EEVblog #1209 - Mailbag

[EEVblog]

Mailbag time!



SPOILERS:
Aliens!
Northside service company:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcMN_sDzaDThDYRBb2Qcahw/featured
Nutone intercom system teardown
10:08 Royal Digital Diary Teardown
12:52 Motic / Swift soldering stereo microscope, also rebadged by AmScope
25:03 Texas Hold'em handheld game Teardown
TI 30-XS Calculator teardown
31:43 Elecrow Crowtail STEAM Edu Kit for Micro:bit
36:28 CrowVi USB-C monitor: https://www.elecrow.com/crowvi-13-3inch-portable-usb-c-monitor-non-touchscreen.html

[T3sl4co1l]

If you plug it into any computer with full Thunderbot 3, it will work.

Completely unrelated, and not to draw attention to a typo, but I'm reminded of a similar mistake seen in older Microsemi datasheets.  Some of their MOSFETs got branded "Thunderblot".

Tim

[Psi]

For that price your better off spending $2 more and getting the more common 7-45x  simul-focus trinocular stereo microscope.

- Adjustable zoom knob (much easier than changing objectives)
- Comes with two sets of objectives 10x and 20x
- Comes with 2x and 0.5 barlow lens to give you 3.5x to 180x
- Has trinocular port which is simul-focus.
- Similar working distance when using 0.5 barlow  (175mm)
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Lucky-Zoom-3-5X-180X-Simul-Focal-Trinocular-Stereo-Microscope-WF20X-Eyepiece-Microscope-For-Soldering-2/300856_32956875343.html

Only disadvantages are
- The stand is less open and adjustable
- Doesn't come with led light.

You can get a better stand, just have to pay a little more.
microscope LED ring lights are like $15.

[hwj-d]

I wonder, what customs and import taxes are calculated, or does that work somehow without?

[G7PSK]

I have the AmScope branded microscope had about 9 month now, only came with one LED light but cannot fault it for what I need or want, I have found that the 5 times lenses are not powerfull enough fo me without my glasses on ann with them on the field of view is far to narrow so I just use the ten times.

[Electronoooob]

Awesome just purchased the Microscope.

[McBryce]

That Microscope is also sold in Europe under the name Bresser Biorit ICD. I've had one for years and I wouldn't swap it for anything. The Bresser scope also originally had a single light on the head (which I later replaced with an LED Ringlight), so there's a hole in the right place to add a camera. I've mounted an Andonstar USB scope through the hole. The old version also had a real transformer in the base, making it even heavier.

It costs slightly more in Euroland: https://www.ebay.de/itm/BRESSER-Biorit-ICD-CS-Stereomikroskop-LED-Mikroskop-Loten-SMD-Schwanenhals/352648838145

McBryce.

[Electronoooob]

I want to do board repair but now worried that a fixed magnification scope was a bad decision. Macbook logic boards specifically.

[McBryce]

I do similar work all the time with that microscope. I have 5x, 10x 15x and 20x eye-pieces for it, depending on what I'm doing. The 20x are too high magnification though, so they never get used, unless you need to look at a single solder joint of an 0201 component.

McBryce.

[Electronoooob]

Thank you for your insight and experience!

[NiHaoMike]

The monitor only displays over USB-C if it supports DP alternate mode.

If you plug it into a modern laptop, it will work.
If you plug it into an Nvidia VR-enabled RTX card, it will work.
If you plug it into a desktop PC with iGPU and native USB-C, it will work.
If you plug it into any computer with full Thunderbot Thunderbloat 3, it will work.
If you plug it into any PC through a USB-A to USB-C adapter, it will NOT work.

BTW, nice showcase of the monitor. I was looking for one, and you just helped me find what I'm buying.

Couldn't it be possible to make an active adapter to adapt one of those monitors to standard USB + DP?

[ericloewe]

The monitor only displays over USB-C if it supports DP alternate mode.

If you plug it into a modern laptop, it will work.
If you plug it into an Nvidia VR-enabled RTX card, it will work.
If you plug it into a desktop PC with iGPU and native USB-C, it will work.
If you plug it into any computer with full Thunderbot Thunderbloat 3, it will work.
If you plug it into any PC through a USB-A to USB-C adapter, it will NOT work.

BTW, nice showcase of the monitor. I was looking for one, and you just helped me find what I'm buying.

