Brilliant video ... I especially liked the comment on keeping your wife happy printing broken parts on the 3D printer. At present my wife is still whole but it sounds like a good precaution as we are all getting older!
As a technician who troubleshoots and repairs circuits daily, I agree with everything you said. This is an excellent resource for beginners. Proper bench oscilloscope, digital auto-ranging multimeter, and FLUX FLUX FLUX. I have one of those hot air guns with motor in handle. It works good but it's bulky.
Great suggestions again Andreas! My problem in sorting stuff is way too many projects. But I learned from you to finish the older projects first before starting a new one. Thank you for all of your videos, I always learn something new from you! Stay safe my friend!
@@AndreasSpiess Yes, I have so many of my projects done and they are taking space. I think I need to start giving stuff away! Let someone else take care of it for a while, before they give it away!
I used a PC fan for fume extraction too, but it has a piece of activated carbon filter (the sort you might use in a cooker extraction unit) in front of the fan. I can confirm this works very well, and a good quality PC fan has enough static pressure to pull air through the filter. Failing that there are cheap fume extractors available from china
I spend the €19,99 on a pair of those knipex pliers (and 1 resistor so i got free shipping), i can highly reccomend them. They feel really nice and will last you a life time. I also bought one of those automatic wirestrippers and im very happy with it. Can reccomend! O and if you dont have the budget for a bench oscilloscope, look for a used hp one. We have multiple oscilloscopes at school but i find the hp 5xxxx series the nicest to work with.
I bought myself a digital USB microscope recently. To me it's great. Yes, you can't do soldering underneath, but I use it to check the quality of my smd solder afterwards. And for that it's fine. It's also small and cheaper than the stereo microscope. Anyway, thanks for another interesting and useful video!
It's a Yihua 8858-I, so similar to the pic in the video, just an extra 'I'. Has the controls all built into the handle rather than having a docking station.
@@Direkin I have a GONGJUE 8018LCD, bought from Banggood. Don't recommend it because the turning wheel to control the temp is very inconsistent so makes it very hard to set the right temperature. When you turn it is does nothing and then suddenly it goes high up and such.
Great video, and you're right with the need for magnification as we age. I recently bought 10x head magnifying glasses from Ali for $13. One of my best adds this year. Very light and portable as I move around my workspace. A lot cheaper and more flexible than a microscope.
Nice to see someone promoting SMD for us old farts. As long as yo have fair dexterity it is much easier to work with than trying to hit those friggin holes with a shaking hand! I try to avoid leaded parts except for breadboards where SMD parts does not fit.
There is a few YT videos on breadboards and indeed some really bad versions exist out there. I watched and decided to go with Jameco Valuepro (WBU-202-R, 803 points). It's more expensive but well worth the money since I have never had any issue with it. Does it matter, well not if you only make few connections but as the number of connection goes up you will increase the risk of various intermittent connection issues.
After trying all kinds of cheap breadboards, I ended up with reichelt steckboard SB-# series. They're a bit more expensive but never more all the frustrations of bad contacts, capacitance, bending wires etc. Really recommended !
nice. i just restarted to regain 'the love for electronics" and planning to create my own electroninc ' playgarden' in my basement in the future. this viedeo will help me to know what i need and save money
Hi Andreas. I found your video on microscopes most helpful and informative as I am currently in the process researching and buying a stereo microscopes and camera . Thank you for the video, which will assist me in making the correct choices before I commit to my purchase. Good work Andreas.
5:00 i read somewhere that solder wire is getting old and it has certain lifespan so in that case maybe should one buy smaller 50g sodler wire and use a rule about replacing old soldering wire?
Thank you for all your helpful videos! I'm just getting started in electronics and your channel really is very helpful. I'm excited to start making things!
Great for beginners, I wish I had this info a few years back when I was starting out stocking my lab, I think I made many of the same mistakes till as everybody else till I got the good stuff! Going straight to getting the good stuff saves money, time and frustration when starting out. Thanks very much!
Excellent advice as always. NEVER buy cheap hand tools. All my favourite ones are over 40 years old and seemed very expensive when I bought them. Lindstrom pliers and cutters are my favourites
great circle back on a super important topic, 'Ones Tools'. as always great overview of how to do it right for new players, the quick hot air station is on my wanted list, but as for most of the other things shown here, it is very much identical. Keep up the great video's
Good video. A tip for those with a bit more cash is ceramic-tipped tweezers. I have a lazy eye so don't have full binocular vision. Don't ask how I can solder... It takes a few goes to find range before I can confidently work through a series of joints. I use a large magnifying glass for small bits... To augment the spectacles that I have been wearing since the age of 2. For people working with serial protocols, the buspirate has a lot of fans. It's cheap enough and is smarter than your average logic breakout. P.S. flux is also available in gel form. Consistency something like honey but not so sticky.
I tried once such ceramic tweezers and was not happy. Maybe you have a better one. And you are right with the flux. I sometimes also use it instead of the fluid one.
