate video feed. One missing feature that would have been helpful is an on-screen distance scale.
Among the vast range of backup cameras around today, the iBall is one of the easiest to start using. It isn’t meant for permanent installation, which is both good and bad. The good is that it’s extremely easy to set up whenever you want to use it. The bad is that it isn’t wired into your car for power, so you have to remember to charge it. The magnet on the camera is sturdy, though we aren’t convinced it would be strong enough to stay in place should you forget to take it off and then drive down a bumpy road. The camera is housed in a sturdy, water-resistant plastic body, and it has a 120-degree viewing angle.
The iBall uses a 5.8GHz wireless signal that reaches up to 25 feet. This frequency works with Bluetooth-enabled cars. Our tests showed visual distortion and static at much shorter distances, and when it comes to the camera’s night vision, it's rather a moot point, given its range is limited to what’s immediately illuminated by your reverse lights.
Should you buy the iBall 5.8 GHZ Wireless Trailer Hitch Camera?
While some motorists will embrace the iBall Wireless Trailer Hitch Camera for what it tries to deliver, ultimately, its performance disappoints. In the plus column, it's easy to use, but for the minuses, imaging is far from perfect, there's no night vision, and you'll need to remember to charge the batteries before use. as poor. For the price that you'll pay, better backup cameras that are useful both for hitching and other backing-up situations are available elsewhere.
