Problem-solving is something of a pastime for me. I may even call it a passion. I like trying to figure out how to solve or find a solution for difficult issues. What kind of issues,ย you might wonder? For thisย review, I wanted to be able to see the backside of walls, under floors, inside engines, and down pipes. That may sound like I really need a pairย of x-ray vision glasses.ย While cool, that wouldย probably lead to a whole new set of privacy concerns. So, what do you do when you suspect an issue, but you canโt quite see it? With the Milwaukee M12 Flexible Inspection Camera, you have some options.
The Milwaukeeย 2317-21 M12 M-Spector Flex inspection camera lets youย see where no eye has seen beforeโฆat least not since the drywall went up. With just a tiny hole for access, this flexible inspection camera canย literallyย โlookโ forย problemsย thanks to its pivoting head. It can also record photos, video, and even audio to let you document behind the scenes. This technology has come a long way since the original Milwaukeeย M-Spector AV inspection camera.
Milwaukee Flexible Inspection Camera Features
When I first opened the lid on the hard shell plastic case, I knew I had some options.ย The Milwaukee 2317-21 M12 M-Spector Flexย with PivotView Kitย includesย everything needed to get started troubleshooting. There are two keyย components.
Console Assembly (2315-20)
This is the base unit for theย inspection camera offerings from Milwaukee, so it might be familiar to some. To those whoย are new to the Milwaukee M-Spector line, this console is uniqueย inย several key places. One of the biggies is the ability to detach the display. This lets youย useย it wirelessly so you canย position the display separate from theย cable/camera. Anyone whoย has used an inspection camera before will know that you need to be a contortionist sometimes to be able to position the camera just so and see the display at the same time. With this flexible inspection camera, those days are over.ย Just slide off the display, set it aside (up to 15 feet away) and then position the cable/camera as neededย for your visual inspection.
The detachable display has a built-in lithium-ion battery that charges off the main M12 battery when attached to the base. Built into the 3.5โณ color LCD screen assembly is the SD card slot, mini-USB port, speaker, microphone and nine rubberized camera control function buttons. From the screen assembly you can control the recording of video, audio, still photos, zoom and more. The handle base is where the cable/camera assembly attaches. It alsoย houses the M12 battery pack, main power button, picture trigger button, and the LED camera light control. All control functions are intuitive and easy to use. I do have a small gripe about the Camera end LED dimmer dial, but Iโll touch on that later.
Flexย 3 ft Inspection Camera Cable with PivotView
This is where theย magicย happensโฆThe PivotViewย cableย is what makes this a truly flexibleย inspection cameraย and sets it apart from otherย products. While โ3ย ftย Inspection Camera Cable w/PivotViewโ sounds like aย mouthful, it really is an amazing piece of technology. Starting with the camera tip, you haveย a tiny 12.5 mm (.49 inches) diameter head with a flush mount 640X480 camera and dimmable LED light. It also has nicelyย chamfered corners to aid in navigating into tough-to-reach areas.
Just behind the camera head is a section of flexible stainless steel sheathing that houses the wires and cables that allow the camera head to pivotย up to 270-degrees side to side. This is movement thatโsย separate from the flexible main camera extension cable. The remainder of the 3-foot flexible cable is plastic armored to protect the cable and your work area from damage.
At the end whichย connects to the console assembly (the head unit), a dial allows control of the PivotView camera. Also, the camera cable assembly can lock on and position inย 4ย differentย ways so as to rotate and provide evenย more camera control. One point of caution is that I do not believe that the camera head is waterproof. I looked through the included literature and on-line and could not confirm the level of water resistance of this camera head. When in doubt, I am going to err on the side of caution and keep mine fairly dry.
Using the M12 M-Spector Flex withย Home Theater Installation
The other day, a buddy of mine who owns a home theater installation company was complaining to me about a difficult install. He had run what he thought was all the cable he needed to prior to the drywall being installed. In the end, he realizedย he needed to add a few more cables. At this point, however,ย all the finish work was done. From the time he did the wire install months prior, he had forgotten how the framing in the tech closet was done and was having trouble running the new wires.
This is where my problem-solving instantly kicked in.
I told him about the Milwaukee 2317-21 M-Spector and how it could prove the easiest way to figure out what to do without having to do any cutting of the drywall. I meet him out at the project and he showed me the situation. Of course, the tech closet was tiny. Somehow, architects neverย seem to understand the amount of space needed to do a proper install. I was eager to see how helpful the Milwaukee flexible inspection camera wouldย be.
OK, Your Turn!
After a quick crash course on the functions and buttons, I handed the tool off to my buddy. Given the intuitive layout of the controls, this tool takes littleย time to get up to speed. Almost immediately, he slipped off the screen and set it on the floor while heย fed the camera end through the wall opening. The first thing he observedย was that the camera LED light was turned all the way up. It was so bright, it almost completelyย washed out the image. Of all the controls, the LED dimmer dial may be the most clunky to use. The idea is that you use the same finger that is on the photo trigger to also rotate the dial that is located inside the trigger guard. We both found that the dial a little tricky to manipulate.