Breadboards from the 1980s were much better than they are today. As a boy I had some yellow ones, can't remember the brand, but they were miles better than anything I've managed to buy recently.
Sali Andreas. Another super overview of your toolset. I went from weller ws50 to a ts100 as well. Will look at the logic analyzer. We all benefit from your experience.
I do not know how to use JTAG with Arduino or ESPs. Of course, I use USB adapters, but would not consider it as "tools". In addition I had to do a strong selection ;-)
Hi Andreas, have you tried to to use a fume extractors replacement filter with the fan? Probably you can make / 3d print some enclosure to fit the fan and the filter.
Once more a lot of great inspirations ! Thanks Andreas. Now you know why my lab looks so similar to yours. Thanks for all these usefull recommendations .. and the fun on Sunday morning. Brilliant !
I used to use a big 120mm computer fan with some carbon sponge filter thingy glued to it. I used this until this fan gave his last spin. As this sponge is very conductive (and a bit brittle), I cut it to smaller pieces and used these to store some DIP logic IC's. Now I have to buy it again.
Reusage becomes more and more important! I am not sure I will add filtering as the fan is now very strong and it needs not to be very close to my work.
@@AndreasSpiess This sponge is not very thick, as it's about 2$ on AliExpress I think you might try it (mine is quite coarse, it won't block air very much, i think) . If it won't be to your liking you can always use it for esd protection, a small dip16 sized piece of it has around 1MOhm from side to side. Only downside is that cutting this makes a lot of mess.
My prescription reading glasses is 1.5 (with some astigmatism). I ordered bi-focals from Zenni and bumped up the lower part to 3 for component work. I also use bluetack to hold in components while soldering. My extractor is Dyson, just need to watch small components.
A good next step would be an electronic load as well, especially if you're doing battery stuff. Great video, I saw all the stuff I use day to day in your video, can attest they are great suggestions.
Hi Andreas, This was one of your most informative videos that I ever watched. Great stuff! I think there's a huge need for makers for this kind of information, as we waste loads of time and money by using and buying the non proven or rubbish equipment. Greetings wingunder
Very interesting video, especially the section on new 'scopes. I am still using my old Hitachi VC-6023 dual beam scope, must be about 30 years old now but still going!
2:20 Speaking from experience, my father bought me a electronics set a couple years ago that came with a breadboard. Fast forward to my first year in Polytechnic (equivalent to college), the breadboards that the School of EE Engineering sold had terrible tolerances in their plastic injection molding, so often wires that are stuck would be there forever and never come out.
I have a recommendation for the use of USB oscilloscope. For a galvanic decoupling you can buy for about 10$ a ADUM2160 USB decoupler. Since i have one, i have no worries to connect my pc to the scope.
How essential a binocular microscope is, depends on what you are doing. I would say that an illuminated bench magnifier is essential, certainly for those of us with ageing eyesight. I have been working with electronics for 50 years and while have access to a bench microscope at work, it is something I seldom use, most of the time a bench magnifier is adequate and a far cheaper purchase. The new cheap multimeters are very accurate and extremely good value compared with the old analogue instruments I started with. However, a Fluke will last you forever and is significantly faster at auto ranging and continuity beep. My 70 series was issued to me at work in the late 80’s and is still going strong. I recently added a newer Fluke 83V, bought second hand, because I wanted a back lit display. The cheap units only switch the backlight on for about 15 seconds, which is a right pain. A second hand Fluke can be bought at a significant saving from new. Yes my Fluke will go to sleep, but I have never felt the need for a bench multimeter. I agree wholeheartedly with you about using lead solder. We have lead free at work and it is much harder to use for reworking. Thank you for taking the time to make your videos, they are always well scripted and produced. A very small point, the instruments you were holding up are called ‘cutters’ in English. Small electronics pliers are for holding only.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Of course, we do not need to agree. This is the value of having such good viewers on this channel. Often you can learn more by reading the comments than in the video itself ;-)
I have to say I agree that a binocular is less helpful, but for me it is due to my glasses. It is very hard to find binoculars with stigmatism correction, and without it I cannot judge the squareness or distance of parts very well. I have found display microscopes and large magnifying lenses work far better for me as I can keep my glasses on.
I had the same problem with cheap breadboards, until I found the Elegoo breadboards they are better. Thank you for the incredible quality of your videos.
I am in almost full agreement on everything you covered with one exception. At 2:18 you mentioned breadboards and stated they all are about the same, so go with the cheapest. Check Julian Ilett channel and see the huge difference between some breadboards. I have had both good and bad luck depending on the manufacture of the breadboard. I hope to finish a video on breadboards in the near future started it 2 years ago and then I have had fun health problems. I really enjoy your channel and you do very nice informative videos.
I just subscribed to your channel, you've got some nice videos. Hope you one day manage to finish the video on breadboards, but take care of your health first. P.S. Saw you mention the IMSAI 8080 as your first computer...ah, what a classic! I wish I still had mine.
im sure someone already said this but i think fluke meters can be kept on by holding one of the buttons while turning it from the off position to something else
@@AndreasSpiess Working on the interiour. I left it aside for a while, since my father passed away and we're now taking care of more urgent things. This summer everything should be ready....
