Hi Just to mess things up a bit: Autodesk just bought Eagle. Things may change there in the future. Bob > On Aug 13, 2016, at 1:03 PM, Clint Jay <cjaysharp@gmail.com> wrote: > > I'll throw Designs Park into the mix, it's a free program from RS > components and I *think* it generates gerber files. > > I've used it for a couple of boards and got a grasp of it on a quiet > afternoon. > > On 13 Aug 2016 16:05, "William H. Fite" <omniryx@gmail.com> wrote: > >> For me, the ideal solution is an eyeglass-mounted surgical loupe such as >> this: http://www.surgitel.com/loupes/prismpro-line. There are several >> manufacturers. Long working distance, superbly corrected optics, no bino >> microscope or Mantis monstrosity cluttering up the bench. Not cheap but a >> lifetime investment. >> >> On Saturday, August 13, 2016, Adrian Godwin <artgodwin@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> I use a beautiful Wild M3Z that I got at a good price from a British >>> Aerospace auction. It does have the disadvantage that there's a very >> exact >>> spot to place your eyes, but the image is superb. I typically start at >> the >>> bottom end (6.5 x 10 x 0.5) but often use the other zoom levels (up to >> 40 x >>> 10 x 0.5). It has a Volpi fibre optic ring light but LEDs may be a better >>> solution nowadays. >>> >>> I also have an illuminated magnifying lamp - I like the ones made by Lux. >>> >>> I've considered a video microscope for the times when a large screen >> would >>> be desirable but computer and tablet ones are said to have a bit of lag >>> that make precise movements difficult. Direct video without a computer is >>> probably better. >>> >>> On Fri, Aug 12, 2016 at 2:14 PM, Bob Camp <kb8tq@n1k.org <javascript:;>> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Hi >>>> >>>> You can get a pretty good microscope new for about $1,000. Getting them >>>> used is a hit or >>>> miss process. A lot of this stuff actually works very well when in good >>>> condition with all the >>>> parts (The Mantis is one example). Without all the parts they don’t >> work >>>> or work poorly. >>>> >>>> For most of what you do, there is no need for anything fancy. There is >> a >>>> Mantis in full working >>>> condition at work. It never gets used. Magnifier lights get used a lot. >>>> Low magnification >>>> microscopes with really good halogen / fiber optic ring lights seem to >> be >>>> the most >>>> popular option. >>>> >>>> Bob >>>> >>>> >>>>> On Aug 11, 2016, at 8:06 PM, Steve <steve65@suddenlink.net >>> <javascript:;>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Can anyone compare the stereo microscope to a camera/monitor for use >>>> with SMT? I have a cheap stereo microscope that I would like to replace >>>> with either a much better stereo microscope or a camera/monitor. Is >>> there a >>>> marked advantage(s) of one versus the other? I have no "floaters" to >>>> contend with. >>>>> >>>>> Steve, K8JQ >>>>> >>>>> On 8/11/2016 4:06 PM, Chuck Harris wrote: >>>>>> Lots of good suggestions have already been made, but for >>>>>> me, a boom style stereo microscope, with a distance between >>>>>> the objective, and the focal point of at least 3 inches works >>>>>> fairly well... >>>>>> >>>>>> One other thing that may force your decision, if you are >>>>>> older, your eyes will likely have lots of "floaters", which >>>>>> are debris that floats around in your eyeballs. This debris >>>>>> floats in and out of the center of your field of view, and >>>>>> looks like a bunch of translucent worms, or shadows. >>>>>> >>>>>> Your brain, the magnificent organ that it is, tries to compensate >>>>>> for your eye's degradation, and as long as your eyes can move >>>>>> about in your field of view, it effectively removes the floaters >>>>>> from the scenes you are viewing. >>>>>> >>>>>> However, if you use a stereo microscope, your eye position >>>>>> is fixed by the very limited amounts of off axis motion >>>>>> that will allow a through optical channel. This lack of off >>>>>> axis motion will emphasize your floaters in a great way, and you >>>>>> will see *every* *single* *one*, clearly, as if it were something >>>>>> you really wanted to view. Some times, the floaters will cover >>>>>> the exact thing you need to see clearly, and you will have to >>>>>> move it off axis by moving it on the microscope stage. >>>>>> >>>>>> The only answer to this problem, is to either have perfect eyes, >>>>>> or to use a microscope where you are looking at a screen, rather >>>>>> than through a pair of oculars. This way, your eyes can dart >>>>>> around, and inspect what they need to see clearly, and the >>>>>> floaters will be ignored by your brain. >>>>>> >>>>>> As far as I know, there is only one optical microscope built this >>>>>> way, and it is the very expensive Mantis. >>>>>> >>>>>> Because of the great expense of flat screen optical microscopes, >>>>>> most modern SMD viewing equipment is going to the trivially cheap >>>>>> method of using a CCD/CMOS color video camera and an LCD screen. >>>>>> >>>>>> You can do a lot with a cheap USB camera mounted to a boom, a fiber >>>>>> optic light source, or a ring light, and a laptop computer to >>>>>> display the image. >>>>>> >>>>>> -Chuck Harris >>>>>> >>>>>> Bob Albert via time-nuts wrote: >>>>>>> What are the important parameters regarding purchase of a stereo >>>> microscope? I >>>>>>> see some on ebay for around $50; are those good? Bob >>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com <javascript:;> >>>>>> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/ >>>> mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >>>>>> and follow the instructions there. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com <javascript:;> >>>>> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/ >>>> mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >>>>> and follow the instructions there. >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com <javascript:;> >>>> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/ >>>> mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >>>> and follow the instructions there. >>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com <javascript:;> >>> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/ >>> mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >>> and follow the instructions there. >>> >> >> >> -- >> If you gaze long enough into the abyss, your coffee will get cold. >> _______________________________________________ >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/ >> mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >> and follow the instructions there. >> > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there.

Bob wrote: > Autodesk just bought Eagle. Things may change there in the future. Oh, good! So Eagle may become even harder to learn and use! ;-) [Before anyone posts flaming replies, please note the smiley-face above. I was an original user of AutoCAD starting back when it was still called Interact, which I believe gives me standing to poke fun at it. For the record, I have not used A/C in more than 25 years.] Best regards, Charles