Aqua Communications SnakeEye III User manual

SnakeE
y
e III
TM
REMOTE VISUAL
INSPECTION
SYSTEM
Operator’s Manual
Rev. B
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Contents
1. INTRODUCTION P.1
2. OPERATING CAUTIONS and HAZARDS P.2
3. GETTING TO KNOW YOUR SnakeEye™III P.4
4. PUTTING IT TOGETHER P.9
4.1 Cable Connections: General Guidelines
4.2 Cable Connection to the Display Unit
4.3 Cable Connection to the Camera Head
4.4 Extension Wand Connection to the Camera Head
4.5 Finger Adapter
5. POWERING UP P.11
5.1 Power by Battery Pack in the Display Unit
5.2 Power by 12 Volt DC
5.3 Power by AC
6. HOW TO OPERATE: “LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION” P.13
7. MAINTENANCE P.25
8. TROUBLESHOOTING P.26
9. OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES P.27
9.1 Part List
9.2 C-Mount Camera (Part Number OA-01)
9.3 Gooseneck Adapter (Part Number OA-06)
9.4 30' & 100’ Display Unit Cable (Part No. OA-03)
9.5 Replacement Battery Packs (2) (Part Number OA-04)
9.6 ENERGYBOX™ (Part No. OA-09)
9.7 Telescoping Pole (Part No. OA-07-n)
9.8 Sun Shield (Part No. OA-06)
9.9 IP68 Kit (Part No. RP-16)
9.10 Battery Charger (Part No. RP-07)
9.11 Staying Within the Limits of the Warranty
9.12 Operating the Battery Charger
9.13 Activating a Dormant Battery
10. SnakeEye™III LIMITED WARRANTY P.36
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1. INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of SnakeEye™ III, the portable information device
for Remote Visual Inspection (RVI).
SnakeEye™ III is a hand-held, electronic appliance that incorporates the latest in
remote visual inspection technology. It will provide years of reliable service when
properly operated and maintained.
The SnakeEye™ III records images as snapshots (Page13) that are stored on a
removable SD (Secure Digital) card or, when connected to a VCR, as streaming video
(Page 21).
The SnakeEye™ III also includes an audio function. With the audio function, you can
add stand-alone voice notes during live video mode (Page14). Also, you can add audio
comments to individual snapshots stored on the SD card while you browse the images
(Page16).
SnakeEye™III has passed the FCC, CE, CB Scheme, ETL, and IP68 tests.
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2. OPERATING CAUTIONS and HAZARDS
Symbol Legend
Caution: Possible Damage to the Equipment
Warning: Possible Electric Shock
Failure to operate and maintain SnakeEye™III in accordance with the
instructions in this manual may result in damage to the unit, damage to other personal
property, or personal injury.
Both the LCD Display Unit and the Camera Head are engineered to operate in
temperatures ranging from 14°F to 140°F (-10°C to 60°C). Operate the unit within
these parameters only.
This device is sensitive to high voltage energy. If the display unit or camera is
exposed to high voltage fields, permanent damage may result. Electrostatic or any other
high voltage sources should be avoided.
Always allow the Battery Pack to cool down before recharging. In order to
prevent damage to the Battery Pack, the Battery Charger includes a safety feature
which prevents charging while the Battery Pack is over-heated.
Never turn the camera head to tighten.
Turning the camera while tightening it to a cable will damage the connector pins. This
type of damage will not be covered under the warranty.
Do not remove the lens cover.
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Always install the cover and plugs from the IP68 kit before submersing the
Display Unit in water.
IP (Ingress Protection) 68 is the standard for a waterproof and dustproof cover. The
IP68 Kit (RP–16), when properly installed, protects the Display Unit from submersion
in 10-feet of water for one hour, and is sealed so that no dust whatsoever can enter.
The LED Camera Head is designed for deeper water operation, and can be submerged
up to 100-feet of water for one hour.
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3. GETTING TO KNOW YOUR SnakeEye™III
Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the various components that
comprise SnakeEye™III.
