Okay, so I’ve been seeing ads for this Lanmodo Night Vision System for a while, and I finally caved. Driving at night, especially out in the country where it’s pitch black, can be a little nerve-wracking. So, I figured, why not give this thing a shot? I ordered one, and it arrived pretty quick.
Unboxing and First Impressions
The packaging was decent, nothing too fancy. Inside, I found the main night vision unit, a base, a suction cup mount, and a bunch of cables. It felt pretty solid, not cheap and flimsy. The screen is a good size, not so big that it’s distracting, but big enough to actually see what’s going on.
Setting It Up
This was a bit of a pain, to be honest. I wanted to mount it on my dashboard, but the suction cup just wouldn’t stick reliably. Every time I hit a bump, the whole thing would wobble or fall off. Super annoying! I ended up using the non-slip base instead, which worked way better, but it takes up more space on the dash.
Wiring it up was straightforward enough. I just plugged it into the cigarette lighter socket, and then ran the cable to the unit. I tucked the cable away as best as I could, but it’s still kinda visible, which bugs me a little.
Testing It Out
- First Night Drive: I waited until it was good and dark, and then headed out to some back roads. At first, I was like, “Whoa!” The image was surprisingly clear, and I could see way further down the road than I could with just my headlights. Animals on the side of the road were much easier to spot, which is a huge plus.
- Color vs. Black and White: The system has both color and black and white modes. The color mode is cool, but I found the black and white mode gave me a sharper, clearer image, especially in really low light.
- Rainy Conditions: I also got to test it out in the rain one night. It definitely helped cut through the gloom, but it wasn’t a miracle worker. It’s still harder to see in the rain, night vision or not. It’s also getting an electric power shock when it get wet, so I remove it.
- Glare from Oncoming Headlights: This is one area where it didn’t perform as well as I’d hoped. Bright headlights still caused some glare on the screen, which was a bit distracting.
My Overall Thoughts
It’s not perfect, but it does make a noticeable difference. I feel a bit more confident driving at night now, especially on those dark, winding roads. It took me a while for installation. If you do a lot of night driving, it might be worth checking out. Just be prepared to fiddle with the mounting options, and don’t expect it to completely eliminate glare from other cars’ headlights.
