Reply by Jerry Avins December 19, 20052005-12-19
Joerg wrote:
> Hello Al, > >> I solder using a microscope at about 7x. With practice, you know >> exactly where your hands are (and the soldering tip). I don't think >> I've tried soldering my fingers for several years. >> > > I used to solder under a video microscope where you have to look up at > the monitor. It's just a matter of practice but the microscopes get in > the way with larger circuit boards. > > >> I inspect at higher magnification. >> > > I do as well. What I want to try out some day is to hook up a Nikon > Coolpix camera. It seems that those digital cameras have a downside in > that they can output NTSC while running but not digital data. So I > either have to get a video card for the lab computer or schlepp the > video monitor onto the top shelf. > > >> A good light ring on the microscope really helps as well. > > > > I often use a bright halogen lamp that can be swiveled around to give > the best illumination. It can be very handy to find hair cracks and stuff. > >> >> I have never tried 3x reading glasses. Maybe I will get a pair. >> > > They are cool. But try to get some that are narrow enough so that you > can peek over the top. It prevents from bumping into stuff or knocking > things over (my keyboard could tell as story about that).
I bought a no-name stereo microscope body for less than $50 and refurbished it. Then I made a mount for it in part from an old telescope focuser, and equipped it with eyepieces from my collection. (I bought a new pair eventually.) The magnification is about 8 and 15. Nowadays, I use it mostly for removing splinters in my hand because it supports itself. I use 7X, 10X, and 15X Hastings triplet magnifiers; the 10X is on my key ring. For soldering jewelry, I sometimes use a pair of 3X Galilean telescopes. The long working distance -- about a foot -- means I don't need a heat-shield mask. I built a vertical illuminator into an old medical microscope, using a discarded light source from a metallurgical microscope. An eyepiece tube that accommodates 1-1/4 telescope eyepieces together with a 4X objective gives me a decently wide monocular field at 32X, and of course, I can go much higher. Working with inverted images takes getting used to, though. I made an adapter that lets me use a C-mount camera instead of an eyepiece. The sensor array is much smaller than a microscope's field, so one sees the central part only at higher-than-wanted magnification. Eventually, I added a positive lens to the adapter that reduces the image size on the array, giving a broader field. I call it a wrolab lens -- Barlow, backwards. (There's one in my C-5 telescope to reduce the f-number from 10 to 6.3.) Putting the image up on a TV monitor takes a lot of eyestrain out of repeated inspections. Besides, it's fun to show grandchildren the activity in a drop of puddle water. Jerry -- Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get. �����������������������������������������������������������������������
Reply by Al Clark December 19, 20052005-12-19
Jerry Avins <jya@ieee.org> wrote in
news:w9ydnVLiS_pJVzvenZ2dnUVZ_sqdnZ2d@rcn.net: 

> Al Clark wrote: > > ... > >> I have a small halogen lamp on the bench as well. The main catch is >> that it gets warm. The fiberoptic light ring is much better. >> >> >> >> >> >>>>I have never tried 3x reading glasses. Maybe I will get a pair. >>>> >>> >>>They are cool. But try to get some that are narrow enough so that you >>>can peek over the top. It prevents from bumping into stuff or >>>knocking things over (my keyboard could tell as story about that). >> >> >> Thanks for the comments and ley us know if the camera idea works. > > A perf-board ring holding white LEDs makes a good cheap cool light > ring. They're relatively easy to make; if they aren't already articles > of commerce, they soon will be.
There you go, You can start your own ebay business. This is a very good idea. Light rings (even used) are expensive.
> > If anyone's interested, I'll post a picture of the 3X telescopic > magnifiers. You've probably seen your dentist use one. I can see > around them. My first wife said they made me look like a bug-eyed > monster. > > Jerry
-- Al Clark Danville Signal Processing, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Purveyors of Fine DSP Hardware and other Cool Stuff Available at http://www.danvillesignal.com
Reply by Jerry Avins December 19, 20052005-12-19
Al Clark wrote:

   ...

> I have a small halogen lamp on the bench as well. The main catch is that > it gets warm. The fiberoptic light ring is much better. > > > > > >>>I have never tried 3x reading glasses. Maybe I will get a pair. >>> >> >>They are cool. But try to get some that are narrow enough so that you >>can peek over the top. It prevents from bumping into stuff or knocking >>things over (my keyboard could tell as story about that). > > > Thanks for the comments and ley us know if the camera idea works.
A perf-board ring holding white LEDs makes a good cheap cool light ring. They're relatively easy to make; if they aren't already articles of commerce, they soon will be. If anyone's interested, I'll post a picture of the 3X telescopic magnifiers. You've probably seen your dentist use one. I can see around them. My first wife said they made me look like a bug-eyed monster. Jerry -- Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get. &#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;
Reply by Al Clark December 19, 20052005-12-19
Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote in
news:v0vpf.34703$dO2.10072@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net: 

