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  #1  
Old 09-02-2014, 06:15 PM
NYTOM NYTOM is offline
 
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Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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Default Cheap O Borescope reviews?

Wondering if anybody has tried the Borescope offered by Harbor Freight.
Got a flyer today and there's a coupon for $80 bucks off. Thats $69.99 for the whole set up. Might be a nice addition to the tool box if it's any good.
Anybody have one that can comment?
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  #2  
Old 09-02-2014, 08:36 PM
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Master Designs Master Designs is offline
 
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Great question....I saw that ad as well. Wonder if a color camera for the same price would be better than HF's unit:
http://www.amazon.com/Vividia-Portab...olor+borescope

Then there is the USB cable camera's that have a larger head and LED's and require a computer or tablet with USB port. Price is low enough it might be worth investigating?
http://www.amazon.com/Dreamall-Water...olor+borescope
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  #3  
Old 09-02-2014, 08:36 PM
jarhead jarhead is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NYTOM View Post
Wondering if anybody has tried the Borescope offered by Harbor Freight.
Got a flyer today and there's a coupon for $80 bucks off. Thats $69.99 for the whole set up. Might be a nice addition to the tool box if it's any good.
Anybody have one that can comment?

No input on HF scopes, but a coworker has this one from Walmart. I found a cracked rib in an AW109 vertical stabilizer with it a couple months ago during a pre-buy inspection, that I didn't see with my flashlight and inspection mirror.

It's nowhere near on par with the GE Inspection Technologies scope we had at a previous job, or the Snap-On scope we had at my last job for a particular daily inspection item on the S-92 helicopter... but it gets the job done.

Depending on what you're trying to see, and where you need to get to to see it, the cheaper (read that as bigger) scopes may work out for you.
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  #4  
Old 09-02-2014, 09:40 PM
N15JB N15JB is offline
 
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Location: Denver
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I have one of the HF scopes, but at $70 I consider it over priced. If you want to look for a screwdriver you lost in the wing or tailcone, it would do the job. It is worthless for engine work.

Jim Berry
RV-10
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  #5  
Old 09-02-2014, 10:25 PM
N427EF N427EF is offline
 
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Posts: 1,516
Default What Jim said

Don't waste your money with one of those.
Here is a fairly inexpensive one that actually works for looking at your valves.

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ight=borescope

It's not that the quality of the video or pictures is of lower resolution but you cannot turn it around in a cylinder and look at the valves.
You can see some of it with the dental cams but you cannot see the whole
top of the cylinder and most importantly you cannot see the whole face of the valve.
I cannot tell you how many people around the airport have the cheapo HF
and none of them is able to get a picture of the top of the cylinder.
It is why you need it, to look at the valves and see if they are burnt, unless you are looking for a lost screwdriver in the wing
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  #6  
Old 09-03-2014, 06:06 AM
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rzbill rzbill is offline
 
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Careful. Read that link that Ernst put up.

I bought one of the upscale harbor freight units discused in the link.

I have not been able to clean the mirror and get images as good as the gent in the link.
YMMV.
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Last edited by rzbill : 09-03-2014 at 06:14 AM.
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  #7  
Old 09-03-2014, 08:45 AM
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DanBaier DanBaier is offline
 
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The HF cheap model is not too good. On the other hand, the HF model at http://www.harborfreight.com/high-re...der-60695.html (a lot more expensive) actually works very well.

As a sample of 1, I tried the dental cameras with the PC and pretty much decided to move away from that - problems with the software and just getting it to work (when it did work, the imaging was excellent).

Dan
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  #8  
Old 09-03-2014, 10:05 AM
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Ron RV8 Ron RV8 is offline
 
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Do you have any sample pics from the HF expensive model you wouldn't mind posting?
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  #9  
Old 09-03-2014, 10:13 AM
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flyboy1963 flyboy1963 is offline
 
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Location: Lake Country, B.C. Canada
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Default one more data point

I recently bought an interesting one from the land 'o the rising sun, $40, and while the pic was ok, the software was not, and it wasn't recognized by 4 of 5 devices we tried it with.....only works with Win 7 on my wife's laptop, after you disable the webcam. ....then Windows movie maker is ok.
I was hoping to find an iPad or Android app for it, but no such luck. I wouldn't get this exact one, the focus is about 1.5", not the 5mm shown.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Free-Mirro-Ma...item418582d6da


tried it at the airport a few days ago, and the little lens fogged up, making the image useless.
will try again if it ever stops raining.

apparently some guys have hangars for this kind of foolishness.
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Last edited by flyboy1963 : 09-03-2014 at 10:18 AM. Reason: add link
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  #10  
Old 09-09-2014, 08:39 AM
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DanBaier DanBaier is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron RV8 View Post
Do you have any sample pics from the HF expensive model you wouldn't mind posting?
Sorry...

Didn't see this right away. I'll be at the airport today and will take a few then and post them.

Dan
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