Endoscope/bore scope recommendations please

[newbury]

I've recently had several situations in which a flexible endoscope/borescope could have greatly sped up repairs.

I almost bought the Harbor Freight High Resolution Digital Inspection Camera with Recorder High Resolution Digital Inspection Camera with Recorder when they had it on sale for $160 but missed the sale.

Looking further into it I find a vast number of mini USB Borescope Endoscope Inspection Tube Pipe Snake LED Cameras being exported from china for about $30 or less, example AGPtek - Mini USB Borescope Endoscope Inspection Tube Pipe Snake LED Camera 10M Waterproof 4 LED Video for $28, and is probably what is on the end of the HF model.

Looking at a "quality" site like Lenox a 2' fiber one costs $4,888.

Since this will be an occasional use tool and I usually have a laptop or Android PDA available to hook up the $30 type I was wondering if there are any TBN'ers with experience with the cheap chinese models that could recommend one.

If so - what size, length, model, source etc. please.

thanks in advance

 

[puckgrinder85]

I have the harbor freight one and it actually works really well. We use it in our autoshop for looking down into cylinders to verify headgasket leaks etc. For the price of some of the other ones we've been shown from snap on and what not, this one does a pretty **** good job for the price. Its relatively clear ( we can see headgaskets leaking in a cylinder for instance) and you can capture images and upload them onto your PC.

 

[kennyd]

I bought one of the cheap USB ones from eBay last year, it does a pretty darn good job if you don't mind using your laptop (if you have one).

2 5 7 10M USB 6 LED Waterproof Borescope Endoscope Inspection Snake Tube Camera | eBay

 

[woodlandfarms]

Same on the ebay. Bring my macbook out and see what I need to see on a large 15" screen

Downside is having my mac in my greasepile of a tractor and that controlling the boroscope is not without complexity.

 

[kennyd]

...and that controlling the boroscope is not without complexity.

Tape the scope head to a piece of #12 solid electrical wire-like from a scrap of Romex. You can bend it any way you need...

 

[newbury]

I bought one of the cheap USB ones from eBay last year, it does a pretty darn good job if you don't mind using your laptop (if you have one).

2 5 7 10M USB 6 LED Waterproof Borescope Endoscope Inspection Snake Tube Camera | eBay

Thanks!
The one you linked to only mentions compatibility with up to Windows 7. My netbook runs 8.1. The one at best buy doesn't list OS. I would like to interface w/ Android or at least W8.1.

/edit - after some research there are several "Wi-Fi Wireless Waterproof Flexible Inspection Camera Borescope Endoscope for iPhone/iPad/Android" and I'll have to do more research. One seller mentions "lenses" for different focal lengths. This would seem to b a good candidate for a "backup camera" or "FEL camera". Lot's of activity on Utube.

 

[Dave M7040]

I have a fiber optic one. Many fragile strands of very fine glass fiber. Now one strand is broken and the image has a black spot in it. The fiber optic types are only for medical or high tech aircraft inspection. With either the cheap or the expensive ones it is not an easy tool to learn to use. It is often hard to figure out what you are looking at. You have to practice regularly to be able to make good use of it when you are trying to diagnose a problem. Don't try and diagnose your own nasal problems!!
Dave M7040

 

[PILOON]

We bought an 'el cheepo' fom EBay (like $30.) with long lead to check out clogged drain pipe.
The imageing was truly amazing! That technology has sure come a long way. Most even include light source as well.
Since delivery was from Hong Kong there was a 20 day delay but at that the price time was less important.
Naturally you need to have a laptop but then you have a LARGE screen to view details vs the self contained hand held that sports a 2 or 3" LCD screen.

 

[newbury]

Bumping this because the projects I could use it on have increased to balance the cost.
I need to trace some plumbing lines to ensure I don't cut them
I need to look inside my VW's headliner to find a leak
I'm going to be "fishing" electric lines and want to look ahead
If the resolution is good enough (and by this report it seems to be) I'll probably hook it up to my Android pad and use it as a backup/FEL camera.

Right now my top choice is the one here.

So any further input before I put the Visa down?

 

[JimRB]

I have a cheap Bosch inspection camera kind of like this. Bosch PS90-1A 12 Volt Optical Scope | ToolBarn.com I got it as a drill/camera package which works fine for me. We have Pentax and Olympus cameras at work to do EGDs and colonoscopies. They and the Bosch have a limited focal length. I mean you can see things clearly 2 inches away but not much farther. Translated the cameras/scopes I have touched are useless for backup cameras.

There are a number of comments on Amazaon that say that the one you are looking at has a limited focus area which is to be expected. "The focus is very sharp from about 5cm to 6-1/2cm." That is 2-5 inches I think.

My Bosch as well as the Olympus and Pentax scopes have semi rigid stalks to let you push the scope in to look see. Of course the medical versions are more flexible to snake around the ascending, transverse and descending colon. They also have cool dials so you can turn the camera this way and that way and even to do a 180 look backwards. But when you are spending 5-6 digits of money plus a processor you get a lot more than when you spend $200 for a cheap Bosch with a fairly rigid but flexible stalk. The one you are looking at is on the equivalent of a string. It is hard to push a string so people mention you have to tie it on to a fish tape. They make fish tapes in steel and fiberglass. Some of the fiberglass fish tapes are super flexible and others kind of rigid.