7 23 8
5
10
4 9
12
6
111
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# Part Part No. Picture
1 Battery Pack (2 NiMH) OA–04
2 DC Adapter 12 Volt & Power
Cord
RP–09
3 AC Adapter (Universal) RP-16
4 LED Camera
a. Front: LED Lights and Lens
b. Rear: Connector
RP–02
4.a
4.b
5 4-foot Cable RP–03
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6 18 Inch Wand with Swivel Mount RP–04
7 Finger Adapter RP–06
9 IP68 Kit RP-17
9 Battery Charger
a. Power LED
b. Charging LED
c. Refresh LED
d. Battery Catch
RP–07
c.
b.
a.
d.
10 Space Reserved for C-Mount
Camera
OA-01 Optional Accessory
11 Space Reserved for Spare
Batteries
OA-04 Optional Accessory
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12 Display Unit RP-01-
03
12.1 Operating Panel
a. Camera LEDs key
b. Mirror/Flip Image key
c. Audio Record key
d. Snapshot key
c.
d.
b.
a.
12.2 Post-production Panel
e. Speaker
f. Low Battery Indicator
g. SD Card Indicator
h. ▲(Up Arrow key)
i. ▼(Down Arrow key)
j Menu key
k. ◄┘(Enter key)
l. Cancel key
m Power ON/OFF key
n. Microphone
m.
k.
h.
f.
e.
g.
i.
j.
l.
n.
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12.3 SD Card and USB Port
o. Secure Digital Card Slot
p. USB Port
q. Hole for Cover Screw
r. SD Card Cover (IP68)
o.
q.
p.
r.
12.4 Ports & Battery Chamber
s. Battery Chamber
t. Connector to Cable
u. Video In/Out
v. DC Power In
w. Screw Holes for IP68 cover
w.
s.
t.
u.
v.
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4. PUTTING IT TOGETHER
There are two methods of connecting the Display Unit to the Camera Head:
Directly via cable to the camera head
(Display Unit ÆCable ÆCamera Head)
Via cable to an Extension Wand with the camera head on the extension wand.
(Display Unit ÆCable ÆExtension Wand ÆCamera Head)
Each method utilizes the supplied four foot Cable Connector or the optional 30- or 100-
foot cable. One end of the cable connects directly to the Display Unit; the other end
connects either directly to the Camera Head or indirectly to the Camera Head through the
supplied Extension Wand.
a. Cable Connections: General Guidelines
The cable connector pins must be properly seated and the cable nuts properly
tightened in order to effect a proper connection. In the SnakeEye III system, all male
connectors are the same, and all female connectors are the same.
When properly connected, these connections are waterproof. Failure to make these
connections properly can result in poor picture quality or in intermittent interruption
of the video signal.
Cable nut connectors are precision machined and are designed to be hand tightened
only. Never use a tool to tighten these connections. Doing so may cause damage to
the connections and will void the warranty.
Whenever connecting to the camera from either a cable connector or, as shown here,
from the Extension Wand, be sure to match the notches together before tightening
b. Cable Connection to the Display Unit
Insert the male end of the Cable Connector into
the female Cable Connector Port on the Display
Unit.
Hand tightens the knurled metal cable nut in a
clockwise direction until the connection is
secure.
c. Cable Connection to the Camera Head
Make certain the Cable Connector has been
properly connected to the Display Unit.
Insert the female end of the Cable Connector
onto to the male Connector Port on the Camera
Head.
Hand tightens the cable nut in a clockwise
direction until the connection is secure.
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d. Extension Wand Connection to the Camera Head
When connecting an extension wand to the camera head, again use caution.
The Extension Wand is designed to extend the
effective operating range of the unit. This
accessory comprises a rigid handle,
unidirectional swivel mount and a sliding switch
which controls the angle of the Camera Head
(from 0°to 90°) in the swivel mount. Under
most conditions, the Extension Wand provides
the greatest operating flexibility.
Make certain the Cable Connector has been properly connected to the Display Unit.
Insert the female end of the Cable Connector onto the male Connector Port on the
Extension Wand.
Never turn the camera head to tighten.
Turning the camera while tightening the connector can break the connector pins.
This type of damage will not be covered under the warranty. Only turn the cable
nut—not the camera!
Hand tightens the cable nut in clockwise direction until the connection is secure.
Place the Camera Head in the swivel mount at the end of the Extension Wand.