I have owned for 5 months hot air gun you mentioned in the video. I think it is temperature-adjustable and affordable for most of the users who dont engage in very delicite curcuit But I never tried how precise temperature it has. In a nutshell it is worth the purchase.
I also do not know the exact temperature, but I think it does not matter too much as I usually work with higher temperatures and stop if I reached the effect.
Storing the projects in plastic boxes? Hm. I may missed something but I always had the impression that those neat boxes with lids are prone to get statically charged and it might hurt those unprotected pcb-s or (half)-finished breadboard circuits when you remove them from the charged box.
One word of warning regarding the smd books. I bought my books about 10 years ago and recently the glued on paper labels started to fall off. The easy fix is to use transparent packing tape to overlay the labels. In general, I have found printed labels wrapped with a layer of clear packing tape a good option for a lot of wire labeling tasks.
The hot air guns with integrated fan are a major pain to use. They may be ok for people who need one once a year, but if you want to do more SMD projects, go for a fixed station. The weight and vibration of the air pump in your hand leads to lack of precision first and muscle fatigue second. The oscilloscope section should have included Owon or Uni-Trend.. those make some good and affordable maker-level DSOs. For multimeters, Uni-Trend is probable the brand to go to (UT71C for handheld, UT8803E for benchtop, which are the cheapest autoranging models with a reasonable feature set).
Good video, as always. I have a few extra tips to share with you and your viewers: - Breadboards. Actually, no, they're not all the same! At first, I also thought that, as I found the cheap $3 breadboards from China unreliable. But after buying an $8 breadboard from my local supplier, I was amazed. It's clearly of a higher quality, and it's very reliable, I always get good connections, even after placing thick leads before. - Wire strippers. That style of automatic strippers is only for thick wires. There is another style, which is a bit more expensive (I bought mine for about $25), but it's fantastic for almost any kind of wire. I bought the Jokari Super 4 Plus because it was the cheapest I could find, but the Knipex one is also good. - Oscilloscope. If you're doubting between more channels and more bandwidth, get more channels. As a maker, it's very rare to ever need more than 50 MHz, and 100 MHz is more than enough for most purposes. On the other hand, 4 channels are very useful for debugging mixed analog and digital circuits, which isn't that rare. PS: Do you take any special measures to keep your 3D printing filament dry? Because I can't see any. Is keeping it dry really necessary for PLA?
As far as I know and having printed on pla over a year old humidity doesn't matter as much, I live in a relatively high humidity area. Alex Kenis did some tests: ruclips.net/video/nHdHSK4hvZE/видео.html
Thank you for sharing your experience. I ordered such a Jokari and will compare it with the one I have. Concerning Filament. I do not know if it is humidity. It becomes brittle after a while. That is why I try to use it fast.
I really like those "expensive" automatic wire-strippers. I use mine all the time. If you do anything with your PC, USB isolation adaptors are important. Be aware, the cheap ones are slow, and not good for Logic Analyzers. Hopefully the USB3 optical cables will become affordable in time.
I used a binocular microscope like the for a while, until it fell over and broke, then I got an HD camera setup with a zoom close up lens that displays the image on a 24" monitor similar to the ones Dave Jones has and I like that much better.
I have found the "Automatic Self Adjusting Crimper Stripping Cutter Cable Wire Stripper" works very well for small wires and it is very inexpensive. It is usually Red and Blue and looks like a pair of pliers with a set of jaws in the same plane as the handles. There is no way to put a picture of it here, but it is on ebay for as little as $3.00 and it is made in China. It has two kinds of unit of measure, one side is "mm", on the other side is "inch" for strip depth and one listing claims its size is 13cm x 7.1cm x1.8cm. I would not use it above 16 AWG.
For fume removal, you can have a pc fan as well as a cheap filter like a respirator replacement filter (basically lots of folds of cotton) with some activated carbon(some ppl say activated charcoal) thrown in. The carbon actually absorbs the fumes so of course with time filter has to be replaced. You can buy the activated carbon in capsules at the pharmacy (just pop open capsule to get it). Or buy at some natural health treatment store.
@@AndreasSpiess indeed. Whatever more accessible to you. I'd imagine fine extractor filters to be more expensive tho. Any run-of-the-mill filter can work tho. Heck, even a small porous container with cotton balls and the activated carbon is fine as well. It's just way better to get rid of fumes rather than redirect them. Also, also, you may wanna make a vid recommending use of safety for hobbyists. Ppl don't know this but even some common electronics have some amounts of relatively dangerous metals like beryllium, bromides, chlorides, cadmium, lead, etc. Esp for old repurposed electronics. Source: www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/en/publications/reports/toxic-tech-chemicals-in-elec/ So at least a fan and gloves are really recommended. Anyway great content! Love tge channel.
