Back-up beepers: Obnoxious, but getting better - and spreading!

Hello and welcome to No Effort November, a series of videos from the month of November in which no effort is made. Ignore all this, it doesn't matter. Have you ever wondered what makes big trucks and vans go *beep, beep, beep* when they're reversing? Well, it's one of these! This is a reversing alarm, also known as a reverse alarm (but not reverse as in “reserve”… but “reverse”). And the way it works is really clever: inside this compound there is a small studio in which lives a little man called Glorbus. His next-door neighbor curses like a sailor every time a vehicle

back

s up, and Glorbus is tasked with pressing a beep button so innocent ears aren't offended.

It's a pretty simple concept! Like a sliding door, that introduction was unhinged. However, this is a pretty simple device: it's simply a weatherproof speaker connected to some kind of circuit that will cause it to make a "beep beep" sound when you run a direct current through it. Why don't I run some DC current through this so we can watch what it does? For the next trick, I'll need to put on hearing protection. Oh good. Are you ready? Here we go. BEEP BEEP BEEP I mean the point is to get your attention, but I think we can all agree that these things are a little off-putting.

But it's undeniable that they're a pretty solid idea with good intentions, and even if you don't know it, they're changing: they're

getting

better

, a lot less unpleasant, and they're starting to end up in all sorts of places you wouldn't expect. But before we get to the novel future, let's talk a little more about the ancient future. These are not exclusively used in automotive applications - many heavy equipment is equipped with one of these buzzers to warn those around you that you are in motion. In that case, it could be called a vehicle motion alarm, but for the purposes of this video, I'll stick to trucks, vans, and other similar road vehicles because unless you're hanging around construction sites like some sort of practical engineer, there is where you are most likely to hear them.

I think anyway. In those cases, they activate when the vehicle they are attached to is in reverse - the driver of a large vehicle doesn't have great visibility when reversing, so these things became mandatory for... wait a minute. It's an OSHA thing‽ And here I thought it was a NHTSA thing. Learn something new every day. Apparently it is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that requires these things on any motor vehicle equipment used by an employer with an obstructed rear view. That suggests (at least here in the US) that the only reason they exist is to protect workers in a workplace and the general public is simply

getting

free help from them because company vehicles Technically they meet the workplaces in the warehouse or whatever.

Hey. By the way, I can't believe we let NHTSA get away with making it a spoken acronym. It sounds like a sneeze. Anyway, installing one of these on a road vehicle is pretty easy because a road vehicle has reverse lights. Just plug in the power for one of those, give the alarm a good base, and you're done! The alarm will start to sound automatically when you put that vehicle in reverse. Wondering what I mean by good soil? Well, in case you don't know, wiring things in vehicles is very strange! You usually only need one cable because the entire metal body of the car is connected to one side of the battery (almost always to the negative terminal... but not always because we didn't know any

better

).

Anyway, why don't I show you? This is an automotive test light. It's a light bulb on a stick with one of its power cords connected to this clip and the other connected to the tiny tip at the end. If I connect each end of this to a suitable power source, you will see the lamp turn on. On a car, if I put this on the positive terminal of the battery, it will light up every time I touch any metal part of the car with the bit. This happens because the entire vehicle is one cable that goes to the other side of the battery.

In the case of the

back

up alarm, this metal piece in its fixing bracket is attached to its negative power terminal. That way, whenever you bolt it to a metal part of the car, that bolt will provide a ground connection and a single wire from the reverse light to its positive terminal will make it work. But how exactly does it work? It must have some type of circuit to make the speaker vibrate and make sound. It could be like a 555 timer chip that acts as an oscillator and with some capacitors and maybe a transistor and crap you could probably just cut off the 12V DC and drive the speaker almost directly. do it through a thermal switch like a turn signal so that it beeps intermittently and you're done!

Or maybe add another 555 timer chip if you want. But nowadays I mean there could be a whole microcontroller in there. Those things are too cheap. Unfortunately, these devices have their circuitry submerged in a deep sea of ​​resin because the intention is that this thing will simply bolt to the back of a truck and be able to withstand all types of weather (and who knows, it could literally end up underwater at some point). moment). ). But! Thanks to the magic of purchasing two of them and a little patience with a Dremel tool, I was able to put this one behind the scenes.