Hand tightens the yellow Wand nut in clockwise direction until the connection is secure.
e. Finger Adapter
This accessory is designed for use when the area
to be inspected is "hand accessible."
Make certain the Camera Head has been
properly connected to the Display Unit via cable
only.
Attach the Camera Head to the Finger Strap by
sliding the Camera Head into the semicircular
notch until the slot on the bottom of the Camera
Head engages the raised ridge on the bottom of
the Strap.
Slide the Strap over the selected finger and
adjust the Strap as necessary.
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5. POWERING UP
SnakeEye™III is powered by one of three sources, each supplied with the unit:
Power by 6 volt DC Battery Pack. SnakeEye™III is supplied with two interchangeable,
rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) Battery Packs.
Power by 12 volt DC current supplied directly by the DC Adapter (plugged into an
automobile cigarette lighter or Aqua’s optional EnergyBox™ wearable battery).
Power by AC source supplied through the Universal AC Adapter plugged into a wall
outlet
The supplied Universal AC Adapter is designed specifically for use with
SnakeEye™III. Use of any other adapter may cause serious damage to the unit and will
void the warranty.
a. Power by Battery Pack in the Display Unit
The Battery Pack Compartment is located at the bottom of the Display Unit. To install a
battery pack, proceed as follows:
If an IP68 Kit has been installed, please take the IP68 cover off.
Pull the battery compartment cover firmly downward to access the compartment.
Insert the Battery Pack into the compartment, "contact end" first. Be sure to match the
rounded corners of the battery pack with the rounded corners of the compartment.
Push the Battery Pack down until it is engaged by the retaining latch.
Press the compartment cover down until it "snaps" into place.
SnakeEye™III is shipped with two Nickel Metal Hydride Battery Packs. Nickel; Metal
Hydride batteries lose up to 5% of their charge per day when "sitting idle". The battery
packs must be conditioned when new and also after extended periods of non use. To
condition the batteries, press the Refresh button on the charger. For information on
recharging a battery, please see Page34.
b. Power by 12 Volt DC
SnakeEye™III can be powered from any 12 volt DC vehicle battery or independent 12
volt DC power source such as Aqua’s optional EnergyBox™ wearable battery.
Insert the female end of the DC Adapter Power Cord onto the male DC Power Port on the
Display Unit.
Plug the male adapter into the cigarette lighter socket in your vehicle or independent 12
volt power source.
The male socket adapter operates with a supplied, standard 2 amp fuse. When replacing
the fuse, access the fuse compartment by turning the tip of the adapter in a
counterclockwise direction.
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The fuse is spring loaded and caution must be taken to ensure that the spring does not
"fly out" of the end of the fuse compartment when it is opened.
Replacement fuses are available at most electronic supply and hardware stores. Replace
only with the same rating.
CAUTION
The supplied DC Adapter is designed specifically for use with SnakeEye™III. Use of
any other transformer may cause serious damage to the unit and will void the warranty.
c. Power by AC
SnakeEye™III can be powered with standard household AC current.
Insert the female end of the AC Adapter Power Cord onto the male DC Power Port on
the Display Unit.
Plug the Universal AC Adapter into a standard household AC outlet.
CAUTION
The supplied Universal AC Adapter is designed specifically for use with
SnakeEye™III. Use of any other transformer may cause serious damage to the unit and
will void the warranty.
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6. HOW TO OPERATE: “LIGHTS, CAMERA,
ACTION”
Power on/off the SnakeEye III:
The user can turn on the SnakeEye III by pressing
the “Power” button, and the system will first go
into a self-diagnostic mode for few seconds. In
addition, the “SD Card” green light on the front
will come on indicating that the unit has power
and there is a SD card installed in the SD card slot.
While the SnakeEye III performs this self-
diagnostic test, the screen will not display
anything for about two seconds. When the
diagnostic test is completed, the “SnakeEye III”
logo page will be displayed for about 3 seconds.
The self-diagnostic mode will be completed in about five seconds. If there is any
problem found, the SnakeEye will display an error message and allow the user to correct
the problem if possible. If there are no problems found, the SnakeEye III will go into its
“Live Video Mode”.
