Those looking for an inexpensive endoscope that works perfectly “on the go” by pairing directly to mobile devices running both Android or iOS operating systems are going to be head over heels in love with everything the BlueFire Semi-Rigid Flexible Wireless Endoscope brings to the table.
Specifically designed to offer all of the capability that a more traditional endoscope provides, but in a Wi-Fi/wireless configuration that separates the camera probe set up from the control module and screen, this is a next generation setup that is both easier to use and a lot more flexible as well.
Featuring a high definition camera capable of both video and still image capture, a Wi-Fi signal generator and the latest lithium-ion technology, this is very much the “next big thing” in the world of endoscope technology.
Key Features
That this unit stands completely separate from your mobile device and does not need to be plugged directly into it for effortless operation is maybe it’s most impressive feature.
You see, the BlueFire Semi-Rigid Flexible Wireless Endoscope creates its own internal Wi-Fi network – a secure Wi-Fi network that can only be interfaced with your mobile device with encrypted connections – and that’s how it broadcasts whatever images it is capturing for you to see or to save.
The Wi-Fi signal is pretty strong, providing 33 feet of connectivity between the Wi-Fi module and your Android or iOS device. This obviously means that you will be able to manipulate the semi flexible cable of this endoscope to just the right position with both hands, allowing for more flexibility and control while still being able to manipulate everything else – including the control of the lights and the camera – directly through your touchscreen device.
Control Setup
Speaking of control, the user interface of the BlueFire Semi-Rigid Flexible Wireless Endoscope unit is easily one of the best in the business – and not just when it comes to Wi-Fi enabled endoscopes like this one.
Not only is everything intuitive to use (taking advantage of mobile touchscreen gestures like pinch to zoom, for example), but it is also regularly updated, improved, and streamlined in a way that traditional endoscope controls cannot be.
Instead of locking you into a tactile and physical touchpad (usually attached to a small LCD screen) you’ll instead be able to manipulate the controls of your camera directly on your smart phone or your tablet – directly on the images that your camera is broadcasting.
This is a much more seamless and easy to maneuver kind of control scheme that just makes using the BlueFire Semi-Rigid Flexible Wireless Endoscope a dream right out of the box.
Camera Quality
The camera quality of the BlueFire Semi-Rigid Flexible Wireless Endoscope is pretty fantastic, considering the fact that everything is powered by a two megapixel CMOS HD camera with three adjustable resolution settings.
On top of that, a tiny ring of six adjustable LED lights guarantee that your camera is always going to be able to provide HD feedback in any lighting condition – even in otherwise pitch dark situations (like if you’re running your endoscope through your plumbing, for example).
Capture and Storage Options
Video clips and still images can be easily captured through the user interface of the BlueFire Semi-Rigid Flexible Wireless Endoscope mobile application, and you will have the opportunity to save just as many of them as you like directly to the storage of your smart phone or your tablet.
You also have the opportunity to send your clips or your images directly to any cloud storage solutions that you have paired with your smart phone already. Fans of a cloud solution like Dropbox, for example, can guarantee that their phone or tablet isn’t crowded with endoscope clips but instead send those videos directly to the cloud to be accessed on any internet enabled device almost immediately – a bonus traditional endoscopes cannot provide.
Battery Life
The battery life on this system is pretty good for a device that generates its own Wi-Fi signal and allows form wireless transmission of sometimes pretty significantly sized video files or HD images.
You’re looking at a runtime that can stretch up to 60 minutes on a fully charged battery, a battery that uses the latest in lithium-ion technology. The 500 mAh battery can be recharged from completely dead in about 15 minutes, providing a real quick charge capability that helps you get back up and running should you need more than 60 continuous minutes of endoscope utility at a time.
Probe Length and Flexibility
The probe length on this unit is one of the longest of all the wireless set up options, measuring in at 10 m. The bulk of the Wi-Fi enabled endoscope options do not have probes anywhere near as long as this – most of them measuring about 3 m or so – which means you’re going to get a lot of extra reach and a lot of extra functionality out of this particular setup.
The semi flexible construction of this unit is thanks to the iron wire internals that allow you to bend, shape, and still flexibly maneuver your probe to any hard-to-reach space. You’ll also appreciate the fact that this entire unit is 100% IP 76 waterproof rated which means that you could literally submerge it in your plumbing or a fish tank if you wanted to without suffering any ill effects whatsoever.
That makes this one of the better options out there for home inspection purposes, for HVAC or plumbing inspection applications, as well as in industrial and automotive repair. DIYers and hobbyists are going to love everything that the BlueFire Semi-Rigid Flexible Wireless Endoscope has to offer.
BlueFire Wireless Endoscope - Summary
Overall Rating:
Quality
Features
Cost
Finding a quality Wi-Fi endoscope is a lot easier today than ever before, thanks to major leaps forward in this kind of technology. At the same time, lots of units promise the moon and the stars when it comes to capabilities and performance but aren’t able to live up to expectations.
The BlueFire Semi-Rigid Flexible Wireless Endoscope does not suffer from that drawback.
This is very much an easy to use, capable, and intelligently designed Wi-Fi endoscope that even professionals are going to find offers the same kind of performance traditional endoscopes provide at a fraction of the price – and with a lot more flexibility.
