Magnifying glass or USB digital microscope for soldering SMD components - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: robsims
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2019, 07:26:20 pm
content: Hi,I need a magnifier forA Reading small prints on electronic components.B For soldering SMD componentsCan you share you're experiences if you have a magnifying glass and a USB digital microscope. Which one do you know (not think) works betterI have a usb microscope in mind. The link is belowhttps://www.ebay.com/itm/8-LED-1600X-USB-Digital-Microscope-Magnifier-Camera-Endoscope-with-Ruler-Bracket/133094762668?hash=item1efd10e8ac:g:ZQ8AAOSw2bhdEffF

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2019, 08:37:16 pm
content: OptiVisorhttps://www.amazon.com/Donegan-OptiVISOR-Headband-Magnifier-Magnification/dp/B0015IN8J6It looks like the 2.5x variant is cheaper. It's a place to start. You can buy different lenses, see farther down on the page.There are others, including those with battery lights. I still reach for the OptiVisor first.

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2019, 08:38:07 pm
content: HiThose usb microscopes are ok for inspection.The stand is critcal. Cheap ones have a lot of vibration, so keeping things steady is vital.There is far too much dealy/lag to be able to solder.I kept bidding on binocolar microscopes until I got one on ebay.Another alternative is those magnifiers on a headsethttps://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Headband-Headset-LED-Head-Lamp-Light-Jeweler-Magnifier-Magnifying-Glass-Loupe/1107600256They are not as good as a microscope but it better than nothing.

author: LateLesley
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2019, 11:36:20 pm
content: I have one of those USB microscopes, i got the 50x - 500x, but sometimes even that is too much magnification. It's manual focus too, so it makes it painful to use, but it's useful if you are poor and on a budget. If you have the means, I would go higher up the chain, as those cheap USB ones only do 640x480 in video mode. So the resolution isn't there. I think x1600 would bbe too much magnification, a 20x - 200x is probably the best. I added a cheap lens from one of those cellphone lens kits to mine to reduce the magnification, and it made the 50x -500x far more useful.I also got a magnifying lamp, which is handy quick stuff with plenty of light. I can't find the exact model I got, as it's fluorescent, and the modern ones are USB, but they are a bit more expensive than the USB Microscopes, and not as much magnification.https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=magnifying+lamp+5x+diopter+-led&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=magnifying+lamp+with+light+5x+diopter+-ledBut if money isn't limited, get a proper microscope (7x-45x), anyone experienced will tell you, they are far better. (Though I've never had the fortune to try one. )

author: robsims
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 01:41:03 am
content: Many thanks for the information guys. I won't buy the USB digital microscope. Some you-tubers advised me not to, because the magnification is way too strong and the working distance, the distance from object to lens, is too small for soldering. They advised me to buy magnifying glasses in the range of 3X to 7X. I'm on a budget. Can't afford to spend more than $40. I also wear prescription glasses, so i don't want head sets. If you have magnifying glasses which are very useful for magnifying small part numbers and smd soldering work, please let me know what their magnification is and where i can buy them

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 02:03:54 am
content: Quote from: LateLesley on September 08, 2019, 11:36:20 pmI just keep a jewellers loupe handy near my computer - very small and plenty of magnification for reading components.I personally don't find the USB microscope's much use for soldering - you need the stereo vision. If you are on a budget, go for the jewellers headbands.For SMD work, the proper stereo zoom microscope is worth the investment. It is just one of those investments you never regret - as long as your eyes are healthy. I had a detached retina last year and the cure causes bad cataracts. I couldn't use the microscope comfortably until I had cataract surgeryThey are expensive but you can save a lot of money. I could probably put together a decent x3.5-x45 stereo microscope solution to Australia for about A$300 from Aliexpress (a bit over US$200). You do not need to spend $600 - $1000.

author: robsims
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 02:10:24 am
content: Thanks amspire. I'm looking for a $40 solution now. I need something to read the small component partnumbers and to do some SMD soldering work. I wear prescription glasses, so i don't want headsets.

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 02:10:33 am
content: Quote from: robsims on September 08, 2019, 07:26:20 pmTry one of these - an ADMS301, I love it - about $140 on EbayEDIT: Just missed your requirement for $40

author: robsims
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 02:18:15 am
content: In my country i've looked everywhere for magnification options without any results. So i have to buy something online. How much magnification do i need? They sell magnification glasses on ebay with combinations of 5X/10X and 10X/20X . Which combination is best for reading small partnumbers and do some smd soldering

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 02:25:21 am
content: Quote from: robsims on September 09, 2019, 02:10:24 amBefore my cataract surgery, I was short sighted. Most the headbands work fine over glasses. The headband lenses are way out in front of the lenses of the glasses. They are good enough for most SMD work. Way better then any cheap USB camera.

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 02:35:29 am
content: Something like this would probably be OK.https://www.ebay.com/itm/Headband-Magnifier-Head-Magnifying-Glass-Lens-Loupe-LED-Light-for-Jewel-Repair/223634274500There may be much better ones, but this gives the dual stereo magnification option, includes a light, is cheap and will work over glasses.

author: robsims
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 02:44:07 am
content: Many thanks amspire. I looked at some youtube videos and you're right. They come with a set of lenses, the lenses will be way in front of my prescription glasses and they are good. If there are no suggestions from others i will buy one.

author: robsims
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 03:02:42 am
content: Thanks again a amspire. Well i've looked at more youtube videos and everyone seems quite satisfied with using a head visor. If you have a head visor please share you're experience and let me know where you bought yours

