Back when I did sat checks with just a flashlight and a mirror

I remember staring at a 12 inch crack in a concrete pillar 80 feet down with a dull flashlight and a dental mirror in 2005 - took me 45 minutes to figure out the rebar was exposed. Now I just strap on a GoPro and a good light and get the whole thing in 5 minutes with video proof. Do you guys still bother with the old-school inspection methods or has everyone gone digital by now?

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stella1211mo ago

Yep, "just a flashlight and a mirror" brings back memories. It reminds me of how my dad used to time his morning toast with a watch that had a second hand, and now I just stick bread in an automatic toaster that beeps at me. We've traded our patience and know-how for convenience and speed (which is fine most days, but sometimes I worry we're losing the feel for things). That exposed rebar you spotted by eye? That kind of sharp observation gets dull when you're just watching a screen.

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cameron_hernandez691mo ago

Ain't that the truth about losing the feel for things? I had a similar moment last year when I was checking an old sewer line and couldn't get my camera to focus in the tight space. Ended up pulling out my dad's old inspection mirror from 1998 and a cheap flashlight and found the crack in about ten minutes. The screen can miss the tiny details like hairline fractures or water staining that just pop out when you're looking with your own eyes. So yeah, I still keep the old mirror and light in my truck for those tight spots where digital just don't cut it. Not everything needs to be high tech sometimes the basic stuff works better.

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