USB endoscope - fun and maybe useful gadget

[Olle]

I just bought a $9 USB endoscope on eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/361479708489...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT), and was ready to throw it away after finding that the software was in Chinese only. The seller couldn't really communicate well in English, and was no help at all. I was ready to throw it away but thought I'd try it with some software I already had, and I found that it's actually a pretty capable device.

I got the best result by using the software for my digital microscope (MM480 on this page: http://www.carson.com/customer-support/software), for some reason this gave me much better resolution than Microsoft Movie Maker and VLC Media Player. This software will capture videos, but I had to use screen shots to capture still images. The endoscope works like a generic USB camera (like webcams) so I'm sure there's plenty of software out there.

The pictures below show the inside of my SIG P226, so it seems like endoscopes are not only for examining us who have reached 50.

[rhuff]

I have been trying to convince myself that I NEED a borescope. To date, I have not been successful due to the cost of a good one. So many times I would like to be able to really closely examine a chamber or bore....or other things, but just can't do it with my eyes + lenses.


Looks like you just might have found a treasure there.

[Olle]

It won't do the same job as a quality bore scope, but I figure it would work for a lot of different inspections. For example, you can look inside the cylinders of an engine, check for bugs inside the walls, peek into the women's restroom or stick it up your nose and see what it looks like inside. You just have to use your imagination.

[Edward Tinker]

Olle, I bought one last fall - tried it and kind of put it aside, mainly from my being sidetracked.

Give some more hints and tips here, I am interested

[Olle]

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

Olle, I bought one last fall - tried it and kind of put it aside, mainly from my being sidetracked.

Give some more hints and tips here, I am interested

I'll probably look around for software that's better suited for this, but there's really nothing to it. You just fire it up and poke around with it. One guy said that you can get a better view in a barrel bore if you use one of the included wire hooks to push a white cleaning patch in front of the camera, and you will also have to play a bit with the light (there is an adjustment wheel on the cable). Also, there's no focus adjustment, and it seems to focus about 1" - 1 1/2" in front of the camera.

It actually came with two different hooks, one is just a wire hook and the other one has a small magnet. The instructions were a bit sketchy, but I would think you can use these if you drop something in a hard-to-reach spot. The attachment (a small plastic sleeve) is a bit cheesy, but it seems to work.

I'm sure there's a lot of uses for this thing, I just hate that I can't hook it up to my iPhone. Just imagine bringing it to a gun show: "You say the barrel is good? Well, let's have a look..."

[Olle]

I played around with VLC again, and found that you can actually change the resolution. You can also adjust brightness, white balance, saturation and a lot of other things. It also has a snapshot function, so you don't have to do a screen shot to capture stills. Took some more pics inside my trusty P226 and I believe the quality came out a little bit better this time, but this is probably as good as it's gonna get. The resolution can only get as good as the camera allows (640x480), so I figure that it won't be much better than what you see here.

Still ain't bad for a $9 camera, is it?

[Olle]

...and some pics inside a project gun I'm working on right now. Every defect is brutally revealed

[Grantas]

"I'm sure there's a lot of uses for this thing, I just hate that I can't hook it up to my iPhone. Just imagine bringing it to a gun show: "You say the barrel is good? Well, let's have a look..."

Actually ..... http://www.ebay.com/itm/2M-Android-E...sAAOSwzgRWx~Jg

[Olle]

Originally Posted by Grantas

"I'm sure there's a lot of uses for this thing, I just hate that I can't hook it up to my iPhone. Just imagine bringing it to a gun show: "You say the barrel is good? Well, let's have a look..."

Actually ..... http://www.ebay.com/itm/2M-Android-E...sAAOSwzgRWx~Jg

Nope, that one is also for Android. There is another type that has a wireless transmitter (search eBay for "iphone endoscope"), and it can be used with any smart phone. These also have better resolution, but they cost about 10 times more. I believe the cameras are all larger as well (8.5mm), so they will just barely fit in a 9mm barrel.

[Curly1]

Here is a recent discussion on one over on the Gunboards.

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthre...cope-from-ebay

[MikeP]

Ordered one last week.
Expect to pick it up tomorrow.
I needed it yesterday clearing a jammed garbage disposal.

[Caferacer]

If it works with an android phone,it is only using it as a screen and camera to store pics, any old android smart phone should work, it does not need to be connected to a cell network, $10 at yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores, and free in junk drawers

[Olle]

Originally Posted by Caferacer

If it works with an android phone,it is only using it as a screen and camera to store pics, any old android smart phone should work, it does not need to be connected to a cell network, $10 at yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores, and free in junk drawers

I'm a bit challenged when it comes to new technology like this, but it seems like you need to download the app to make it work. That will require some kind of connection, but I guess you can do that through your home wi-fi instead? Or do the Androids come with some kind of webcam app?

[Caferacer]

Yup, it works like a mini tablet, if you have WiFi you can still do a bunch of stuff with an old smart phone, except make calls,

[Olle]

Originally Posted by Caferacer

Yup, it works like a mini tablet, if you have WiFi you can still do a bunch of stuff with an old smart phone, except make calls,

Will probably get one of those, that will turn it into a portable inspection camera.

A guy on Gunboards recommended Oasis software ("oasis.exe" on this page: http://www.oasisscientific.com/downloads.html ), so I downloaded it and tried it. Seems to work perfectly, it can capture pictures and videos, and it also supports the snapshot button on the camera.