Reddit reviews Donegan OptiVISOR Headband Magnifier
We found 13 Reddit comments about Donegan OptiVISOR Headband Magnifier. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Binocular headband magnifier provides hands-free magnification and viewing for a variety of applications such as jewelry-making, watch-making, needlework, artwork, electronic inspection, book-reading, print inspection, and stamp-collectingAvailable in multiple dioptric strengths (indicated by the model number) that provide a specific magnification power (X), depending on the distance from the objectOptical glass lenses are ground and polished into prismatic lenses for quality and clarity; easier to clean than plastic lensesA dioptric number and a magnification number are not the same thing. Diopter strength represents a specific magnification power (X). For example, a 5-diopter provides 2.5X magnification (at a distance of 8")Can be worn over prescription or safety eyeglasses
They sell these things that r/modelmakers dread wearing because they all remember a time when they didn't need it. They are wearable magnifying lenses that free up your hands, some of them come with LED lamps.
It looks like you have a decent soldering station, that is really the main thing. You'll need a small tip, but probably not as small as you think. I like the Weller ETL, but a ~2mm screwdriver style tip works well for SMD in my experience. If you go too small it can actually cause trouble for heat transfer and thermal recovery.
If you've mostly been doing through-hole stuff, you'll want smaller solder. Having small diameter solder makes it easier to feed just the right amount. I like Kester 0.020, some people go even smaller. Of course there are lead-free versions of that, too, if you prefer.
For through-hole, the flux that is inside the solder is usually enough, but for surface mount, you'll need extra flux. You'll probably be fine with a flux pen. You'll probably want some solder wick because mistakes happen, and a solder sucker thingie doesn't work as well with surface mount.
As u/t_Lancer says, you won't need a hot air station and solder paste unless you're planning on doing leadless packages. If you decide to get a hot air station, though, they're pretty cheap. You don't even strictly need solder paste, I've been making do by tinning the pads with regular solder first with my soldering iron before hitting it with the hot air.
For vision, it depends on how your eyesight is. I'm fine eyeballing down to 0603 but I can't read the markings without help. I've started doing all of my soldering under light magnification with the Optivisor DA-3 with a LED attachment which has really helped, but it isn't strictly necessary. You can get those visors with more magnification at the cost of a shorter working distance. Good room lighting and a magnifying glass work fine, too.
And most important thing you need is practice. Watch this video and grab one or two of those SMD practice kits and you'll be knocking out surface mount stuff in no time.
These are the ones I have.
They work quite well and are excellent quality.
https://www.amazon.com/Donegan-Optical-OptiVISOR-Headband-Magnifier/dp/B0068OSIIS
It's for all sorts of fine work. I've used it for soldering, jewelry, and mini painting.
Tools would have less to do with what forms of jewelry she is making (necklace, earrings, rings etc) and more to do with the techniques she is using (forging, wire-wrapping, stringing, soldering etc). That's why it might be wise to either ask her what she wants or let her choose specifically. Could be there is a technique she has been wanting to explore and you could get her set up to do that.
Loupes are typically 10x.
The optivisor magnification strength depends what she is doing and how close she needs to be to do it. I have one of these: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0068OSIIS/ref=biss_dp_sa1 I use mine primarily for faceted stone-setting where I need to be close to my work piece and do very precise and detailed work, so I have the 3.5x, 4" focal length. I would think between 2.5x-3.5x might be good for her.
You can also get the empty headgear and buy multiple lensplates for her to interchange.
Have you thought about picking up an Optivisor or a Jeweler's Loup?
https://www.amazon.com/Donegan-Optical-OptiVISOR-Headband-Magnifier/dp/B0068OSIIS?th=1&psc=1
I think I got better focus through LiveView, zoomed, while also using an Optivisor. It sort of acts like a sunshade as well.
I tried zooming with BYE and adjusting the focus that way, but it was much harder to shade the laptop than the view screen on the camera.
Someone mentioned using a magnifying glass in conjunction with LiveView zoomed, and a large bill hat. I use the Optivisor for work, so it's second nature for me to look through one.
I purchased this Donegan OptiVisor Headband Magnifier -- You can get different magnification of lenses. I find it to be light weight and easy to pop up and you can use them with or without glasses without issue. Also, they are optically correct in that they show no distortion.
20x?!! Are you sure she's using a true 20x loupe? If you picked up a cheap loupe online, chances are, it's not a 20x. For instance: http://www.amazon.com/SE-Loupe-LED-Illuminated-21mm/dp/B0013E3DAG => advertised to be 20x, but turns out to be ~5.5x.
I would recommend first figuring out the minimum magnification power your wife needs to read small text. Reason: There is an inverse relationship between magnification power, and depth of field and field of view. Meaning, there is no 20x magnifier that can give you a huge field of view (I have a true 20x, and dear god, it is useless to me since it can only view about 1 character at a time).
Here's an example of the tradeoff: I own several Donegan OptiVISOR headband magnifiers. At first, I ordered their most powerful model, the 3.5x. The 3.5x has a focal length of 4", and a depth of field of about 1". This means, in order for me to have a clear image of what I'm observing, I need to make sure I maintain a 3" to 5" distance between the lens and the item under observation; it was just exhausting.
After trial and error, I ended up with the the 1.75x. It has a focal length of 14", and a depth of field of about 4". Which means, I can keep the item under observation at a distance of 10" - 18", which is much more forgiving.
In case you're interested in the headband magnifier: http://www.amazon.com/Donegan-OptiVisor-Headband-Magnifier-Magnification/dp/B0068OSIIS/
You can get the OptiVisor brand with a set of lenses in various magnifications, and you can get optional clip-on lighting and those little swing-down clip-on monocle magnifiers to augment the ones that are mounted into the visor. The optional lens is basically the same kind that some jewelers wear clipped onto their eyeglasses for close work.
https://www.google.com/search?q=optivisor
http://www.amazon.com/Donegan-Optical-OptiVISOR-Headband-Magnifier/dp/B0068OSIIS
The OptiVisor brand has been around for many years and you can buy them secondhand for not too much. I inherited mine from my grandmother 40+ years ago. The lenses are held out away from your face a little by the visor part so you can use it while wearing eyeglasses.
Surgical quality ones would be a whole 'nother ballgame.
Those eyes are really cool. I've got a bunch of mini's showing up soon from the Bones 3 kickstarter and will have to try that out on some of the bigger pieces before working it down to the smaller ones. Unfortunately most of the large models I have now are Big stompy robots (privateer press Cryx) and they don't really have eyes on them.
I have not tried a magnifier head set. I tried using the magnifier on a pair of helping hands but I had no sense depth perception so it didn't really work out for me. I've heard that the headsets work fairly well and you can maintain your sense of depth. Let's just say they're on the old wishlist so I can try them out.
I use magnifying glasses and a hook with a ergonomic grip! The glasses make all the difference though this is the pair I use
Well, congrats on your first build, yes, it does get better with practice! As for your vision, you might try some wearable magnifiers, I've seen PBusardo using them, something like these, http://www.amazon.com/Donegan-Optical-OptiVISOR-Headband-Magnifier/dp/B0068OSIIS.