smart tweezers

Another one:

How much components does $65 buy? If I try different values I usually use new SMD components if they are 0603 or smaller.

I've got Rev 1.0 of the Smart Tweezers. What an excellent idea. What an awful execution. :)

Mine sprays random readings on the display that vary over a very wide margin when measuring an SMT 'anything'.

There's a reason their website does not have a 'Customer Support' button.

I would say "don't bother".

--Winston

Seems like, some fraction of the time, I accidentally scatter or tidly-wink parts as I'm trying to solder them down or whatever. Then I see it nearby, and can't be sure if it's the right one. Damned caps aren't marked, and now they are using goofy alpha codes on resistors.

Thanks. Maybe I'll get the $65 Extech, on the theory that I'd only be out $65 if it isn't useful.

I can see how an automatic R/L/C/diode meter could get confused.

In your case by Sutro Tower :-)

ed text -

Mostly production smd is done by a board house. When I'm doing the smd proto, I get one component out at a time... "Now solder all the 10k resistors"... If you sneeze just get some new bits out of the strip.

George H.

The AADE L/C meter is handy for measuring smd caps and inductors. However, the smallest I've measured is 805s and it might not be too convenient for anything smaller.

I have one of those, and it's great, but doesn't do resistors. But the tweezers might be good to keep handy while assembling a prototype. Maybe.

This'll work for sorting resistors anyway:

At $30 it probably works just fine.

--Winston

I have those, and I love them. Dave Jones did a product review on them some time back as well.

The specs are fairly loose, but IME they're very accurate. They also have a quality feel to them, which I like--really thick gold plating on the tips, plus they give you a spare set. The oscilloscope feature is just a gimmick, but for most things they're the greatest.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Yes, I just bin all the loose bits... That's an aweful lot of bits to bin before I get to $65 worth...

My advice? Keep your desk tidy :)

We have a set at work. I think it's one of these ones rather than the other links you posted; it does L too.

They're extremely useful for identifying components in a circuit, like:

"This filter is behaving oddly. Have the subassemblers used the right cap values?"

"I modified this board yesterday and forgot to make a note of what that component value was."

Sometimes you need to unsolder the component to be sure others in the circuit aren't interacting.

So I think they're fantastic. Two software bugs, hopefully fixed now (ours are a couple of years old): they don't always switch off if you leave them on certain settings, I think "capacitance at max frequency". And the time-til-it-switches-off defaults to 60 minutes when yu switch them on (there's no off button), you have to manually turn it down to 10 mins. So always kep a spare set of batteries around.

Which one, the $400 or the $65?

The $400 Smart Tweezers. Good Medicine.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

There are also 'tweezer' probes that can be plugged into the leads of equipment you already own. Less than $10 last time I checked.

There were even 4-wire versions floating around, but kind of impractical for reactive components.

RL

That's what I am using. Unfortunately copper tongues but they work. You do have to subtract the cable capacitance though.

The best tweezers are zircon encrusted :-)