hello all

I am trying to avoid spending 140 dollars on a monocular 35x zoom from
bargain microscopes.com, it has an optional focus lense upgrade to make
56x

i need this for surface mount device rework (repair and resoldering)

i suppose 30x is enough for surface mount so what i am asking is there
any way to achieve 20x to 30x magnification using compound magnifiers.
So far i have found that sticking a 2.5x to a 2x (compound) both with
about 6 to 8 inch focal length is enough for larger SOIC's.

so i am thinking a good 5x desktop magnifier lamp (about 30 dollars)
and a decent 3x magnifier (about 10 dollars) both with about 6 to 8
inch focal length should provide enough to at least do soic's. I say
this cause my 2.5x/2x compound is almost good enough for bigger soic's
so the 3x/5x compound might be enough to handle quad flat packs (those
100+ pin IC's you see on PC motherboards etc. ).

at any rate, that is my real question. Does anyone here have experience
or KNOWLEDGE about cheap improvised magnification using compounded
magnifiers with adequate focal length (working distance from lense) for
taking out Flat packs and soic's, in other words, the very small
surface mount stuff? In fact, any sort of magnification including diy
microscopes would be okay.

Thanks for your help (i am trying to avoid having to read a very large
microscope FAQ cause i am still too busing reading all the stuff i
found google.com searching "electronics tutorials" and Horowitz's "Art
of electronics")

; )

wrote in message
oups.com...
hello all

I am trying to avoid spending 140 dollars on a monocular 35x zoom from
bargain microscopes.com, it has an optional focus lense upgrade to make
56x

i need this for surface mount device rework (repair and resoldering)

i suppose 30x is enough for surface mount so what i am asking is there
any way to achieve 20x to 30x magnification using compound magnifiers.
So far i have found that sticking a 2.5x to a 2x (compound) both with
about 6 to 8 inch focal length is enough for larger SOIC's.

so i am thinking a good 5x desktop magnifier lamp (about 30 dollars)
and a decent 3x magnifier (about 10 dollars) both with about 6 to 8
inch focal length should provide enough to at least do soic's. I say
this cause my 2.5x/2x compound is almost good enough for bigger soic's
so the 3x/5x compound might be enough to handle quad flat packs (those
100+ pin IC's you see on PC motherboards etc. ).

at any rate, that is my real question. Does anyone here have experience
or KNOWLEDGE about cheap improvised magnification using compounded
magnifiers with adequate focal length (working distance from lense) for
taking out Flat packs and soic's, in other words, the very small
surface mount stuff? In fact, any sort of magnification including diy
microscopes would be okay.

Thanks for your help (i am trying to avoid having to read a very large
microscope FAQ cause i am still too busing reading all the stuff i
found google.com searching "electronics tutorials" and Horowitz's "Art
of electronics")

; )


A kid's plastic microscope from a toy shop is perfectly adequate for such a
task.
Its only if you need to take measurements, then accurate graticules become
important.


--
Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://home.graffiti.net/diverse:graffiti.net/

30X?! You have got to be kidding! I have a 9X watchmakers glass
which I consider to be a bit too strong.

This invitation to Treadmill Technicians to join this new group

http://groups.google.ca/group/Treadm...air-Technology

we need to break the shell on this knowledge, it is useful for the
public, still they keep it classified to make more money.

if U want to teach us somthing about treadmills, or need help, join
us,...

if U want to teach us somthing about treadmills, or need help, join


LOL.. Spam about reparing treadmills?? How complicated could they be?
Electric motor, belt, bearings and maybe a fan...

- Mike

"Goldenshuttle" wrote in message
oups.com...
This invitation to Treadmill Technicians to join this new group

http://groups.google.ca/group/Treadm...air-Technology

we need to break the shell on this knowledge, it is useful for the
public, still they keep it classified to make more money.

if U want to teach us somthing about treadmills, or need help, join
us,...


Rather than learning about treadmills, you should learn about Usenet. What
has this got to do with this thread?

Dave

wrote:

hello all

I am trying to avoid spending 140 dollars on a monocular 35x zoom from
bargain microscopes.com, it has an optional focus lense upgrade to make
56x

i need this for surface mount device rework (repair and resoldering)

i suppose 30x is enough for surface mount so what i am asking is there
any way to achieve 20x to 30x magnification using compound magnifiers.
So far i have found that sticking a 2.5x to a 2x (compound) both with
about 6 to 8 inch focal length is enough for larger SOIC's.

so i am thinking a good 5x desktop magnifier lamp (about 30 dollars)
and a decent 3x magnifier (about 10 dollars) both with about 6 to 8
inch focal length should provide enough to at least do soic's. I say
this cause my 2.5x/2x compound is almost good enough for bigger soic's
so the 3x/5x compound might be enough to handle quad flat packs (those
100+ pin IC's you see on PC motherboards etc. ).

at any rate, that is my real question. Does anyone here have experience
or KNOWLEDGE about cheap improvised magnification using compounded
magnifiers with adequate focal length (working distance from lense) for
taking out Flat packs and soic's, in other words, the very small
surface mount stuff? In fact, any sort of magnification including diy
microscopes would be okay.