To turn off the SnakeEye III, the user needs to press and hold the “Power” button for one
second, or until he/she hears a beep tone. The user can then release the “Power” button to
turn off the system.
Live Video Mode:
In the “Live Video Mode”, the screen will display, in real-time, exactly what the camera
head sees. In the “Live Video Mode”, the SnakeEye III allows you to:
1. Record still pictures. Pressing the “Snapshot”
button on the operational keypad, the SnakeEye III
will store the “current displayed image” onto the
SD card after first checking for available space on
the SD card. The user will briefly see the
recording symbol and the amount of space
available on the SD card at the right-top corner of
the display screen.
SnakeEye III will create a file name according to
the following format:
YYYYMMDDHHMMSSXX.jpg (YYYY = Year;
MM = Month; DD = Date; HH = Hour, MM =
Minute; SS = Second; and XX: is a sequential
number assigned by the system to avoid redundant
file names). The system will store this file onto the
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SD card. If there is no room to add a new picture,
the system will prompt the user with a SD card full
symbol.
2. Record a voice note. To record a voice note,
first press the “Audio Recording” button on the
operational keypad, the system will first check the
SD card for available space and this will be
followed by a “Microphone” icon symbol at the
top right corner of the display screen. The user
can begin recording a voice note only after
seeing the “Microphone” icon, and the record
timer begins counting. To stop recording, press
the “Audio Recording” button again and this will
stop the recording.
The recording will also stop if it exceeds the pre-
set limit established by the user in the setup mode.
When this happens, the system will display the
remaining available SD card storage space at the
top right corner of the display screen and stop the
audio recording function. SnakeEye III will create
a file name according to the following format:
YYYYMMDDHHMMSSXX.wav (YYYY: Year;
MM: Month; DD: Date; HH: Hour in military time
format; MM: Minute; SS: Second; and XX: a
sequential number assigned by the system to avoid
redundant file names) and store such file on the
SD card.
3. Change the original image from camera head
into its mirror image or rotate the original image
180º. Pressing the “Orientation” key once will
change the normal displayed image into a “mirror”
image and the system will indicate “MIRROR” at
the bottom left corner of the screen. Pressing the
“Orientation” key again, will rotate the original
image 180º and indicate “ROTATE 180º” at the
bottom left corner of the screen. Pressing the
“Orientation” key a third time will change the
displayed image back to the normal one.
When the user presses the “Snapshot” key while
the image is in “MIRROR” or “180º” mode, the
system will record the image onto the SD card
with “MIRROR” or 180º displayed on the bottom
left corner of the screen.
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4. Turn on/off and adjust three intensity levels of
the light source on the camera head by pressing
the “Camera Light Source” button on the
operational keypad. Pressing the “Camera Light
Source” button will toggle the camera lights
through the Low, Medium, and High Intensity and
then Off cycle.
5. Go to the “Menu Mode” by pressing the
“Menu” button on the postproduction keypad.
Menu Mode:
In the “Menu Mode”, the SnakeEye III allows you to:
1. Review the images recorded by selecting the
“Photo Playback” on-screen-commend. In the
“Photo Playback” mode, the screen will display
up to sixteen index icons (including “PAGE
UP”, “PAGE DOWN” icons, and fourteen
image index icons) on the LIFO (Last-In-First-
Out) basis.
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Every time the user selects the “PHOTO
PLAYBACK” function, the curser will always
point to the last image taken, and the user can use
“UP” and “DOWN” arrow keys on the
postproduction keypad to move the curser to the
image that the user would like to review.
Pressing the “Enter” key will enlarge this image to
a full-screen image. While in full screen mode, the
user can press “UP” and/or “DOWN” key to
browse the previous/next full-screen image.
If there are more than fourteen images stored,
the system will assign more index pages and the
user will see the current page number followed
by the total number of pages above the “PAGE
UP” icon (P.001/004). The user can press
“PAGE UP” and/or “PAGE DOWN” to go to a
different page.
Because the stored images are very important and
some may not be able to be retaken, the SnakeEye
III will not allow the user to purge all of the stored
images at one time. However, the user can delete
a single image by pressing the “MENU” key
while reviewing the full-screen image. The
system will prompt the user to either
“Confirm/Cancel” the delete function. To confirm
the delete function, the user needs to use the “UP”
or “DOWN” arrow key to underline the active
selection (“Confirm/Cancel”) the user chooses,
and then press the “Enter” key. If the user
“Confirms” the delete function, this will delete the
image and there is no method of recovering that
image.
