Troubleshooting – CA-350 + microREEL, microDRAIN, NANOreel

The micro CA-350 is a handheld inspection system that has been adapted to work with SeeSnake micro/nano series cameras, however it is not a SeeSnake monitor. 

• If you have questions on the CA-350 features/operation or need help with a repair please reach out to RIDGID product support:
  • Phone: 800-519-3456
  • Email: rtctechservices@emerson.com
  • User manual: https://cdn2.ridgid.com/resources/media?key=74170a60-ab42-4e92-8026-b36ef9b5a796&languageCode=en&type=document
• If you have specific questions about using the CA-350 with your SeeSnake camera you can submit a support ticket here or call the SeeSnake product support line: 888-477-5339 (M - F 8am - 4pm PT)
  

Operating the SeeSnake camera sonde and lights with the CA-350

• Camera Lights
  • Raise/Lower brightness with the L/R arrow keys on the CA-350 keypad
  • If your reel has a keypad its LED brightness key will not operate when connected to a CA-350
• Sonde
  • Lower the lights = sonde ON
  • Raise the lights = sonde OFF
  • When the sonde is ON you will see faint black lines in the SeeSnake camera video, if you don’t see these lines the sonde is NOT ON!

Troubleshooting – no camera lights and/or no video

You put your camera in a line, power ON the CA-350, and the screen is dark. What’s the issue? These are the most common issues found during support calls:

• The CA-350 powers up with camera lights fully dimmed
• Faulty cord (missing/damaged pins on CA-350 adapter or slip ring)
• Faulty camera head, severely kinked pushrod, or faulty termination
• CA-350 monitor or battery issue

The steps below will help you diagnose your system. If you have a 2^nd system available you will be able to interchange pieces and more thoroughly diagnose the issue.

• Camera lights are fully dimmed
  1. Press the Right arrow key on the CA-350 keypad to turn up the lights
  2. If the CA-350 shuts off when you turn up the lights try a newer battery (a battery near the end of its life may not sustain the power draw of a SeeSnake camera)
• Do the camera lights flash a few times when you power on the monitor?
  1. YES – the camera lights are functional
     • Try a different monitor or a newer battery
  2. NO – the camera isn’t getting power from the CA-350 or is faulty
• Check your connections
  1. Confirm the SeeSnake adapter is fully plugged into the CA-350
  2. Confirm the Slip Ring is fully seated into the camera reel
• Inspect the cord and connectors
  1. Unplug the adapter from the CA-350 and inspect the pins inside the connector
     • You should see 9 pins, if any are missing, bent, damaged, or shorter than the others replace the CA-350 adapter
  2. Remove the Slip Ring from the camera reel and inspect the pins (bottom of connector)
     • Pins are fragile, avoid touching them
     • You should see 6 pins, each has a backup and the Slip Ring should still function if one is damaged
     • If a pin is damaged or shorter than the others test the Slip Ring with a different micro/nano camera
     • If multiple pins are damaged, replace the slip ring
  3. Inspect the cord for cuts or damage, if the cord, CA-350 adapter, and Slip Ring look OK, swap cords with another reel
• Test the CA-350 with a different SeeSnake micro/nano camera or with the flexible wand-style camera included with the CA-350 kit
• If you can’t pinpoint the issue have your equipment examined by an authorized repair center
• Additional troubleshooting resources: https://help.seesnake.com/support/solutions/articles/150000174111-troubleshooting-no-camera-video-on-monitor

If you need to order a new connector cord refer to this article: