15.10.2017 0
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Statistics say: over the past couple of decades, the number of cars per capita has increased several times. It’s hard to argue with this, looking at the kilometers of traffic jams and the total lack of parking spaces. To solve the second problem, they came up with parking sensors. With this device, the driver can maneuver better and occupy tight parking spaces faster. More and more car owners are choosing this device, and there are many offers on the market. Experts tell us which one to prefer and what you need to pay attention to when purchasing. Photos and videos will help you understand in more detail.
Designs, varieties, main criteria for choosing parking sensors in the 2020 rating
The trade classification dividing parking sensors into front, rear, and all-round is not very informative.
Installation location, number of sensors (4 or not) do not affect the principles of operation of the device, the performance of the device.
It is more important to separate devices according to the quality of operation of ultrasonic sensors, their characteristics, availability of different types of displays, and synchronization of interaction with the rear view camera. The operating principle of an ultrasonic sensor (radar) is to send and receive a wave signal, which is evaluated by an electronic unit and reflected on the parking sensor screen. Accurate determination of the distance to an obstacle gives the driver the opportunity to stop in time, avoiding a collision or collision.
Experienced drivers consider the following to be the main criteria when choosing parking sensors:
- Sensitivity of ultrasonic sensors, obstacle detection range. Indication of obstacles at a distance of 20–150 centimeters is considered optimal. Long-distance obstacles are not important for parking; as sensitivity increases, the low-power radar begins to respond to small stones and road unevenness.
- Sensor type. Most Russian users prefer cheaper point sensors that give a clear picture of movement. Ribbon controllers do not have “dead zones”, but their installation requires special skills.
- Display configuration, its location. Drivers find placing the display on top of the dashboard inconvenient. The optimal location of the screen is next to the internal or external rear view mirror. Overhead displays or mounted in the interior mirror are popular. This arrangement allows you to control the road situation visually simultaneously with the display. The size of the monitor is not important for most drivers, except for miniature models with indistinguishable icons.
- Types of notification. It is inconvenient to navigate only by the sound signal, numbers or colored indicator risks. One type of alert requires practicing parking skills in special training. Reviews from owners consider parking sensors with all types of alerts to be optimal.
- Speed of sensors. Slow signal transmission reduces the effectiveness of the parking sensors to zero. The rating only considers parking sensor models that operate in real time.
- Device self-diagnosis. Expensive models of parking sensors test the performance of all sensors after each activation, which guarantees the detection of obstacles without interference. Drivers consider the need to get out of the car to wipe the sensors as an additional advantage of the device.
- Rear view camera settings. For parking sensors synchronized with a rear view camera, the viewing angle of the optics is considered an important characteristic. Camera models with a viewing angle of 110° are unpopular. The minimum field of view is considered to be a sector of 130°. Increased visibility for drivers becomes an advantage of parking sensors. The camera makes it possible to see pits and sewer manholes that are not recognized by ultrasonic sensors.
- User reviews consider the disadvantages of many models of parking sensors to be the overload of the device scale with unnecessary indicators (time, outside temperature, vehicle speed), the need to install the same system together with an on-board computer, and complex controls. The rating does not consider such models of parking sensors.
- Among the designs of sensors (surface, mortise) in Russia, mortise models, which are mounted in the holes of the bumper, are more popular. For such designs, the advantage of the brand is the wide range of sensor colors, which makes it possible to install the sensor unnoticed without spoiling the appearance of the bumper.
In a condensed form, you can see the designs and criteria for choosing parking sensors in the video:
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Features of wireless parking sensors
To begin with, it should be noted that any parking sensors include sensors that, using an ultrasonic signal, determine the distance to surrounding objects. After indicating third-party interference, the detector sends a signal to the head unit, informing the on-board computer and the driver about the current position. In traditional systems, this signal is transmitted through wires. In this case, the use of a radio frequency channel is provided, on the basis of which the sensor and wireless parking sensors communicate. Reviews of such a bundle most often note its ease of use, since there is no need for laying wires. Actually, this is the main difference between wireless models of parking sensors.