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 03:03:15 am
content: Also, you actually don't want too much magnification. The biggest thing the headbands do is let you comfortably focus on close objects. The lower the magnification you can use to get the job done, the more comfortable it is. 1.5x and 3x magnification is probably totally adequate.On my microscope, 3.5x is the minimum and that is the magnification I use 95% of the time.

author: robsims
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 03:40:41 am
content: Amspire, I found a good one. See the youtube link belowThe one in the youtube video i found on ebay for US $14.39https://www.ebay.com/itm/Magnifying-Glass-with-Light-LED-Illuminated-Head-Dental-Surgical-Loupe-Headlamp/122869101508?hash=item1c9b91b3c4:g:kt0AAOSwGwlaOOmd#rwidProblem solved. I will order one from Ebay. Many many thanks for you're help Amspire

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 03:47:29 am
content: Looks very good. I like the idea of the replaceable lens set.

author: robsims
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 03:49:06 am
content: Thanks again amspire. I will order one

author: MosherIV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 06:48:34 am
content: QuoteThe 10x is perfect imo for soldering. You may need 20x for reading part numbers, 50x may be good for detailed inspection if solder joints.As I said, keep an eye on ebay. I picked up my binocular microsope for £50. It took months before I was sucessful though.The headband thing is ok but takes practise and can be very tiring because you end up bending over the work peice to maintain the focus distance.The magnifier on arm with lamp are better but I have never seen any with better than 5x

author: Canis Dirus Leidy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 01:55:13 pm
content: Quote from: amspire on September 09, 2019, 02:35:29 amIn my experience, such visors have either a too small magnification or a too small working distance. It’s better (WARNING! I am one-eyed, so I can’t say how good their stereoscopic vision is) to take one of theseGalilean dental loupesfor $30 (without backlight) plus triplet loupe (x10 magnification) for inspection of suspicious places.

author: robsims
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 05:50:00 pm
content: Well, everyone on youtube i watched up till now, have no problem with their head band visor. Guess what? they are very pleased with them and they use them making long hours. I ordered mine today, so within 2 weeks i will be a happy man.

author: Johnny B Good
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 07:28:11 pm
content: Quote from: robsims on September 08, 2019, 07:26:20 pmI was browsing Banggod's "Flash Deals" (as you do when you get bored with reviewing youtube reviews of a 30V 10A bench supply ordered from Banggood the day before) and came across the following item "Mustool G600 4.3 Inch LCD Microscope" which 'our Dave" had happened to do a review of just over a year ago. Please note that he was reviewing an early version supplied with the totally useless plastic suction bracket - they're now supplied with a decent substantial aluminium stand which improves their functionality beyond belief.Apart from misidentifying the 90vac 'half mains live' voltage of its cheap commodity smpsu based European wallwart as a health and safety issue, he did a reasonably good, if rather longer winded than ideal, review. Indeed, there are dozens of other 'real' (and rambling) review videos (as well as all the crappy promotional videos) on Youtube if you can spare yourself a few hours to check them out.Anyway, I rather think this could be just what you need in order to see exactly what you're doing when soldering up smd components. Ignore the typical Chinese penchant for wildly exaggerated (one might even say 'Pythonesque') claims in the specifications. The 1-600 variable zoom is quite patently total and utter bollix (and worse, if true, would render it totally useless if itcouldactually zoom to 600 with even as much as a 60:1 zoom ratio - a 600:1 ratio would be "Other World Alien Technology").You'll be pleased to know that the maximum zoom is actually little to no more than 10 times actual size as it appears on the screen and the business end of the scope clears the work piece by some 200mm at about a 4 or 5 to 1 zoom, giving you ample space to manipulate a soldering iron (as well as an improved depth of field). However, you might be disappointed to discover that its "1080p" recordings are actually "only" 720p but don't be. 720p is way more than adequate to record sufficient detail (AFAICR, "FULL HD" was never mentioned in the advertising copy plastered all over the packaging so it's only in the webvertising that any lies have been told - it's anextremely cheap Chinese productso such exageration should be assumed each and every time).With regard to not being able to stream its video output, that might not necessarily be true. At least one reviewer managed to observe the video stream using a PC running Linux Mint, after plugging it into its USB port, where it initially showed as storage (and the microscope's screen took to displaying the USB logo and nothing else) from which he could access the recordings he'd made to the SD card. I don't recall the details but he managed to get it to display what had previously been sent to the built in LCD display directly onto his PC's monitor where it looked just as responsive as before (veryresponsive).I ordered one late yesterday evening from their Chinese warehouse only to discover, quite by accident a few hours later from one of the many youtube vids on my new found object of desire, that I could have ordered it from their UK warehouse some 82 pence cheaper and with a quicker delivery time. My plea to Banggood to change the order so that it would be shipped from their UK warehouse at the cheaper price fell on deaf ears but I guess that'll teach me to be aware of their bait and switch price juggling between warehouses on my next purchases.A word to the wise, just because it's often cheaper to select the CN option over the UK option in the warehouse choice buttons, this isn't always the case so it's best to checkevery single timebefore committing to the final purchasing transaction, especially in this case, as if to rub salt into the wound, you find yourself missing out on a more expedited delivery.The one I bought was this one (note the new pricing in between what I could have paid and what I did pay) :-https://www.banggood.com/G600-Digital-1-600X-3_6MP-4_3inch-HD-LCD-Display-Microscope-Continuous-Magnifier-Upgrade-Version-p-1152799.html?rmmds=searchThere are plenty of other sellers offering this LCD microscope so if you don't particularly like Banggood, you could try your luck elsewhere. Quite frankly, all these etailers are shit to one degree or another so it's just a choice of which poison you prefer to imbibe at the internet wateringhole.Anyway, I hope this has been helpful in some small degree at least. In which he displayed a surprising lack of knowledge over the use of a 1nF Y cap, mandated by the EMC directive, in its 10W rated smpsu wallwart charging supply to reduce the common mode interference which gets coupled via the inter-winding capacitance to the low voltage output side.Allsuch Class II smpsu wallwarts are afflicted by the presence of this Y cap designed to reduce RFI emissions from their low voltage output leads.Unfortunately, since the hot side of this cap is connected to the negative rail of the rectified and smoothed mains voltage which powers the high voltage switching circuit in order to short circuit the unwanted switching transients back to their origin in order to attenuate the unwanted RFI, this impresses a high impedance half mains voltage onto the low voltage output leads which, in the case of a 240vac mains supply, results in a reading of around 90vac with the typical 10MR input DMM used to measure it (the 10MR loads the 120vac down - a 10KR to earth would load it down to just 500mVac but these Class II wallwarts only have, at best, a plastic earth pin, preventing such a simple measure from being used). I can hardly criticise Dave's video reviews for their rambling nature. One, if he had to polish them up in an editing session to satisfy the needs of those with short attention spans, they'd probably never get done and two, I prefer such videos, "Warts and All" to quote Oliver Cromwell, simply because I'd rather have too much rather than too little information from which to make up my mind (there's always the option to skip "the boring bits" for those wanting to cut to the chase anyway).JBG

