What do you all use for magnification for working on through hole board type of work? Net necessarily smt type of microscope but thinking loupe glasses or something. My eyes have gotten to the point readers just don't cut it anymore.
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Magnification?
- Thread starter 338_MtRushmore
- Start date
I hear you fellow aged-eyes!
Reading glasses from the dollar store - 1.25, 1.5 and 2.0. I also have eye loupes, 4x, 7x and 10x and "der Kaiser" for checking phono stylus - 30x
Reading glasses from the dollar store - 1.25, 1.5 and 2.0. I also have eye loupes, 4x, 7x and 10x and "der Kaiser" for checking phono stylus - 30x
The best I have found is a modern digital video camer on an old drill press stand. a cheap flemarket monitor and a steady hand. zoom in with camera you can zoom in and out. I have seen this done but have NOT done this myself. He used a drill stand that had a clamp the went around the had drill (not used anymore). He discarded the old hand drill and mounted the camera into the clamp. He couls zoom in on a chip cap, inductor, resistor and make it very large. The numbers were very plain also.
73 Old Barney
73 Old Barney
Greg T
WDX-945 (Jazz Singer) Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Invaluable tool for general close viewing.
For closer work, I use this thing...
The tool can be taken from the stand and placed onto a board, trace or anything. It has adjustable focus and dimmable lamp. It's not sufficient for smd "work" but to see up close and id components, locate cold joints/broken traces, find shorts, etc. It was pretty cheap on Amazon.
For closer work, I use this thing...
The tool can be taken from the stand and placed onto a board, trace or anything. It has adjustable focus and dimmable lamp. It's not sufficient for smd "work" but to see up close and id components, locate cold joints/broken traces, find shorts, etc. It was pretty cheap on Amazon.
The magnifying lamp, Dazor 8ml-104-w, I picked it up years ago from a jewelry store that closed.
The digital microscope is a skyear brand, that particular one is discontinued, here is the similar model on Amazon...
Edit to add, I'm not terribly concerned about brand, as long as it has clear images and lasts a long time. The microscope is battery operated, rechargeable, it has only had to be recharged a few times in over 2 years, has worked great. The mag lamp uses fluorescent bulbs, I found a stash of them cheap and stocked up. I have only had to replace the bulb once in almost 20 years though.
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- For only 16 dollars and walking into a Hobby Lobby store a few
months back, I got these. Never tried the built in LED yet.
And I have a metal clamp lamp to shine the light.
Light Up Magnifying Headband
.
months back, I got these. Never tried the built in LED yet.
And I have a metal clamp lamp to shine the light.
Light Up Magnifying Headband
.
What is the viewing distance like? The few cheap things I’ve tried were less than 6” focus distance. Ok for most inspection stuff, but trying to solder that close sucked.
On the highest strength lens, it is about 6", but I find myself using the 2x ones (which is more than a 2x reader) and I can see my whole desk clearly. Out of the 5 lenses I have, I only like the 3rd one (labeled 2x) and if I want it zoomed in more, I move it further away (two attachment points that both move).
It is certainly NOT like having a 100x zoom microscope on a big 4k monitor, but I am almost glad its not because I would get dizzy. I just stick with the one lense and if I need to do something extremely fine, I flip down the loop and get in close.
Not perfect, but IMO, great for the price. Your eyes may vary..
It is certainly NOT like having a 100x zoom microscope on a big 4k monitor, but I am almost glad its not because I would get dizzy. I just stick with the one lense and if I need to do something extremely fine, I flip down the loop and get in close.
Not perfect, but IMO, great for the price. Your eyes may vary..