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Thread: Smartphone borescope for setting valves?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    Hidden Valley, AZ
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    Smartphone borescope for setting valves?

    Plenty out there, anyone use one with luck?

    Dennis

  2. #2
    I purchased one that I later returned, and I have looked closely (as much as product photos allowed) at a couple others. They all shared the same problem.

    The ones I have seen won't get where you want them to because they head unit (with the camera and its immediate circuitry) are inflexible, and that stiff portion was too long to get around the tight bends in the valve tubes.

    If anyone here knows of such a product that would be able to peek at the ports for all our valves I'd love to find out about it.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    My point exactly. Thanks, Dave.

    DG

  4. #4
    I’ve got one, but it has the same problem. I really couldn’t do much with it.

    Quote Originally Posted by highpitch View Post
    My point exactly. Thanks, Dave.

    DG
    Mike Taylor

    Illinois Brass Band
    Fox Valley Brass Band

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
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    These are more useful for checking alignment of rotary valves than piston valves. There are more direct ways of aligning piston valves that are not particularly difficult but involve the use of a small dental mirror or a little tool you need to make to measure for the necessary thickness of your corks/felts/shims.

    If you don't want to make it yourself, Ferree's will sell you one for $13.50: https://www.ferreestoolsinc.com/prod...ant=1063072708. Allied also has both mirrors and their T1458 Piston Corking Tool (appearing virtually identical to Ferree's). Allied also has very clear instructions (with excellent pictures) of how to use the tool.

    You really need to use this approach to align pistons -- rather than some sort of goofy trial and error approach using observation of the piston internals. On the other hand, for rotary valves, you can't use this approach and making use of direct observation of the valve alignment is the only way to be sure (since you use that to determine how much to trim your bumpers).
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
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    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  6. #6
    I bought this one. It has a tiny head and does a nice job. I can use it in on piston horns, but not as well as a rotary horn. The suggested app for your phone is crap. I found another one that actually works called :REALVISOR-endo

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  7. #7
    some of them include a mirror attachment for the end, so even if the end is too long and it won't make the last turn in tube, you might be able to see around the corner. I haven't tried it myself, but it might work.
    --
    Barry

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