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 07:44:02 pm
content: The thing about the microscope approach is the disconnect between your eyes and your hands. It probably takes time to get used to doing anything with your head fixed and your hands moving. I have a binocular scope but I haven't used it for soldering yet. I have been doing fine with the OptiVisor.Well, and reflow, of course...

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 07:44:51 pm
content: I'd agree with everyone that a USB microscope is not very helpful for soldering.The delay is too much.I bought a Celestron USB microscope and I am quite happy with it now.Ido notrecommend this microscope!The illumination is far too cold (i.e. high Kelvin) and they jiggered up the color profile to make it work, which made manual color adjustment impossible.Also, the stupid manual lighting control is annoying and when would you ever want the light to be less than full?You really want all camera controls to be fully manual so that you're not fighting with them.Oh, and there's a stupid clear cylinder on the front (just to keep you the minimum focus distance away?)Why I'm happy with it now:I replaced the whole ring light with one of a sane color temperature.I removed the lighting control and made it switch automatically to full when the camera was active.I installed polarizing filters on the camera and the ring light (90 degrees out).I use a little app for fully manual camera controls.I threw away the clear cylinder.I use this for inspection, reading difficult part number and documentation.For soldering I generally wear multiple dollar store "cheater" reading glasses.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 07:46:13 pm
content: Quote from: Canis Dirus Leidy on September 09, 2019, 01:55:13 pmYes, with simple loupes working distance is equal or slightly less than the focal length, magnification is roughly the inverse of the focal length. It quickly becomes impractical.If anyone wonders, the rated magnification of loupes is defined as 250mm/f, f being the focal length.Quote from: Canis Dirus Leidy on September 09, 2019, 01:55:13 pmBasically a head-mounted telescope, I didn't know such things are made.I suppose focus needs to be adjusted with some knob? Or fixed at 250mm or thereabouts?

author: GregDunn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 08:03:58 pm
content: Quote from: robsims on September 09, 2019, 03:40:41 amI assume the lenses on these are acrylic and not glass? I'd love to find a lighted magnifier like this with quality lenses - stuff is likely to get scratched sitting on my bench, and the more resistant the better...

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 08:45:36 pm
content: Quote from: robsims on September 09, 2019, 01:41:03 amActually, the flip-up visors work fine with glasses. But, once you've used a stereo-zoom microscope with sufficient working distance for soldering, with a ring light, the visors will never satisfy you. It does depend a little on how small the parts are that you are working with. I can do 0805 and SOIC parts with no magnification for a while, but anything smaller and I really DO want some help for my eyes.Jon

author: robsims
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 08:50:26 pm
content: Gregdunn, the lenses are acryllic, not glass. Glass would be too heavy. If you don't want to scratch the glasses you need to keep them in the box the unit came with

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 08:51:03 pm
content: Quote from: GregDunn on September 09, 2019, 08:03:58 pmif you use it for soldering, the lenses will get gummed up with solder fumes. So, you'd BETTER have glass lenses or they will likely go bad very quickly.Jon

author: Johnny B Good
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 09:47:39 pm
content: Quote from: jmelson on September 09, 2019, 08:51:03 pmThat's a good point. If you have to get in close, you might also land up with spatters of rosin flux if the flux is extra lively (or you're using a very high soldering temperature). However, as nice as the smell of rosin flux is (I'm led to believe that some folk can't tolerate it), it's not advisable to inhale too much so a simple repurposed 120mm ex- PC PSU fan mounted into some sort of bracket mounted nearby can be used to direct these 'fumes' away into the rest of the room to save you from enjoying (or enduring) more than your fair share so this will probably reduce such contamination on the lenses, as well the insides of your precious lungs, to a vanishingly low level.The Mustool G600 4.3 Inch LCD Microscope I'd suggested will probably be just as vulnerable to such contaminants. If the camera lens used is actual glass (preferably with a hard optical coating) then it might be just a matter of an annual cleaning to prevent build up rather than a case of having to find a replacement lens every so often (or worse - scrapping the whole 'scope and replacing it with a newer and better model).However, being a cheap 'Chinese bauble' I'd be very surprised if it did use a proper optical glass lens, let alone one with a durable optical coating. Still, in view of the larger working distance compared to an actual optical only microscope, it looks like it might last a surprisingly long time between lens cleaning/replacement sessions. Otoh, it might be worth fitting a polarising filter to both polarise the illumination and provide a sacrificial shield.Try it out with a polarising filter first - you might be better off using a small (cheap) UV filter for its primary function on regular cameras as a sacrificial shield to protect the front element of an expensive camera lens (UV filtering now being merely its secondary function in most cases).However, since flux (and presumably flux fume deposits) are soluble in alcohol (of the IPA kind) and the plastics used in these lightweight optics isn't (soluble in IPA), you can probably safely use alcohol glasses cleaning wipes to address this issue anyway.JBG

