The fastest inspection tool on the truck — how push cameras work, what the rod and head choices mean, and how to buy for your lateral network.
A camera head on a semi-rigid rod that an operator feeds into laterals, small mains and drains — no tractor, no winch, one person.
Small sealed head with LED ring and sapphire window — built to survive bends that would kill a crawler.
Fiberglass pushes farther; flat cable negotiates tighter bends. The rod IS the machine — treat it accordingly.
Reel carries 30–120m of rod with a footage counter feeding the report.
From hand-held tablets to full van-fit systems — Minicam builds both classes (SOLO PRO+ family).
Locate the head from the surface — the feature that makes lateral work profitable.
Push inspection is priced per tap — speed of setup decides the margin.
The right tool by pipe class — pushing a rod into a 600mm main wastes time; crawling a 150mm lateral is impossible.
No crawler fits — push cameras own this class.
Speed of setup beats crawler quality when diameter allows both.
Pan/tilt, distance and obstacle clearance need the tractor.
Most municipal contractors run one of each — the combination covers the network.
Push heads are fixed-focus — crawlers deliver the detail on big pipe defects.
Proteus crawlers + SOLO PRO+ push systems — one manufacturer, one reporting ecosystem, one support channel.
From our cable-repair division: what fiberglass rods actually endure.
Fiberglass rod is resin-impregnated braid — flex memory is by design, abuse is not.
The outer skin takes the friction abuse at every bend.
Over-bending at a joint or yanking a stuck head — rod snaps inside the pipe. Extraction is a service job.
We re-terminate rods and heads — cuts and breaks are repairable, replacement is not the first answer.
Evenly wearing the rod (rotating usage) extends total life.
Never store under full tension — the reel spring and the rod both relax.
Head size selection by the bends you must pass.
Small heads survive tight bends — the smallest class for service laterals.
The sweet spot — full LED output and durable windows.
Centering skids keep the view on-axis; spring guides protect the head at bends.
Self-leveling heads keep the image upright — worth it for PACP coding.
Grit scratches sapphire — flush first, always.
LED rings, sensors, sonde coils, windows — our bench rebuilds heads of every brand.
The surface crew's side of the inspection.
A sonde transmitter radiates 33Hz or 512Hz; a surface receiver pinpoints it.
Good receivers estimate depth from field shape — practice makes accurate.
Find an unmarked connection before excavation or lining.
Put the sonde ON the defect — now the map has a coordinate.
Locate a stuck head before pulling — saves the rod.
Sonde coil power is a service item — we replace them.
How we quote push packages.
The tap inventory decides rod length, head class and reel size.
If contracts require coded reports, spec the reporting path up front.
One-person service trucks favor portable; lateral crews favor van-fit.
We quote new AND tell you honestly when repairing the current unit wins. Same company — no pressure.
Operator + basic rod care with every system we deliver.
Sales and repair are the same company — the support path is short.
The push camera class exists because UK engineers (Minicam since 1991) kept miniaturizing professional systems.
SOLO PRO+ and Proteus — 30+ years of pipeline inspection engineering from Manchester. We represent them proudly in CT/RI + western & northern MA.
Many manufacturers build push-camera systems — our repair division services every brand.
Manufacturer imagery only.
Authorized where authorized; independent repair where independent.
Equipment that works — sold by people who repair it, supported by people who answer the phone.