Dear Andreas, I'm always impressed about the quality of your videos. Please continue! What I miss in this video is that you did not mention a word on ESD protection. As I had recently some bad experiences with Chinese boards, I found out that (after many years of use) my soldering iron was not connected to the earth potential. This resulted in some defective parts, which were not easy to debug. I wonder if the TS80 and TS100 are always properly discharged? Thanks, Herman
I do not care too much about ESD with the exception that I have an ESD mat. Maybe I could have added this one. Both, the TS80 and TS100 have a screw where you can ground them.
@@AndreasSpiess In the past I also ignored ESD protection, but this is changed now. The ESD mat AND the solderstation are now properly connected the earth. Thanks for your reply and the many useful videos!
Great new Video! Thanks for all the informations! But can you please explain how the Firmware Update for the TS80 was done? I have the same problems with my Powerbank.
I still would go with a bench oscilloscope from Siglent or from Rigol. With these two brands you cannot make a mistake. Choose according your budget. More expensive is always better ;-)
I really recommend if you can afford them the 30013 precision wire strippers. They allow you to set a length of the wire to be stripped and if you buy the right ones they can be set for 30 to 20 awg (0.25 - 0.60mm) wires but there are other sizes (C. K Tools 30013 Wire Stripper, made in Germany)
I do not see a big difference from the one I use (other than the distance stop if you have to produce a lot of wires). You still have to adjust the thickness of the wire. I purchased a few other strippers (automatic adjustment) to do a test in a future video.
@@AndreasSpiess I look forward to watching it. The distance stop is nice to have for crimped connectors mainly for IPC3 connections where the wire length has to be correct (usually used on flying things, and so I just use them all around.) You can read more about IPC 3 assembly process here: www.acdi.com/ipc-class-2-vs-class-3-assembly-processes-what-is-the-difference-part-1/
If you need to improve yourself in simulation domain, you'll need less of those breadboard and will go straight to making your own acid etched PCB... Also, for prototypes, I PCB designs, that can be salvaged if they are wrong.(like, for microcontroller, having maximum number of pads broken out for a given space. Having filters and analogue bits placed with modular boards. Etc etc)
Most of my projects are a combination of microprocessors and discrete electronics. So simulation is a little difficult. But you are right, I do not use simulation enough.
I've seen you mention your anxt with desoldering pin headers and such. Do you use a solder sucker pump? I find them quite effective. Most recently used it to remove a shorting Wemos D1 header row.
Gee I grew up on Tektronix and at the EAO we had a BWD made in Australia the shape of it it was called the Vacuum cleaner! Went to Hameg and still on analog Hitachi 100MHz. The Weidmuller Stripax was unique and all my banana plugs are Multicontact from Basel, something so light and has no issues even with 20A and its gold does not corrode in the tropics!
Thank you for sharing your experience! The biggest advantage now is that functionality became much cheaper and also a Maker can buy marvelous devices (Schlaraffenland)
Hey I'm not doing too bad, haha, all I need now is a bench PSU and an digital scope to complete my personal lab. Everything else I pretty much agree with you spot on. Didn't know the TS100 is _that_ good though... might have to look at one day...Oh PS, you forgot to mention digital calipers. I don't think I can go a day without my calipers. I just have a cheapy Chinese one, seems to work well enough.
Brilliant video ... I especially liked the comment on keeping your wife happy printing broken parts on the 3D printer. At present my wife is still whole but it sounds like a good precaution as we are all getting older!
@Chris Clarke , I tried this to justify buying a 3D printer but my wife insisted on a titanium replacement for her knee.
:-))
@@andrewkieran8942 , you may need a titanium printer... 😀
Herr Spiess, you are part of my Sunday morning routine! Thank you!
Glad to read that!
As a technician who troubleshoots and repairs circuits daily, I agree with everything you said. This is an excellent resource for beginners. Proper bench oscilloscope, digital auto-ranging multimeter, and FLUX FLUX FLUX. I have one of those hot air guns with motor in handle. It works good but it's bulky.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Andreas, i would sell my soul to have a grandfather like You... really...
Nice comment, actually I had a grandfather like Andreas. I miss him for all the same reasons.
Thank you! These new technologies make it possible to share a person like me (or at least parts of me). A good compromise, I think.
The snort! ;-)
True
Great suggestions again Andreas! My problem in sorting stuff is way too many projects. But I learned from you to finish the older projects first before starting a new one. Thank you for all of your videos, I always learn something new from you! Stay safe my friend!
I recently bought more boxes. Also to store finished projects from the channel. So finishing in my case does not always help ;-)
@@AndreasSpiess Yes, I have so many of my projects done and they are taking space. I think I need to start giving stuff away! Let someone else take care of it for a while, before they give it away!
I used a PC fan for fume extraction too, but it has a piece of activated carbon filter (the sort you might use in a cooker extraction unit) in front of the fan. I can confirm this works very well, and a good quality PC fan has enough static pressure to pull air through the filter. Failing that there are cheap fume extractors available from china
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I spend the €19,99 on a pair of those knipex pliers (and 1 resistor so i got free shipping), i can highly reccomend them. They feel really nice and will last you a life time.