author: robsims
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 10:02:34 pm
content: To prevent soldering spatter you can also use a rectangle very clear piece of window glass, with no optical strength, above the pcb you are working on. So lots of options. Because the price of the head visor is low ($15) you won't feel it much in you're pocket if you have to buy another one, by the time it's ruined.

author: Johnny B Good
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2019, 10:39:21 pm
content: Quote from: robsims on September 09, 2019, 10:02:34 pmThat's a nice simple solution.If you're using it to protect an electronic microscope with its own display you'd have to keep it at a slight angle to the optical axis of the camera and its concentrically mounted illumination source to prevent said illumination and any other bright point sources of light within the room from being reflected straight into the camera lens and washing out the image.The head mounted visor does have the charm of being cheap to replace, perhaps even cheaper if you can buy a replacement lens pack for it. The camera option I suggested does represent a threefold investment which may be a serious consideration if it's prone to this issue of solder fume contamination and there isn't a cheap lens replacement option available.I personally feel the microscope with LCD option is the better solution but that visor is such a cheap alternative that it would be worth buying one if only to provide backup against the microscope going faulty. I may add one to my next order from Banggood (making sure I don't diddle myself out of a cheaper and faster UK delivery option this time round).JBG

author: JohnPen
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2019, 04:00:44 pm
content: I would recommend both. For soldering smd's I find a head set with 5 interchangeable acrylic lens the best method. Usually using the middle lens of the set. However if I need higher magnification to inspect my work in fine detail I use my Mustool 600. The magnification ranges between X5 and X30 in reality, ignoring the digital magnification part, and it is very good value. Of course a loupe is probably cheaper. I am a little puzzled that several replys worry about flux splashes on their headset lenses I have not had that problem but I only work with 0805 size smd's.

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2019, 04:09:22 pm
content: I have one of the $220 stereo microscopes (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005C75IVM), and one of the old-fashioned big magnifying glass / ring light combo on an articulated arm. The glass diameter is 6 or 8 inches, and I use this a lot for SMD work. The stereo microscope is great for detailed inspection, and works well enough for soldering, but I prefer the big magnifier for general work. If I need a photo I can hold my phone up to the microscope eyepiece. It's not elegant, but works OK. Actually, my smartphone focuses up close well enough that this is often good enough all by itself.

author: kripton2035
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2019, 04:34:21 pm
content: I bought a head visor some times ago, but I don't like it and don't use it.I tried the small usb microscope, too laggy picture you can't soldier with this.I tried the mustool 600 and was very pleased with it for smd soldering.then I tried the andonstar 302 (301 is the same optic) at 6x the price of the mustool ...and it has an absolute amazing picture quality.especially if you connect it to a large hdmi display.the mustool is back in its box ...I also have a "high end" pocket magnifier like this one :https://www.ebay.com/itm/253371798341and use it very often for work inspection, after soldering with the andonstar. the picture is very clear and without video it seems better.

author: robsims
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2019, 05:35:56 pm
content: I think the headset is good for soldering and if you want to inspect a 10X or 20X loupe is fine. Very cheap but effective. I can't afford a digital microscope, only for inspection. When they have cheap digital microscopes, especially for soldering, i will buy one. I have already ordered the headset and i think it's the best way for now, altough the mustool looks great also.

author: Canis Dirus Leidy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2019, 03:35:22 am
content: Quote from: magic on September 09, 2019, 07:46:13 pmMore like undersized (for mounting on the frame of glasses) and a simplified version of theatrical binoculars:Quote from: magic on September 09, 2019, 07:46:13 pmFixed distance (The knob at the top is used to change the distance between the pupils). The most common - 420mm.P.S. For DIY lovers.Homemade stereo microscope from toy binoculars.

author: GregDunn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2019, 04:11:20 pm
content: Quote from: jmelson on September 09, 2019, 08:51:03 pmExactly! What I currently use is a pair of readers with glass lenses, and they're certainly not heavy - in fact, the headband will be the vast majority of the weight, so glass lenses won't be a concern. It's just annoying to have to take them on and off, and find some way to maneuver a light in place with my third hand so that I don't cast a shadow on the work piece. Simple is best, which is why I'm investigating a lighted headband. The more pieces of stuff I have to play with just to be able to see what I'm working on, the longer it takes to get the work done.