Inexpensive parking sensors: which one is better to choose in affordable price categories
The 2020 rating of parking sensors includes designs with radars or video cameras in three price categories. In the lower price segment (up to 2,000 rubles), the brands ParkMaster, Sho-Me, Multitronics, and Fusion compete.
According to user reviews, the Sho-Me Y-2690 and Blackview VS-1 models lead the ranking by a slight margin.
Sho-Me Y-2690
The Sho-Me Y-2690 parking sensor package includes everything you need to install the device yourself.
In addition to four sensors with normal sensitivity and a miniature display, user reviews consider the advantages of the installation kit to be a special cutter for installing sensors in the bumper and replaceable sensor housings that allow installation at different angles.
According to the owners, the Sho-Me Y-2690 model works normally, without reacting to small obstacles. No cases of sensor failure were recorded; only the display backlight was repaired under warranty.
Owners of parking sensors consider temperature, date, and time indicators to be additional advantages of the display. When you engage reverse, these indicators change to parking sensor information (vehicle location, distance to obstacles). The Russian-language instructions and the Russified monitor interface received favorable marks. Users consider the only subjective drawback of the device to be that the beeper signal is too loud and cannot be finely adjusted.
Blackview VS-1
The Blackview VS-1 parking sensor became the only model with a rear view camera in the lower price segment.
Users consider the advantages of parking sensors to be the high level of protection of the camera and sensor from moisture and dirt, and mirror image transmission. The rear view camera meets modern requirements for viewing angle (170°), color correction, and operation at minimum illumination (0.1 LUX). Colored parking lines displayed by the processor are convenient.
The delivery set includes a camera and sensor (in one housing), cables with various combinations of connectors.
The budget price of the parking sensor model does not allow it to be equipped with its own monitor, so it must be installed on models equipped with video equipment (recorder, media system). Connection is provided by a special cable and video output.
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Purpose
This device ensures safe parking by timely determining the distance to nearby objects. This makes it possible to drive and turn around in confined spaces. Products may have:
- Digital indicator showing on the display the remaining distance to objects located near the vehicle;
- Voice notification, triggered after a specified time interval or indicating the direction where the sensors were triggered;
- Memory about the design features of individual elements of the vehicle. The spatial arrangement of extension elements is taken into account. This avoids a situation where the system perceives such elements as an obstacle;
- Video output to camera. The device has a special connector that allows connections to a rear view camera. Thanks to this, the driver can constantly monitor what is happening behind via the system monitor.
The middle price segment in the rating of parking sensors 2020 – the wealth and dangers of choice
In the price segment up to 5,000 rubles, the ParkMaster 4DJ-29 and ParkCity Tallinn 818 parking sensors are in first place in the ranking. It must be taken into account that the high cost of devices in this sales sector has caused a significant number of counterfeits, so when purchasing, you need to be interested in the certification of parking sensors and require accompanying documentation.
ParkMaster 4DJ-29
Parktronic ParkMaster 4DJ-29 (modification with four rear sensors) features a multifunctional control unit that provides obstacle detection within 2.6 meters at high speed.
The control unit is equipped with Russified voice notification, light and sound indication. According to drivers, in addition to uninterrupted operation, the model is distinguished by the memory of the control unit, into which you can enter the dimensions of the protruding towbar and spare wheel of the SUV.
Reviews from owners highly appreciate the miniature size and information content of the parking sensor display.
The monitor can be easily mounted on the glass near the interior mirror. The display readings are not burdened with unnecessary information; they record the location of the obstacle and the distance to it with an accuracy of 10 centimeters.
ParkCity Tallinn 818
The model of the Chinese-Korean brand ParkCity called “Tallinn 818” is specially adapted to the climatic conditions of the CIS countries in terms of frost resistance and durability of ultrasonic sensor housings. One of the significant advantages of the model is a convenient remote LCD monitor with a built-in speaker.
