Comments on: Improvements to my microscope setup for SMT work http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/10/improvements-to-my-microscope-setup-for-smt-work/ Join the resistance. Mon, 14 May 2012 23:30:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/10/improvements-to-my-microscope-setup-for-smt-work/comment-page-1/#comment-5379 Jeff Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:57:26 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2493#comment-5379 Wow, Waldmann has a lot of really cool lamps! The Omnivue looks great, nice score! I'm positive that it is far superior to the cheap swivel lamp I have. I'll have to keep my eyes open for one of these! Wow, Waldmann has a lot of really cool lamps! The Omnivue looks great, nice score! I’m positive that it is far superior to the cheap swivel lamp I have. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for one of these!

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/10/improvements-to-my-microscope-setup-for-smt-work/comment-page-1/#comment-5378 Jeff Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:51:28 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2493#comment-5378 I think I've seen orange filters before, although maybe I am thinking of something else (cleanroom lights?). Filtering means losing some of the available light, so this is probably not a good option unless I can somehow come up with a brighter fluorescent light - there isn't enough light as it is! I think I’ve seen orange filters before, although maybe I am thinking of something else (cleanroom lights?). Filtering means losing some of the available light, so this is probably not a good option unless I can somehow come up with a brighter fluorescent light – there isn’t enough light as it is!

]]> By: Simon http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/10/improvements-to-my-microscope-setup-for-smt-work/comment-page-1/#comment-5374 Simon Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:05:26 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2493#comment-5374 Oh, I should also add that I too tried a variety of things. I've not really progressed to SMD yet but am getting to the point where I could benefit from downsizing to TQFP packages but I picked up a bargain (about 50UKP - which compared to the 10UKP LED loupe that gave me a headache just looking at it seems like a steal) iluminated work lamp on ebay from Waldmann (a http://www.waldmannlighting.com/d.12/omnivue-trade.aspx) to be precise. Optically it's pretty good (but I've been putting of an eye-test for a while, so the slight distortion on the edges might be me) and the magnification is upgradable (no idea on price but it ships with 3 dipoters and can be increased to 15 which sounds like lots). It throws out heaps of light and is built like a tank. The lens also acts as a partial fume shield if your iron doesn't extract. This is a long winded way of saying to anyone else reading this, if you find one of these going cheap, it gets a big thumbs up from me. If only they did an upgrade that made my soldering look good at these magnifications, I'd be happy :-) Oh, I should also add that I too tried a variety of things. I’ve not really progressed to SMD yet but am getting to the point where I could benefit from downsizing to TQFP packages but I picked up a bargain (about 50UKP – which compared to the 10UKP LED loupe that gave me a headache just looking at it seems like a steal) iluminated work lamp on ebay from Waldmann (a http://www.waldmannlighting.com/d.12/omnivue-trade.aspx) to be precise.

Optically it’s pretty good (but I’ve been putting of an eye-test for a while, so the slight distortion on the edges might be me) and the magnification is upgradable (no idea on price but it ships with 3 dipoters and can be increased to 15 which sounds like lots). It throws out heaps of light and is built like a tank.

The lens also acts as a partial fume shield if your iron doesn’t extract. This is a long winded way of saying to anyone else reading this, if you find one of these going cheap, it gets a big thumbs up from me.

If only they did an upgrade that made my soldering look good at these magnifications, I’d be happy :-)

]]> By: Simon http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/10/improvements-to-my-microscope-setup-for-smt-work/comment-page-1/#comment-5373 Simon Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:52:52 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2493#comment-5373 I might be talking nonsense here but you could look into the photographic films that are used to correct for tungsten etc. colour casts in the old-school (non digital) world, and place a ring shaped piece over the tube. I had a quick look and came up empty (well excluding filters designed for attaching directly to a camera), but back in 2001 we had a photographer come to the house to take pictures for submission to an architectural prize. He used a film, medium format body (digital was barely invented) and the fluro tubes in the kitchen were clad in, IIRC, orange film (probably an what's termed an Orange 85 filter in the camera world) to correct the colour cast. So it's definitely available - or was back then. I might be talking nonsense here but you could look into the photographic films that are used to correct for tungsten etc. colour casts in the old-school (non digital) world, and place a ring shaped piece over the tube.

I had a quick look and came up empty (well excluding filters designed for attaching directly to a camera), but back in 2001 we had a photographer come to the house to take pictures for submission to an architectural prize. He used a film, medium format body (digital was barely invented) and the fluro tubes in the kitchen were clad in, IIRC, orange film (probably an what’s termed an Orange 85 filter in the camera world) to correct the colour cast.

