Headband magifiers

[dr pepper]

I have a fairly cheap headband magnifier for soldering small devices.
Which magnifiers are popular for electronics work, I'm thinking of a better set with glass lenses, I've been looking at donegal optivisors.
I seem to use 1.5 and 2.0 magnification lenses in mine, I spose they may not have the magnification they are marked up with.

 

[DirtyLude]

I use reading glasses. You can get them from the drug store in a variety of magnifications. They are just easier to work with.

 

[spec]

I use reading glasses. You can get them from the drug store in a variety of magnifications. They are just easier to work with.

Simple and brilliant.

Taking that approach one step further, I suppose a good optician could put some custom lenses in a frame to give the magnification required to match your eyes. In the UK when you buy prescription glasses you can often get another pair free or for a very low cost.

Developing DLs idea even further you could have a range of glasses, say x1.5, x2, x3 but I don't know if the higher magnifications are possible optically and the working distance may be a bit short.

spec

 

[dr pepper]

Interesting idea, you can get those for 2 quid too.

 

[DirtyLude]

Taking that approach one step further, I suppose a good optician could put some custom lenses in a frame to give the magnification required to match your eyes. In the UK when you buy prescription glasses you can often get another pair free or for a very low cost.

I have prescription reading glasses now and they are definitely superior to the drug store brand, though the drug store brand does work. Proper setup for pupillary distance removes some eye strain. I just buy from the online prescription glasses discounters (eyebuydirect, clearlycontacts). The drug store brands vary in quality and if you find yourself getting strained using them for a little while, try a different brand.

You can double up glasses since they are just magnifiers. You can put on a 2x and a second 2x to double the magnification if needed for a short time. I've been doing this fairly regularly lately.

 

[shortbus=]

May be misunderstanding the original question, but. The optivisor type magnifiers have a focal distance. If you are using them outside the optimal distance they will seem to be not magnifying correctly and things may be blurry. And there are flip down loupes to make the magnification higher when needed.

http://www.loupe-magnifier.com/Optivisor.htm

 

[dr pepper]

I didnt know working distance depended on magnification, 2x would be the one for me then.
They seem to be a lot cheaper in the Us, and there doesnt seem to be anything over here that has proper glass lenses.
The flip down doo dah looks good too.
I wonder if the original optivisort lenses will fit the import copy.

 

[Externet]

...Which magnifiers are popular...

I would say these qualify as "popular"
----> http://www.destinationlighting.com/images/products_zoom/439/P687439~zoom.jpg

I'm thinking of a better set with glass lenses,.

The very best set should be what I put together on my workbench, honestly do not know of anything better :
----> http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss323/Innernet/Dolby bench_zpsa9dvmyu8.jpg

I seem to use 1.5 and 2.0 magnification lenses in mine, I spose they may not have the magnification they are marked up with.

One square inch on the board shows as big as the screen. If a 20" x 20" display, magnification is around 400.
To obtain that magnification with lenses, leaves no room to probe nor soldering between the lens and the target. Not the case here.

 

[spec]

I didnt know working distance depended on magnification, 2x would be the one for me then.
They seem to be a lot cheaper in the Us, and there doesnt seem to be anything over here that has proper glass lenses.
The flip down doo dah looks good too.
I wonder if the original optivisort lenses will fit the import copy.

Yes, the more magnification the shorter the working distance: this is shown on the Donegan web site.
'OptiVISOR Specs
Item___Focal Length___Magnification
DA-2________20″_________1.5 times
DA-3 / LX3___14″_________1.75 times
DA-4 / LX4___10″_________2.0 times
DA-5 / LX5____8″_________2.5 times
DA-7 / LX7____6″_________2.75 times
DA-10________4″_________3.5 times'

The Optivisor AL model is the cheaper version which has plastic lens:
http://www.doneganoptical.com/products/optivisor-al

But the Optivisor model does have high quality glass lens: http://www.doneganoptical.com/products/optivisor.

'Optical glass prismatic lenses: Ground and polished to precision optical standards—bevel edged and mounted in an interchangeable plastic frame'

The Optivisor is available in the UK from Amazon UK for example. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Optivisor-3-5x-Handsfree-Magnifier-Visor/dp/B006BU0INW/ref=pd_sim_sbs_421_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=31go-19xqML&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=8FDG14C6BAKR29RXZYAJ

There are a load of reviews on Amazon UK which emphasize the quality of the Optivisor optics.

spec

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

They seem to be a lot cheaper in the Us, and there doesnt seem to be anything over here that has proper glass lenses.

Glass lens are pretty rare these days, due to the weight and the cost, optical plastic is far more common - and makes spectacles far more wearable.

 

[spec]

Glass lens are pretty rare these days, due to the weight and the cost, optical plastic is far more common - and makes spectacles far more wearable.

Hy Nigel,

Glass is still used but is more expensive as you say. Glass has a higher refractive index than plastic giving a thinner lens. Glass is also harder and does not scratch so easily even compared to a plastic lens with a hard coating. Glass also has a superior color rendition and a lower coefficient of expansion.