author: Johnny B Good
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2019, 03:51:41 am
content: Quote from: Johnny B Good on September 09, 2019, 10:39:21 pmJust a quick note to let you know that I've just ordered that magnifying visor from Banggood for £10.27. I've got to say that Banggood's web site is a law unto itself. I was checking my last two orders (it was one shopping basket's worth that they'd split for no apparent reason - everything on that list was coming from their Chinese warehouse) which had still not gotten to the 'shipping' stage four days after I'd placed the order.I was rather intrigued to see that they both now had a cancel option button that I've never ever seen before with my previous two orders and since, out of idle curiosity you understand, I'd clicked the link back to the sales page for the £40.27 priced 30 volt 10 amp bench supply I'd ordered to check that I'd actually chosen the cheapest warehouse option only to discover that, in the meantime, they'd reduced the price to £37.82. That cancel option button suddenly became very attractive indeed!Pressing the cancel button takes you to a 'reasons for cancelling options list' so I pressed the one that told them I was cancelling because "it was cheaper elsewhere" which surprisingly, actually cancelled the order (but it does remain in the 'My Orders' list, marked as cancelled with a 'buy again' button just in case I change my mind I suppose - as if!). I then rebuilt the order with the repriced bench supply with only one item in the list being a mere penny dearer (shaving 2p off my savings 'cos I had two of them on the order).I'd reckoned I wasn't going to suffer any more delay than the original order had seemed destined to suffer but I could be wrong on this - as I've already alluded, Banggood seem to be a law unto themselves that us mere mortals aren't allowed to examine in detail.Quite frankly, their "expedited air express delivery" times of 3 to 4 business days is a con. It's a meaningless promise of fast delivery when that excludes the time it takes them (4 to 7 days) to get off their fat arses to deliver it to the air freight terminal in the first place. I reckon the only reason why my very first order from them just over a month back took only 8 days to arrive was because they give first time customers special treatment to lull them into a false sense of optimism in regard of any subsequent orders they might be tempted to make. The shopping experience with Banggood, ime, swiftly turns to shit after that initial purchase.Banggood has a very eclectic mix of stock, mostly junk items laced with just a few useful things. Would you believe that amongst the budget range of DSOs they offer (mostly Hantek) they actually have three models of CRO 'scopes listed (20, 30 and 40MHz B/W options afaicr) made by Ghod knows which Chinese manufacturer who would have the gall to offer such outdated technology. It would be one thing to offer refurbished Tektronix CRT 'scopes but no name Chinese CRT 'scopes? Not a cat in Hell's chance unless they've found a new market to satisfy the cravings of the Audiophool fraternity.Anyway, after whiling away countless hours fruitlessly searching Banggood's on line shopping mall for items worth having, I have a strong feeling that I won't be making any further purchases from them in the future (or at least not for averylong time - never say never). That magnifying visor seems destined to be the final purchase I ever make from them.JBG

author: Tegra
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 19, 2019, 06:57:43 pm
content: Quote from: xrunner on September 09, 2019, 02:10:33 amWhoops... That should be ADSM301?Tom

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 19, 2019, 07:01:19 pm
content: Quote from: Tegra on September 19, 2019, 06:57:43 pmYes indeed.

author: Johnny B Good
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2019, 12:20:12 am
content: Quote from: Johnny B Good on September 12, 2019, 03:51:41 amIt's been about four weeks since my last post so I thought I'd provide an update on the ongoing saga of getting Banggood to deliver a Mustool G600 LCD microscope (and all the other bits).The Visor and the microscope turned up about a fortnight ago. The only issue with the magnifying visor being insufficient friction in the clips to stop the lenses flapping back and forth. I haven't bothered sorting that (it's only an emergency backup for my microscope) but I'm guessing I'll have to remove the clips and give them some gentle heat treatment to tighten them up... when I'm ready to invest the time.The microscope otoh unfortunately, arrived with a broken display (rear glass panel cracked - it lights up but no image whatsoever). I got Banggood to refund me the purchase price and the 66p shipping insurance after sending an email with photos of the problem. They didn't want the expense of shipping the faulty unit back so I have that to play with.In the meantime, I'd tracked down an ebay seller shipping from within the UK selling one at slightly less than the cheapest Bangood price option I'd originally diddled myself out of through Banggood's 'switch and bait' pricing between their Chinese, US and UK warehouse options and that arrived just seven days later, again unfortunately, with a similarly damaged screen. The difference this time being that it shows a partial image from the camera. I've reported this to the seller and I'm still awaiting a meaningful response to my request for a full refund and how long he wants me to hold onto it for his agent to collect (I'm not paying return postage!).In the meantime, now that the banggood unit is mine to dispose of as I like, I've opened it up and found the manufacturing booby trap that virtually guarantees that most won't even survive a UK warehouse to UK address shipping journey let alone being shipped halfway round the world. I found, stuck to the back glass of the display, a 1cm cube of firm sponge rubber which I suspect had been intended to act as a damper (the display is well secured by four fixing screws) but in this case, for lack of room, had been squashed down to one third or less of a centimeter between the back of the housing and the screen, placing an excessive preloading pressure against the rear glass panel of the LCD sandwich, priming it to crack at the gentlest of jolts during shipping.I haven't yet taken the liberty of opening up the ebay unit since the seller might well insist upon its return (at his own expense, of course!) untampered with so he can make a claim on his shipping insurance or supplier. I know this is unlikely but until he says I can dispose of it as I see fit after refunding me its purchase price, I don't want to take this assumption for granted.Since I don't need two of these 'scopes, the ebay seller is welcome to take it off my hands in exchange for the refund whilst I await delivery of a replacement 4.3 inch 480 by 272 pixel colour TFT panel I ordered a couple of days ago from "buydisplay" for just over eleven quid. Unless I'm very unlucky in my choice of replacement display panel, it looks like I'll eventually land up with a working Mustool G600 microscope for just the price of a replacement display panel and an hour or so's worth of my time. However, that looks like that's not going to happen for at least another fortnight.As for the big order I'd been waiting for Banggood to shift from its 16 days sojourn at the "Processing" stage to the "Shipping" stage, I finally got an email advising me of this change of status a week ago. Checking the Yodel tracking number earlier today shows that they still haven't taken delivery of it at their UK terminal so are unable to offer an estimated date of delivery (banggood are indicating the 10th of this month though, which is still a possibility).All the other orders, including a recent one for a spare T12-9501 handle in DIY kit form and a 3 metre length of five core silicone cable (the kit doesn't include cable, just everything else you need including a front panel GX12-5M to go with the included GX12-5F plug!) have now reached the "shipping" stage. The DIY kit option is actually better than a ready made handle since it eliminates the need to disassemble it before rebuilding it to you own, better than the Chinese build quality standard that the ready assembled ones are normally afflicted with.I wanted to fit a 1.5 metre cable to my new soldering handle and since you can only buy the cable to the nearest whole metre length and the cost per metre is less for a three metre length than for a two metre one, I chose the three metre option so I could split it between the new and existing handles as an upgrade on the one metre length the original handle had been supplied with (1.5 metres is a more optimum choice of length - one metre was obviously chosen as the lowest cost option the manufacturer felt he could get away with).There's a fine irony here in that this time round, I'll be able to use a T12-9501 handle with a BC2 tip to solder up the wiring of a T12-9501 handle... twice! as opposed to having to use my trusty 25W Antex when I'd first fettled the original handle just seven weeks ago.This internet shopping is a right pain. I've had two 'scopes delivered (both broken!) and I'm still no further forward in my month long quest to see what I'm actually soldering without having to don 3.5 dioptre reading glasses and pushing my nose right up to work-piece, leaving me to resort to a repair attempt with a replacement LCD panel that I won't know for certain will be compatible until it arrives (hopefully intact) in another two to four weeks time. I really do feel like I'm between a rock and hard place with Banggood, Ebay and Amazon these days and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in feeling this way.Modern life just sucks!JBG