And then I opened it. Surprisingly, this thing was full of sand! And at least I hope it's sand. And unfortunately, its circuit board is trapped in that epoxy resin, so there's no way we can get a good look at it. But it's okay, I have a backup alarm! Just because it's November doesn't mean you're not prepared. And the circuit board on this one was cooling in the sand so we could see it. And if. It's a mysterious six-pin chip that drives this little MOSFET and that MOSFET simply bypasses the speaker through the DC pins. Do this quickly enough and you will emit an audible tone.

Then do it intermittently and you will hear a series of beeps. So, actually, it's not very complicated. Now, here's an idea: a very silly thing you can do is put one of these in a car that doesn't need it at all. Strange little cars like a Nissan Figaro can be made even stranger with the simple addition of one of these. A Smart car or a mini cooper are also excellent options. Your neighbors will love it! Oh! That reminds me. Did you know this silly little car came with a reverse locator from the factory? It's a Japanese domestic market car, so it beeps when you put it in reverse.

But the beeping is coming from inside the car! This has baffled many critical car journalists who consider this behavior in cars to be completely silly. It's filtered through to some US-market cars, notably the Prius, and some people just can't contain their bewilderment at the idea when they first encounter it, but I... I see I have a different opinion. I've been very lucky to get stuck behind someone in a drive-thru or at a red light several times in my life who previously made an adjustment maneuver for some unknown reason that involved putting the car in reverse. And when they finished their adjustment maneuver… they left the car in reverse!

So, they're just sitting in front of me with their foot on the brake... and in reverse. So I, for one, would appreciate it if all cars (at least with automatic transmissions) had a beep for their driver to make it obvious that the car will reverse when they release the brake. That's an abnormal condition for any car and it's important to know! So I think having a driver locator is actually a very good idea, and while it may seem a little over the top to you, let me remind you that half of all drivers on the road are worse than the average driver.

And that's a fact! But back to the reverse alarm. But first, let's go back to the reverse lights. Because something funny happened with the reversing lights. We stop using them for what they are there. Or, I guess, we almost forgot why they are there and now a side effect of their existence is the most obvious reason in our collective consciousness to the point that they now suck at their actual job. Let me explain: Do you know that your car has those bright white lights on the front so you can see where you're going at night? Wouldn't it be helpful if you had some in the back of your car so you can see where you're going at night...in reverse?

Because that's what reversing lights are for: they're an extra pair of headlights on the back of your car so you can see behind you at night! The fact that they let other people know that you are backwards is largely incidental. Now, it's obviously useful to know that a car around you is reversing. I literally just gave you an example where I knew the car in front of me was in reverse, and it was good to know because I could try to avoid an incident by honking at the person in front of me to try to let them know that they went the other way, but look that never works.

They're just confused why I'm honking, and I'm not going to get out of my car and scare them by walking up to their window, so without a public address system to yell at them and say "hey man, you're backwards! Best I can do It's hoping they notice quickly when the light turns green, and if they don't, frown and prepare for a head-on collision. If only there was a solution to reduce the potential for this confusion. modes, since they are effectively useless if you're stuck behind someone who doesn't know they're in reverse, parking lots are perhaps where reverse lights as an indicator to others are most useful, both for other drivers and those simply walking.

If you're walking, you know to stay away from that car, and if you're looking for a spot, you know that person is leaving. But not if it's a GM car, because General Motors cars like to turn on their lights. reverse and leave them on for a while when you get out of the car, and they will even come back on when you open the car! This behavior bothers a lot of people, including me, I must say, but maybe we're wrong. Consider this: Maybe the driver of that car lives somewhere in the countryside and there is no lighting at all where he parks his car.

Having the reverse lights on for a moment when leaving can be very helpful for that driver because those reverse lights will illuminate the area around the back of the car and allow that person to see a little better in the dark, which is literally the reason. They were invented! And how do I know that? I asked a search engine! The concept of reversing lights was invented in 1920 by a former Ford engineer named Childe Wills. The story goes that he had a bad habit of backing into fire hydrants at night. He realized that this was because he couldn't see them at night, but if there was a lighting source at the back of the car, he could!

