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August 7, 2024. If you homebrew you need this stuff!

 If you do the homebrew, then this is a must tool to have. Behold the Digital Microscope. Once I chased a problem for two days until I found a hairline short on a circuit trace to ground. This would have aided finding the short much quicker. Lauren Sanchez's boyfriend has them for about $70.




This microscope has two principal uses with the first being during the fabrication of circuits using surface mount devices. The digital microscope lets you see the parts and as a huge aid in the soldering process. The second use of course when you have to look for the needle in the haystack when there is an issue.

Not only good for checking solder bridges and hairline shorts -- but to read the Teeny Tiny laser print on components.

Several years ago, I homebrewed something similar using a webcam on a not so sturdy mount that had a fixed focal length. One of the 1st uses was to find a steel splinter in my finger from some steel wool I was using. 

If you are a paranoid politician with small hands, placing them under the microscope will make them look bigger!

This $8 MCU running at 240MHz is available from Bezos. 

The unit programs with the Arduino IDE but of importance is the number of I/O pins. Plenty of flexibility to handle displays and lots of I/O requirements. This looks ideal for use with many of sensors and controlling the Si5351. 

Caveat Emptor as programming this device may be on par with being an expert Olympic gymnast* on the pommel horse without having really great vision. See the following link www.acebott.com before you buy this jewel.

The very 1st Chinese station, BA3KY, worked today on FT-8 at 1400 GMT (7 AM)  on 20M where the band was flat lined on the SDR except for FT-8.





TYGBNYBNT

73's
Pete N6QW

* A Mechanical Engineering graduate from Penn State.

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