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GREAT BORECOPE for $30!

5K views 12 replies 4 participants last post by  Von 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I ordered a new borescope/endoscope yesterday off Amazon after doing some research for a good one. I have a Harbor Freight borescope but the camera end is a bit too big for some applications and places I want to look...

I decided between a Giwox and GiraffeCam, and ended up with the GiraffeCam 4.0.

https://www.amazon.com/GIRAFFECAM-Andro ... ffeCan+4.0

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This will have all sorts of applications from inspecting valves to cylinders and combustion chambers, coolant galleries...differentials...hell you could actually use this to look up inside the bottom of the engine after draining oil out (it would go nicely thru the drain hole)...behind body panels....besides plumbing and other uses around the hose.

I shoved the cam in a drawer and took a pic of the first thing I saw. Not too bad for just taking it out of the box and wi-fi'ing it to my smartphone. I do have a Samsung S3 in that same drawer I might revive to do duty as my borescope cam...

also, the cam has 6 adjustable (intensity) leds on the camera head.

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Like I said, it was a toss up between the Giwox and this one. This one comes with a spool and a nice mirror and hook kit. Also, the 'wire' teh camera is on is stiff enough to push - some complaints about other borescopes is that they are too flimsy to push any distance into an engine...
 

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#2 ·
ooooh.... I was looking at those yesterday.

Almost as bored as I was yesterday and I hadn't thought of anything to google or purchase. Thanks dude! I'll tell my wife it's your fault.
 
#3 ·
Did you get one? I'm still trying to get some time to actually USE mine!

Von said:
ooooh.... I was looking at those yesterday.

Almost as bored as I was yesterday and I hadn't thought of anything to google or purchase. Thanks dude! I'll tell my wife it's your fault.
 
#4 ·
I got this one for $24 bux back in April, although it's $30 now: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ST ... UTF8&psc=1 It's not Bluetooth, it's got a microUSB end that you can pop into your phone and use a camera app to look at the action. It's stiff enough to hold shape pretty well and snake it into places, and it seems to be pretty durable. I've snaked mine through the shift fork boot to try to find a leak near the rear main, I've gone through the spark plug holes to check cylinder walls. The shots it takes are very clear (as long as there's no gunk on the lens). Adjustable LEDs on the end too. Definitely a nice tool to have.
 
#5 ·
QuantumRift said:
Did you get one? I'm still trying to get some time to actually USE mine!

Von said:
ooooh.... I was looking at those yesterday.

Almost as bored as I was yesterday and I hadn't thought of anything to google or purchase. Thanks dude! I'll tell my wife it's your fault.
Nah, far as I got was putting it on my Amazon wish list. They've been bombarding me with actual work and way too much overtime. The money is nice but I'm getting too decrepit for those 60 to 70 hour weeks. Off this week, supposed to be doing the tile backsplash but have a pinched nerve in my neck, right arm feels like it's on fire all the way down to my wrist. Done nothing but bounce around to chiropractors and sit around with a bag of frozen peas and carrots on my neck.
Worst part was knowing that my neck got this way from changing out the clutch on my ex-husband-in-law's Jeep, laying on the ground wrestling the trans and transfer case back in with my stepson.

anyway... no, haven't gotten one yet. On the list!!
 
#6 ·
paulevans76 said:
I got this one for $24 bux back in April, although it's $30 now: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ST ... UTF8&psc=1 It's not Bluetooth, it's got a microUSB end that you can pop into your phone and use a camera app to look at the action. It's stiff enough to hold shape pretty well and snake it into places, and it seems to be pretty durable. I've snaked mine through the shift fork boot to try to find a leak near the rear main, I've gone through the spark plug holes to check cylinder walls. The shots it takes are very clear (as long as there's no gunk on the lens). Adjustable LEDs on the end too. Definitely a nice tool to have.
Wow, now two on the list...
 
