"Battery life on wireless units can be hit or miss... nothing worse than losing signal mid-inspection."
Exactly my experience—had a wireless cam die halfway through checking a tenant's clogged drain once, total nightmare. Wired cams are reliable, but ever had trouble maneuvering them around tight bends or long pipe runs? Curious how others handle that.
"Exactly my experience—had a wireless cam die halfway through checking a tenant's clogged drain once, total nightmare."
Yeah, been there. Wireless can definitely let you down at the worst possible moment. Wired cams are rock-solid reliable, but they're not exactly easy to maneuver in tight spaces. A few things I've found helpful:
- Use a smaller camera head if possible; it makes those tight bends way easier.
- Slow and steady wins the race—rushing just gets the cable caught up.
- Sometimes rotating or gently twisting the cable helps guide it around tricky corners.
- If you're running into really tough bends regularly, investing in a higher-quality push rod with more flexibility can make a huge difference.
Honestly, neither option is perfect. Wired gives peace of mind, wireless gives convenience but with battery anxiety. Pick your poison, I guess...
Haha, wireless battery anxiety is real... had mine die mid-inspection once, ended up fishing it out with a coat hanger. Wired's a pain, but at least no surprise blackouts halfway down the pipe.
Yeah, battery anxiety is definitely a thing. I've stuck with wired cams mostly because reliability matters more to me than convenience. Dealing with tangled cables can be annoying, sure, but at least I know it'll keep running till the job's done. If you prefer wireless, maybe carry a spare battery pack or two? Could save you from another coat hanger rescue mission...
Good points. I've tried both wired and wireless for drain inspections, and here's my take:
- Wired cams definitely win on reliability, especially for longer jobs or deeper inspections. No worrying about battery life or signal dropouts.
- Wireless cams are handy for quick checks or tight spaces, though. Less fuss with setup, and they're easier to maneuver without cable drag.
- Spare batteries help, but swapping them mid-job can get messy (literally)—hands covered in grime and all that.
I mostly stick with wired now. Convenience is nice, but reliability usually saves more headaches in the long run.
