zxcvbob wrote:

-snip-
1) Try a pair of the highest-power reading glasses from your local
drugstore first and see if that does it for you.

2) The best lenses might be triplets, but they are not *that* much
better than doublets, and singlets are probably good enough.

I'm up to 2.75's now- and see they have 4x's at my local dollar store.
[and the good side is my optician doesn't think they'll do my eyes any
harm]


I have a cheap (about $1) 4x loupe from HarborFreight that I use for
removing tiny splinters, etc. But for most close work I just use
reading glasses -- I think they are 2.75x. The focal length of the 4x
loupe is less than 6", so you have to hold the work close to your eye.

for this kind of stuff I spent $12 at Radio Shack for a lighted
magnifier-
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2102639

It is only 2x but the clarity and bright directional light make it
better than some 4x & 6x loupes and magnifiers I've got lying around.

I brought a fuse into RS one day that I was pretty sure had no legible
numbers on it. I'd even scanned it on the scanner hoping to read
something. The guy pulled out his 2x light & read the numbers right
off-- I could even read them. I got the right fuse and a magnifying
glass.

Jim