#7 ·
I bought the same one Paul has, I was not as impressed with it. It is really slow to focus and holding it still long enough while stuck up in an engine was a problem. I have used it twice on big diesel engines, the first time I did find the source of the coolant leak after a bit, bad seal on a liner, and on the second time it was a cat engine and found the cracked housing right away on the oil pump. So it did work but I didn't like how slow it was to focus. I made that comment on Amazon and the folks who sold it to me offered it for free if I would change my comment. I would not do that, as folks need to know the drawbacks. It was plenty rigid and the light on the end worked great. I had to hook it up to my laptop as it did not have the right connector for the IPhone. But that was not an issue for me. If I was going to look for another one I would spend a little more money and hopefully get a quicker focus.
 
#8 ·
I didn't really notice that. I was snaking it in through some gunky spots and often it would get smudge of this or that on it and have trouble getting a clear shot. Sorry if you feel I steered you wrong! I thought it did OK for the stuff I was using it for, especially for the price I paid for it.
 
#9 ·
No hard feelings and it was used twice and solved the mysterys. So it did what I asked of it. I don't feel like you gave me any bad info at all. I still have it and will use it again.
 
#10 ·
My wife and I both have birthdays in November so I'll put a borescope on the list. I was checking out the one Paul linked to and remembered my new Motorola uses USB-C instead of micro USB. Don't wanna mess with losing adapters... I'll stick with wi-fi.

Also checking out this one.. Currently a lightening deal for same price as the Giraffe. For the next 45 minutes...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYTHWK4?aa ... 9605620201
It's 11.5 feet. Now hoping I never have need for an 11.5 foot borescope...

I always check out the reviews and questions asked... my favorite question for this one: Will this save me a trip to the dr office?

I like the spool on the Giraffe. But I've got access to old wire spools of various sizes. Anything special about the Giraffe spool? Accessory storage? Just a cheap plastic spool?
 
#11 ·
It's my birthday, gonna party!

She got me the giraffecam. Pretty cool.

A lot of the reviews on the WiFi View app said you needed to turn off data service or smart switching. No problems with my Moto though. It told me there was no internet connection but didn't try to switch to data. Worked fine.

Picture was a little grainy at first but I was looking at the wall 20 feet away... Up close the picture is sharp, looks good.
So far I've checked the ice in my wife's drink and tried to look up one of the dog's nose. But Paisley Dammit Noel Burden Joshua Cilantro wasn't having any of that, so i looked up my nose instead.
 
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#12 ·
Get your money's worth! :lol:
 
#13 ·
Von said:
... so i looked up my nose instead.
I've actually used the giraffecam for reals a couple of times and I like it.

We replaced the clutch in the 1999 Uranus S. It wasn't disengaging and Brayden said the release bearing mount on the fork felt "sketchy" when he put it on. So we pulled the trans back off a little and I ran the scope up there. Not that that told me anything since I didn't see it before.... but it was cool to at least try it. More options is always good. I looked at the old bearing comparing the wear marks to how he had the new one in and, yes, he had it 90 degrees off and it didn't click. But the clutch still wouldn't release... but it would release when I removed the slave and stuck a crescent wrench handle in there and pried on it with a pry bar. bad slave or master... replaced them both.

Our gas furnace wasn't lighting up. The fan would start up to get flow going then just wind down and stop. I pulled the inspection cover off and watched it... and the fan would start up... then the pilot lit... then it fired off. Worked great when the cover was off. ?? I postulated that the vacuum switch was going bad. Couldn't sense enough air flow and was stopping the firing process. With the cover off there was a little bit better flow. And I remembered that last year it stopped working a couple of times, ALWAYS in the middle of the night, and it started after I thumped the vacuum switch. So I ordered a new vacuum switch.
It came in today and I started second guessing myself... What if a damn squirrel or bird got in the flue and made a mess, clogged it up? I checked the screen on the exhaust through the scope on my pellet gun. (Josh borrowed my extension ladder and didn't tie it down in his Dad's pickup. Lost it on the highway...) It looked good. Then I loosened up the pipe off the furnace and ran the scope up there till I could see a clog or daylight... I saw the light at the end of the tunnel!

With the app you can take pictures or movies. I was going to post a pic of my clear flue But since the Google has highjacked the Gallery on my phone, I have NO idea where the pics are.
If I find them.... anybody wanna see the inside of my nose?
 
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