magnifying goggles

[azrockitman]

I've determined that i simply must get some sort of magnifying goggles.  I've seen many varieties on the webernet.  Bausch and Lomb seem to have a pretty nice pair for $30.  I just need it when I'm soldering a small tight, confined area like the 9 pin tube sockets.  Yesterday I got a solder blob on the neighboring pin that I now have to remove and I think if I could see up close better with some goggles like this I would avoid that type of experience.

Does anyone have any particularly great recommendation on this type of thing to offer?  Or alternatively, does anyone prefer those "suspended" large magnifiers that are on some sort of gooseneck instead of magnifying goggles?

Thanks

[Paul Joppa]

For those who wear glasses regularly:

I got some clip on lenses that flip up and down. Mine are 4x, but they flip down over the 2x reading glass portion of my bifocals, giving 6x magnification. It's a little too much, and I have to get really close to get it in focus, but once there I can see every tiny detail! I found them at a services for the blind shop. They have a tip jar to help fund the non-profit that runs the shop, and even with a healthy tip, they were not expensive.

There are higher-tech solutions, these are just convenient and cheap. High-power reading glasses would be similar, for those who don't wear regular glasses.

[adamct]

I can't remember who recommended these, but I think it might even have been Doc. I'll be blunt: I was skeptical. For $8, how good could they be? At the same time, I also ordered a largeish magnifying glass made of glass with an LED illuminator. The magnifying glass cost considerably more than the $8 headband magnifier.

I was shocked (SHOCKED!) at how good the headband magnifier is. It is easy to adjust to your headsize, and I find the lowest power magnifier is just perfect. It gives me the extra magnification I need, while also giving me a reasonable viewing distance. When I need more, I flip down the small lens, which is also perfect. The best part about these is that when wearing them and looking down, it is very easy to look down "normally" for an unmagnified view, and then just tilt my eyes up my a few millimeters and I have a magnified view (if you wanted the magnified view at all times, that would also be easy). I can't believe I waited so long to get these. They have made soldering fiddly bits and inspecting solder joints on PCBs to check for solder bridges a breeze. Highly, highly recommended. And for $8, you can't go wrong!

[debk]

I use the inexpensive head band magnifier with LED illumination also.  I can wear them over my bifocals and this this gives a little extra magnification.  I like the head band magnifier better than my surgical loupes.  In fact I bought another pair to use in the office.

The only time I need more magnification is the rare time i need to solder small SMD components.


Deb

[azrockitman]

Thanks for the tips.  I don't wear glasses so I think I'll try for the Bargain priced goggles.  Thanks again!

[mpeg2]

Deb: I used to be able to do what you say (only for SMD devices and sometimes not for those) - but age has a way of changing things...

   Rich

[debk]

Age sure does have a way to change things.

There is no way I can work with the SMD stuff now even with the head magnifier.  To get that sort of magnification the working distance is too small.  If I need to solder small SMD stuff I would bring it to the office and use my surgical microscope

Deb