I also bought one of those automatic wirestrippers and im very happy with it. Can reccomend!
O and if you dont have the budget for a bench oscilloscope, look for a used hp one. We have multiple oscilloscopes at school but i find the hp 5xxxx series the nicest to work with.
I hope you will find a decent scope!
"and 1 resistor so i got free shipping"
lol
I bought myself a digital USB microscope recently. To me it's great. Yes, you can't do soldering underneath, but I use it to check the quality of my smd solder afterwards. And for that it's fine. It's also small and cheaper than the stereo microscope. Anyway, thanks for another interesting and useful video!
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Again, you have produced a video that is valuable to me. Thank you, sir.
You are welcome!
For hot air I've got one of those integrated portable types (not like the one you show in the video). It's pretty neat, and heats up fast as well.
Mind if I ask the model? Just to get an idea.
It's a Yihua 8858-I, so similar to the pic in the video, just an extra 'I'. Has the controls all built into the handle rather than having a docking station.
@@Direkin I have a GONGJUE 8018LCD, bought from Banggood. Don't recommend it because the turning wheel to control the temp is very inconsistent so makes it very hard to set the right temperature. When you turn it is does nothing and then suddenly it goes high up and such.
Great video, and you're right with the need for magnification as we age. I recently bought 10x head magnifying glasses from Ali for $13. One of my best adds this year. Very light and portable as I move around my workspace. A lot cheaper and more flexible than a microscope.
oh good! i'd been worried they might have been useless, so always put off purchasing them, but it's good to hear that they are indeed effective.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Link?
Finally, a good reason to buy a 3D printer.
It emits harmful particles.
some great information there yet again Andreas!..thanks mate!...LOL at nerds coitus interruptus!
You are welcome!
Nice to see someone promoting SMD for us old farts. As long as yo have fair dexterity it is much easier to work with than trying to hit those friggin holes with a shaking hand! I try to avoid leaded parts except for breadboards where SMD parts does not fit.
You saw I also keep my old resistors for the breadboard!
There is a few YT videos on breadboards and indeed some really bad versions exist out there. I watched and decided to go with Jameco Valuepro (WBU-202-R, 803 points). It's more expensive but well worth the money since I have never had any issue with it. Does it matter, well not if you only make few connections but as the number of connection goes up you will increase the risk of various intermittent connection issues.
Thank you for sharing!
After trying all kinds of cheap breadboards, I ended up with reichelt steckboard SB-# series. They're a bit more expensive but never more all the frustrations of bad contacts, capacitance, bending wires etc. Really recommended !
Thanks for the tip. I will try one.
nice. i just restarted to regain 'the love for electronics" and planning to create my own electroninc ' playgarden' in my basement in the future. this viedeo will help me to know what i need and save money
Enjoy!
Knipex "Heavy Duty Pliers". So precise, they work for fine stranded wires as well as 2mm spring steel. Easily the best tool investment I've ever done.
Good to know. Thanks!
Hi Andreas. I found your video on microscopes most helpful and informative as I am currently in the process researching and buying a stereo microscopes and camera . Thank you for the video, which will assist me in making the correct choices before I commit to my purchase. Good work Andreas.
Glad it was helpful!
5:00 i read somewhere that solder wire is getting old and it has certain lifespan so in that case maybe should one buy smaller 50g sodler wire and use a rule about replacing old soldering wire?
I never heated that. I have solder wire here for the next 50 years ;-)
Thank you for all your helpful videos! I'm just getting started in electronics and your channel really is very helpful. I'm excited to start making things!
Cool. Enjoy your hobby!
Great for beginners, I wish I had this info a few years back when I was starting out stocking my lab, I think I made many of the same mistakes till as everybody else till I got the good stuff! Going straight to getting the good stuff saves money, time and frustration when starting out. Thanks very much!
You are welcome! Preventing wrong decisions is one goal of this channel.
Hi..thanks.
Can you post link for usb isolator module?
Just wanted to ask the same question 😁
look for ADUM4160 on the usual sites
Now I posted a link
Very good Walk through 😀
Thanks for sharing 😀👍
You are welcome!
Excellent advice as always. NEVER buy cheap hand tools. All my favourite ones are over 40 years old and seemed very expensive when I bought them. Lindstrom pliers and cutters are my favourites
Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between "expensive" and "worth the money" when you purchase. After 40 years it is easier ;-)
9:37 on most portable multimeters like the Fluke for example you can turn off the automatic switch off so there is no issue with that.
You are right
great circle back on a super important topic, 'Ones Tools'. as always great overview of how to do it right for new players, the quick hot air station is on my wanted list, but as for most of the other things shown here, it is very much identical.
Keep up the great video's
The Quick is not cheap. I also had to wait until my old station was dead.
A spool of some leaded Kester solder is the perfect thing to give to anyone who wants to start learning how to solder.
Good video. A tip for those with a bit more cash is ceramic-tipped tweezers.
I have a lazy eye so don't have full binocular vision. Don't ask how I can solder... It takes a few goes to find range before I can confidently work through a series of joints. I use a large magnifying glass for small bits... To augment the spectacles that I have been wearing since the age of 2.