Parktronic is equipped with all types of notifications (including voice warnings in Russian), which are easily regulated. The Tallinn 818 model (with eight ultrasonic sensors) is equipped with a Phillips processor, which automatically triggers reverse and braking when moving forward. An additional advantage of the model is the large color range of sensor housings (up to 15 shades), allowing you to choose a sensor to match the painted bumper.
You can learn how to install Park City parking sensors yourself from the video:
How to choose the right one
In order to purchase exactly what you need, it is useful to become familiar with the options that can be found on the market today.
Sensors
The main factor determining the reliability of the device is the number of sensors, which are usually mounted in the rear and front bumpers. Radars with two sensors are the cheapest. However, this amount is not enough to “probe” the entire space in the direction of movement. For reliable operation, a minimum of four sensors is required.
The most optimal price/quality ratio is considered to be a device with six sensors (4 in the back and 2 in the front), and the most reliable with eight.
Indication
According to the display method, radars can be audio, optical and digital. In the first case, the driver is warned by an intermittent sound signal. By the frequency of its delivery and volume, you can judge the distance to the object.
For optical indication, LEDs are used, which are installed in a mirror or on a separate screen and have different colors depending on the distance to the obstacle. Many parking radars combine audio and optical indication for greater reliability.
The most convenient is the digital display. In this case, the device is equipped with an LCD display, the screen of which displays the distance to the object (with an accuracy of 0.1 m). In addition, an image of the car is often displayed. It can be used to determine exactly where the obstacle is located. Usually there is also a sound indication.
Additional amenities
For convenient operation, many parking sensors have additional functions, such as:
- self-diagnosis;
- volume control;
- voice notification;
- memorization of remote elements;
- possibility of connecting a television camera.
Self-diagnosis is automatic monitoring of the health of sensors and alerting the driver if necessary.
The presence of a volume control allows you to change its level depending on the situation, and if a voice alert is provided, then a person will report the danger.
If remote elements are memorized, the driver can enter information about the presence of a tow bar or spare wheel on the rear surface of the body to avoid false alarms.
Connecting a rearview video camera can often help. It will allow the driver to examine the obstacle and assess its severity. After all, it could be either thick grass or just a snowdrift.
Wireless or wired parking sensors: which is better to choose from expensive models
Progressive models of parking sensors with wireless sensors, judging by user reviews, have not yet earned the trust of Russian motorists. They are considered capricious, painfully reacting to interference due to the operation of electric vehicles. There have been cases where the processor “did not notice” the sensor failure.
In the first place in the ranking of expensive (over 5,000 rubles) parking sensors remain traditional wired devices with “eight” sensors, combined with a video camera, located on the interior rear-view mirror. Reviews from car owners note such models of parking sensors as ParkMaster 4-DJ-92 and sPARK 8M.
ParkMaster 4-DJ-92
Users consider the advantages of the ParkMaster 4-DJ-92 parking sensor to be effective filtering of false alarms and diagnostics of sensors when the device is turned on. The camera works effectively in bad weather and in the dark. The beeper volume increases as you approach an obstacle, but it can be adjusted.
The ParkMaster 4-DJ-92 model has been repeatedly tested by automotive experts and showed good results. Owners of the devices do not find any significant shortcomings in its operation.
sPARK 8M
The luminescent display of the parking sensors sPARK 8M is mounted on the interior mirror. Before reverse gear is engaged, the image of the car on the mirror does not appear, without interfering with the view from behind.
The device is equipped with eight sensors. This amount is sufficient for front and rear recognition of obstacles. Drivers note the uninterrupted operation of the device at low winter temperatures.
The sealed sensor housings, which are sold in twelve colors and are protected from snow, dust and rain, received special praise.
The only drawback of the device noted by the owners was the length of the cables, which is hardly enough to install rear sensors on cars with a long body. Drivers do not consider small (short-term) responses to false interference to be a critical drawback.