> Hello Al, > >> I solder using a microscope at about 7x. With practice, you know >> exactly where your hands are (and the soldering tip). I don't think >> I've tried soldering my fingers for several years. >> > > I used to solder under a video microscope where you have to look up at > the monitor. It's just a matter of practice but the microscopes get in > the way with larger circuit boards. > > >> I inspect at higher magnification. >> > > I do as well. What I want to try out some day is to hook up a Nikon > Coolpix camera. It seems that those digital cameras have a downside in > that they can output NTSC while running but not digital data. So I > either have to get a video card for the lab computer or schlepp the > video monitor onto the top shelf.
With the advancement and falling prices of digital cameras, this is a very interesting idea.
> > >> A good light ring on the microscope really helps as well. > > > I often use a bright halogen lamp that can be swiveled around to give > the best illumination. It can be very handy to find hair cracks and > stuff.
I have a small halogen lamp on the bench as well. The main catch is that it gets warm. The fiberoptic light ring is much better.
> >> >> I have never tried 3x reading glasses. Maybe I will get a pair. >> > > They are cool. But try to get some that are narrow enough so that you > can peek over the top. It prevents from bumping into stuff or knocking > things over (my keyboard could tell as story about that).
Thanks for the comments and ley us know if the camera idea works. Al
> > Regards, Joerg > > http://www.analogconsultants.com >
-- Al Clark Danville Signal Processing, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Purveyors of Fine DSP Hardware and other Cool Stuff Available at http://www.danvillesignal.com
Reply by Joerg December 19, 20052005-12-19
Hello Al,

> I solder using a microscope at about 7x. With practice, you know exactly > where your hands are (and the soldering tip). I don't think I've tried > soldering my fingers for several years. >
I used to solder under a video microscope where you have to look up at the monitor. It's just a matter of practice but the microscopes get in the way with larger circuit boards.
> I inspect at higher magnification. >
I do as well. What I want to try out some day is to hook up a Nikon Coolpix camera. It seems that those digital cameras have a downside in that they can output NTSC while running but not digital data. So I either have to get a video card for the lab computer or schlepp the video monitor onto the top shelf.
> A good light ring on the microscope really helps as well.
I often use a bright halogen lamp that can be swiveled around to give the best illumination. It can be very handy to find hair cracks and stuff.
> > I have never tried 3x reading glasses. Maybe I will get a pair. >
They are cool. But try to get some that are narrow enough so that you can peek over the top. It prevents from bumping into stuff or knocking things over (my keyboard could tell as story about that). Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
Reply by Al Clark December 19, 20052005-12-19
Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote in news:Cb0pf.33828
$7h7.26198@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com:

> Hello Al, > >> Microscope with Boom & Light: $500-$1000 > > > How 'bout #3 magnifier glasses (a buck at the Dollar Store) and a loupe > on the swivel arm of a discarded drafting table lamp (pretty much free)? > > Regards, Joerg > > http://www.analogconsultants.com
I solder using a microscope at about 7x. With practice, you know exactly where your hands are (and the soldering tip). I don't think I've tried soldering my fingers for several years. I inspect at higher magnification. A good light ring on the microscope really helps as well. I have never tried 3x reading glasses. Maybe I will get a pair. -- Al Clark Danville Signal Processing, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Purveyors of Fine DSP Hardware and other Cool Stuff Available at http://www.danvillesignal.com
Reply by Joerg December 18, 20052005-12-18
Hello Peter,

> Yes, I heard a similar story... but it involved someone putting one > end of a vaccuum cleaner hose under a piece of equipment, standing > behind a partition and blowing smoke from their cigarette into the > other end of the hose (so that it looked like smoke was coming from > the piece of equipment). >
I guess the screw cap method gave it more authenticity. The plastic in there caused a smell that resembled frying cables. Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
Reply by December 17, 20052005-12-17
Jerry Avins <jya@ieee.org> writes:

> A long piece of spaghetti stock artfully arranged with one end under > the chassis and the other where it can be blown into allows for more > precise timing.
Aha! So you're the culprit! :-) Ciao, Peter K.
Reply by December 17, 20052005-12-17
Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> writes:

> This was from the days when smoking was still allowed in labs: > Engineer drinks coffee. Nature calls. While engineer is at the > ceramics department someone shoves a screw cap with a > not-quite-extinguished butt under the prototype. Engineer comes > back. Smoke billowing out of prototype. Engineer panics and rips all > supplies off.
Yes, I heard a similar story... but it involved someone putting one end of a vaccuum cleaner hose under a piece of equipment, standing behind a partition and blowing smoke from their cigarette into the other end of the hose (so that it looked like smoke was coming from the piece of equipment). :-) Ciao, Peter K.
Reply by Jerry Avins December 17, 20052005-12-17
Joerg wrote:
> Hello Tim, > >> I had a coworker for a while who could make a perfect 120-cycle buzz, >> loudly, just like a piece of power electronics about to go up in smoke. >> >> I think if we hadn't been doing stuff that was all DC we would have >> dragged him out and shot him... >> > > This was from the days when smoking was still allowed in labs: Engineer > drinks coffee. Nature calls. While engineer is at the ceramics > department someone shoves a screw cap with a not-quite-extinguished butt > under the prototype. Engineer comes back. Smoke billowing out of > prototype. Engineer panics and rips all supplies off.
A long piece of spaghetti stock artfully arranged with one end under the chassis and the other where it can be blown into allows for more precise timing. Jerry -- Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get. &#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;&#4294967295;