The $60 snake scope that paid for itself on the first 737 job

I always figured those cheap borescopes were gimmicks, but after hunting a broken pin in a bundle for three hours last Tuesday, I caved and bought one. Found the short in under 20 minutes and it's already saved me the cost in labor. Anyone else use one for tight connector inspections or still trust the mirror trick?

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cora_martinez16d ago

The mirror trick works okay for line of sight stuff, but once you get into bundles or behind cannon plugs, it just turns into a guessing game. I got one after a friend swore by it for checking socket contacts on a gear box, and now I grab it way earlier instead of pulling panels blind. Pair it with a bright headlamp and a steady hand, and you can usually spot the crushed pin or corrosion without having to break the bundle open. It also helps to take a quick photo with your phone pressed to the eyepiece, that way you can zoom in and compare both ends if you're working a intermittent.