For people working with serial protocols, the buspirate has a lot of fans. It's cheap enough and is smarter than your average logic breakout.
P.S. flux is also available in gel form. Consistency something like honey but not so sticky.
I tried once such ceramic tweezers and was not happy. Maybe you have a better one. And you are right with the flux. I sometimes also use it instead of the fluid one.
Vielen Dank für die Videos. Der investierte Aufwand ist sehr beeindruckend, diese Informationsdichte fällt ja nicht vom Himmel.
Beim heutigen Video war der Aufwand noch viel grösser. Es war ein spannendes Thema (für mich).
Great summary Andreas - thanks for the benefit of your experience and judgement!
You are welcome!
Breadboards from the 1980s were much better than they are today. As a boy I had some yellow ones, can't remember the brand, but they were miles better than anything I've managed to buy recently.
I agree. Maybe you get better ones today too for the professional market. But they are probably more expensive.
World class maker tool tips with links to much more detailed information in previous videos. Most Wonderful !
Thank you!
Sali Andreas. Another super overview of your toolset. I went from weller ws50 to a ts100 as well. Will look at the logic analyzer. We all benefit from your experience.
The TS100 is very similar to the TS80, only cheaper ;-)
@@AndreasSpiess I recommend the rigol 1054z its not perfect but classic 100mhz 4ch once tweaked. Next buy for me is hot air station quick dw
Thanks for your tip. I did not want to recommend oscilloscopes as I do not know them.
How often do you use (or wish you had) a JTAG/SWD debug/trace interface for debugging/programming?
What about a USB/UART adapter?
I do not know how to use JTAG with Arduino or ESPs.
Of course, I use USB adapters, but would not consider it as "tools". In addition I had to do a strong selection ;-)
Hi Andreas, have you tried to to use a fume extractors replacement filter with the fan? Probably you can make / 3d print some enclosure to fit the fan and the filter.
A filter reduces the power of the fan and you have to put it closer to your working area. For me, it was not worthwhile.
Its funny to hear you use language in more creative ways, your descriptions are way more accurate than what I usually hear.
Thank you. I try my best with the English language...
When I worked as an Engineer the only component I couldnt solder was bga parts. Good video Andreas.
Once more a lot of great inspirations ! Thanks Andreas. Now you know why my lab looks so similar to yours. Thanks for all these usefull recommendations .. and the fun on Sunday morning. Brilliant !
Good choice to make look your lab similar ;-)
I used to use a big 120mm computer fan with some carbon sponge filter thingy glued to it. I used this until this fan gave his last spin. As this sponge is very conductive (and a bit brittle), I cut it to smaller pieces and used these to store some DIP logic IC's. Now I have to buy it again.
Reusage becomes more and more important!
I am not sure I will add filtering as the fan is now very strong and it needs not to be very close to my work.
@@AndreasSpiess This sponge is not very thick, as it's about 2$ on AliExpress I think you might try it (mine is quite coarse, it won't block air very much, i think) . If it won't be to your liking you can always use it for esd protection, a small dip16 sized piece of it has around 1MOhm from side to side.
Only downside is that cutting this makes a lot of mess.
My prescription reading glasses is 1.5 (with some astigmatism). I ordered bi-focals from Zenni and bumped up the lower part to 3 for component work. I also use bluetack to hold in components while soldering. My extractor is Dyson, just need to watch small components.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
All very useful recommendations. And another great tutorial.
Thank you!
A good next step would be an electronic load as well, especially if you're doing battery stuff. Great video, I saw all the stuff I use day to day in your video, can attest they are great suggestions.
I had to shorten the list. However I did videos about electronic loads
Hi Andreas, This was one of your most informative videos that I ever watched. Great stuff! I think there's a huge need for makers for this kind of information, as we waste loads of time and money by using and buying the non proven or rubbish equipment. Greetings wingunder
Thank you! As I mentioned, I also spent a few dollars for not so good stuff ;-)
"This is called a... nerdz Coïtus Interuptus" This call made my day!
:-))
Glasses with a very high strength of 5+ are very useful to the older of us!
I never tried that.
@@AndreasSpiess
Definitely worth having, on eBay they are about €5
Essential for close up work and much better than strength 2 glasses etc.
Very interesting video, especially the section on new 'scopes. I am still using my old Hitachi VC-6023 dual beam scope, must be about 30 years old now but still going!
I also have an old scope which still works. But the new ones have a lot of storage which is a game changer
2:20 Speaking from experience, my father bought me a electronics set a couple years ago that came with a breadboard. Fast forward to my first year in Polytechnic (equivalent to college), the breadboards that the School of EE Engineering sold had terrible tolerances in their plastic injection molding, so often wires that are stuck would be there forever and never come out.
Bad luck for them. They should have better material, I think...
I have a recommendation for the use of USB oscilloscope. For a galvanic decoupling you can buy for about 10$ a ADUM2160 USB decoupler. Since i have one, i have no worries to connect my pc to the scope.