So it’s definitely available – or was back then.

]]> By: Ed Davies http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/10/improvements-to-my-microscope-setup-for-smt-work/comment-page-1/#comment-5370 Ed Davies Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:09:11 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2493#comment-5370 Yes, cleaning with alcohol ought to work. Isn't there some sort of special cleaner used for resins on PCBs if you're being really neat? I wonder if that would damage lenses. Still, nice to have a relatively cheap lens in the direct line of fire. Yes, cleaning with alcohol ought to work. Isn’t there some sort of special cleaner used for resins on PCBs if you’re being really neat? I wonder if that would damage lenses. Still, nice to have a relatively cheap lens in the direct line of fire.

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/10/improvements-to-my-microscope-setup-for-smt-work/comment-page-1/#comment-5369 Jeff Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:57:30 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2493#comment-5369 Ed - The nice thing about the 0.5x lens I just added is that it will protect the objective lenses inside the scope from fumes and is much easier to clean. An alcohol soaked Kimwipe usually does the trick, although I doubt that is the "correct" way to do it. It is also possible to get 0x secondary objectives that perform the same protective function without changing the magnification. I have seen these in use in labs I have worked in. Usually they also function as a place to mount a ring light on scopes like mine that don't come with a good place to clamp a light. Ed -

The nice thing about the 0.5x lens I just added is that it will protect the objective lenses inside the scope from fumes and is much easier to clean. An alcohol soaked Kimwipe usually does the trick, although I doubt that is the “correct” way to do it. It is also possible to get 0x secondary objectives that perform the same protective function without changing the magnification. I have seen these in use in labs I have worked in. Usually they also function as a place to mount a ring light on scopes like mine that don’t come with a good place to clamp a light.

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/10/improvements-to-my-microscope-setup-for-smt-work/comment-page-1/#comment-5368 Jeff Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:51:18 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2493#comment-5368 Ron, I have used halogen fiber optic ring lights before and have been pretty happy with them. They put out a truly staggering amount of light and keep the heat away from the work area. Unfortunately, they tend to be very expensive compared to fluorescent or LED ring lights. Ron,

I have used halogen fiber optic ring lights before and have been pretty happy with them. They put out a truly staggering amount of light and keep the heat away from the work area. Unfortunately, they tend to be very expensive compared to fluorescent or LED ring lights.

]]> By: Ed Davies http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/10/improvements-to-my-microscope-setup-for-smt-work/comment-page-1/#comment-5366 Ed Davies Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:29:23 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2493#comment-5366 Do you add any disposable/sacrificial protection for the objective lenses to protect them from flux smoke, etc. Do you add any disposable/sacrificial protection for the objective lenses to protect them from flux smoke, etc.

]]> By: Ron Amundson http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/10/improvements-to-my-microscope-setup-for-smt-work/comment-page-1/#comment-5365 Ron Amundson Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:33:52 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2493#comment-5365 We had a couple Mantis, a vision system, and a number of microscopes, most of which were pretty during my days at a contract mfgr. My favorite was the antique AO569. :) I may need to go grab one off ebay. I never liked the ring light, nor the LED ring lights we built up. My favorite, albeit a bit hot after a period of time was a dual head halogen lamp from Sunnex. We had a couple Mantis, a vision system, and a number of microscopes, most of which were pretty during my days at a contract mfgr. My favorite was the antique AO569. :) I may need to go grab one off ebay.

I never liked the ring light, nor the LED ring lights we built up. My favorite, albeit a bit hot after a period of time was a dual head halogen lamp from Sunnex.

]]> By: Jeff http://mightyohm.com/blog/2009/10/improvements-to-my-microscope-setup-for-smt-work/comment-page-1/#comment-5364 Jeff Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:08:17 +0000 http://www.mightyohm.com/blog/?p=2493#comment-5364 Tim - I actually have used a Mantis before. They are nice (and expensive), although the working distance on the model I used was not nearly as good as my setup. Most of my experience with SMT has been with a stereo zoom microscope (usually Nikon or B&L SZ series). I've never really had a problem using a traditional style stereo microscope, although admittedly I do not wear glasses while soldering. I can definitely see that glasses would make things more difficult. Tim – I actually have used a Mantis before. They are nice (and expensive), although the working distance on the model I used was not nearly as good as my setup.

Most of my experience with SMT has been with a stereo zoom microscope (usually Nikon or B&L SZ series). I’ve never really had a problem using a traditional style stereo microscope, although admittedly I do not wear glasses while soldering. I can definitely see that glasses would make things more difficult.

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