Magnifier/microscope

You can't beat a full-blown stereoscope for this problem. I use a Kyowa stereo with a relatively modest max. 10X magnification but you'd be

*amazed* how much difference that makes and lower magifications = brighter images and better depth of field (all other things being equal). Any kind of hand-held magnifier is a waste of time; you need as many hands free as you can get even if you just want to inspect stuff.

They have some on e-bay, though 'stereoscope' gets more Viewmasters than microscopes. Stereo microscope, or stereo dissecting microscope, gets a lot of them. I've used one to repair some very fine-pitch pc board connectors, and they're great. It helps if the microscope is boom-mounted, so that it can hang independently over the work. Otherwise, you'd need to somehow position the work on the microscope stage.

-- john

I'd vote for a Mantis as even better than a regular stereo microscope. But the swing-arm magnifier/lamp things are pretty good if you don't want to spend a lot of money.

John

I know the problem. Two things I can recommend: drugstore reading glasses for larger stuff and an old Zeiss surgical microscope for smaller stuff. Eye loupes will give you headaches.

Cheers,

Phil Hobbs

Same here. Drugstore glasses in the strongest prescription you can get (stronger than you need for just reading). My solution for soldering 0603's and fine pitch IC's. I am 49, and wear varyfocus glasses normally; I put the reading glasses just over them for soldering.

I do have a (quite expensive) lamp with magnifier combination. Fine for inspection, bad for soldering as the soldering iron interferes with the lamp most of the time.

For the real hi-density stuff I do use a 10x binocular microscope.

And a nice Weller pencil-style iron with fine tip and temp control, together with a normal weller with coarse tip for desoldering and other heavy duty work.

For looking at close objects you need to focus and slight cross-eye vision. The glasses solve the focus issue. I can do the cross eye trick effortlessly, but I know people who cannot sustain this without incurring a blazing headache. If you are one of those, the microscope might be the only option as it allows parallel vision.

--
 - René

To be precise, the "prescription" is the reciprocal of the focal length (= working distance) in meters. Thus +3.00 is 1/3 meter, a little more than a foot.

These can be worn over your regular glasses.

Thanks for the reply, ive been looking on ebay and found some at about $800 wich is quite a bit of money if you cant try it out before you buy. theres probably some cheaper, I can solder the 1 mm pitch ics ok so I gues a mag of

2 would even do.

Colin =^.^=

yeah eye loupes kinda make you squint. Im fairly short sighted so I just take my glasses off, 1mm pitch ICs/0603 stuff is quite easy. not sure what effect reading glasses would have on me.

I thought about getting one of those lamps, but I'm getting one of those realy cheap magnifying glasses on an arm with a couple of spare arms with crocodile clips to hold stuff, from ebay, claims 6x maginification although im sceptical but might just be enough and cheap enough not to worry if it isnt.

I recently got a nice small weller tcp, but I find the fine point tips seem to take ages to heat the joint up, usualy i can get away with a relativly large wedge tip if its got a nice square corner. unfortunatly the tip style I loved to use with my old weller TCP isnt stocked. (smallish long cone with an angled flat)

focusing for me is ok down to 200mm without my glasses, but with a series of fine lines at 0.5 mmm pitch my eyes or brain just doesnt seem to have the resolution and strangly it seems much more than twice as hard to see .5 as

1mm pitch, my eyes cant help jumping from one line to the next.

Colin =^.^=

I have an OptiVISOR by donegan optical co. that I've had for close to

30 years.

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
I love to cook with wine.      Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Sun, 21 May 2006 20:05:35 GMT in sci.electronics.design, "colin" wrote,

Yes, take off my glasses and hold the board about two inches away from my eyes. However, I do not like to solder in that position.

I'll vote with JT here to recommend that the OP at least start with an OptiVISOR. The "regular" 5 diopter (2.5 mag) is great for general close work and there's a swing-down booster loupe available.

DO NOT get a cheap "tool warehouse" clone with the cast acrylic lenses. Be kind to your eyes and get the real thing w/the ground glass lenses.

--
Rich Webb   Norfolk, VA

2 inches is close for comfort, when I was young I once got a solder splash in my eye from pushing a stiff pin through a pcb with a soldering iron, when the pin snapped out .. splash .. ouch, hurt like crazy, think it might of been just hot flux as no solder was found at the hospital ! fortunate was no long term harm. my contact lense saved me from the similar thing once too.

I just make sure I close my eyes or have protection if im doing anything that requires any force at all with molten solder.

soldering onto a terminal I thought I had disconected but was in fact still live with an earthed soldering iron was a bit scary too, solder splashed up.

Colin =^.^=

Hello Colin,

If you can get used to looking into another direction than where your work is (I have no problem with that) try a camera and monitor. Many cheap cameras come with a cable to display photos on a TV and some put out video while turned on. You may be able to try that out without buying anything.

What I don't know is whether a typical digital camera can withstand to be turned on for a long time. At least I'd try to turn off its LCD if it can be controlled.

The nice thing happens when you find something that you want to record. Like a mis-stuffed part, a broken trace or simply to document rework. Click, done.

Regards, Joerg

--
Me too. 10X.  One of the best tools I ever bought.

Aside, most webcams with manual focussing have remarkable macro vision. Not much good for soldering, but nice for inspection and documentation of problems.

--
 - René

How about one of these:

Good Luck! Rich

Hello René,

How about the HP PP136? The sensor is only 352*288 but the thing retails or $25 at Walmart. Might need another lens though.

Regards, Joerg