I Bought A Microscope From China. PLUS: Let's Build A BlinkenBus! 

I firmly believe in showing the mistakes and cock-ups. There's a lot of stuff I would do differently next time, both in the design of the board (big ground planes and SMD components are not happy bedfellows when you're using a fine tipped iron!) . But it was my first time doing anything with SMD that wasn't "just recapping a board", so it was definitely a learning experience. Next time I'd like to try solder paste and hot air - I've heard good things about that. Of course, I'll probably wind up picking tiny components out of the carpet for a week, lol.

My leaded solder is pretty chunky, probably too thick for SMD work. Thin stuff seems pretty hard to get in leaded - either they send unleaded anyway, or it goes mysteriously out of stock when you order it...

Yep, I think you're right. First time doing SMD work, so bound to get things wrong!

Personally, i'd recommend a cheap optical stereo microscope, like the swift 10x/20x ones found on amazon and any other place (going for around 200-250 euros, with dips to 180-ish euros for special offers on amazon quite regularly. I printed a ring light holder and an adapter for a cheap monitor swivel arm (any will do but i recommend the ones with a vertical post over those where the swivel arm begins on desk height for better clearance over any items standing on the desk) giving me an easy to adjust, full bench-reaching, stereo microscope with zero lag, full optical resolution and most critically: continued functioning perspective perception. For under 250 euros complete. (185 for the scope +20 for the ring light + 35 for the monitor arm) There would be even cheaper options, but they all have like 30x and 40x magnification, which is WAY too much. I never even unpacked the 20x option as the 10x is perfect. You can see actually the solder melting when you touch a board with the iron, i use it for everything, even throughhole stuff as well as 603 smd. I see GadgetUK struggling with their camera “microscope” and actually preferring a big magnifying glass and it shows everything you need to know. They are great for inspection and streaming, but the lost 3d vision and lag is a hindrance for hand-eye-coordination.

The scope itself is really nice, and now I have the correct Barlow lenses, the zoom can be dialled in really well. I got that particular stand because it was bigger - one of the complaints I often see about the all-in-ones is the stand is too small. But after using it a while, I'm not sure that I like it. At the moment I'm trying an anglepoise camera arm (amazon sell them for around £25) - clamps to the side of the desk and you just pull it over to where you want it. Has a standard quarter-inch thread. The reach is really long, but the downside is it does wobble if you knock the desk

@@insanedruid3143 Im currently using one of the old lighted round 5in magnifying lenses on a stand that were once common in a dental office or jewelers. It is somewhat cumbersome as the articulating joints are worn out. I also have several of the magnifying glasses. Im just not comfortable with any of them. To me one of the advantages of the cameras is the ability to record what you are doing.

@@insanedruid3143 Agree, the natural 3D stereoscopic experience when working with SMT is night and day when compared to single optic setups. That said, we have to build ourselves up according to ones budget and yes, that lag (and lens aberration) .....Arrgh Grrrrr. Anyway :) I think Tim's presentation here is great for the keen hobbyist who is going to be ready for their next investment after playing around with this setup.

@@TimsRetroCorner That's another pro for the optical microscopes, even on slightly wobbly stand your eyes will have no problems - just like you filter out the "wobble" of your own body during walking, while looking at the image of a camera bobbing the same way is terrible. The arm i use (Equip 650112) is rather stable though from the beginning

I think it's a combination of really crappy unleaded solder (thin leaded stuff seems hard to find), and my crappy soldering!

@@TimsRetroCorner some of the mechanic stuff is very nuce

Please explain why you think they sound dreadful, I'd like to understand. All I'm doing is lowering the volume so they don't dominate. Otherwise they're entirely untouched - straight out of the RU-vid audio library. No effects or filters etc

@@TimsRetroCorner The music tracks sound heavily compressed and very 'thin' and crunchy. I've heard the same tracks elsewhere and they don't sound like that. Heaven knows though, I don't have any clue how you guys make your videos in terms of post production and editing, that process may as well be magic to me! Could you not talk to another Retro Tech RU-vid buddy and see what they say?

I watch the videos through before I upload them and they've always sounded fine. I guess I should play it from RU-vid too and see if I can hear a difference - maybe that's where the problem happens: there's always some sort of "processing" happens at RU-vid's end.