When the user connects the SnakeEye to a computer using the USB port, the user
can control the SD card of the SnakeEye III and download/edit/delete files the same
as they could on any other external storage media.
Add Voice on Specified Image: When reviewing the full-screen image, the user can add a
voice note linking to the current image by clicking the “Audio Recording” key at the
operational keypad and then follow the same procedures as recording a stand-alone voice
note in the “Live Video Mood”. Please remember that the user can record voice notes
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only after seeing the “Microphone” icon and the timer begins counting. The
SnakeEye III will create an audio file with the same file name as the image file but
will be followed by the .wav extension. This special voice note file will NOT be listed
on the audio file list when the user selects “Audio Playback” mode, and it can only
be browsed on computer when SnakeEye III connects to a computer through the
USB port (or download the files from SD card to the computer). The user will find a
small red bar on the image index icon if there is a voice note linked to this stored image.
When the user clicks the “Enter” key on the image index icon with a little red bar at
the right-bottom corner, the user will see the full-screen image and the voice note
will be broadcasted automatically.
Whenever the user presses the “Cancel” key on the postproduction keypad, the system
jumps back to the “upper level of the Menu” or the “Live Video Mood”.
2. The user can replay the voice notes by
selecting the “Audio Playback” on-screen-
commend. In the “AUDIO PLAYBACK” mood,
the screen will display “PAGE UP”, “PAGE
DOWN” icons and up to ten audio index files
on the LIFO (Last-In-First-Out) basis. Every
time the user selects the “AUDIO PLAYBACK”
function, the curser will always point to the last
voice note file, and user can use “UP” and
“DOWN” arrow keys at the postproduction
keypad to move the curser on the voice note file
which user want to listen. Clicking the “Enter”
key will play that voice note with the length
displayed in seconds. As it plays, the seconds are
counted down to “0” at the right-top corner of
screen.
If there are more than ten voice notes stored,
the system will assign additional index pages
for the audio index files and you will see the
current page number following by the total
number of pages (001/004) right after the
“PAGE UP” icon. User can click “PAGE UP”
and/or “PAGE DOWN” to browse the audio index
files faster.
The user can delete a single voice note by moving
the curser on the voice note file and press
“MENU” key. Then, press the “ENTER” key
while the system indicates the “DELETE”
function. The system will ask the user to confirm
the deletion request, and the user can press the
“ENTER” key to confirm it after moving the “UP”
or “Down” arrow key to change the active
selection from “Cancel” to “Confirm”.
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Whenever the user presses the “Cancel” key on the postproduction keypad, the system
jumps back to the “upper level of the Menu” or the “Live Video Mood”.
3. Change operating settings by pressing the
“Menu” key and then use the “Up” and “Down”
arrow keys to highlight the “Function Key” then
click enter. The operating settings include:
3.1 “ZOOM”. To operate, highlight the “Zoom”
on screen command function using the “Up” and
“Down” arrow keys. Once highlighted, press the
enter key to toggle between 1X (standard view)
and 2X (enlarge view). When in “2X” mode,
the user will notice that 2X will be displayed next
to the word “Zoom” in the upper left corner of the
screen, and also the on-screen-indicator at the
bottom of the screen indicates 2X. When in the
“2X Mode”, the SnakeEye III will enlarge the
image taken by the camera head 100%. Caution:
Once the “2X” Mode” has been chosen, all images
taken will be “2X” images. If the user wishes to
take “normal” size images, then he/she can change
the “Zoom” mode to 1X or power the SnakeEye
III off and then on again.
3.2 “Backlight” To operate, highlight the
“Backlight” on screen command function using
the “Up” and “Down” arrow keys. Once
highlighted, press the enter key to toggle between
on/off. Selecting the “Backlight” on-screen-
commend will brighten the screen. To de-select,
press enter key again. When operating in the
“Backlight on mode”, the screen will always be
brighter, even when reviewing images taken under
“Backlight” off.
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