You are right. I think I mentioned it also in this video.
12:29 what about tektronix ? do they make good scope ?
They make very good oscilloscopes, mostly for the professional market
Very helpful summary.
Thank you!
How essential a binocular microscope is, depends on what you are doing. I would say that an illuminated bench magnifier is essential, certainly for those of us with ageing eyesight. I have been working with electronics for 50 years and while have access to a bench microscope at work, it is something I seldom use, most of the time a bench magnifier is adequate and a far cheaper purchase.
The new cheap multimeters are very accurate and extremely good value compared with the old analogue instruments I started with. However, a Fluke will last you forever and is significantly faster at auto ranging and continuity beep. My 70 series was issued to me at work in the late 80’s and is still going strong. I recently added a newer Fluke 83V, bought second hand, because I wanted a back lit display. The cheap units only switch the backlight on for about 15 seconds, which is a right pain. A second hand Fluke can be bought at a significant saving from new. Yes my Fluke will go to sleep, but I have never felt the need for a bench multimeter.
I agree wholeheartedly with you about using lead solder. We have lead free at work and it is much harder to use for reworking.
Thank you for taking the time to make your videos, they are always well scripted and produced. A very small point, the instruments you were holding up are called ‘cutters’ in English. Small electronics pliers are for holding only.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Of course, we do not need to agree. This is the value of having such good viewers on this channel. Often you can learn more by reading the comments than in the video itself ;-)
I have to say I agree that a binocular is less helpful, but for me it is due to my glasses. It is very hard to find binoculars with stigmatism correction, and without it I cannot judge the squareness or distance of parts very well. I have found display microscopes and large magnifying lenses work far better for me as I can keep my glasses on.
I had the same problem with cheap breadboards, until I found the Elegoo breadboards they are better.
Thank you for the incredible quality of your videos.
Thank you for your info. Unfortunately, they are no more available on amazon.de...
Very nice! The only tool you forgot is the Panavise.
I did not cover most of my tools ;-)
Thank you, I could again learn a lot of very useful tools.
You are welcome!
Another great video and lots of useful links!! Thanks Andreas.
You are welcome!
I am in almost full agreement on everything you covered with one exception. At 2:18 you mentioned breadboards and stated they all are about the same, so go with the cheapest. Check Julian Ilett channel and see the huge difference between some breadboards. I have had both good and bad luck depending on the manufacture of the breadboard. I hope to finish a video on breadboards in the near future started it 2 years ago and then I have had fun health problems. I really enjoy your channel and you do very nice informative videos.
I just subscribed to your channel, you've got some nice videos. Hope you one day manage to finish the video on breadboards, but take care of your health first. P.S. Saw you mention the IMSAI 8080 as your first computer...ah, what a classic! I wish I still had mine.
@@abcde-ji6md Thank you for the kind comment. Yeah, I wish I still had my IMSAI 8080.
@jwrelectro Julian showed the differences, but did not show me how I can avoid it :-(
im sure someone already said this but i think fluke meters can be kept on by holding one of the buttons while turning it from the off position to something else
Yes. That is true. But then I regularly forget to switch it off...
you should look into installing carbon filter sheets on your solder fume extractor
You are right!
Wonderfull Sunday morning entertainment. I really like your lab with all the equipment and tools. That is my natural habitat too.
I hope yours is now finished?
@@AndreasSpiess Working on the interiour. I left it aside for a while, since my father passed away and we're now taking care of more urgent things. This summer everything should be ready....
I am sad to read your father passed away.
@@AndreasSpiess Thank you !
Hallo,
ein Glasfaserstift ist auch sehr hilfreich um Lötstellen zu säubern.
Gibts bei Reichelt, Amazon...
Danke für den Tip
12:05 u can use phone or tablet with hscope app
Thank you for the info. Looks good!
Fantastic information and, as always, very well presented.
Thank you!
I have owned for 5 months hot air gun you mentioned in the video. I think it is temperature-adjustable and affordable for most of the users who dont engage in very delicite curcuit But I never tried how precise temperature it has. In a nutshell it is worth the purchase.
I also do not know the exact temperature, but I think it does not matter too much as I usually work with higher temperatures and stop if I reached the effect.
Storing the projects in plastic boxes? Hm. I may missed something but I always had the impression that those neat boxes with lids are prone to get statically charged and it might hurt those unprotected pcb-s or (half)-finished breadboard circuits when you remove them from the charged box.
I never had problems with that. But my lab floor does not create static charges.
One word of warning regarding the smd books. I bought my books about 10 years ago and recently the glued on paper labels started to fall off. The easy fix is to use transparent packing tape to overlay the labels. In general, I have found printed labels wrapped with a layer of clear packing tape a good option for a lot of wire labeling tasks.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
The hot air guns with integrated fan are a major pain to use. They may be ok for people who need one once a year, but if you want to do more SMD projects, go for a fixed station. The weight and vibration of the air pump in your hand leads to lack of precision first and muscle fatigue second.
