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Camera Snakes

7K views 30 replies 13 participants last post by  RIVETER 
#1 ·
There are a few different choices for camera snakes these days, many of them pretty inexpensive. For the people who have one, what have you used yours for? How has it helped you? Any special tricks?
 
#2 ·
I had a bunch of splice boxes up in the ceiling I had to find, so I bought one to make the job easier. :blink:

That was a waste of time and I returned it the next day :no:

I went back to the low tech method of a mirror and flashlight :thumbsup:
 
#5 ·
I also have the Ridgid, I bought the original one, I see that the newer one has a video output as well as the option for a smaller head.

I only used mine once, it helped out but it also got stuck. It took about 20 minutes to get it out, the rubber around the snake got ripped up so it is no longer water proof. I was at the point in which I wasted a lot of time and I was about to just rip it out and loose the camera head in the wall. Luckily it came out before my "breaking point".

Other than that one time I haven't found any other use for it that I can't do the old fashion way. That's why I came to you professionals, I'm curious about how you use yours. In what ways have you used yours?


480sparky, the Explorer is nice, I especially like the auto-leveling head. However, it is pretty expensive, I'm not sure if the extra cost is worth it for me. One option which I could really use is some type of servo to tilt the head around, that would be tits.


Black4Truck, the flashlight and mirror method is classic, it will never be replaced. Especially when you use this: http://www.techtoolsupply.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=55-400

It was the best $25 I ever spent, I use this ALL the time.
 
#6 ·
.........480sparky, the Explorer is nice, I especially like the auto-leveling head. However, it is pretty expensive, I'm not sure if the extra cost is worth it for me. One option which I could really use is some type of servo to tilt the head around, that would be tits. ..........
It's worth it to me, as I could use the recording features (both still and video) to pay for it.
 
#21 ·
I didn't realize you wanted examples!

1) The very first time I used mine. I was drilling in a wall to move a receptacle 3' to the right. Finished basement, so I'm going accross instead of down and back up. I drilled the first stud with flex bit. Slid the camera in, there was 3" plumbing pipe right against the next joist. One pull of the trigger on that flexbit would have went right through that pvc.

2) Adding recessed light in finished ceiling. After determining joist layout, drilled test hole and found there was a pipe right where I was going to drill my next hole.

3) Lighting shutdown at retirement home in Richmond. One hallway, remove recessed cans and start looking for junction box above ceiling. Ended up finding (10) buried 4" square boxes that were not accessible without damaging sheetrock.

4) when fishing sticks in a wall. Instead of using a glow in the dark stick with flashlight, just stick in the camera, which has a light bright enough to light up the whole ceiling bay, and see right where your stick is.
 
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