Thread: handy tool very cheap

Hi,
Go to, or Log-on to ALTRONICS this month for a $20 reduction on the above price.
They are also doing a deal on a magnifying USB camera that hooks up to your computer. Either 200 magnification, or 400x.

Don't believe the clarity of the accompanying pics!!! ... have had one for several months which I bought from Jaycar. Same device, different packaging. The resolution is poor, the LED lights surrounding the lens can flare out the image and are the wrong wavelength for the camera specs. "warm white" wavelength would be much more effective... the only way I got a half reasonable result was to use a different light source and even then the resolution was poor. Tried it with a couple of different drivers (Win 7 pro, 1920 x 1080 res screen), different screen resolution settings etc. I had high expectations I guess but it is a good example of "You get what you pay for..."
If someone has a good idea as to how to improve its performance I'd be very happy to learn!

Hoges, I second your observations about the Jaycar product.

I picked one of these up from eBAY as it has a 7mm diameter head that fits up the wading wading plug hole on a 300TDI. Works ok for the price but has a shallow depth of field so you need to hold it about 2 cm's from the subject for the sharpest res. It comes with software but I found it works with the default software on a Win 7 laptop.
7mm Inspection Camera 200X USB Microscope Endoscope Borescope Waterproof 2M TE15 | eBay

Cheers
Mark

Originally Posted by Hoges

Don't believe the clarity of the accompanying pics!!! ... have had one for several months which I bought from Jaycar. Same device, different packaging. The resolution is poor, the LED lights surrounding the lens can flare out the image and are the wrong wavelength for the camera specs. "warm white" wavelength would be much more effective... the only way I got a half reasonable result was to use a different light source and even then the resolution was poor. Tried it with a couple of different drivers (Win 7 pro, 1920 x 1080 res screen), different screen resolution settings etc. I had high expectations I guess but it is a good example of "You get what you pay for..."
If someone has a good idea as to how to improve its performance I'd be very happy to learn!

I purchased the jaycar item and was impressed for the money.($25)
I did find the focal length was about 6 centmetres.
So if you dropped the camera down a sparkplug hole, you needed to be very careful not to get too close to the piston to get the best view.

SCA have their $219 inspection camera with the 3.5" screen on special for $100. Having been deeply disappointed with the USB cable/camera setup that plugs into a laptop, I had a look at this alternative device today:
SCA Inspection Camera - 3.5" LCD Screen - Supercheap Auto Australia

It has a 3.5"colour screen, runs off a 9v battery(supplied). I was visiting Toowoomba so dropped into the SCA store on spec. The good people obligingly opened a new box and I tested the camera by putting the probe into a drawer and closing it as far as possible... was able to read documents in the drawer. I then tried the probe in a cupboard with the door effectively closed and was surprised at the quite reasonable colour saturation and the very passable resolution close up. I bought one

When I got home late this arvo, I used it to explore under the dash of the P38 and was able to determine clearly that there were no dreaded tell-tale coolant drips from the heater core O-rings. relief all around...