@Dave,
I too went through the process of attempting to resolve the problem of soldering SMD components. I tried a variety of USB Microscopes because they were inexpensive while the vendors were promising performance that simply wasn't good enough. However, microscope also have their foibles. I came to find that its best to call the microscope company and tell'm your budget and your goal. If they are an authentic company, they'll help you make the correct choice.
If you are just soldering a few 1206 and 806s here and there, well its fairly easy to solder these by hand using a temperature controlled pencile soldering iron. If however, you are doing a bunch of boards with many different sized SMDs, I recommend ya take the extra effort to fabricate an SMD oven. The ovens are simple to make and are VERY easy and effective.
I used a Black & Decker 1200 Watt InfraWave toaster oven which have low mass 'crystal' heater elements that exhibit low thermal inertia.
Check out this inexpensive SMD oven controller and homebrew website.
tron nee
Anybody using a microscope made for soldering? I finally realized I need
to be able to see better, and I will pay for the needed fix. I don't
think I want a USB style that has the little monitor/display but rather
something like these:
Anyone use one? The only con I see often complained about is if you
don't hold your head just right, the view disappears, kind of like with
a rifle scope on high power.
Thanks
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SETV - Autonomous Instrumentation Platforms for the Detection & Measurement of Suspected ET Objects, sans cameras
