I have had a wireless smart phone compatible endoscope for several years. I remember using it for something when I first got it and it worked fine.

I also remember trying to use it in the last couple of years and not being able to get it to work. Stifling my urge to reduce it to itty-bitty pieces, I put it back where I stashed it and forgot about it. At that time, I suspected the app on the phone was buggered or outdated and wasn't in the mood to futz with it.

Fast forward to today, wanted to have a peek down the plug hole of a chain saw that the owner says is "quitting and not restarting until it cools off. Last time it quit, I checked and the chain oil was sort of boiling". Hmmmm. Overheating and seizing up then most likely.

My big cheapo Ryobi borescope wouldn't fit down the plug hole and I was in a relatively calm mood so I figured I'd give the wireless one another shot.

Initially the results were the same: App on the phone says no connection, change WiFi settings. Dicked around with this and that with no success.

Here's where my Man Card got jeopardized: I downloaded the manual and read the section on initial setup. Approximately 2 minutes later I had it working.

Of course the camera head on THAT one is also too big...

Damn man. Don’t go around just telling everybody.

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I downloaded the manual and read the section on initial setup.

That sounds painful. Best wishes on a speedy recovery.

I have a man card, but it's in my wife's purse.

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Originally posted by PHPaul:

...Of course the camera head on THAT one is also too big...

Reading the instructions, even as last resort, never yields good results.

My trials and tribulations after buying an "Open Box" Sony TV at Best Buy prove the point, as does your experience.

I'm a man with an engineering background. Reading the manual is ALWAYS one of the first things you do.

I support you!

Chalk me up as one of those who always reads the manual, even for stuff that seems ridiculously simple.

I keep having to incrementally train my mother on how to use her vehicle because she refuses to read the owner’s manual and it’s driving me nuts.

I usually end up reading the manual after The Beautiful Girl breaks something or declares it non-functional.

I throw the manual out with the box before I even finish unpackaging the product so that I'm never tempted to do what you did !

We have drawer the manuals go in. I never remember that and look it up on my tablet.

True story:
My 17 year old daughter assembled her new bed frame using the manual which had pictures and everything. She has yet to learn that fine line between tight enough and a trip to the hardware store. She errs on the loose side, so I check nuts, bolts, and screws to make sure. In doing so, I noticed two parts that look like they were put in upside down as they don’t line up horizontally with the rest of the parts. These are parts the go across the frame and support the mattress so it’s somewhat obvious. She tells me she followed the manual. Sure enough, the manual shows the proper orientation for the center horizontal member and she thought it applied to the two end ones as well. In her defense, the manual wasn’t clear at all about the two end members.

Another true story:
We got some bar stools for the new house which I assembled with out the manual. Two to a box. I assembled both without any trouble then my wife asked why the rungs between the legs on one stool were at different heights from the rungs on the other. I apparently put leg D into slot E on one of them instead of slot F. At least the screws, nuts, and bolts were properly tightened and I got a chance to do that again.

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Originally posted by PHPaul:
Here's where my Man Card got jeopardized: I downloaded the manual and read the section on initial setup. Approximately 2 minutes later I had it working.

The first rule of user manuals, is that you don’t talk about reading user manuals.

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Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
I'm a man with an engineering background. Reading the manual is ALWAYS one of the first things you do.

That is great for people with an engineering background. But most people don't understand that language and need it in simple English (American dialect).

The Navy ruined me. I scan through the manual.

My navy job required us to memorize the procedures. Even then, most underway operations on equipment required one person to read the manual, a second person repeats what was said before doing it, and a third person to watch the first two people reading and carrying out the procedure.

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downloaded the manual and read

Congratulations on joining the .01%ers!

Back when I was a product manager, I actually astounded the documentation team by reading and editing all the manuals for my products and - shockingly - having my engineers confirm/comment on specific passages.

Bought a used bmw 6mo ago. Went to work on it… manual (or google) is requirement. Just jacking up the car, or resetting maintenance reminders are not intuitive. The wonderful world of tech demands reading instructions…

Several weeks ago, we went on vacation out to west Texas in my new GMC HD.
Couldn't figure out how to zero the trip meter.
So one night at our friend's house in Big Spring, TX I grabbed a glass of wine and went to the truck determined to figure it out. On my second glass just said F' it and googled it. Had it worked out in about 2 minutes.
Also, the truck has a very minimal manual for the truck and the Duramax. The complete manual is online of course. It's 400+ pages. I print the applicable sections and put them in a D ring binder.