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Monkey's Boroscope

S

Southern Pete

Well Known Member
Is anyone else wondering what Monkey is using as a Bluetooth camera to feed a boroscope picture to his phone? Seems like an ideal Christmas present!

Does anyone have a link?

Pete
 
jeffkersey said:
I bought this one a few weeks ago. Have not peeked into my cylinders yet but I did check that it works. Amazing how inexpensive this stuff has gotten...

https://www.amazon.com/Skybasic-End...qid=1544019711&sr=1-5&keywords=wifi+endoscope
Click to expand...

Jeff, I see it has a supplied mirror, but will the "semi-rigid" cable bend back on itself 180 degrees in a small enough loop to pass through a spark plug hole? It would be nice if the camera could be pointed at the valves, rather than viewing them with the mirror.
 
DanH said:
Jeff, I see it has a supplied mirror, but will the "semi-rigid" cable bend back on itself 180 degrees in a small enough loop to pass through a spark plug hole? It would be nice if the camera could be pointed at the valves, rather than viewing them with the mirror.
Click to expand...

I have one of these cheap USB scopes and they honestly aren't very good for bore scoping. The mirror does work but it's a bit finicky to position since the head is flopping around in the bore and you can only control it by sort of twisting the wire and hoping it flops into a good position. You can kinda look at the piston and cylinder wall but again it's a matter of getting it to flop into the right position.

I haven't used it but the ViVidia Ablescope VA-400 seems to be a more common scope to use since it's rigid and is articulating. It's what Mike Busch's AOPA article recommends and runs about $200.
 
az_gila said:
I got one of these based on a VAF posting -

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079GV58Z6/

It has the advantage it will fold back on itself to look 'up' at valves

It's not too bad, but a neighbor just bought an Ablescope VA-400...:)
Click to expand...

That one is interesting. Note available resolution is 1280 x 720, rather than the VA-400's 640 x 480. The VA-400 is nice, but low-res images can be grainy, and fool you into thinking you're seeing things you're not.
 
DanH said:
That one is interesting. Note available resolution is 1280 x 720, rather than the VA-400's 640 x 480. The VA-400 is nice, but low-res images can be grainy, and fool you into thinking you're seeing things you're not.
Click to expand...

I'll use both soon on my Tiger and see if I can post some pics.

The bend into place of the wi-fi version is 'fiddley' but does work. The connection to the iPhone was no problem when I worked out the basic iPhone camera view app worked. :)

The wi-fi end of the cheap one does seem to lose battery power when it's not used - may be a poor on/off switch. Just charge it with your USB kindle power cable before use.
 
Last edited:
No mirror and not articulating

az_gila said:
I got one of these based on a VAF posting -

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079GV58Z6/

It has the advantage it will fold back on itself to look 'up' at valves
Click to expand...

Close reading of the Amazon page shows no mention of a mirror included with this scope and no mention of an articulating function. I was ready to buy it until I looked closely. I suppose if you had a tiny assistant inside the cylinder, it could be bent to inspect the valves and then straightened to allow withdrawal ;<) Let me know if I'm wrong on this.

Cheers, David
RV-6A KBTF
 
koupster said:
Close reading of the Amazon page shows no mention of a mirror included with this scope and no mention of an articulating function. I was ready to buy it until I looked closely. I suppose if you had a tiny assistant inside the cylinder, it could be bent to inspect the valves and then straightened to allow withdrawal ;<) Let me know if I'm wrong on this.
Click to expand...

I think the plan is to just tape it to a coat hanger wire so when inserted through a plug hole, it points back toward the head.
 
koupster said:
Close reading of the Amazon page shows no mention of a mirror included with this scope and no mention of an articulating function. I was ready to buy it until I looked closely. I suppose if you had a tiny assistant inside the cylinder, it could be bent to inspect the valves and then straightened to allow withdrawal ;<) Let me know if I'm wrong on this.

Cheers, David
RV-6A KBTF
Click to expand...

Yes, that is not correct.

It is small enough that you can fold back the camera on itself and tape it to the flat stiff cable. It is then small enough to poke it through the spark plug hole and wiggle it such that the valves can be seen. The flat cable is stiff but quite bendable.

The camera is only 1/3 inch diameter and will fit through the 0.7 inch plug hole with the cable bent back on itself.
 
Maybe?

DanH said:
Jeff, I see it has a supplied mirror, but will the "semi-rigid" cable bend back on itself 180 degrees in a small enough loop to pass through a spark plug hole? It would be nice if the camera could be pointed at the valves, rather than viewing them with the mirror.
Click to expand...


I think it is rigid enough that it won't flop around. I have to admit my ignorance and I don't know how big the threaded holes for the spark plugs are.
I don't plan on taking my plenum off and using it till condition inspection in February.

Here's a picture with a measuring tape for scale. What do you think Dan?

JK

http://jeffreykersey.com/Endoscope.JPG
 
jeffkersey said:
I think it is rigid enough that it won't flop around. I have to admit my ignorance and I don't know how big the threaded holes for the spark plugs are.
I don't plan on taking my plenum off and using it till condition inspection in February.

Here's a picture with a measuring tape for scale. What do you think Dan?

JK

http://jeffreykersey.com/Endoscope.JPG
Click to expand...

Nice camera but I think you need new tape measure! ;-)

-Marc
 
amazon boroscop

I bought one of those cheap boroscopes that works off the wifi on the phone. The scope has this miniture mirror that screws on and is supposed to be able to see the valves. It has a rechargable battery that operates the little light at the end. I guess if you like gadgets and saving a nickle is your thing, then this little guy is the ticket.

For me, I like to have dedicated equipment and is made for a job. My differential compression tester has its own case and is only used for aircraft engines. I like that. Easy to find, easy to use, and works when i need it. This little boroscope will sometimes go off line, the battery will run down, the mirror sucks, and the optics plus my bifocals make me dizzy. Maybe I'm getting old and set in my ways but I don't want another device that relies on wifi or an Iphone or a rechargeable battery. I'd like to have a dedicated boroscope that was designed from the getgo to look insides cylinders and also be able to do hot sections if needed.

It'll probably cost me an arm and a leg but I guess I'm spoiled. I love good high quality tools that work when I need them without any fuss. The boroscope I got belongs in a dentist office, colonoscopy room, or behind a wall on a cruise ship (another story). It dont belong in my toolbox or in one of my cylinders. MY .02 worth.
 
Bought one of the cheap bore scopes off amazon with mirror and high resolution Bluetooth to my phone. Issue is I did not pay attention to focal length. The camara works great but you need to be 2? away to be in focus. I can?t get a good in focus picture in the cylinders.
 
Borescope comparison.

az_gila said:
I got one of these based on a VAF posting -

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079GV58Z6/

It has the advantage it will fold back on itself to look 'up' at valves

It's not too bad, but a neighbor just bought an Ablescope VA-400...:)
Click to expand...

Just looking for an update on reliability & image quality of the two borescopes mentioned in this thread?
Also the link to the Amazon link no longer works..
Any suggestions as to the best value & image quality currently on the market would be appreciated; before I make an investment.
Thank You.
 
Any of the Vividia Ablescopes are great. I have the lowest cost one:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GY7C9ZW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's perfect for cylinder borescoping. The higher priced one's add Wifi and greater flexibility, but this $200 job is VERY good with high def images.

According to my Amazon order history, I've had mine since the fall of 2015, meaning I've used it a lot since then. It's still working very well. I tried dental scopes, but they work marginally compared to this very nice, articulating, high resolution scope from Vividia.
 
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