An Aid to Failing Eyesight

[Musicmanager]

Hi Guys

This may not be anything new but, just in case .. .. ..

As an aging 'old fart' I have a problem with PCB's and components in that if I need to see the finer detail I need to use reading glasses, and for very fine detail I need no glasses at all and to get the item a few inches from my eyes ! This presents extreme frustration at times because I'm constantly having to take off, put on different pairs of specs, I always get the wrong pair first time or I drop something and can't see where it went without changing specs and then back again when I've found it !

I saw one of these microscopes on the Banggood website so I thought I try one. Came today, absolutely fantastic. Quite a wide range of focus adjustment, instant snapshot or video capture, 4 adjustable LED's in the head for good light and the camera is light sensitive so it automatically adjusts to overlighting.

The cost ? A tenner !

Thoroughly Recommended to all you aging .. .. .. Well, perhaps not .. .. .. don't want to upset anybody !!

S

 

[Ian Rogers]

Did you see Roman Blacks contraption??

https://www.electro-tech-online.com...-microscope-for-smd-work.132413/#post-1103572

I have everything to make one... You just reminded me!!

 

[Musicmanager]

Hi Ian

no, I hadn't seen that .. .. although probably needs more expertise than I've got right now to build it and reading on through the thread RB voices some problems with light sources that I don't have with this one.

Either way, I just thought I'd share the thought .. ..

S

 

[Ian Rogers]

Yours for a tenner seems pretty good..... I'll have to put a small computer together so I 'll have one on my work bench!!

 

[Musicmanager]

Ah, well I'm ahead then.. ...

I already have a computer above my bench so I can view Schematics, datasheets etc .. .. .. posh ? or what ?

S

 

[Ian Rogers]

I said ages ago you were posh!!!!

 

[Musicmanager]

As I said at the time .. ... you need treatment for the hallucinations S

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Nice find. I did buy a head magnifier with a few magnifications and two built in LEDs. I also have a tiny 11.5 x 15 mm folding magnifier.

The real recommendation is a stereo microscope with or without a camera. that will set you back a bunch. I had access to one at work at one time.

 

[atferrari]

Nice find. I did buy a head magnifier with a few magnifications and two built in LEDs. I also have a tiny 11.5 x 15 mm folding magnifier.

The real recommendation is a stereo microscope with or without a camera. that will set you back a bunch. I had access to one at work at one time.

Could show a picture and a reference?

 

[dr pepper]

I know the old fart feeling, a fat old fart is worse as your back is also failing.

I have a few magnifiers, the ones I use the most are haand held ones with a circle of led's around the lens, I find them an exellent aid, I have a head visor but dont use it as its a pain when you want to look somewhere further away, like the pc screen, 'scope or the mrs.

Heres a microscope I had when I used to maintain a printing press, it goes up to x100 and is marked in units of 0.05mm, I only use it the odd time, good for dry joints.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

at:
Which reference do you want? The camera one is my memory from a tekscopes yahoo group discussion.

The expensive one was:

Nice Microscopes - SM-3T
**broken link removed**
A tekscopes member
http://wa0uwh.blogspot.com/search/label/Microscope
The guy ordered the **broken link removed** and the **broken link removed** (auxiliary objective) lens.

 

[BobW]

Could show a picture and a reference?

I assume he's referring to one of these:

This is what I use too.

Unfortunately, unlike most people, I'm farsighted, and if I take off my regular glasses my focus gets even more distant.

 

[Mosaic]

This is the best one i have found, use it all the time...
https://www.amazon.com/Housweety-Pr...qid=1427782883&sr=8-6&keywords=head+magnifier

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I ordered the HM-2LED **broken link removed** It's really nice having the LED's.

The quality is eeh! there are two compartments for 2 cells each, but the battery door has a poor latch. I have to use a piece of Kapton tape to keep them in place The solder joints on the battery connectors weren't the greatest either.

 

[Musicmanager]

Morning Guys

A lot of interesting information has arrived here.
I must confess I hadn't considered the head magnifier option but I would have been reluctant because I can't bear anything on my head for very long but probably more important I find that if I remove my all day specs and try to use binoculars or similar I can't see much at all. I have to wear my specs as well.

The other advantage I see with my microscope is that without the stand it is the size of a pen and as such will fit into a confined space giving an illuminated view of areas I couldn't see even with a head magnifier.

Dr. P I know that feeling too - I was perhaps being a little economical with the facts !!

S

 

[throbscottle]

I use an illuminated magnifier on a gooseneck. It is x2 I think, I get so used to looking through it it's a shock when I stop. I have to use a x10 magnifier to read smd's though, used through the x2 one, so that gives x20! It's amazing how much difference good light makes though.
My eyes have gone from slightly short sighted to slightly long sighted as I've got older. I guess they must have been 20/20 at some point. Never actually needed glasses though.
MM, can you post the banggood link please, I cant load the jpeg on my phone but I'd quite like a proper look at that. Would give me an excuse to finally build shedputer!

 

[Musicmanager]

Hi Throb

The Banggood link .. ..

**broken link removed**

However, price has gone up, seems to fluctuate regularly, presumably because of exchange rates.

It is also available on Ebay, item no 281527744893 @ £10.27 I've used that seller before without any issues.

Either one takes an age to get here

S

 

[geko]

Can you upload a screen shot of the output from the camera? I'd be interested to see the image quality

I did build a Roman Black style camera with a dedicated VGA display in the workshop but it's not really portable.

 

[atferrari]

The real recommendation is a stereo microscope with or without a camera. that will set you back a bunch. I had access to one at work at one time.

Sorry. I was curious about the above.

 

[Musicmanager]

Hi Pete

View of an odd PCB I found to give you an idea. Video is just the same but will not allow me to upload on here. I'll email to you when I get chance

S