Magnifier for small work

iwb

I tried a search and didn't find anything. I want to build some small bits and pieces, mainly surface mount circuit boards and would like to get a magnifier of some sort to help.
I am not sure if the head mounted one is better, or the desk mounted flexible type with the built in light. I also have no idea where to look for something reasonably priced. Anywhere i have looked online so far has been upwards of €50, usually from the UK and with expensive enough shipping.
Thanks.

trudnai

I do some SMD stuff as well. I have a head magnifier I don't really like that though. It does not make a huge magnifying, the strongest is 3.5x but the distortion of that glasses are not acceptable. The 1.5x is quite reasonable but useless... Usually using a 6x one that is originally designed for photo stuff, I bought it at Maplin. It's small but the quality is perfect. Then I have a 7x and a 20x jewellery magnifier if I really have to see the quality of the soldering. Yesterday I soldered 50 pieces of SOT23-6 and 0402 stuff _without_ any magnifier, then just checked the quality using the jewellery magnifiers. A good desktop one would be better for my needs for sure though.

Regards,
Tamas

iwb

Thanks for that Tamas. I guess I should go for the desktop one then. Have you seen them anywhere at good value for money? I thought Maplin wasn't too cheap at all and no stock either. Farnell were even more expensive. Where else to look?

The Doktor

Any good to ya??? http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=TA74064

BFassassin

Try on Ebay. You can usually get stuff a bit cheaper on there.

iwb

Thanks for that guys. I have found a few different options on eBay and otherwise but all in the UK. They are usually over €50 but the shipping is usually another €20 or 30. I guess I will just have to bite the bullet.

BFassassin

Dont always go by what it says in the shipping option. I always ask the seller what they charge and its not usually that much.

RC car fanatic

before you buy online try the warhammer model shops

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They are called Games Workshop in case you where wondering;)

Look for something called "Third hand" or smething along those lines. It is a magnifier with 2 litle arms for holding the work.

The Doktor

Flunked wrote:

Look for something called "Third hand" or smething along those lines. It is a magnifier with 2 litle arms for holding the work.

"Third hand" eh? sounds like a lonely person device...:D
I got a helping hand like this http://www.modelsinmotion.co.uk/product.asp?productid=7565&catCode=233&tamiya=273 and its a pile of crap. Its burried in the workshop somewhere, and ye can get em in McQuillans for about a fiver.
Actually, have ya tried McQuillans in blanch or capel st?? or even woodies?? you will get this type of thing there http://www.modelsinmotion.co.uk/product.asp?productid=5362&catCode=233&tamiya=273

RC car fanatic

They are called Games Workshop in case you where wondering;)

Ye sorry i used to collect the figures,i just couldn't think of the name of the shop at the time,and i got a very useful magnifier from d'egostini the supplier so ..ye:)

trudnai

The Doktor wrote:

Actually, have ya tried McQuillans in blanch or capel st?? or even woodies?? you will get this type of thing there http://www.modelsinmotion.co.uk/product.asp?productid=5362&catCode=233&tamiya=273

Just a side note: usually these stuff has a small dioptry, 3, maybe 3.5. That's equivalent of about 1.5 - 1.6x magnification using 25cm of distance from the object. If you need more than you have to buy a bigger optics, or sometimes these glasses have a secondary lens that makes bigger magnification but in a very limited area - for that one I'm using the 5 quid worth of photo magnifier from Maplin... Chinese stuff but good and solid one (6x magnification ~20 dioptry).

So all I can say is do not just look at the price tag, if you will never use that stuff just give me the money and I guarantee I will not filling up your room or bin with unwanted material :-)

Tamas

iwb

Thanks all for your info and comments. Tamas, can you elaborate on your last comment? I don't quite understand. Are you saying that the desk mounted magnifiers aren't worth the money? Can you suggest a product that is the best value for money while being suitable for what I am trying to do?
Thanks.

trudnai

Sorry for the unclear explanation. All I'm saying is that doesn't matter if you buy desktop or any other type of magnifier, if it has a small magnification you may not see any advantage of using it. Usually cheap desktop magnifiers have around 1.5x magnification (so as you would like to use it for SMD component reworks these small ones are like an SOT-23-6 will be seen like a SOIC if you know what I mean). Usually they use dioptry to describe the optic power which is more precise and also sounds bigger. Usually you calculate magnification as the object is 25cm away from the glass, so it's: 0.25*dioptry+1. This is only when the magnifier has the focus point further than 25cm of course. With most of the desktop magnifiers you have around 70-90cm of focus point which means you can achieve bigger magnification if you keep your PCB near to the focus point, however, it's very inconvenient to work like that - so that your head has to be almost 1m away from your stuff, that's why people calculate with 25cm distance when magnification is calculated.

Anyway, I would say you have to go for at least 8 dioptry, and so far i could not find any cheap solution - that's why I bought a photo review magnifier (see the prod.number A82AW in Maplin). Compare it with A83GN and you will see what I am talking about - you may find this other one more useful, I just would not go for it. Which I like is far too expensive for hobbyist, it's more than 300 euros. I could not find the link for it but will send it later if you interested?

Cheers,
Tamas

iwb

I had been looking at the A82AW already but wasn't sure about it. I think I will go for that right now and see how it works. Thanks for all the help Tamas.