On 12/08/2018 06:01 PM, bitrex wrote:
On 12/08/2018 01:13 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article , says...

Thanks, I managed to pull it off by scraping away the mask, then lot of
flux, tinning, and tiny strand of wire method. Patched up the third
trace in from the bottom and video card boots into Windows now and
checks out OK, runs shader tests etc. as it should.

At age 40 I still test about 20/20 in my right eye, the left was that
way too at one time but worse now, but was able to nail the positioning
with tweezers and a fine tipped iron freehand, pirate-style this time.

I should probably invest in a good microscope, never needed corrective
glasses so far in life but check back at 45.



Glad you got it going.

I could see close up very well and not so great at a distance.
Somewhere around 40 my close up started going, so bifocals for me.Â* Now
I see better at a distance,but not so good up close at 68.

I messed around with several inexpensive devices and never could get
much out of them for the PC and SMD work.Â* The ones that used a computer
monitor did not work because I could not get the hand/eye to co-ordinate
looking out and working down.Â* Seems like most magnifying glasses had to
be too close to the work to do any soldering.

Bought an Amscope 4000z or could be a 400z for around $ 200 shipped and
it works very well for me.Â* There is about 6 ot 8 inches of distance
from the bottom lense to the work piece.Â* I am sure there are lots
better ones out there ,but for a hobby and not business, it is fine for
me.


I found that a cell phone with a "magnifying glass" app that uses the
rear? front? whatever camera it is that isn't on the display side, to
project a magnified image to display, and a set of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MTWLF2Q?pf_rd_p=c2945051-950f-485c-b4df-15aac5223b10&pf_rd_r=G6E38TPW6N236D8RSCKH


Makes a pretty decent expedient "microscope." Clamp the work piece in
the lower grips horizontally, and then most phones are lightweight and
thin enough nowadays that the upper grips will clamp it above, then peer
into the display. The camera LED makes a nice flashlight when left on
continually (though really drinks the battery.)

sort of like this (though the grippers are reversed here from what's
ideal, this was an early experiment

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i4b2on7yy1n9u14/Photo%20Dec%2008%2C%202%2019%2007%20PM.jpg?dl=0