author: Lee Leduc
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2019, 02:53:14 pm
content: I've used "magniclips" brand in the past and they've worked well. They clip over your regular glasses. They come in many powers. You can find them in many hobby shops. Look for stores that sell Fabrics, Fly tying tools, Model making (trains, doll houses, etc.) or Amazon.https://www.amazon.com/s?k=magni+clips+magnifying+glasses&crid=1VPS5KBXPYQX3&sprefix=magni+clips%2Caps%2C192&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_11Micro-Markhttps://www.micromark.com/search?keywords=magnifiers%20clip-onAlso consider Magnifiers on small stands with LEDs.Here's one recommended for electronic work. A friend has one and I've looked through it. Seems well suited for electronics workhttps://www.amazon.com/XYK-Large-Lighted-Magnifier-Stand/dp/B07CYXK55G/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=magnifier+on+small+stand+5x&qid=1570545889&s=office-products&sr=1-2

author: Johnny B Good
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2019, 02:14:45 am
content: Quote from: Johnny B Good on October 07, 2019, 12:20:12 amThe ebay seller responded by asking if I could get it repaired locally at their expense. I guess they don't realise just how expensive it is to get such repairs done in the UK and I told them as much, suggesting that that would cost them dearly and it would be simpler to simply refund or ship out a replacement and collect the broken unit.After sending that reply, I managed to track down a very interesting equipment teardown blog for this specific microscope at this location:https://syonyk.blogspot.com/2019/08/g600-600x-digital-microscope-teardown.htmlThat centimetre cube of stiff sponge rubber isn't as I'd surmised, some sort of damper, but rather, appears to be a support to stop the 2.5AH Lithium pouch cell from flapping about in the case. I honestly don't know just how squashed down that little cube of sponge rubber gets but I can see why two of these microscopes had arrived with broken, from the inside, screens.Also within that blog article, was the discovery that the pouch cell is connected directly to the USB 5 volt for charging, relying on a 1N4001 as a fixed 0.7 volt dropper and the failsafe Battery Management System module to disconnect itself from the USB 5 volt line when it detects that the cell voltage has exceeded the maximum 4.25v limit (typically with a +/-0.05v tolerance) at full charge.TBH, I don't know whether this is as serious an issue as the author makes out but having read the whole article (and the link to an add on charge controller mod for these Mustool G600 'scopes), I decided to post a follow up to my first reply to the last email I'd had from the ebay seller where I had allowed him the choice to replace or refund. This time, pointing him to that article to explain my change of mind as to why I was withdrawing my offer to accept a replacement and my insistence that the only satisfactory resolution would now be nothing less than a full refund.It will be interesting to see how he responds after he's seen those two emails. I do believe the 7 days cooling off period that ebay impose before you can invoke their disputes resolution system is just about expired now so unless he responds with a refund offer, the ebay dispute resolution centre will be my next port of call.In the meantime, I await the eventual delivery of the replacement LCD panel some time in the next two to three weeks and once I've had a chance to test it out with my Banggood 'souvenir', I'll report back. Hopefully, it should do the trick, which could be useful to anyone who lands up with a refund due to delivery of a broken G600 microscope that they've been left to dispose of at their leisure.In most cases, the cost of return shipping of a broken or damaged item at the seller's expense, is too uneconomic a proposition unless their shipping insurance covers the cost of such returns, even assuming they'd even considered the expense of such insurance worthwhile to begin with. I suspect it's probably simply cheaper to bear the cost of such losses than to shell out on over-priced insurance premiums - that's almost certainly the truth of the matter in Banggood's case going by my own recent experience.JBG

