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

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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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

I use one of these 


The built in light is a bit rubbish so you'll need a ring light as well 


The base is not really heavy enough so it is best to clamp it down but 
otherwise it works reasonably well. Forget the included 20x lenses - 
they are too powerful for PCB work. You do need to hold your head just 
right but that goes for pretty much any optical microscope. You get used 
to it and having binocular vision makes such a difference.

Les


On 01/11/2019 00:24, Dave wrote:
> 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:
>
> https://www.amscope.com/applications/electronics/circuit-boards-general-electronics.html 
>
>
> 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
>
>
> 
>

I have the trinocular version of this scope. I needed the camera for creating YouTube videos. See website.

You are correct on viewing angle you need to see exactly through the center of the eye piece. Also the little fluorescent light isn't bright enough under higher mag so splurge for the led version. The other issue you'll have is solder fumes if you're working on a board. Get a good fume extractor too. You can see the quality of the view in some of my videos to give you an idea what you'll see.

73! Mark KA6WKE

I do.? An old american optical, 5 different powers, boom stand. Old fashioned fiber optics light (bulb set on low).

Make sure that if you buy one used, that it's not made for chip examination, and that the working distance between the work and the lens is fairly large.? Chip microscopes have almost no working distance.

You'll want a good fan as well.

As for the "hold your head just right, mine doesn't seem to have that problem.

Harvey

@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

I use a Mantis Elite at work every day for soldering.

It resolves exactly what you mentioned, that the view disappears, because it has very wide field eyepiece area (you look into a single "screen").

Of course it costs real money, but I wouldn't want to miss it.

You definitely want an optical stereo microscope, at least if both of your eyes are still somewhat functional.

A 2D digital image does not compare for soldering.

ST

On Fri, Nov 1, 2019 at 1:24 AM Dave <theschemer@...> wrote:

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

I use one of these <>

The built in light is a bit rubbish so you'll need a ring light as well <>

The base is not really heavy enough so it is best to clamp it down but otherwise it works reasonably well. Forget the included 20x lenses - they are too powerful for PCB work. You do need to hold your head just right but that goes for pretty much any optical microscope. You get used to it and having binocular vision makes such a difference.

Les

I use a dissecting microscope from Lakeland Microscopes. Their seems to be something wrong with their website.

Get

Do an EBAY search for Binocular Stereo Microscope

and you will be surprised by the number of solutions you CAN afford.

I have bought them in the past for children and have found that many of the dirt cheap binocular microscopes... $35 .....

have no problem at all being the right magnification and distance for SMD free hand soldering.

The ONLY? "gotcha" I found was that some binocular microscopes have a child sized PUPILLARY DISTANCE (PD) .....? the distance between

your two pupals and no way to adjust that distance.

So shop carefully to learn that distance.


I've been using this one for many years...... they sell now for $87




20X Binocular Stereo Microscope
SKU: SE204-A


and I suspect this is just as good for $53



AMSCOPE 20X Portable Sharp Binocular Stereo Microscope LED PCB Repair Dissecting


There are huge price differences for these microscopes and I don't know about you guys but

so far I have not been disappointed by any of the cheap binocular microscopes.

Hi Harvey, how's it going? I have done a crash course yesterday and learned from my early findings that I need distance to work with plenty of access. And that a 0.5 objective lens for a wider view is a good thing to have. I will be searching for a while but not too long. I don't want to have to buy this thing twice after making the wrong decision first.

Thanks,

Dave

On 10/31/2019 8:28 PM, Harvey White wrote:

I do.? An old american optical, 5 different powers, boom stand. Old fashioned fiber optics light (bulb set on low).

Make sure that if you buy one used, that it's not made for chip examination, and that the working distance between the work and the lens is fairly large.? Chip microscopes have almost no working distance.

You'll want a good fan as well.

As for the "hold your head just right, mine doesn't seem to have that problem.

Harvey