Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Cameras for gutter vac

Ian bailey

New member
Messages
3
Location
Tring
What cameras are you all using. I’ve got the gopro style from a gutter vac supplier. Have nothing but problems with it. Connecting, loosing signal
 

are the bullet cameras from gvs/spinaclean with monitors worth the money ?

thanks 

ian

 
Get a genuine SJ4000 1080p action camera. They are not cheap at about £95 but they have good wifi strength a good reliable android app (I guess iphone as well but not used). They also have reasonably good latency (difference between when camera sees something and it appearing on your phone) probably as little as 0.2 of a second. They have good light handling so going from looking into sun to shade is quick to get good image again. One good thing is they have a screen on back so if you want you can show custy directly from camera or from a recording on your phone. They have removable batteries so you can have a spare and just swap them out when necessary. There are a few fakes about so be careful!

You don't need 4K or anything like that as you don't need the detail.

 
Get a genuine SJ4000 1080p action camera. They are not cheap at about £95 but they have good wifi strength a good reliable android app (I guess iphone as well but not used). They also have reasonably good latency (difference between when camera sees something and it appearing on your phone) probably as little as 0.2 of a second. They have good light handling so going from looking into sun to shade is quick to get good image again. One good thing is they have a screen on back so if you want you can show custy directly from camera or from a recording on your phone. They have removable batteries so you can have a spare and just swap them out when necessary. There are a few fakes about so be careful!

You don't need 4K or anything like that as you don't need the detail.
I think I must have a fake one.  The app is terrible (iPhone). only works on my phone which hasn’t been updated. Both work iphone and brothers iPhone won’t connect to it. 
 

it makes life hard when your doing a big job and the phone runs out of charge ?. 3rd storey is a no go, video takes 5 seconds to refresh while watching on the phone.

ive seen you can buy portable screens that connect to the action cameras. I wonder what they are like

 
I think I must have a fake one.  The app is terrible (iPhone). only works on my phone which hasn’t been updated. Both work iphone and brothers iPhone won’t connect to it. 
 

it makes life hard when your doing a big job and the phone runs out of charge ?. 3rd storey is a no go, video takes 5 seconds to refresh while watching on the phone.

ive seen you can buy portable screens that connect to the action cameras. I wonder what they are like
That's not how mine works at all. Mine is a genuine one though - about 4 years old. I have used in in different rooms through walls and it's fine so outdoors at 30 to 40 ft line of sight shouldn't be an issue at all. I do have android and that app is fine. I guess it's just an iffy clone you have. 

In that case to err on the side of caution a gopro would be best bet. Cheapest gopro (refurb maybe?)you can get with removable battery will do great. OK so it's not going to be cheap but it will be good and reliable plus the app should have been well reviewed on iphone so you can check.

Problem with action cameras is they are easy and cheap to make. So everyone in China is making action cameras that look great till you try and use them. So many of them are terrible. Gopro are amazing - way overkill for looking at gutters but at least you know it's good quality.

Sorry I can't be more helpful in finding a cheap but good camera. 

 
Are the bullet cameras from gvs/spinaclean with monitors worth the money ?
Depends on how long you need them for, today my fully charged Sky Vac camera screen died in an hour and 45 minutes. Not much use when you have a 3 hour job to do.

If however it's for hour jobs here and there then they're fine as you can recharge in the van on way to next job. We actually start charging before we put kit away so get the extra 10 minutes or so.

 
We have the sky vac camera it’s not very good at all to be honest but it’s good enough for looking in a gutter to see what it’s like , we only use it fir inspections and surveys and checking after vaccing we don’t use it whilst vaccing .

 
We have the sky vac camera it’s not very good at all to be honest but it’s good enough for looking in a gutter to see what it’s like , we only use it fir inspections and surveys and checking after vaccing we don’t use it whilst vaccing .
How come you don`t use it whilst vaccing? surely that would save time.

 
I rarely used a cam but the last few jobs I decided to use one, I got a new fitting to making it quicker putting it on, I used to have the cam mounted on an old SLX pole now running it off the actual gutter pole. Always the chance it would get blown over

Using a cam does make you faster because if your doing it blind I personally go over cleared areas far to many times. With the cam it saves sucking air...

 
How come you don`t use it whilst vaccing? surely that would save time.
We do that much vac work you get a feel for when it’s clear , it’s very rare that we have Togo over an area  again  , I had the camera fall off once and it can move so it’s in the wrong place and the monitor on the pole is a pain  we find it easier to just check  each section after. 

 
We do that much vac work you get a feel for when it’s clear , it’s very rare that we have Togo over an area  again  , I had the camera fall off once and it can move so it’s in the wrong place and the monitor on the pole is a pain  we find it easier to just check  each section after. 
I use my mobile to view and this is really handy 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mobile-Phone-Holder-180-Degree-Rotating-Wrist-Strap-Bracket-Sports-Running-TR16-/363145261605?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

 
Did a job this morning with the camera attached to the pole. It fell of into the gutter luckily could of been the floor. Sucked it up anyway.. 

I'm going back to just camera on an SLX as and when needed... 

 
Did a job this morning with the camera attached to the pole. It fell of into the gutter luckily could of been the floor. Sucked it up anyway.. 

I'm going back to just camera on an SLX as and when needed... 
We have had the same thing happen , once it fell 30 feet and bounced on the pavement , amazingly it was undamaged and  it still worked 

 
I have a spinaclean cam and monitor but tbf, i think ive only used it a handful of times when i first started.

Im confident enough in my sense of feel with the poles and neck to know when the gutters clear.

Curious as to what the more experienced guys do (camera or no camera)

 
I have a spinaclean cam and monitor but tbf, i think ive only used it a handful of times when i first started.

Im confident enough in my sense of feel with the poles and neck to know when the gutters clear.

Curious as to what the more experienced guys do (camera or no camera)
Dear me that’s quick you have only had the vac a few weeks ??

 
18 months ?

Literally time has flown so quick
You pm me only a couple of months ago about gutter vacs asking advice if you had it 18 months ago you wouldn’t have needed to do that ???something doesn't add up ??????

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top