And he made that light come on automatically when the vehicle was put into reverse. Backup lights didn't become common until the 1960s and weren't required until 1968. But even then, their purpose was to allow the driver to see better behind them, not to warn others around the car. that he could back off. But I also recognize its potential as an indicator for others. So why do I say that's not what they're supposed to be used for? Just because it was first intended as enlightenment and not as a warning, does not mean that it is not useful as a warning.

To which I say, well! This is even codified in law, at least in the UN. But look, if they're really supposed to be a warning to others that the car is in reverse, they're a pretty bad warning! They don't blink to get your attention, so if you don't notice them approaching, you may very well miss them. Many cars put them in really strange places that you probably won't see. And when I say them, I may mean it. Just look at the back of the old Scion xB. It turns out that cars only need to have one reverse light, and the designers thought about placing it on the side to capitalize on that asymmetry trend that the Nissan Cube or something started.

If you approach this model of car from the wrong side, you will not be able to see the reverse light and therefore will not receive any warning that it is in reverse. The Scion xB is not alone in this case: many European car models, where a rear fog light is mandatory, place a single fog light on one side and a single reversing light on the other. So if the reverse light is there primarily to warn others as people seem to think, that implementation probably shouldn't be legal. However it is. This reinforces the idea that its main objective is thelightning.

But none of us remember that, so it's no longer considered important, and the great tragedy of this collective confusion about what backup lights are actually for has led to many new cars (including mine and my old Chevy Volt!) have absolutely pathetic reverse lights. that hardly helps you see anything, but they satisfy the regulatory requirements of 1) being there, so everyone thinks it's okay. But not me. Remember remember it's November. I'm not usually like that, friends. I heard that! Where is my limo? That reference was exaggerated. Eh, more like a super stretch. Anyway, finally coming back to the reversing alarms, the reversing lights present a convenient circuit to call upon to generate a reversing alarm like this alarm when you are in reverse gear.

So connecting one to a car, truck, or van is as easy as bolting it to a bumper, splicing a wire into the reverse lights positive wire, and running it to this point. Then you're done. You have an automatic backup beep. But there are two major problems with this type of reversing alarm. First, they are unpleasant and loud enough to cause hearing damage. And, fun and definitely not ironic fact, we can thank OSHA for that! As the regulations are written, reversing alarms must be 5 decibels louder than ambient noise levels. It makes sense, you need to be able to hear them.

But since construction sites tend to be pretty loud with all that heavy equipment rolling around, the easiest way to ensure you can meet that standard at all times and in all situations is to make the alarm... stupidly loud! ! This produces 97 decibels of sound pressure at… an unknown distance. I tried to find out where it is measured from, but this data sheet didn't say so, so I gave up. But from the beginning I said that they are improving. With those stupidly cheap microcontrollers, someone could design one of these that takes an ambient noise reading from a built-in microphone and uses it to determine how loud it needs to be to meet the OSHA standard of 5 dB above ambient.

And if you don't know, the folks at Ecco (the maker of this more legit model that I only bought one of and am not willing to part with) have done just that. Good job friends, you are making the world a little better place. But speaking of echoes, that's the other big problem. The flat tone these things produce, while definitely loud enough to hear, is difficult for our brains to locate in three-dimensional space. If you're near a vehicle reversing with one of these pagers, you'll definitely know something is reversing from the beeping that's impossible to ignore, but the way the sound reflects off the surfaces around you, combined with its literally monotonous, confusing. our sound localization capabilities.

But those smart scientists realized that white noise (or any sound similar to it) is much easier for our brains to locate in physical space because of all those harmonics, wavelengths, and junk, so what would happen? If we made pagers that would do this? Oh look, the magic of buying two of them came again! Let's see how this one sounds. Anyway, these new versions are starting to spread. They are by no means completely new, there is a Tom Scott video from almost 10 years ago about this very thing. That video is also much shorter than this one. Do I have any problem being one?

Let's put a pin in that. White noise reversing alarms may have been mandatory in the UK for a decade, but they didn't arrive here (at least in my danger zone) until very recently. And so far I think I've only heard two: both on Amazon delivery vans and both in the last year. However, it's not one of those cool new electric delivery trucks, like a Ram Promaster or something. But speaking of cool new electric things, look what my car does! It has a reversing alarm! But it is much more subtle. NHTSA may not be the reason these loud honks end up in commercial vehicles, and they may also be incredibly behind on lighting regulations, but they managed to come together and create a rule that says hybrid and electric cars must make some kind of noise to let people know they could move.