author: Johnny B Good
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2019, 11:57:35 pm
content: These will be the final words I have to say about my experiences of trying to get hold of a working Mustool G600 microscope. I'm offering these by way of closure on the subject of replacing damaged Mustool G600 display panels'.The Ebay supplier of the second broken unit refunded the purchase price and just like Banggood, gifted me the broken unit for me to dispose of rather than be burdened with return postage costs. Shortly afterwards, I received the replacement TFT panel I'd ordered from buydisplay.com only to be greeted with a blank but lit up screen when I connected it to the Banggood unit followed by the same result when I tested it with the second unit I'd bought from the Ebay seller.I'd never seen any sign of an image on the broken Banggood unit but the first Ebay unit had displayed an image on the part of its broken screen that could still respond so although the Banggood unit may have suffered damage beyond that of just a cracked display panel, I knew the first Ebay unit was still outputting video data over the 40 wire interface, hence my retesting with that unit.At that point, I had no other means of testing any of the display panels other than by using the first Ebay unit. I couldn't even run a basic DMM test to confirm power supply connections and signal input lines at that point for lack of a breakout converter to give me access to the individual contacts in the 0.5mm pitch 40 lane flexi-pcb connector so landed up trying to convince buydisplay.com to accept my assertion that they'd sent me a faulty display panel.Eventually, I did manage to source a suitable breakout adapter board, cheap enough to take a chance on spending yet more money (£1.98 in this case from an Ebay seller shipping out of a UK based warehouse in a more reasonable time frame of a week - it turned up just 4 days later) which finally allowed me to buzz out the interface connections with a DMM to compare the Mustool panels against the buydisplay panel.Buydisplay had asserted all along that the issue could only be a matter of compatibility but rather unhelpfully, failed to suggest any ways in which such an incompatibility could arise making it look like they were trying to bluff their way out of refunding me for supplying a defective panel.Unfortunately, whether by bluff or a genuine belief that their display was defect free by virtue of their alleged pre-shipping inspection and testing, it looks like they were correct in this assertion. Both panels matched except for the green and blue data lines (pins 13 to 28) all being open circuit (NC) in the Mustool display interface whilst the buydisplay panel conformed exactly to the 40 wire 24 bit parallel RGB ttl level interface of the common 40 wire standard used by virtually all such display panels (and in accordance to the data sheet I'd downloaded from buydisplay.com for their panel).From what I've been able to glean from the on-glass controller IC datasheets (which are difficult to interpret in relation to any 40 wire interface pinout schemas), it looks as though the Mustool display is using a bastardised 8 bit parallel interface where the RGB data is multiplexed over those 8 data lines at a dot clock frequency of 20MHz which is just over twice the normal 9MHz dot clock frequency used in the ubiquitous 40 wire common standard colour TFT LCD panel interface.In all my researches of the 40 wire TFT LCD panel interface standards, I'd seen no references at all to this bastardised 8 bit version, not even when I started searching specifically for such a supposed bastardised version (other than seeing indirect hints of such a possible bastardisation in the TFT panel on-glass controller IC datasheets).Regardless of whether my supposition about multiplexing the RGB data with a 20MHz dot clock frequency is actually correct (ICBA to examine 'scope traces even though I now have a breakout adapter to make such testing a real possibility), the differences are sufficient to support buydisplay's claim of incompatibility rather than a defective panel being the cause of my not being able to get their panel to work with these Mustool microscopes, leaving me to admit that their supposition was correct all along and make my apologies for doubting their diagnosis.In the meantime, I'd placed another order for yet another of these Mustool G600 microscopes (just a mere £25.58 this time since I didn't need the more expensive aluminium stand option - I already had a couple to spare) with yet another Ebay trader also shipping from a UK warehouse which actually arrived intact... Yay!!! The onlyminorissue being that the blue SMD LED was missing from the main camera board.This issue wasminorsimply because I now happened to be blessed withtwo spare broken unitsfrom which to cannibalise a rear case half withworkingblue and red SMD LEDs on their control boards - I chose the first ebay unit as my donor rear case half and,finally at long last, had myself afully functioning unitless than half an hour later (and it only took some seven weeks and three order attempts in total to attain this seemingly impossible goal). In this case, it was most definitely a case of "Third Time Lucky!"Now all that remains is to sort out a return to buydisplay.com who appear to have agreed to accept such a return provided I bear the return shipping cost which in the circumstances (my mistake not theirs), seems only reasonable. Checking out Royal Mail's pricing, it looks like I'll be able to return it via their standard large letter international shipping rate (6-7 days delivery target) for just £3.45, leaving me just over 7 quid better off than if I were to simply put it in my parts bin to go unused for the rest of my natural life (I foresee no future use of such a panel... ever!)._____________________________________________________________________________________[EDIT 20191120 22:54]I shipped the panel back to buydisplay a fortnight ago as per the above and finally got email replies from ebay and paypal this morning, confirming that buydisplay had received the panel intact and had made good on their promised refund. Not unexpectedly, since the original purchase had been based on their USD price, I lost £1.03 to the currency exchange rate commission charges involved in each transaction.Overall, that exercise in how not to choose a replacement panel, based purely on assumed properties of a seemingly identically specced unit, had cost me the £3.45 return postage and currency conversion commission charges of £1.03 plus the £2.98 I'd paid for the two 40 way 0.5mm pitch breakout adaptors needed to make it possible to buzz out the connections, a grand total of £7.46 against my initial purchase cost of £11.64, leaving me better off by a net of just £4.18 by returning it for a full refund rather than just simply "Doing Nothing".It could be argued that the £2.98 spent on the break out adaptors is a small investment in my armoury of test gear adaptors which will allow me to check out any more of these common 40 wire interfaced display panels I may need to test. Putting this test gear adaptor investment aside, I can console myself with the fact that the essential cost (return shipping and currency conversion commissions) had been a mere £4.48 leaving me with a net refund of £7.16 and a pair of break out adaptor boards to add to my test gear inventory.The adaptors take up far less space and will more likely prove useful than a display panel which will likely remain unused as mute testament to my original folly of a doomed repair attempt on those damaged Mustool G600 microscopes._____________________________________________________________________________________Just to reiterate, anyone thinking of replacing a faulty Mustool G600 display panel had better be prepared to do a lot more research before ordering a compatible 4.3 inch colour TFT LCD panel with a 40 wire interface with the veryuncommonmultiplexed 8 bit parallel RGB 20MHz clocked interface protocol standard (not hard fact, just my best supposition from what little evidence I could indirectly glean from TFT controller IC datasheets).Finding a suitable panel is far from the straight forward job that all my extensive research efforts had led me to believe it was going to be ("It's a 40 wire TFT panel, just how hard can it be?" - Answer:Very!). It has been said by many (and many times over) that you onlyreallylearn from your mistakes.I can say I've truly learnt something from this. Not so much about display technology per se so much as never trust a China-man to do the honourable thing when designing cheap electronic gadgets you'd reasonably assume to be using commodity parts. IOW, when it comes to Chinese manufactured electronics, make no unwarranted assumptions without full documentation to back them up.Indeed, when it comes to Chinese made mains powered smpsu circuit boards, it's definitely SOP to closely examine thembefore riskinga connection to your local mains supply since they so often seriously breach electrical safety regulations in their construction. In most cases, such safety breaches can be put right by a relatively trivial reworking of the smpsu components (and where required. a safety earth connection to exposed metal parts).The KSGER T12 oled soldering station for example not only needed the low voltage diode heatsink fins to be reshaped to eliminate contact against the solder resist mask on a 350vdc trace, the metal case also required a connection to be added to the protective earth tag in the C14 mains socket which had only been wired to the soldering iron tip contact to fulfil their advertised ESD safety requirement. For some inscrutable Chinese reason, they don't seem capable of thinking 'insideof the (metal) box' let aloneoutsideof it!JBG