Glass is heavier than plastic but not enough to be a problem. But plastic is safer, in a car crash for example, as it does not shatter.

spec

 

[spec]

The very best set should be what I put together on my workbench, honestly do not know of anything better :
----> http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss323/Innernet/Dolby bench_zpsa9dvmyu8.jpg

One square inch on the board shows as big as the screen. If a 20" x 20" display, magnification is around 400.
To obtain that magnification with lenses, leaves no room to probe nor soldering between the lens and the target. Not the case here.

Wow that is awesome, and the electro-optic system too.

Any details?

spec

 

[dr pepper]

I have 2 or 3 handheld magnifiers, the glass ones seem better, maybe all the acrylic lenses I've tried have been poor quality.
A bench magnifier is something I do have, personally I find it gets in the way a little too much.
I wear plastic lens spectacles here at work, have to company policy, however when I do something small, like today joining little springs together I have to take them off, maybe because they are 1:1.

 

[spec]

I wear plastic lens spectacles here at work, have to company policy, however when I do something small, like today joining little springs together I have to take them off, maybe because they are 1:1.

If you are talking about safety glasses, yes their optics are normally pretty poor.

You can get prescription glasses that comply with the various safety standards.

Because plastic lenses can be cheaply produced they tend to be used in low end optics but, as is illustrated by spectacles, plastic lenses can be pretty good, but they don't quite match the quality of optical glass as used in high end camera and telescope lens.

The more you modify the light: magnification, focal length, field of view, etc, the more critical the lens material and lens geometric accuracy becomes.

spec

 

[spec]

Incidentally there is another recent thread that partly covers optical systems for electronic work: http://www.electro-tech-online.com/...50th-birthday-gift-ideas.148225/#post-1265816

spec

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I got the HM2LED here: http://www.magnifier.com/headband_magnifier.htm It's not too bad. I little construction quality issues with the battery door and soldering;

I'd love to have the fiber magnifier my oral surgeon used.

I see better with glass lenses. My script is about a -3.xx diopter range and I'm really sensitive to changes. My astigmatism is vertical which make all upper case characters really hard for me to distinguish. Polycarbonate safety glasses are really poor for me. I also tend to scratch the plastic lenses or I used to doing things like working on the car which I don;t do much of anymore. Trivex leneses See: http://www.allaboutvision.com/lenses/polycarb.htm

Here's http://www.amazon.com/Donegan-Optical-OptiVISOR-Headband-Magnifier/dp/B0068OSIIS a glass head band magnifier.

and then for some expensive stuff: http://www.amazon.com/Donegan-Optical-OptiVISOR-Headband-Magnifier/dp/B0068OSIIS

My oral surgeon had a fiber xenon light source with like a 10' cable. It was really sweet. Something like: http://www.surgitel.com/headlights/xenon-fiber-optic-lights

 

[spec]

You can double up glasses since they are just magnifiers. You can put on a 2x and a second 2x to double the magnification if needed for a short time. I've been doing this fairly regularly lately.

Another brilliant idea- I have just tried it and it works well but the working distance shortens directly with magnification- as you would expect.

spec

 

[shortbus=]

I worked as a die and mold maker on small parts. The "Optivisor" is the "state of the art" for headband magnifiers, there are cheaper ones but you will get what you pay for in this product. The glass lenses in my use was important because some of the work was using a hand held die grinder.

 

[Externet]

Wow that is awesome, and the electro-optic system too.

Any details?

spec

Hi spec. Electro optic? That is what the picture is all about. Clearance to work under the camera, anywhere on the bench, and surprisingly easy to get used to do rework looking at the monitor instead of at the board.
Details...
You should be able to discern from the picture, a common magnifier lamp attached to the bench on the far left, the lens and lamp removed, one spring removed as now it is very light with only a camera in place at the top. Near the support base, a composite-to-VGA converter with other irrelevant-here features, attached with nylon ties..
The camera as shown, allows over 4 inches! under it for reworking/soldering/probing.
The key to this contraption was the lens for the camera: 16mm. Do not know if another gives better results, but as is works superb. No additional illumination needed. Stays out of the way when not needed, and comes to operation by just pulling it to target reaching anywhere on the bench.

A beheaded junked like ----> http://www.lulusoso.com/upload/20120319/magnifying_lamp_magnifier_lamp_desk_lamp_magnifier.jpg

A 'lipstick' camera like ----> http://www.dx.com/p/zndiy-bry-mc594...ideo-camera-black-us-plug-299018#.V1CNTKdq3WU

Lens like ----> http://www.dx.com/p/2-8mm-16mm-fixe...y-cctv-cameras-6-lens-pack-15774#.V1CM06dq3WU

A VGA converter like ----> http://www.dx.com/p/cctv-composite-s-video-vga-bnc-to-vga-converter-adapter-71973#.V1COI6dq3WU

Why VGA instead of composite and a spare TV? Because that bench shares that monitor with a PC (seen on top) But you can go TV direct.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Glass is heavier than plastic but not enough to be a problem.

Sorry, Spec, but that's not at all true - plastic lens make a HUGE difference - the weight difference is considerable, and the introduction of plastic lens made a great improvement in comfort for spectacle wearers.

Glass lens have obvious advantages, but aren't much use if they are too uncomfortable to wear