USB Camera for Cylinder Inspections

iflyvfr

iflyvfr

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Joined
Sep 20, 2013
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1,797
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Columbus, OH
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Display name:
Greg
Anyone have one they really like that's cheap? I have one but the focal length is off and I had to fold it over on itself, then speed tape it. It's been several years so I wonder if you have one you can recommend off Amazon or eBay?

Thanks.
 
I hate it, but I got on the bandwagon and bought an Ablescope. (like we have not survived for decades without microscopic dissection of our cylinder insides, sheesh). But I can't resist a gadget. It's pretty awesome, cheap, easy to use, fits into that little hole in the bathroom wall D'oh scratch that last one! Bad, 12yo boy, bad. I hear they do not play well with apple devices, I use a PC laptop.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I hate it, but I got on the bandwagon and bought an Ablescope. (like we have not survived for decades without microscopic dissection of our cylinder insides, sheesh). But I can't resist a gadget. It's pretty awesome, cheap, easy to use, fits into that little hole in the bathroom wall D'oh scratch that last one! Bad, 12yo boy, bad. I hear they do not play well with apple devices, I use a PC laptop.
Click to expand...
My problem is due to the focal length, you have to get it real close to the valve face and then the image is HUGE. Does the Ablescope produce a quality image? I don't want to see every grain of lead or the depth of every mark on a cylinder wall which is the problem I have now, just get a good look at the overall appearance. All with the oversight of my A&P and mechanically-minded pilot friends.
 
iflyvfr said:
My problem is due to the focal length, you have to get it real close to the valve face and then the image is HUGE. Does the Ablescope produce a quality image? I don't want to see every grain of lead or the depth of every mark on a cylinder wall which is the problem I have now, just get a good look at the overall appearance. All with the oversight of my A&P and mechanically-minded pilot friends.
Click to expand...
 

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That looks great, and the file sizes are not in the 10s of MBs like mine were. Wait a minute, I just remembered there's a $150 birthday check from the FIL on the kitchen counter. He'd think it a wise investment too! :)

My engine and cylinders are getting up there in hours. I'd really like to have a look at the insides next time I pull the plugs.
 
Good thing that one also comes with a magnet, you might need it with it's clip on mirror.

If you can spring for something quite a bit better... We had half a dozen inexpensive models at work to test because our expensive equipment was getting damaged so frequently... this one was voted "by far the best" by 16 A&P airline inspectors.
http://spiborescopes.com/resources/products/dg1-borescopes/dg1-6/
 
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Let'sgoflying! said:
I hate it, but I got on the bandwagon and bought an Ablescope. (like we have not survived for decades without microscopic dissection of our cylinder insides, sheesh). But I can't resist a gadget. It's pretty awesome, cheap, easy to use, fits into that little hole in the bathroom wall D'oh scratch that last one! Bad, 12yo boy, bad. I hear they do not play well with apple devices, I use a PC laptop.
Click to expand...

I have one of these. They are great. The only thing I have seen that is better is a $10K Olympus and even that was not a lot better.
 
Kristin said:
I have one of these. They are great. The only thing I have seen that is better is a $10K Olympus and even that was not a lot better.
Click to expand...

Just ordered one of those. There are $1x,xxx ones at my work too, I've used one of them a few times inspecting engine beams on a Beechjet years back, seemed a little overpriced and too fragile to me.
 
GlennAB1 said:
Good thing that one also comes with a magnet, you might need it with it's clip on mirror.

If you can spring for something quite a bit better... We had half a dozen inexpensive models at work to test because our expensive equipment was getting damaged so frequently... this one was voted "by far the best" by 16 A&P airline inspectors.
http://spiborescopes.com/resources/products/dg1-borescopes/dg1-6/
Click to expand...

We're talking about 150 bones here not something you have to "request" a price quote on. If they can't straight up tell you how much it is it's too much.

I've used a $30 Chinese dental camera. It works pretty good but you have to do a slight bit of modification to get it to fit through a spark plug hole which will undoubtably void your warranty LOL.
 
Ya usually get what ya pay for.

We borescope almost every day, usually 3 engines, and we document and frequently measure damage, so we need better equipment.
 
German guy said:
I have one of these and am very pleased with the image quality. They also have a pretty big following on the Van's forum.
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Thanks Oliver, yes those are much nicer than my old one does. Appreciate the pictures. Are those of the Mooney or the 172 before? BTW that pic to the left is taking off out of Honey Acres in Clinton a couple of weeks ago. That is one smooth, nice strip! I've spent a lot of time in MI this year!
 
iflyvfr said:
Thanks Oliver, yes those are much nicer than my old one does. Appreciate the pictures. Are those of the Mooney or the 172 before? BTW that pic to the left is taking off out of Honey Acres in Clinton a couple of weeks ago. That is one smooth, nice strip! I've spent a lot of time in MI this year!
Click to expand...

Greg, the pictures are from the 172. Before I bought this borescope, I had one of these really cheap cameras, which was pretty much just a cable, with a camera attached to its end. While the image quality was actually not too bad, it was however very hard to control, because of the flexible cable.
The borescope above is a stable tube, the head can be controlled from the handle. Pictures / video can be recorded either with an Android device or a PC. A demonstration of the thing:

Honey Acres? I just looked it up - looks really nice, close to us, but we haven't been there yet.
This Sunday, we want to fly to the Chili-Fly-In at the Haar Airport 9OH1 in Ohio. This is not far from Columbus. Why won't you just join? I could also bring the borescope with me.
The event: http://eaa582.org/event-2333507
 
Thanks, haven't heard of that flyin. I have been itching to fly and will definitely check it out. I love chili, just finished some Skyline!
 
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