Very small tv camera

[lanceh5]

I need to locate a broken 1.5 inch pvc drain line under a concrete slab. Some years ago there was a tv camera that could be mounted in an HO model train locomotive that I think could work. It appears that some of the video security cameras may work also. The camera has to be small enough to bend around 90 degree 1.5" pvc elbows. So I would need a camera, cables (power & viedo) and a viewing screen. <p>What would you suggest?

[Chris Smith]

Many companies out there selling lip stick cameras. Ramsey and Micro Circuits I think are two of the names, If I find their magazines I'll post their web site later?<p> Type in "lip stick cameras" on the web and you should find what you need? Very small, and not to pricey any more.

[lanceh5]

SuperCircuits ad in Nuts & Volts April's issue have a "lipstick" camera that is black & white with a low light ability for $70. What type of cable and monitor would work with that? Thanks in advance.

[frhrwa]

seems like X10.com has cameras also?

[geewiz]

Take a look o eBay also. Plenty of cheap micro cameras available. Pay attention to shipping charges, though as some of these units are coming from Far East (you can geta a camera for <$10, with shipping charges double that)

[Chris Smith]

A lot of the places sell extra cable, and a standard monitor of 6 MHz input will show the picture. That means any TV that has a RCA jack on it similar to the camera, or a VCR input. Seal the joints well if your going wet, silicon with rubber bands and plastic bags should give you a temporary fix, silicone in a plastic tube will give you a permanent joint, or hard wire it with out a joint.

[lanceh5]

Here is what I have come up with from SuperCircuits on the internet.<p>A 1" diameter camera.<p>http://www.supercircuits.com/STORE/prod ... &mitem=370<p>A micro camera security system.<p>ttp://www.supercircuits.com/STORE/prodinfo.as ... m=370<p>Is anyone familiar with either of these products? I would like to replace the security system camera with the 1" camera. Would this be possible?

[Chris Smith]

Looks like a pretty good deal. They are easy to use, however your point 5 lux wont be great at night, but then most cameras aren’t until you get below the triple digit after the zeros. Point zero zero zero 2, or such, is for star light? For the money yours is ok.

[geewiz]

I've been customer of supercircuits for years now and would recommend them for their support and quality hardware.

[Edd]

<<The camera has to be small enough to bend around 90 degree 1.5" pvc elbows>><p>Before you” pays your money and takes your chances” you might be sure of that lipstick cameras dimensions and fabricate up a mock up of dowelling, cardboard, heavy paper, etc….for it seems to me that 1” X 1½” unit along with its leadings will not negotiate thru a 90 deg elbow in that size of pipe that you have. With particular attention paid to the long distance “push” action required to enact your search.
I had a similar situation of needing to track thru a French drain system of mine about a year ago, but working with 4” dia pipe ….no problem. With the camera nestled in the ball at the end of a 50’ snake with waterproofing afforded by a freezer baggie and sealant…….ROOOOOOT penetration was revealed. Seems like that same sizing was the smallest lipstick camera available on loan to me by a “Dick Tracy” type of private investigator who was owing to me for past electronics solutions for him.

On that topic one of his favorites was a variance I made of the old 1940’s movie situations where one would hide a cheap watch under a car tire out of sight to be rolled over on departure to let one know of the time of occurrence. My 20’th century upgrade for him was to get the newer cheap day/time/date watch and to internally access across its time base xtal and feed two micro leads to a hand fabricated n.c. phospor bronze leaf switch that mounted within the case with an access slot in the case side (cut with a Dremel and a cutoff whee) so that a small thin plastic shim holds the contacts apart. The shim was connected to clear nylon thread which he connected to the trip object..car/door/drawer, etc while he hid the watch out. Then he would then non destructively know the exact day/time/date/second of occurrence as the time display froze when the switch contacts then shorted out the xtal.<p>73's de Edd
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[lanceh5]

Well I finally got everything to work. The micro camera security system with the 1” camera worked well. I was not sure what to expect or to see with the system. The biggest challenge was determining the best method to push the camera and flashlight through the drains. I finally used a 1/4 inch plumber snake, 25 feet long with the camera taped to the end and the small flashlight taped about 6 inches behind. This went through the drains just fine. The leak was a 1 inch hole in the top of a 2 inch pvc pipe caused by the concrete guys driving a grade stake into the pipe. I have pictures of the drain layout and know where the hole is located.<p>Now all I have to do is cut the concrete and repair the drain. I want to thanks again the help from this forum.

[Chris Smith]

Another Job well done!