inspection camera at costco

[jeepmedic]

Does anyone have one? what do you think of it?

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...&topnav=&cat=56369&hierPath=56369*&lang=en-US

 

[tonydanzah]

do they carry it in the store?

 

[cundifc]

Yes I have seen it in several different stores

 

[jeepmedic]

I was looking at it in the store, I was also looking at the ones at HF but the cheaper HF has a 16mm camera instead of the 9mm on this one and the the higher price HF. This one also has a 3ft extension.

 

[davesnothere]

One of the guys at the shop has one of those. Seems to work well. Haven't heard him complain about it, but haven't seen him use it all that much either.

 

[BigEd]

Can't say anything about the COSTCO camera, but the one we got from HF about 18 months ago has helped us on several occasions. (We work on 100+ year old houses.)

 

[strnjss]

That looks exactly like my Extech one. Either it's a re-branded Extech, or they all get them made by the same Chinese supplier.

It's pretty good. I wish it did better in low light and close up situations though. It has a built in light, but if you get too close to something, the picture gets blurry.

In a camera meant to get in to tight places and see things very closely, this doesn't help.

But it has saved my **** enough times to make it invaluable!

http://www.extech.com/instruments/product.asp?catid=55&prodid=622

 

[Outlawmws]

That looks exactly like my Extech one. Either it's a re-branded Extech, or they all get them made by the same Chinese supplier.

It's pretty good. I wish it did better in low light and close up situations though. It has a built in light, but if you get too close to something, the picture gets blurry.

In a camera meant to get in to tight places and see things very closely, this doesn't help.

But it has saved my **** enough times to make it invaluable!

http://www.extech.com/instruments/product.asp?catid=55&prodid=622

Wire up a small LED (you don't need a huge one nor very much brightness) and tape it just behind the camera eye...

 

[kythri]

Thanks for the link! I was looking at the HF one - gonna be $70 for three days after Thanksgiving, but this one really seems like it's worth the extra bucks (removable screen, extension, etc.)

 

[Matt M PA]

You guys are killing me! I've actually had a use for one of those more than once...now I think I'ma needin one. But...I don;t have a Costco membership.

 

[garboui]

Ive seen this one in action, and used the snap-on one as well. All I can say is that the money for the SO one is not justifiable at all.

 

[Matt M PA]

This is even cheaper at amazon or buy.com...and you don't need to be a member.

Does anyone know if this is a color camera? The display shows a color picture.

And...do I understand correctly that it's wireless to he screen?

 

[kythri]

This is even cheaper at amazon or buy.com...and you don't need to be a member.

The package at Amazon for $142 doesn't come with the accessory kit (the magnetic screen holder and 3ft extension). A Marketplace seller offers it for $18 (item plus shipping), which bounces us right up to the Costco price of $160.

Does anyone know if this is a color camera? The display shows a color picture.

It's supposed to be.

And...do I understand correctly that it's wireless to he screen?

Yes. The screen can be detached for viewing up to 30 feet away.

I don;t have a Costco membership.

Got a friend you trust? If you don't want to visit with them and have them make the actual purchase (some Costco's are getting **** about this, and only letting the card holder make the payment), I believe you can still have them buy you a gift card, and that gift card gets you entry and purchasing ability.

Or you can buy the membership. If I still lived in the same town as a Costco, I'd still have a membership - living even 15 miles away means I don't visit enough to make the membership worth it, so I visit with a friend the few times I want to go.

 

[kythri]

So, I just got back from a quick run to Costco.

The camera here:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11698979

is the Whistler WIC-2409C (http://www.whistlergroup.com/WIC-2409C-spec.html) and the WIC-100P accessory kit (http://www.whistlergroup.com/onlinestore/accessories/wic100p.asp) minus the additional hard case, for $159.99

What my store is selling (and they had a pallet of these) is the Whistler IC-3409PX for $149.99.

I can't find a link to the specs, but, it's a bigger screen (3.5"), comes with the same accessory kit.

This unit also accepts micro-SD cards and comes with a 2GB card and a full-size SD converter so you can use it in a normal reader.

Only thing about it that bothers me - the screen itself is rechargeable (comes with a wall-wart), but the camera "gun" requires 4 AA batteries.

All told, a pretty darned slick package.

 

[Matt M PA]

If they take a memory card, you can record the video as opposed to simply using "live".

 

[Lomotil]

I was in the store last week and saw that, too. The store display model was broken, though. LCD screen worked, but camera wasn't. Don't know if that's a bad endorsement, or if some kids broke it on purpose.

 

[kythri]

I was in the store last week and saw that, too. The store display model was broken, though. LCD screen worked, but camera wasn't. Don't know if that's a bad endorsement, or if some kids broke it on purpose.

Batteries good in the camera?

 

[2manytoyz]

A number of companies are now offering this product. Either rebranded, or copied.

I bought the Milwaukee version for $99 from Amazon. No tax, free shipping. Heck of a deal! Bought a second one for work. Also bought the 3' extension, allowing for a total of 6' of reach. I tried adding another extension, and it would not work. The instructions were correct, 6' maximum. Before anyone asks, I bought two extensions, one for each of the two cameras, so I don't have a spare one.

These are incredibly handy. The new house I bought is likely missing a trap on the jetted spa tub, and the access hatch is from the side. No way to peek at the plumbing without a camera like this. Upcoming weekend project.

The one I have apparently is no longer available, though the company is still making other models.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AOVBHG/ref=wms_ohs_product

Takes a little practice to steer one of these, and understand the orientation of what you're looking at. This one has the ability to change the intensity of the LED, and has a zoom feature. Both are very handy. This one does not have a memory card and digital capture ability, which would be nice to have at times. But for $99, can't complain.

 

[jeepmedic]

I picked it up for $150+tax from my costco and it works very well. It is color screen and I was also bothered by the AA battery thing but that is a small complaint.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I bought the Rigid brand version when they first came out 2 or 3 years ago. Looks identical, but without the buttons to the right of the screen. I'm guessing this one has some updated features. Camera end looks the same. The Rigid See Snake Micro was 115 bucks at that time. I use it about once a month for something.

 

[bas157]

Been a couple months since this thread was last posted to....wondering if anyone bought it and has some time using it and any further impressions about it. Saw one at a Costco tonight and think it might be handy seeing in walls to look at wiring and plumbing in my 160 year old house....since who knows what has been done over the years inside the walls!

 

[kythri]

I've used mine to look inside the walls, but that's about it. It's a fun tool, but I'll freely admit I bought it for future use rather than an immediate need...

 

[Provincial]

I used my HF version to find a dead chipmunk behind the dash of a F150 this summer. My son-in-law put it in his supervisor's pickup on a Friday night as a joke, expecting it to run around the cab while the boss was driving. Instead, it found a very good hiding place and stayed there in 100*F heat until it died. Tuesday after work he showed up at my place in the F150 asking for help. It was an ugly job, but we found it without having to remove more than the glove box, radio, and some trim. The body came out in one piece, so we got lucky there.

I was sure glad the camera enabled us to find the body without pulling out the whole dash! So was the SIL!!!!! He owes me big time, and knows it.