author: Ben7128
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2023, 07:19:43 am
content: It's a good question. But I think the microscope is more useful for fault-finding than for soldering. I use 2x, 5x, 10x head band magnifier with led lighting. Had these for 3 or 4 years and use several times a week for all sorts of things including searching for microscopic paralysis ticks on the dog. The other tool I use is an ex smart-phone (2017 model LG G6). I replaced it due to failed charging port but have since fixed it. Velcro'd to mic boom stand works great (see pic). Pros: recycled, $0, fine video quality for micro-soldering, runs all day on internal rechargeable battery, consumes no space on my bench, provides lighting for the job, takes snapshots if you say "cheese". Also, the wife doesn't get the shits at another package arriving in the mail. Cons: none really except that you don't get to buy another crappy item on BangGood and make a Youtube video about it.

author: armandine2
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2023, 09:26:18 am
content: Quote from: fourfathom on September 10, 2019, 04:09:22 pmthat's on my to do list

author: Richb77
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2023, 12:03:34 pm
content: I have an Adonstar AD249.Some lenses are a bit OTT for electronics work but i cannot complain on the image clarity, quality and overall use of the unit. I see no reason the slightly cheaper models would be ay less impressive

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2023, 12:39:47 pm
content: I use all sorts of magnifiers. I have found a ELMOdocument viewerat a flea market. It is not the one pictured, this is just an example. Apparently here in the US schools upgraded their viewers and the "surplus" was sold cheaply. They did not come with the screen or power supply but the PS is a 12 volt and I think most people here have this. The monitor is easily bought at resale shops for a few bucks. I found another one at a flea market for $ 1.Some of these things have a "stage" intrinsic to the enlarger where you can place your part and some do not..I think this thing works very well and I did find two for $15 each.Just my opinion.https://www.ebay.com/itm/225308049622?hash=item34756800d6:g:tXIAAOSwi51joJn4&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0CTqWzKFAjbVdB3iSXBcDZDO4VCu9aIW2jetRNLbV53U%2B1PPNksW2b2D590LJgFsXUkF1e5%2B63O5sWYH0hc6f3mGlBL4kVZkjMHDIik1mDCUP76jOD1lJ4bDSlSf9kxtDdRj9Wnjy856gDpQiupQzitiOYpHT7xZYcEacQs7MoawaUCg5%2BGrKz0yyz8NNphIQuQD3YPnQbZDoO7Zb7f%2F5ZUWZbckpHBsmKuTzRPLOY8MKF0uhMhonpti5d3vWjr0ZB8bJZBFMHzUFtntcbdfR7w%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4rEy4vKYg

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2023, 12:47:57 pm
content: Mine looks like this one but is a little different,,,,https://www.ebay.com/itm/314745019887?epid=670423183&hash=item494843ddef:g:5JYAAOSwu-VkyA3s&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4NnAiGqp5paNsi%2Bdcyly5j3Ei%2BPGKA7mcZOoeuGXNJWX7hIupZM%2Bxc0fAPVUnRPJdfYCZssHfwjRMtsIWXSXbKXiXLwNTiVqZBes3V8g%2F9e2x6g2XAbu2KpBSBPtF1%2FaAlpuRVV99JCnXynRP0rXQf7b3XLpV3M492LJBzVeM31yVH6yfcCRS1kYmp0XJC5dowQ7W%2BXJd6dvOqmmuMxWiIxbgHpmep0LnXVCS2bLQfLJkHMDSeWRQ2KR1EN1LtIFWD5fp%2FvzIQ%2B6dT%2FeaW3Th5cEJR9PKBDgtNP4ZCyf2NOv%7Ctkp%3ABFBMvrGijMpi