Hyundai has opted for what I call "digital angels" for forward movement, and when in reverse it makes the same sound, but also fitted them with a good old backup beep, albeit modified to be a little more relaxing. And you know what? I love this idea. The regulation was designed because these new cars can move without making engine noise, and that is a potential problem. Previously, some type of mechanical clicking and combustion noise provided an audible signal that a vehicle might be moving near you and, especially for the blind, this was a way to stay safe in the very dangerous landscapes where cars mix. and the people.

Hybrid and electric cars eliminated this audible signal, so the means of detection were lost. Adding it back in somehow is very helpful and potentially life-saving. And not just for the blind! Virtually all accessibility features end up benefiting everyone. The other day I was in a parking lot and heard this same sound. At first I got excited thinking I would see a car mate, but it was like a Santa Fe hybrid. But I immediately located the source of that sound (no doubt thanks to the digital angels in the background) and realized that a car nearby I was about to turn back.

That awareness was almost instantaneous and useful, and I think Hyundai did a very good job of emulating a reversing alarm to give a recognizable and specific warning to back up. But Hyundai is Hyundai and others are others. Car manufacturers are having fun with this new regulation and like to design their own soundscape as another tool to reinforce their brand identities. Unfortunately, that means there's no consistency here. To be honest, I'm pretty okay with that. I like variety as much as anyone. For another example of an automaker's soundscape, here's what a hybrid Toyota Sienna sounds like while driving.

It's not a bad sound. Let's try the other way around. It's a similar sound, but coming from a sound module in the back of the car. To be clear, that's pretty good! If you are standing near the back of this car, that noise will definitely catch your attention. But if it communicates that the car might be coming towards you since it's in reverse… ehh, that's definitely less clear. This particular new feature in the automotive landscape is something that requires careful consideration. For many, it's divisive: cars are noisy things. Cities would be much quieter without them (or at least less so) and adding a noisemaker to your car could make the situation worse.

But the standards for this new requirement do specify a volume and it is quite quiet. Above about 15 miles per hour, tire noise is considerably louder than these warning devices. And in my honest opinion, I don't think any of the pedestrian sounds I've heard in any new car are loud enough to be annoying, even if someone comes home late at night while others are sleeping. Some are definitely a little more intrusive than others. Guess which one I find more unpleasant? You're right, that's it. But as long as we're careful and thoughtful about how we implement this idea, I think it's all good.

If I'm okay with the variety of this new soundscape for a car's forward movement, I guess I shouldn't worry too much about the sound it makes when reversing. But I do think there could be value in standardizing that. Interestingly, if I were put in charge of that task, I would choose exactly what Hyundai did. A little white noise to make the sound easy to locate, and a beeping sound that at this point we're all prepared to interpret as "attention please, this car is backing up." But, lest you think I'm being too flattering to Hyundai with that review, the reverse lights on this car are just pathetic!

They don't illuminate the rear at all, the brake lights are much brighter. Heck, the taillights are almost as bright. It's ridiculous. You may have fixed your Hyundai brake light logic, and good job! But the next time you design a car, remember the other thing that reversing lights are supposed to do, please. It will make the rearview camera work much better at night, at least. Well, is that the end? I think that's the end! Thank you for watching this amazing video. I hope it was as fun as it was chaotic. Remember friends, drive safely. That means paying attention.

And using the turn signals. That's important! I'll judge you very harshly if you don't bother to move the thing. As we all should. The left lane is for passing, don't stay there now. And put down your phone! For God's sake, you're operating a two-ton deadly machine, act like it's the responsibility it is! And another thing: ♫

obnoxious

ly soft jazz ♫ For another example of an automaker's soundscape, here's what tayot... pfff, phew! This here- This thing- This here- This thing is a- This is an automotive test light. If I connect each end to a power source, this... hmm. …power, you will see that the lamp turns on.

The best I can hope for is to realize AHHHHH Mmmm more like a super stretch, anyway reversing the li. I did it again! Because the intention is for this thing to just bolt to the back of a truck, and you'll see all the pain... *sigh* Put effort into the end screen subtitles? Pfft, not this time, boy. It's November.