Ridge Tool Company
11
Centering Guides
Installing the SeeSnake
®
Star-Type Centering Guides
Centering guides can improve the picture by bringing the
camera closer to the pipe’s center, allowing the camera
to see an equal amount of the pipe wall in all direc-
tions. Centering guides also help by raising the camera
out of sludge that is often found below the water line. This
helps keep the lens cleaner, longer, reduces wear and
tear on the LED Ring. See Figure 18.
We recommend using centering guides whenever pos-
sible, but if you are having trouble pushing the camera in
a particular pipe, try it without the guides.
Figure 18 – Centering Guides improve vision by allow-
ing the camera to see an equal amount of
pipe wall in all directions and by raising the
camera out of sludge. They also reduce wear
on the LED ring.
Whether or not you use guides, how many you use,
and where you place them on the spring causes the
camera to behave differently. The best advice is to ex-
periment and decide what’s best for the given job.
One centering guide near the front end of the camera may
bias the camera head upward. This could be beneficial if
you need to see the top of the pipe during your inspection.
Move the guide back a little and the camera head may
bias downward when you push and upward as you pull
back. This could help you see the top and bottom of
larger pipes more easily.
Two centering guides will tend to keep the camera head
aimed toward the center of the pipe, allowing you to
see more of the pipe at once.
Centering guides should be pre-stressed prior to use for
increased flexibility. To do this, slowly bend the spikes
back and forth from the tip (not the base) a few times be-
fore use. See Figure 19.
Figure 19 – Pre-stress tabs by placing your finger at the
top of the spike and slowly pushing the spike
90 degrees. Repeat in the other direction.
Star-type centering guide assembly consists of two parts -
two steel c-ring and the plastic centering guide. See
Figure 20.
Figure 20 – Star-Type Centering Guide Components. You
may use from one to three guides.
Installing Star-Type Centering Guides
1. Position a centering guide and two c-rings over the
spring, with the centering guide between the c-rings.
See Figure 21.
Figure 21 – Guide and C-Rings Positioned On Spring
Assembly.
2. Position the opening in the centering guide 180 de-
grees opposite the opening in the c-rings. See Figure
22.
3. Press the c-rings into the grooves on each side of the
centering guide until the c-rings snap into place. It’s
SeeSnake
®
FlatPack and Color FlatPack
Kollmann
C-Rings
