Do you ever wonder if you can still get suitable USB borescopes in the market today?
We get it. The perplexity and curiosity can result from several hours of online and offline searching without success. A USB borescope as an inspection tool is so beneficial as it helps identify defects within components with little to no access without having to unscrew any parts. However, tools like borescopes are not easily found in consumer goods shops. Knowing where to look already solves half of the problem of getting a suitable USB borescope for your inspection needs.
This guide helps you choose from the top of the shelf of USB borescopes you’ll find in the industry. So without further ado, let’s dive in.
I. 8 Best-Selling USB Borescopes Roundup
Here are 8 of the best-selling USB borescopes in the industry with descriptions of their features and what we like and don’t like about them.
1. HD Automotive USB Borescope
This USB borescope is uniquely made for automotive inspection and features a high-definition camera with 6 LED lights to enhance visual inspection and develop high-quality images and videos. The insertion tube is semi-rigid and has a 6mm width and 7.6m length. It also has a rechargeable battery with a 2.5-hour continuous use and an SD card for images and videos. It also has a 4.3inch LCD screen for monitoring the inspection.
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2. 5.5mm USB Borescope Endoscope for Android
This borescope features an intuitive interface powered by an android operating system. Its USB connection option, which allows you to connect it to several external devices, also features an android app that you can easily download from the Google play store. Other features include a 5.5mm width 5.7m long insertion tube with a high-definition camera for clear images.
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3. USB Borescope Endoscope for iPhone
This borescope also uses an iOS operating system to power and maneuver the device. Its iOS device screen acts as a monitor and enhances visual inspection. It also features a standard USB connection, 1080p high-resolution camera, a semi-rigid insertion tubing, an SD card for storing images, and LED lights to illuminate dark spots.
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4. USB Waterproof Video Borescope
This USB borescope features a protective rating of IP67, which ensures it is waterproof. It also features a 5m long flexible probe with a high-definition camera that can capture both pictures and videos. This borescope also includes a navigation control, a 4.3-inch LCD screen monitor, and a rechargeable battery that can last for up to 3 hours.
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5. USB Flexible Inspection Camera Borescope
This borescope features a flexible probe with an 8mm diameter and a 7m length with a high-definition camera. The standard USB connection option allows other devices to connect easily. It also features LED lights for better lighting for hidden spaces, a wide LCD screen for better visual monitoring, and a long-lasting rechargeable battery.
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6. Articulating USB Borescope
This USB probe has a controller for controlling the 2-way articulation with 1800-degree movements. It also comes with a 1080-pixel high-resolution camera, 5m long probe with 6mm diameter, a 4.3-inch LCD screen for monitoring the inspection, and a 5,000mAh rechargeable battery that gives up to 3 hours of continuous use.
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7. Waterproof USB Snake Inspection Borescope
This USB borescope, along with its water-tight protection rating of IP67, has a flexible snake insertion tube 8m long and 6mm in diameter. It also features a high-definition camera with a 4.4inch LCD screen and LEDs to illuminate the internal components for better visuals. Also, it has an SD card for storing images taken and for transfer to other external devices. The USB cable connects other USB devices for further analysis.
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8. USB Wi-Fi Digital Borescope
With its USB connection option for external devices, this USB borescope also features a Wi-Fi connection option for many other devices to connect over a Wi-Fi network all at once for simultaneous viewing and analysis. It also features a downloadable connection app and digital functions like autofocus, anti-blur for clear images, and horizontal compensation. Its semi-rigid probe has an 8mm diameter and a 5.5m length. Other features include a high-resolution camera for quality images.
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➤ Related Article: 6 Best-Selling WiFi Endoscopes
➤ Related Article: 8 Best-Selling Articulating Borescopes
II. USB Borescope: Buyer’s Guide
In this section, we have put together a comprehensive guide on all you need to know about USB borescopes.
What is a USB Borescope?
Since USB cables are readily available for connecting external devices like laptops and mobile phones to act as monitor screens, this makes it an easy option for connecting borescopes and charging them simultaneously. USB borescopes are inspection devices with flexible or semi-rigid insertion tubes and a USB cable for connecting to external devices which act as monitors. Fortunately, you only need to download an app from the Google play store to easily connect with an android device. For iOS devices, USB borescopes primarily work with Mac devices as it requires an iOS 10 operating system as the minimum operational requirement.