Once we dialed in the right amount of light we could finally see the blockageย hidden within the wall. There was a piece of blocking that had been set midway up. It was making it difficult to access the stud space up to the ceiling level. Thankfully, he discovered that an additional (and unused) hole had been drilled which would allow him to runย the additional wires. Now, with the help of a glow stick and a fish-tape, heย couldย run the wires without cutting any drywall.
In using the Milwaukee 2317-20 M-Spector flexible inspection camera, it was easy to see how the dial for the camera angle control made all the difference. We also discovered aย small but useful feature in thatย the image on the screen could also rotate separately from the camera. This gave usย an optimized view of what was in the wall. In experimenting with the (digital) zoom function, we also observed that the images got grainyย very quickly. Being able to fine tune the LED camera light did allow us to get better images, see more, and ultimately understand what was happing behind the scenes.
Automotive Upper Cylinder Carbon Build Up Inspection
As a natural gear head, I tendย to challenge anything that the dealer has to say about the maintenance of my vehicle. I wonโtย name any brands or what kind of vehicle I drive, but Iโll tell you the story. The vehicle is a 2011 withย 60K miles on it. I was gettingย an oil change, and an additional maintenance interval was also due according to the dealer. This interval was not listed in the maintenance guide that came with the vehicle.
Do You Want Fries with That Oil Change?
I told the dealer to just do the oil change and verify if my car required the extra โmaintenanceโ. So what was this extra maintenance? Supposedly, my upper cylinders were being overcome with carbon which was going to detract from my vehicleโs efficiency and eventually render my engine useless if I didnโt spring for the โupper cylinder and intake cleaning procedureโ. Of course, it would cost $230 in addition toย the oil change. When the oil change was done, they โverifiedโ that, in fact, my car was in grave danger if I did not act soon.
Needless to say,ย I paid for the oil change and drove out of there as fast as I could! I decided to takeย matters into my own hands and inspect the cylinders myself. This was where the Milwaukee 2317-21ย flexible inspection camera once again proved useful.ย To seeย for myself, I removed all the spark plugs (which I just went ahead and replaced) and was pleasantly surprised at what I found. The plugs actually looked pretty good for having 60K on them.
When I started to put the camera down the spark plug hole, the top of the cylinder was actually shining! I thought that maybe I had the LED light turned up too muchย and went ahead and dimmed it some more. Still, all I saw was shiny metal. Once I got the camera all the way into the cylinder (the camera head is small enough to pass through the spark plug hole) I used the PivotViewย feature to look around. At the very edge of the piston along the cylinder wall, there was a small amount of carbon build up. Not at all the way the garage manager at the dealer made it sound. Even the cylinder walls were visible and appeared to be in great condition! In this case,ย the Milwaukee 2317-20 M-Spector inspection camera saved me a chunk of change at the dealer!
Milwaukee 2317-20 M-Spector Specifications
- Photos
- Audioย recording
- Video recording
- Cable length: 3ย ft.
- Zoom: 4X digital
- Camera head: 1.375 x .49 in. (35 x 12.5 mm)
- Camera head motion: Up to 270 deg
- Battery:ย M12 2.0 Lithium-ion
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 3.75ย xย 3.88ย xย 8.75 in.
- Weight: 3.7 lbs
- Includes: Tool, M12 battery, charger, SD card, hardย case
- Warranty: 5 years
- Price: $799 at Acme Tools
Final Thoughts
So what do you do with a new piece of gear? If youโre like me, you play with it a lot! I walkedย around my 90-year-old house and took some random shots with the Milwaukee flexible inspection cameraย just to see what I could find. In the upstairs, there is an old cast iron pipe that used to be for a sink connection. I stuck the camera in there for a look. While not amazing, it is fun to be able to maneuver the head to see better than any other inspection camera I have ever used. As I kept looking around, I found a cob-job of plumbing supply piping that is a mix of steel and CPVC. After awhile I figured I better stop looking before I saw more โqualityโ plumbing and electrical work that had been done over time.
What makes using the Milwaukee 2317-21 M-Spector flexible inspection camera such a pleasure is the removable screen and the ability to pivot the camera head. I did find one slightly curious behavior. When youย take a pictureย with the M12 Flex camera,ย a message pops up on the screen asking to save or cancel. Being used to touch screens, I would instinctively tap the display. Forgetting itโs not aย touchscreen,ย Iโd thenย have to pressย the โOKโ rubber button below the screen to save my image.
Milwaukee has hit a home run with this flexible inspection camera. While its price tag might deter some, if youโre a problem-solving kind of guy, this tool can make you look like a genius!
