Tip: Cheap Good Borescope

ViVidia AbleScope VA-400 USB Rigid Borescope Endoscope with 180 Degree Articulating 8.5mm Diameter Probe

$150 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GY7C9ZW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00 - only thing you need to connect to laptop
$4 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LN3LQKQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00 - Only needed to connect to android smartphone instead of laptop
Free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vaultmicro.camerafi&hl=en - only needed on smartphone

After playing with dental cameras shipped from China and other junk from harbor freight, it would have been cheaper to just buy the $$$ Snap-on camera from the start. Avoid the hassle and just buy this setup. Cheap and works perfectly. This has the articulating head, which is a must for the best picture.

Several different camera apps are available. I am sure they all work fine. Save yourself $4 and connect to a Laptop instead of an android phone.

Another problem with the other cheaper cameras, was with the LED brightness. Either too dim or too bright and they get washed out by the reflective Al or Steel. This camera adjusts really well. I could easily see cross hatching on the cylinder walls, what was oil vs. not oil, etc. I should have taken more photos to show how well it did. Ill do it later maybe.

Jae,

Yes, please add photos. Please take a pict with a scale so we can see the minimal focal length and some resolution on a 1/64 scale.

I bought a flex head but the screen resolution is poor, and the focal length is too long for usefulness within a cylinder. I have used it for other cavity work that made it worth the $125 price, but not for in cylinder. The SnapOn with the 640X800 seems to fill the bill but, pricey, like you say.

Not sure about a scale, but this was an attempt to capture both intake and exhaust valves. I think you might be able to go back further, by moving the piston away as far as possible. I figured the exhaust valves were most important so all the rest were taken with just exhaust valve zoomed in. I figure you get the most detail this way, too.

Unfortunatley, no pics of cylinder walls which was quite clear as well.

How's the color rendition?

I would have to say excellent. In my limited experience with the other cheaper cameras, there were so many other issues you hit before ever getting to the point of nitpicking about color.

Framing the image, focus, access, and color washout from an LED light shining on metal surfaces, and FOD on a mirror, all contributed to poor images. This one just works.

The pictures are not showing up for me.

Isnt the rigid rather than flexible nature of the extension a significant limitation?

Hopefully, you can see the images again. Google is going from picasaweb to photos, and of course it breaks something.

You are right, the ViVidia scope is rigid, but i had no problems with it at all. In fact, i think it might make things easier to manipulate and frame the image. You just need a straight shot thru the spark plug hole, which i believe we all should have anyway.

On Beechtalk, a bunch of them use it and recommended this, so it works for all of them, which i wholehearted agree. I just did not see this mentioned here, so i figured i would before someone wastes more time and money on inferior solutions.

jchang10 said:

Not sure about a scale, but this was an attempt to capture both intake and exhaust valves. I think you might be able to go back further, by moving the piston away as far as possible. I figured the exhaust valves were most important so all the rest were taken with just exhaust valve zoomed in. I figure you get the most detail this way, too.

Unfortunatley, no pics of cylinder walls which was quite clear as well.

Click to expand...

Is that spark plug the proper length?

It is actually the original champion plugs that came with the engine from Lycoming. It does seem strange to see those threads. Anybody else know?

But wait - - there's more!

When going to the link Jae provided, there is an ad for a flexible model for $349.
Quite a price jump.

http://www.amazon.com/AbleScope-VA-..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=0JGKCPKRW7SGJZQY4TA3

An exhaust valve in my IO-360.
The VA-400 borescope and Android tablet make this an easy job.

Good idea but Amazon says unavailable

Dang da bad luck!

Sam Staton said:

Dang da bad luck!

Click to expand...

Yep.... Got on there last night and only one left so it's on its way to my house.

Looking at the app, doesn't look like very many people are happy with it. Sure hope it works for me on my tablet.

Go to the source

Bah-humbug Amazon.

http://www.oasisscientific.com/vivi...g-borescope-videoscope-inspection-camera.html

free shipping. 149.98.

Just my .02!

I just bought a bore scope for 15.00 plugs into the smart phone, in the mail, ill check it out and report when it arrives.

Got my VA-400 from Oasis. Works as advertised. Plugged it into the computer (win8.1), switched cameras and tada! Looks like the focal length is about 2.5", maybe less. Bright LEDs. Not put it in a cylinder yet but based on the pics I took of my fingerprints, I think it'll do just fine. In reality the camera end bends almost 360degs as the plunger can be pushed and pulled - pull it and it flexes 180degs one way, push it, 180 the other (in the same plane). Rotate the handle and you've basically got spherical coverage.