Thanks for your help (i am trying to avoid having to read a very large
microscope FAQ cause i am still too busing reading all the stuff i
found google.com searching "electronics tutorials" and Horowitz's "Art
of electronics")

; )


Try this:
http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/uzoom/uzoom.htm
I have not built one but holding up a camara lens to a pair of binoculars
gave me a promising image.
Chris

Chris Jones wrote:

so i am thinking a good 5x desktop magnifier lamp (about 30 dollars)
and a decent 3x magnifier (about 10 dollars) both with about 6 to 8
inch focal length should provide enough to at least do soic's. I say
this cause my 2.5x/2x compound is almost good enough for bigger soic's
so the 3x/5x compound might be enough to handle quad flat packs (those
100+ pin IC's you see on PC motherboards etc. ).

surface mount stuff? In fact, any sort of magnification including diy
microscopes would be okay.


Try this:
http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/uzoom/uzoom.htm
I have not built one but holding up a camara lens to a pair of binoculars
gave me a promising image.
Chris




thanks very much for the link. Exactly what i was looking for. When you
held up the camera lens to the binoculars, was the image reversed by
any chance? The design in the link calls for twin prisms. Just
wondering if excluding the prisms might cause a flipping of the image.

Thanks again

wrote:


Chris Jones wrote:

so i am thinking a good 5x desktop magnifier lamp (about 30 dollars)
and a decent 3x magnifier (about 10 dollars) both with about 6 to 8
inch focal length should provide enough to at least do soic's. I say
this cause my 2.5x/2x compound is almost good enough for bigger soic's
so the 3x/5x compound might be enough to handle quad flat packs (those
100+ pin IC's you see on PC motherboards etc. ).

surface mount stuff? In fact, any sort of magnification including diy
microscopes would be okay.


Try this:
http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/uzoom/uzoom.htm
I have not built one but holding up a camara lens to a pair of binoculars
gave me a promising image.
Chris




thanks very much for the link. Exactly what i was looking for. When you
held up the camera lens to the binoculars, was the image reversed by
any chance? The design in the link calls for twin prisms. Just
wondering if excluding the prisms might cause a flipping of the image.

Thanks again

Can't remember and I don't have time to try it again tonight, sorry. If you
have any success please post your results. I have bought a microscope now
but I'm still curious about what can be achieved for little money. I
bought some quite reasonable Meade 10x50 binoculars for £10 (about $15)
recently from a supermarket called Lidl in the UK. I was thinking of
making a microscope one day.

Chris

Chris Jones wrote:

wrote:


Chris Jones wrote:

so i am thinking a good 5x desktop magnifier lamp (about 30 dollars)
and a decent 3x magnifier (about 10 dollars) both with about 6 to 8
inch focal length should provide enough to at least do soic's. I say
this cause my 2.5x/2x compound is almost good enough for bigger soic's
so the 3x/5x compound might be enough to handle quad flat packs (those
100+ pin IC's you see on PC motherboards etc. ).

surface mount stuff? In fact, any sort of magnification including diy
microscopes would be okay.


Try this:
http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/uzoom/uzoom.htm
I have not built one but holding up a camara lens to a pair of
binoculars gave me a promising image.
Chris




thanks very much for the link. Exactly what i was looking for. When you
held up the camera lens to the binoculars, was the image reversed by
any chance? The design in the link calls for twin prisms. Just
wondering if excluding the prisms might cause a flipping of the image.

Thanks again

Can't remember and I don't have time to try it again tonight, sorry. If
you
have any success please post your results. I have bought a microscope now
but I'm still curious about what can be achieved for little money. I
bought some quite reasonable Meade 10x50 binoculars for £10 (about $15)
recently from a supermarket called Lidl in the UK. I was thinking of
making a microscope one day.

Chris

I tried it again, a standard SLR lens (58mm focal length) with the "film"
end of the lens towards the object and the other end pressed up against one
lens of the binoculars. The image was the right way up, and the
magnification was very impressive. You just need some powerful
illumination and you'll be soldering 0201 resistors in no time.

Chris

Hello, !
You wrote on 19 Mar 2006 02:11:52 -0800:

w hello all


w Thanks for your help (i am trying to avoid having to read a very
w large
w microscope FAQ cause i am still too busing reading all the stuff i
w found google.com searching "electronics tutorials" and Horowitz's
w "Art
w of electronics")

w ; )


Like your previous poster, I find a jewellers eyeglass (Loupe) quite
adequate with the advantage that with a little practice it leaves both hands
free. I mostly use a 3X which gives a decent overall view but I use a twin
lens 15X to zoom right in, for a close look. These items are really cheap
and very useful in a great many unrelated fields. If you are even meaner
than that however, I also have a salvaged lens from an old discarded slide
projector which cost nothing and is very effective but has to be handheld.



With best regards, 3T39. E-mail:

3T39 wrote:
Hello, !
You wrote on 19 Mar 2006 02:11:52 -0800:

w hello all


w Thanks for your help (i am trying to avoid having to read a very
w large
w microscope FAQ cause i am still too busing reading all the stuff i
w found google.com searching "electronics tutorials" and Horowitz's
w "Art
w of electronics")

w ; )



I do a lot of watch repair. The watch & clockmaker's supply company S.
Larose http://www.slarose.com/ has a very good selection of loupes of
various types (hand held, eyeglass mount, headband type). Go to the
site & search "loupe". Since I wear glasses, I find the eyeglass mount
type especially convenient, they can produce 2 strengths & flip out of
the way easily if you're alternating tasks.

Dan