➤ Related Article: Industrial Borescope: Definition and Working Principle
➤ Related Article: Borescope vs. Endoscope
What are USB Endoscope Cameras used for?
Most industrial components and parts are often sealed tight with little or no access for inspecting the internal workings of these components. Sometimes, they are water-tight to disallow water ingress, making them even harder to examine. A USB endoscope’s primary function is to access these internal components through tiny holes without unscrewing any part of the component. These give so many advantages as it is used for inspecting several components like pipes and tubes, cars, plumbing, boats, aircraft, and behind walls. Many inspection professionals and mechanical inspectors often rely on USB endoscopes for engine diagnosis and defect detection in their work. Plumbers and DIY enthusiasts also rely heavily on USB endoscopes for detecting flaws in their work.
How do I Use my USB Borescope?
To use a USB borescope requires a few simple steps. However, these steps are critical to the durability and the long life of your USB borescope.
Firstly, make sure the USB borescope is fully charged, as this will ensure you get the maximum continuous use time out of the battery. It also ensures you don’t stop your inspection abruptly because of battery rundown.
Secondly, connect the external device with your USB borescope through the downloadable app that gives you access to the visuals of the inspected component. Ensuring that you keep the app updated will save you from unnecessary difficulty accessing the device.
Thirdly, ensure that you add the USB port to the device and then fold the USB cable to the appropriate size needed before the inspection.
When using a USB borescope with an external device, these steps are all you need to know. Nevertheless, connecting the external device over a wireless connection like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is also possible.
How do I Connect a USB Borescope to my Laptop?
For a laptop, connecting to a USB borescope is somewhat different from a mobile phone and easier too. The reason is that laptops already come with USB ports – often by the sides, where you can insert your USB cord. To connect it with a USB borescope, login to the computer and plug the USB cord into the laptop’s USB port. Open the application for the device on the laptop and enter the necessary setting parameters, and then you are all set. Your laptop now serves as the monitoring screen while you control the probe to inspect the required parts of the component.
What should I Look for When Buying a Borescope?
Inspecting components with a borescope is not all about inserting probes into components and playing around the interior with it. It requires selecting a suitable borescope from the get-go. However, choosing a suitable borescope requires considering critical parameters like portability, flexibility, size, and power source.
- Probe Size
Some components leave tiny holes as the only access to view their internal workings. Finding a suitable borescope requires that the diameter of the probe must be less than that of the hole. For instance, inspecting an engine with a 6mm access requires that the probe be less than 6mm to inspect it.
- Screen
The size and resolution of the monitor screen are also essential as the visual presentation of the inspection is largely dependent on these factors. Usually, an LCD screen is standard since this gives better picture clarity and representation to the inspector.
- Camera Resolution
If the camera has a low resolution, the pictures it will produce will also be of low quality. Camera resolution is vital to ensure that the picture quality is high, and when the zoom function is required, the picture quality remains high. Hence a high-resolution camera is always better and should be considered paramount in selecting a suitable borescope.
- Battery Life
A borescope with strong battery power is preferable for longer continuous inspection without hiccups. Any shutdown due to battery rundown means a restart of the inspection process.
➤ Related Article: How to Choose Your Right Video Borescope?
➤ Related Article: How to Import Borescopes from China?
Your Pick: NDT-KITS
If you must select a suitable borescope with all the desirable elements listed previously, you may also have to find a reliable supplier committed to customer satisfaction. This supplier should also tick the right boxes such as quality manufacture, extensive experience in the industry, and investments in research and development.
These qualities make NDT-KITS a leading supplier of USB borescopes in the industry, with over three decades of industry experience powered by a formidable team of experts and researchers devoted to innovative solutions for their customers. NDT-KITS is heavily invested in R&D as well as fully committed to quality production, especially with their state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and quality certifications, including the internationally recognized ISO 9001:2015 quality management systems certification. Their customer satisfaction ratings are very high according to feedback from their teeming customers.
Conclusion
What does all this mean? A USB borescope is an essential tool for inspectors and professionals in examining the internal working parts of machines, elements, and components to identify and analyze defects within the system. And while it is easy to connect and use with external devices like laptops and smartphones, it equally requires the fulfillment of specific requirements to select a suitable one for your inspection. These requirements often hinge on the probe’s flexibility, the strength of the battery, the camera’s clarity, and the screen’s suitability for monitoring the inspection. To meet all your requirements, you may also need to find a suitable USB borescope supplier like NDT-KITS. So, with all this said, what is your next move?