Technical boroscopes?

i hope this doesn't seem like this is off topic but buying old engine that have been sitting around this tool would really help. does anyone here own/use a boroscope that is attached to your smart phone? i have seen these and really don't believe any of the product reviews, would rather hear feedback from actual people that have used one. seems like a very useful took for troubleshooting. thanks!

 

They do work - quality varies. Use with android phones (mini-USB) not iPhones. They should be cheap enough to experiment.

 

Use one for NDT (non destructive testing) of welds & joints in boilers & heat exchangers. Limited quality, but it's a tool that does come in handy at times.


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It's as handy as a shirt pocket. Some are priced as low as $90 (even less sometimes), some are $3500. Another handy hi-tech tool is a sonic tester like the roll bar inspectors use to cert cages. I ****ged one at a recent auction for a price I'm ashamed to share in the open. From the thickness of bondo on a qtr panel to bore thickness in the cylinder to see how far you can go.

 

I've seen them as low as $10 and read the reviews.....some of the cheap ones don't have as good resolution as others.
I forget what specs the better ones have, maybe more MP's and LEDS for brightness.
I'm going to buy one in the $20-30 range with a longer cord, they seem to have better reviews.
For this amount and my usage, I can afford to gamble if it turns out to be ****
I want mine mainly for OT viewing /inspecting areas on my boat that are impossible to get to

 

A sonic tester is one thing I would really like to own.

 

Google "Cellphone Borescopes"..Tons of them available... I just bought one ...$15 shipped from (Guess Where ?? ) China , surprise !!!...Got the one with WiFi.... Worked great on an ***embled engine given to me for my "A" project...

 

gotta make sure the head is small enough for spark plug holes.

 

We used boroscopes extensively in aviation. A great tool to determine the condition of the internals of jet engines. I often thought how valuable they could be in the automotive field. Not sure of the quality of inexpensive scopes and illumination power supplys.

Gary

 

I bought 5 of them off ebay a year or so ago and gave 3 of them to friends. They work great with my laptop ,One guy I gave one to had a Snap-on one he paid hundreds for and we tried both of them an the $10 worked as good. Buy several ,there cheap.

 

Thing I like, is with your phone (from what I've read) you can video and take still shots.

 

I bought one off of EBAY for $10 including shipping for my android . It has an adjustable light source. Works great and picture perfect. I couldn't figure out the APP so I took it to Verizon and the GEEK there did it for me .

 

I have one of the cheap ($10) ones from Amazon. Works well for a $10 tool. Small enough to fit most places you want to look. Not much focal range, and not self leveling, so you can find yourself looking at things at a weird angle. Depending on where you want to look, you may need to bodge up a holder or arm for it. The camera head is about 1/4" by 2", and that's the only rigid part of the ***embly.


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They don't make them for iPhones, or?

 

They do make them for iPhones but they cost more. Check out eBay - I think they are under $50. Android or laptop are under $20.

Don't expect to see microscopic detail but they do work.

 

I can see it now, Colonoscopy only $10.00, while you wait!

 

thanks for the feedback! as we all realize the android ones are cheap and i have watched the videos and the resolution is fairly good. i did like the ability to video and take stills. time to order a couple and try them out! i will actually post a video.

 

Last month I used one for work, for inspecting steam boiler tubes, with a joystick steerable tip, etc.

The functionality, features and picture clarity were sensational...... as you would expect from a latest generation professional $35,000 unit.

 

That tool can add value to that T-shirt that says "I'm not a gynecologist but I'l take a look..."

 

I bought one of the 10.00 ones for my laptop a year or so ago and it does have a fairly decent picture quality.

 

Dang, THAT'S funny! But I'm a bubble off.