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RealMFnG

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Everyone that has ever soldered knows in this hobby about this little guy. I got one too, but it isn't very practical once the PCB is larger than the size of a credit card. I was looking around at the professional ones and those are like $150 and up. And the prices on CL aren't much less. Found this one on eBay and bought it. Since I am a hobbyist, I didn't want to pay too much. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

I remember when worked at Plextor, the RMA guys always had this at their desks for repair jobs. And I was working on my first SMD soldering job, I messed that up good and sent it off to @Mitsurugi-w to fix it. I think I just misaligned my chip with my cross-eyed vision. Any of you guys use such a thing and find value in it? If so, which one do you have and how much did you pay for it.
 
I use one similar to the one you have found on ebay. Best purchase ever, I would not solder anything without it these days with how small components are getting.
 
I'm using a shitty light source so I need to upgrade it to something better.
 
I am gonna start sending you stuff to fix if you keep getting toys like that. :D
It's a great bargain for under $200 and I've gotten a lot of use out of mine, but I'm starting to get that upgrade itch. After spending many, many hours physically leaning forward peering into my scope, getting an upgraded model with an external monitor output is very appealing.
 
I am gonna start sending you stuff to fix if you keep getting toys like that. :D
It's a great bargain for under $200 and I've gotten a lot of use out of mine, but I'm starting to get that upgrade itch. After spending many, many hours physically leaning forward peering into my scope, getting an upgraded model with an external monitor output is very appealing.
I have a KI1 board that needs the "whiteglove" repair treatment if you do upgrade!
 
I am gonna start sending you stuff to fix if you keep getting toys like that. :D
It's a great bargain for under $200 and I've gotten a lot of use out of mine, but I'm starting to get that upgrade itch. After spending many, many hours physically leaning forward peering into my scope, getting an upgraded model with an external monitor output is very appealing.
I know what you mean, they guy I bought my PVM2950 from used it with a microscope to repair expensive ass watches of all things.
 
I personally use an Optivisor.
This little fella is daunting cheap on amazon, but it's extremely useful (at least to me).

First of all you don't need to adjust anything. It follows you automatically every time you change your viewing angle while still keeping the lenses at the best position for your eyesight. You can position the light independently, which sometimes is a problem when using those lenses with a circular neon. It does not obstruct your soldering tools as the lens with neon does. And you can "disable" the lenses by means of a very simple gesture.

One little tip if you choose to try it: do not attempt to just get the one with the highest magnification. High magnification also means a narrower viewfield! I personally find a 2.5x magnification more than enough for my daily soldering.
OptiVISOR.jpg
 
So with the lamp I got from eBay I was fastening down the clamp to my bench and noticed it wasn't tightening. Then looked down and noticed the clamp just was splitting. Other than that, the magnifying glass lamp works great. The glass is real glass. The lights provide plenty of illumination. Allows me to tilt around EPROM's and read faded silkscreened print really well. I haven't done any soldering with it yet. But have thrown some IC's under it. Looks like it will make jobs much easier.

Hoping to get a replacement clamp from the seller. If this doesn't work, I'll try the head mount visor @Asayuki recommended.
 
I personally use an Optivisor.
This little fella is daunting cheap on amazon, but it's extremely useful (at least to me).

First of all you don't need to adjust anything. It follows you automatically every time you change your viewing angle while still keeping the lenses at the best position for your eyesight. You can position the light independently, which sometimes is a problem when using those lenses with a circular neon. It does not obstruct your soldering tools as the lens with neon does. And you can "disable" the lenses by means of a very simple gesture.

One little tip if you choose to try it: do not attempt to just get the one with the highest magnification. High magnification also means a narrower viewfield! I personally find a 2.5x magnification more than enough for my daily soldering
OptiVISOR.jpg
I actually bought one of these at 2.5x magnification just like you suggested. I must say, it has increased my soldering game 100x!! I have a surgeon's hands, but after playing games on a cell phone, they can't see the future any longer like they used to. Did my first TSSOP package over the past few weeks. Actually, did quite a few of them. Next stop, I am going to tackle the Killer Instinct repair I posted about so long ago. Seems it might just be a problem with U92. I am going to reflow solder first, then swap out if all else fails. Big thanks for this!

If anyone picks this up, Asayuki is spot on when he says that 2.5x is all you need and it is very practical during application. The only drawback of this is the focal length is extremely limited. Just be advised you are going to have to almost stick your nose into the work area to see what you are doing. You won't be able to do any Youtube video tutorials that is for sure.
 
I have one of these clamped onto my desk

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Bright-...224013?hash=item238bacf7cd:g:1AkAAOSwZ35ZlYuM

if anything it's hand having a movable over head light so it's often in use even if I don't need the magnification.

Also have a cheapo LCD 'microscope' like this

https://www.banggood.com/G600-Digit...-p-1152799.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN

although i'd love something with a higher res camera and larger screen
So far I've always used my eagle eye vision but I know it won't be long before presbyopia kicks in... :(
This lamp clamped to the desk is probably a favourite amongst eletronicians. I'm thinking of getting one.
 
I have one of these clamped onto my desk

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Bright-...224013?hash=item238bacf7cd:g:1AkAAOSwZ35ZlYuM

if anything it's hand having a movable over head light so it's often in use even if I don't need the magnification.

Also have a cheapo LCD 'microscope' like this

https://www.banggood.com/G600-Digit...-p-1152799.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN

although i'd love something with a higher res camera and larger screen
So far I've always used my eagle eye vision but I know it won't be long before presbyopia kicks in... :( This lamp clamped to the desk is probably a favourite amongst eletronicians. I'm thinking of getting one.
I'd recommend it, once I got mine I don't know how I managed without tbh
 
I use the optivisor always, and got a set of these jewelry repair glasses recently:

https://www.amazon.com/Beileshi-Magnifier-Illumination-Magnifying-Miniature/dp/B00OK0MAX6

I was really just hoping for some improved lighting, as the optivisor's mediocre at best. The lighting of the jewelry repair glasses is great, but the magnification is too much for the bulk of the work. I need something that is a good balance with the lower, levels of magnification (2.5x, 5x and 7.5x, I'm guessing), while being something more like the jewelry repair glasses with regard to its lighting features and being more like glasses.

That would be my "best of all worlds", if anyone can recommend a good product like this.
 
I trained myself to see about 0.5mm correctly without scopes.
Taking the time to pull out a scope only slows me down, and I've got wafers to process (aka time is money).
Every different wafer I test needs equipment calibration before loading...
To make CALs easier we keep different resistors soldered to the edge of the chuck for a quick dial-in.

Is this making contact?
05oare9.jpg


It's a trick question, because yes it IS making contact, but proper contact?
EQ CAL should read a perfect 50, but see the different values you get with just a quarter mil (0.25mm) of extra or weaker pressure...
NtzWbUf.jpg
 
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