USB Microscope Eval Request

[fishntools]

Hey Dave,

Would you please consider doing a technology/ product review specific to USB Microscopes (<$100.00) to help those of us with limited budgets trying to utilize SMD's at home? (We can feel them but not see them, let alone tell you the color or finish of the solder joint!)

The h/w associated with this instrument would also translate nicely to the subject of digital imagery applications (e.g. QR Codes).

Appreciate your shows and efforts,
Fishntools

[SeanB]

I did buy a Celestron USB microscope recently.  Pretty much looks like all the rest, and I bought on price, looked at the cheapest price and ordered from a local ( in country) supplier.  Don't know about the software it comes with ( XP only and I am using Linux) but settled on Cheese as a good capture software ( button on camera not supported, but it would not make a stable image anyway if pressed) and a reasonably good cheap 1280 by 1024 captured image. Nice thing about Debian is there are a lot of image capture utilities to choose from, most are good.

Attached is a sample I took this year, I often use it just as a magnifier to look at SMT components, makes it easy to see those tiny markings, my eyes are not what they used to be, or the writing has gotten smaller.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Search Youtube for "USB Microscope Review" - there are quite a few vids there already