Couldn't it be possible to make an active adapter to adapt one of those monitors to standard USB + DP?

Should be possible, but there was no such thing available last time I checked (which was 1-2 years ago by now). The closest thing out there is that some Asus portable monitors can operate as DP monitors using the alternate mode or as a DisplayLink monitor, which is a plain USB device that needs a driver to pass the graphics via the USB connection.

[SteveyG]

This microscope is really nice. They sent one over to my channel too for review.
They do actually have the product on the Amazon.com site for US viewers too:

Amazon.co.uk Link: https://amzn.to/2GYGYFV
Amazon.com Link: https://amzn.to/2YwFWYX

[SteveyG]

For that price your better off spending $2 more and getting the more common 7-45x  simul-focus trinocular stereo microscope.

- Adjustable zoom knob (much easier than changing objectives)
- Comes with two sets of objectives 10x and 20x
- Comes with 2x and 0.5 barlow lens to give you 3.5x to 180x
- Has trinocular port which is simul-focus.
- Similar working distance when using 0.5 barlow  (175mm)
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Lucky-Zoom-3-5X-180X-Simul-Focal-Trinocular-Stereo-Microscope-WF20X-Eyepiece-Microscope-For-Soldering-2/300856_32956875343.html

Only disadvantages are
- The stand is less open and adjustable
- Doesn't come with led light.

You can get a better stand, just have to pay a little more.
microscope LED ring lights are like $15.

I disagree. They are designed for different purposes - the stand is next to useless for electronics work so you will end up spending a fair chunk on a new stand and shipping - when I looked, you'd spend £150-300 on a stand with shipping and import so not worthwhile. The "fixed" magnification is not really a hindrance.

[artag]

I've often seen an LED used as a shunt regulator with a solar cell calculator, Casio too.
Maybe the split PCB is to allow a small dual-sided pcb and a larger single-sided keyboard PCB. Lower PCB cost but extra assembly cost.

[artag]

For that price your better off spending $2 more and getting the more common 7-45x  simul-focus trinocular stereo microscope.

That certainly looks like a more modern design. But the long-reach stand is important to get the best out of the scope, I'd regard it as essential if you're trying to set up a good work bench.

[NivagSwerdna]

The reviewed (product placed) Microscope is nice and very like my https://www.microglobe.co.uk/zenith-stl-80-x10x20-long-arm-stereoscopic-microscope-p-8276.html? which I bought a few years ago...
... however in retrospect I think I would have been a bit better off with zoom... and trinocular would have been nice too.

[Kleinstein]

LEDs are quite common for voltage clamping in solar powered calculators.

The LED might even outperform a 2 V zener.

[jancumps]

I want to do board repair but now worried that a fixed magnification scope was a bad decision. Macbook logic boards specifically.

Buyers remorse in less than 2 hours

[NivagSwerdna]

I want to do board repair but now worried that a fixed magnification scope was a bad decision. Macbook logic boards specifically.

Buyers remorse in less than 2 hours

I love mine... I'm sure they will love theirs too.  Don't know about the reviewed microscope but it looks very similar to mine and as shown on the video you can get a crystal clear view... I have dodgy aging old eyes and SMD is a joy when using it.  If I was professional/richer I would definitely trade up though.
I recommend a 4CH oscilloscope to Electronoooob though!

[Electronoooob]

Thanks folks[emoji106]

I do have 4 channel oscilloscope I'm certain you can guess the model.

Apparently the microscope will arrive tomorrow at some point, I really hope I like it. I'm more anxious than excited now though lol

At least it's amazon so returning should be easy enough if there's a problem.



Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

[SteveyG]

Thanks folks[emoji106]

I do have 4 channel oscilloscope I'm certain you can guess the model.

Apparently the microscope will arrive tomorrow at some point, I really hope I like it. I'm more anxious than excited now though lol

At least it's amazon so returning should be easy enough if there's a problem.

I honestly think you'll be happy with it. I've just spent the evening using mine instead of my new Amscope SM-4TPZ - it is far less bulky and obtrusive.

Image quality is crystal clear through the eyepieces:

https://youtu.be/0hHRV0wV34E

[hwj-d]

 Got my Swift-Microscope today, and it is an absolute fascinating not so bulky but handy tool. 

[ercapoccia]

I wonder how a pair of 0.5x objective will perform on a swift/amprobe microscope http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/products/x05_objective_pair.html