Just 3 Article Submissions
Per Week Is One Of The Most Powerful Ways To Gain SE Traffic, Establish Yourself AND Earn A Great Living. Just Do It!

Guide To Borescope Uses

By: Stephen Landreaux

This article provides general information on borescope, their different uses, types and parameters.

The borescope is an optical device which can have either a flexible or rigid tube with an eyepiece on one end an objective lens on the other connected together by a relay optical system, which is surrounded by optical fibers that illuminate the remote object. A borescope allows the person to view a magnifying image of a remote object, which is hard to reach by any other means. Depending on the tube, borescope are divided in two types - rigid or flexible.

Both types of borescopes have their unique advantages (as well as disadvantages), making them suitable only for certain situations. Rigid borescopes the perfect tool for specific tasks, like inspecting automotive cylinders, fuel injectors, hydraulic manifold bodies and gunsmithing. Flexible borescopes can be used to access cavities which are around a bend, as oppose to rigid ones, that have the limitation that access to what is to be viewed is a straight line.

However, the image quality of rigid borescopes is higher compared to flexible models, plus rigid borescops are easier to use and can spot flaws as small as 0.001. If movement is not your main priority, buy a rigid borescope. Flexible borescopes can be used to access cavities which are around a bend. But at the end, if you can buy both types that will be ideal, otherwise choose according to your specific situations that you are likely to exhibit.

When buying a borescope, you must be aware of the environment in which you will be using it. The rule is to select one that will fit through the smallest hole required. It's a good idea to have a diameter smaller than the minimum allowed, because a slightly smaller scope may allow "wiggle room" so that you can see more by tilting the scope.

The mangnification of a borescope is a measure of howw large and object appears when viewed through the borescope as compared to its actual size when viewed from the same location without the borescope. But keep in mind that if the object moves further, the magnification doesn't increase automatically with object distance. The images produced by a borescope can be captured on a certain digital cameras.

But the compatibility between borescope and camera can be a problem, it all depends on the models. Consult yourself with the seller, check on the Internet or read the instruction manual of both devices to see if the particular model you will be is supported. To have the image fill up the entire screen, get an objective lens with long focal length.

The focal length on the camera must be at least 35mm. If you have a 3 megapixel camera, then a 3x digital zoom will be fine. And because cameras are not originally designed to support a borescope, make sure there is no over-strain which can lead to structural damage of the devices.