What snipers really need...

[UncleMatt]

I have been looking at underwater viewing methods for some time now, and want to suggest a product that would be very useful in sniping, and prospecting in general. I have an android smartphone with a HD display, and a micro-USB port as well. I would like to come up with a small corded waterproof endoscope type camera that streams live 1080p video to my smartphone display, with LED lights for illumination, that plugs into my micro-USB port. It would also have a long cord, so you could reach deep underwater with this mounted on an extension rod. You could also use it to reach into crevises and small areas on dry land to check for nuggets there too.

I have been looking all over the net, and have come up empty. Several other people are working on this online, but it seems the software is not configured in the current android version to allow such a use of the phone. Of course, I would also like this hardware to work with tablets as well. If anyone has any ideas of how to get this implemented, please sound off.

 

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[63bkpkr]

UncleMatt,
You have one very interesting idea! I do not know of any equipment that would fit your needs but possibly the distributors for the makers of the miniature video microscopes would be a place to ask. In fact your idea may be valuable though having posted it on the internet might have let the cat out of the bag. As long as this device were made small enough, flexible enough, have good illumination, be sturdy and a few other things I suspect apply I would think it would have a good market for all sorts of people.

Thank you for sharing and good luck with your search..........63bkpkr

 

[UncleMatt]

Oh, I have a few more cats in bags, so I don't mind sharing my wealth of bagged cats. lol

I agree there are probably good places to start with current endoscope manufacturers, but I am in the mood to see what I can cobble together out of off the shelf parts. Its amazing what you can put together these days. Anybody else wanting to participate is welcome. I was hoping to be able to use this concept with android phones, since they have a great display screen, and it seems a shame to have to carry another device to provide display capabilities. I wish I had some mules, but most of the time I am the mule, and I want to keep weight to a minimum.

 

[Goodyguy]

I think plumbers use something like that to look inside water lines. I'm pretty sure that the city also uses something similar for checking sewer and water mains.


Here are a few I found with a quick search.......

SeeSnake® Video Inspection - RIDGID Professional Tools

Video of Pressurized Water Mains | Water Main Valve Repair Exercise, Leak Detection, Fire Hydrant, GIS | Wachs Water Services

Pipeline Inspection Products and Systems - Aries Industries, Inc






Mine is pretty low tech......

 

[UncleMatt]

Yes, endoscopes are used in plumbing, but I haven't found one that is high enough in video resolution, or that has the other features I am after. I also have a PVC pipe underwater viewer, but it simply doesn't allow me to see everything I need to. I am also looking for something affordable. You can buy lower resolution endoscopes right now for around $50. I have a 1080p windshield cam with a 32gb SD card that cost me under $100. So I know the hardware exists, it just hasn't been put together in the right form for snipers to use.

 

[Utduder]

Hi there I'm a first time poster ... Been lurking a bit. Lol This got me interested . What about an ice fishing camera.
They come with lots of cord an a monitor. The only prob I see is the resolution. Better models have better res but more Dollars ya know. Still would be interesting to know how good of res one would need.

 

[UncleMatt]

Hi there I'm a first time poster ... Been lurking a bit. Lol This got me interested . What about an ice fishing camera.
They come with lots of cord an a monitor. The only prob I see is the resolution. Better models have better res but more Dollars ya know. Still would be interesting to know how good of res one would need.

Yup, thats what stopping me from just buying an existing USB endoscope - lack of 1080p HD. And I have come across several professionals in the field that have tried to make HD USB cameras work and display on android based phones, and I can't find any that have really succeeded.

 

[Goodyguy]

You may be able to fund such a project with no out of pocket expense..........
Kickstarter

 

[UncleMatt]

Not a bad idea, but I would have to have a detailed proposal to present them, which I don't really have together yet.

It also occurred to me that you could simply hire an app developer to design the appropriate sotware to bridge any gaps in existing android code. It is an open source code after all, and there are many app developers that are a few clicks away, for a few hundred dollars.

 

[UncleMatt]

I own this camera here. It works really well, especially considering the price. Since they are so cheap, I am going to try to modify one to be waterproof, with visible light LEDs, and remove the display from the camera and put it on a long extension for remote viewing. I need to design a cheap waterproof enclosure for the camera CMOS/hardware/battery, but everything else is just soldering and splicing. I am also going to so some tests and see if I can get the signal to display on my smartphone display. This cool little camera unit even has auto focus, and it works well in resolving detail at even close range. We will see what happens...

 

[Goodyguy]

Not a bad idea, but I would have to have a detailed proposal to present them, which I don't really have together yet.

It also occurred to me that you could simply hire an app developer to design the appropriate sotware to bridge any gaps in existing android code. It is an open source code after all, and there are many app developers that are a few clicks away, for a few hundred dollars.

Here is a guy that could probably write the software: http://www.paulscode.com/

 

[UncleMatt]

I took that camera apart, but unfortunately it has a custom built circuit board with the camera unit soldered to the board. The output cable to the tft lcd display is a very small, flat ribbon type, and is also soldered into place to the motherboard. I could still use that camera, but it would require me to pull it up out of the water to view the video, which is certainly not ideal. I evidently need to find a source for the seperate components and build one from scratch.

 

[UncleMatt]

Jackpot! well, sorta.

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11418

This is a 1080p camera that records at 30fps. It records onto a small sd card just like you might have in your smartphone, takes only 3.7 volts (same as many smartphones), and has a live video outlet for viewing as you record. It is a little pricey at $159, but at least I know what I am after exists out there. I need to find a cheaper alternative, or figure out how to harvest and utilize the needed parts from old cameras, phones, etc.

 

[vtgoldprospector]

There are two options I can put on the table. One is they make many different wall scopes that if waterproofed is a complete solution. Camera & screen. Another is if you use an iPhone and have an old one kicking around from an upgrade. They make an app that turns one phone into a streaming camera that the other one can view it via ad-hoc wifi.

Gold Map Maker -- The ultimate prospecting tool!

 

[UncleMatt]

Thanks for that post VT!

I am now leaning toward taking apart a HD webcam and using the parts to build a small submersible unit with LED lights for illumination. I am trying to find a way to allow my gingerbread android phone to work, but it may take a newer version of android, as well as some hacking of the code on the phone. I am also leaning toward finding an outdoor viewable pad for the display, instead of a smartphone display. This would make it easier to see what your camera is imaging. I will keep the thread posted....

 

[Lanny in AB]

Great little thread with an intriguing discussion on interesting possibilities.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[UncleMatt]

So I emailed the manufacturer of the Bullet HD camera found here. I asked if live video could be viewed from the USB port on their camera while it was recording. They responded that they have had a lot of requests for just such an idea, and it will be included in their next upgrade, which is coming soon. This camera is 1080p with submersion to 100 feet, and is internally powered (so it won't suck juice away from what its plugged in to). It also has a little threaded mount point on the back so you could mount it to a pole/extension to extend it under water. If they had it on their current version, this would be a product review, and not a hopeful thread post...

 

[Lanny in AB]

Sounds like a tech that coming soon--that would be great.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Aurabbit79er]

Check out this from Harbor Freight.

Wireless Inspection Camera - Great Deals on Wireless Inspection Cameras at Harbor Freight

Digital Inspection Camera with Recorder

 

[UncleMatt]

Those harbor freight offerings have a cord to the camera that is much too short for my taste. You need one at least 6 feet long, and I would prefer 10 to 15 feet long, so you can extend the camera waaaay down into areas you want to peer into in deep water.

Another thing that occured to me is you might need to come up with a scoop or grabber to mount below the camera on your extension rod so you can retrieve items of interest you see on your display...