On many VWs running a length of weed wacker string down the sunroof drains will fix those clogs. On my car the factory repair bulletin has you cutting off the end of the drain down by the front of the front doors so it will not clog up. I never saw a TSB on the rear drains and I am not sure where they come out. If you have roof rack or antenna leaks that I have no idea on. My headliner is starting to fall down but I do not want to spend a weekend looking at that problem. I can still see out the rear window.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I went cheaper. I picked one up from China on Ebay. Downside is that it is not on a flexible shaft but there are work arounds. I just drag out my laptop which I already have and plug in the USB Camera. Works great.

 

[DFB]

I have a 2313-20 Milwaukee M-Spector 360 I bought as bare tool on a sale, no battery or case being that I was already heavily vested in the Milwaukee's M12 line. Very similar to the Bosch, has a good picture, bright light and easy to hold. I didn't see much of a need for having photo storage or to download to computer what I was looking at. I mainly wanted it for garage use, looking in and under things where pretty much where your head and flashlight cant get to :laughing:

There is a 9ft cable model but you have to buy it as a kit only 2314-21 (case charger and battery). Milwaukee markets a variety of inspection tools. Inspection and Detection Tools | Milwaukee Tool.


I see the harbor freight item has a 90 day warranty and the Bosch is 1 year. Whether or not a warranty is worth the paper it written on sometimes I wonder but most Milwaukee tools are 5 year.

 

[newbury]

I have a cheap Bosch inspection camera kind of like this. Bosch PS90-1A 12 Volt Optical Scope | ToolBarn.com I got it as a drill/camera package which works fine for me. We have Pentax and Olympus cameras at work to do EGDs and colonoscopies. They and the Bosch have a limited focal length. I mean you can see things clearly 2 inches away but not much farther. Translated the cameras/scopes I have touched are useless for backup cameras.

There are a number of comments on Amazaon that say that the one you are looking at has a limited focus area which is to be expected. "The focus is very sharp from about 5cm to 6-1/2cm." That is 2-5 inches I think.

Yes, limited focus but there is a user video showing the user panning around a room which would be sufficient for getting something on my pallet forks or hooking up a trailer where I am usually only concerned about the last few feet..

<snip> But when you are spending 5-6 digits of money plus a processor you get a lot more than when you spend $200 for a cheap Bosch with a fairly rigid but flexible stalk. The one you are looking at is on the equivalent of a string. It is hard to push a string so people mention you have to tie it on to a fish tape. They make fish tapes in steel and fiberglass. Some of the fiberglass fish tapes are super flexible and others kind of rigid.

Ay, that is the point - cost - $30 vs vs $200 vs $3,000. I already have the laptop/tablet.

On many VWs running a length of weed wacker string down the sunroof drains will fix those clogs. On my car the factory repair bulletin has you cutting off the end of the drain down by the front of the front doors so it will not clog up. I never saw a TSB on the rear drains and I am not sure where they come out. If you have roof rack or antenna leaks that I have no idea on. My headliner is starting to fall down but I do not want to spend a weekend looking at that problem. I can still see out the rear window.

Thanks for the pointers, but sometimes the tubes separate up near the top.

I have a 2313-20 Milwaukee M-Spector 360 I bought as bare tool on a sale, no battery or case being that I was already heavily vested in the Milwaukee's M12 line. Very similar to the Bosch, has a good picture, bright light and easy to hold. I didn't see much of a need for having photo storage or to download to computer what I was looking at. I mainly wanted it for garage use, looking in and under things where pretty much where your head and flashlight cant get to :laughing:

There is a 9ft cable model but you have to buy it as a kit only 2314-21 (case charger and battery). Milwaukee markets a variety of inspection tools. Inspection and Detection Tools | Milwaukee Tool.<snip>

Again, nice tool but several hundred dollars.

And as far as Ebay vs Amazon for the $7 difference in price I went with Amazon and free 2 day shipping.

 

[newbury]

Well got the endoscope delivered.

2 Million Pixels HD Cmos 6-led Mini USB Endoscope Inspection Camera Waterproof Borescope Snake Scope (7m)
It's plug n play on Windoze 8.1. Sample pics of distance shots






are good enough for me to use it as a FEL cam and backup cam, besides looking at my teeth, checking my car's engine, routing wiring in the wall. I'm not extremely concerned about reading fine print at 10 feet.

/edit
And just for example I took the camera and laptop out to the truck and snapped a picture of my clog. I put the camera up on the tailgate and laid it so it pointed where the trailer hitch would stick out.


Then put the laptop in the cab. 7m was plenty of wire length.
I think with some sort of magnetic/clip on holder this will work as well as my $200 wireless back up camera when I figure out the "hotspots" to put it.