Magnifying desk lamp?

[T i m]

Hi All,

A mate was trying to change his CPU fan and in the process dropped the mobo onto the case a chivvied up a couple of the very fine tracks on the bottom of the board and from then on it didn't work (yes really!). ;-)

He asked if I could do something with it before he ordered a new one and I managed with the aid of my strongest glasses and a thick magnifying lens taped to one of those little clip on low voltage bendy shaft lamps (just to make a stand) see clearly enough to effect a repair . (I could then see the job ok, but my finest point tipped soldering iron looked like a length of scaffold pole and finest solder like a fire hose!). ;-(

Anyroad up, that got me thinking about getting one of those round fluorescent magnifying lamp things and my first few Google hits suggested they were ~ 100 quid!

Maplins have one at £29 odd and I wondered if anyone here had one (if so what are they like please) or could offer an alternative from a regular (Nt London) store etc?

to the Maplin site it is:

High quality 125mm (5 inch) 3 dioptre glass lens (1.75 x Mag) .

The question is: would 1.75 x be enough' for that sort of work (being the worst case etc) do you think please?

If not, can you get 'stronger' ones please (without spending a fortune that is)? ;-)

[Bob Eager]

CPC have one at about 15 quid. I find it useful, in conjunction with my glasses (I have a longsighted right eye, corrected with glasses, and non-functioning central vision in the left eye). Not sure of strength, but it has an addition 'high mag' area in it too.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

What I use is a cheap Palm Video Camera on a makeshift stand pointing downwards over the subject and look at a 14" monitor to repair anything with detail. The VC can go into the subject a lot better than magnifier.

[T i m]

This is the nearest I can find to my description at your price / description?

I find it useful, in conjunction with my

I was also wearing my 3.25 x 'Ready Specs' (though I guess I aught to get some real glasses ... one day .. ) ;-)

The one I found has x5 and x10 apparently?

With it's flat desk mount and little 12W flouro it seems the best so far . ;-)

Do they do mail order though?

All the best ..

T i m

[Bob Eager]

(until 11th August; if it's after then, ask me again).

Yes, so it has!

They *are* mail order but you'll pay 3.95 postage (I think) if the total order is < 35 quid.

[T i m]

Hmm, nice bit of lateral thinking there .. ;-)

The only thing is it's a bit less 'portable' than say a magnifying lamp and may add a bit more difficulty as you aren't looking 'through' the magnifying system as you would with a glass?

I dare say you get used to the 'fix-by-wire' in time?

All the best ..

T i m

[T i m]

Erm, I can't find anything under that code Bob, any chance of a link or do you have to be a registered user etc?

Might order one for my mate then ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[John Weston]

I've got one of these - but it's the older, cheaper, model that was recalled for a wiring problem (which I fixed...). It's OK when you can get the object under the lens.

To do what you are trying, I prefer a head loupe, since it is more flexible and goes with where you are looking :-). As an example, see

on eBay (not connected, etc.) The light is c**p but I see Draper now do one with a LED light that might be better, but is twice the price...

[Harry Bloomfield]

It happens that T i m formulated :

The Maplin one is the one I have used for a few years and it is perfect for dealing with fine PCB tracks. Too high a magnification can be tiring on the eyes.

[T i m]

Doh!

Good point. ;-)

Ok ..

Ah, ok, have seen them about but not tried one ...

Or I might be able to use a std flexy light etc?

I might get one of those as-well then .. you never know when such things come in handy .. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

p.s. Why do folk use 'make a shorter link' (in itself a long link compared with Tinyurl) and you get that delay while it 'redirects you' ..?

[Bob Eager]

You have to be a registered customer anyway, but that's easy...as long as you don't want a credit account. The code won't show up online except if you type it into the order boxes...it's from one of their frequent paper flyers.

[T i m]

Hi Harry,

Another good point.

I have no idea what the magnification the lens was we used the other day (it was glass, about 2.5" diameter and a good 1" thick (one face flat)) but even with my 3.25's on I could have done with it 'bigger' to see the tracks clearly and look for solder whiskers etc.

I take your point re eye comfort though .. with this rig up you had to get everything right then find the 'sweet spot' where it was all in view and in focus etc ...

I suppose it's like having a set of golf clubs .. each one right for it's own job .. like my 1.75 reading glasses for general close up looking (PC screen, reading etc. The 3.25's for 'close up work' (fixing their jewelry, soldering small objects, reading 'small print') etc. Then there would be the extra magnification for that PCB repair (he was pretty sure I couldn't do it as the tracks were *very* fine and densely populated) and real tiny stuff?

All the best ..

T i m

[Peter Andrews]

is similar. I've had one for a number years and it has been invaluable at times. My real problem for close work is varifocals :-( (I'm afraid it's your age sir, says my 27 year old optician) ...never mind her turn will come :-)

Peter

[Dave]

Similar to what I do. I use a mini camera on a child's microscope, modified to work over a large area. Works brilliantly, once you get used to looking at a TV screen, instead of what you are working on. One big improvement might be a small powered laser to pin point the centre of the view. That way, you can set up your tools within the point of focus and then home on into it, when you look to the screen.

Going back to the O.P. What you need is a very narrow soldering iron tip that is tapered to a point, that way, it looks a bit less than a scaffold pole.

HTH

Dave

[mike]

"Peter Andrews" wrote in news:Hh9zg.26745$ [e-mail]:

My young lady eyetester accused me of trimming my eyelashes, -which I do; a difficult and chancy task - and when I said I had to, otherwise it was like peering through a thicket, she implied it only happened because I'd lived too long.

( I think she was upset because she was working absolutely to Boots script, and I kept side-tracking her; well you've got to have *some* fun) ;-)

mike

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've got an RS one and find it pretty useless. For a start, the light isn't bright enough. And the glass is invariably dirty when you need it.

I have a pair of powerful 'ready read' glasses for such things and use my

100 watt QH anglepoise as the light source. Of course if you're already long sighted you may not be able to buy ready made glasses powerful enough. But +5 works pretty well for those with near normal sight.

[T i m]

That was the bit I thought might get some 'getting used to' ;-)

Sounds like nanobot construction! ;-)

Well in the flesh this is the 'pointyest' soldering iron tip I've ever used but the tip diameter was still probably 2x the width of each of these tracks? 1 strand of some thin multicore copper wire was the same size as the tracks?

Interesting stuff though ...

All the best ..

T i m

[Dave]

But more importantly, get her off the script :-)

You know your eye history better than she does. She is only there for the eye test of the day. (assuming that you have used them for several years)

I have used the same optician for the last 28 years and they never go into a script. I just don't let them.

Dave

[T i m]

Hi Peter,

That does look similar all be it a touch more expensive ... tho easier for me to get to a MM than Maplins ;-)

I bet .. gone are the days I could read the small print on batters and the like unaided ;-(

I heard similar when I had some eye troubles at 40 or so. Turned out to be some macular distortion in my left eye (that comes and goes). At nearly 50 I can still get away with these 'Ready Specs' (£9.99 or summat) and I would be terrified being responsible for glasses costing any more (knowing how often these end up on the floor or sat on) ;-(

All the best ..

T i m

[T i m]

Bright! I hope you don't work on an SM gear as it might de-solder them! ;-)

If you mean my arms are too short to read things properly .. then you are right! ;-)

When I first started using 1.5's for semi regular reading etc the

3.25's made me giddy and dis-orientated. I can now deal with them much easier but anything more than .5m away is blurred. Not tried any 5's yet .. might pop in and see if they have any tomorrow. ;-)

All the best ...

T i m