The oscilloscope section should have included Owon or Uni-Trend.. those make some good and affordable maker-level DSOs. For multimeters, Uni-Trend is probable the brand to go to (UT71C for handheld, UT8803E for benchtop, which are the cheapest autoranging models with a reasonable feature set).
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Good video, as always. I have a few extra tips to share with you and your viewers:
- Breadboards. Actually, no, they're not all the same! At first, I also thought that, as I found the cheap $3 breadboards from China unreliable. But after buying an $8 breadboard from my local supplier, I was amazed. It's clearly of a higher quality, and it's very reliable, I always get good connections, even after placing thick leads before.
- Wire strippers. That style of automatic strippers is only for thick wires. There is another style, which is a bit more expensive (I bought mine for about $25), but it's fantastic for almost any kind of wire. I bought the Jokari Super 4 Plus because it was the cheapest I could find, but the Knipex one is also good.
- Oscilloscope. If you're doubting between more channels and more bandwidth, get more channels. As a maker, it's very rare to ever need more than 50 MHz, and 100 MHz is more than enough for most purposes. On the other hand, 4 channels are very useful for debugging mixed analog and digital circuits, which isn't that rare.
PS: Do you take any special measures to keep your 3D printing filament dry? Because I can't see any. Is keeping it dry really necessary for PLA?
As far as I know and having printed on pla over a year old humidity doesn't matter as much, I live in a relatively high humidity area. Alex Kenis did some tests: ruclips.net/video/nHdHSK4hvZE/видео.html
Thank you for sharing your experience. I ordered such a Jokari and will compare it with the one I have.
Concerning Filament. I do not know if it is humidity. It becomes brittle after a while. That is why I try to use it fast.
This is a great video and very much mirrors my own experience (and old eyes)!
If the rest is still ok we have a good life ;-)
Hi Andreas, thanks for great video. I need USB isolator ( 12:17 ) Do you have schematic?
I bought my module. I updated the link in the description.
@@AndreasSpiess Thank you for answer. I guess it's handmade.
@@X11R7 I have a few of them. None is handmade...
I can't wait to watch your Video every Sunday morning!
Thank you!
I really like those "expensive" automatic wire-strippers. I use mine all the time.
If you do anything with your PC, USB isolation adaptors are important. Be aware, the cheap ones are slow, and not good for Logic Analyzers. Hopefully the USB3 optical cables will become affordable in time.
P already have a 60$ Knippex and a 15$ Jokari sitting in the lab. Waiting for a few others from China...
Thank you very much!
You are welcome!
I used a binocular microscope like the for a while, until it fell over and broke, then I got an HD camera setup with a zoom close up lens that displays the image on a 24" monitor similar to the ones Dave Jones has and I like that much better.
Thanks for your feedback!
I have found the "Automatic Self Adjusting Crimper Stripping Cutter Cable Wire Stripper" works very well for small wires and it is very inexpensive. It is usually Red and Blue and looks like a pair of pliers with a set of jaws in the same plane as the handles. There is no way to put a picture of it here, but it is on ebay for as little as $3.00 and it is made in China. It has two kinds of unit of measure, one side is "mm", on the other side is "inch" for strip depth and one listing claims its size is 13cm x 7.1cm x1.8cm. I would not use it above 16 AWG.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I once made a stripper comparison. There are quite a few different models available.
For fume removal, you can have a pc fan as well as a cheap filter like a respirator replacement filter (basically lots of folds of cotton) with some activated carbon(some ppl say activated charcoal) thrown in.
The carbon actually absorbs the fumes so of course with time filter has to be replaced.
You can buy the activated carbon in capsules at the pharmacy (just pop open capsule to get it). Or buy at some natural health treatment store.
I also read that they use filters from the kitchen fume extractor ;-)
@@AndreasSpiess indeed. Whatever more accessible to you. I'd imagine fine extractor filters to be more expensive tho. Any run-of-the-mill filter can work tho. Heck, even a small porous container with cotton balls and the activated carbon is fine as well.
It's just way better to get rid of fumes rather than redirect them.
Also, also, you may wanna make a vid recommending use of safety for hobbyists. Ppl don't know this but even some common electronics have some amounts of relatively dangerous metals like beryllium, bromides, chlorides, cadmium, lead, etc. Esp for old repurposed electronics.
Source: www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/en/publications/reports/toxic-tech-chemicals-in-elec/
So at least a fan and gloves are really recommended.
Anyway great content! Love tge channel.
I really appreciate your time and work with us in mind! Thank you and 🥃cheers🍻
You are welcome!
Dear Andreas,
I'm always impressed about the quality of your videos. Please continue!
What I miss in this video is that you did not mention a word on ESD protection. As I had recently some bad experiences with Chinese boards, I found out that (after many years of use) my soldering iron was not connected to the earth potential. This resulted in some defective parts, which were not easy to debug. I wonder if the TS80 and TS100 are always properly discharged? Thanks, Herman
I do not care too much about ESD with the exception that I have an ESD mat. Maybe I could have added this one.
Both, the TS80 and TS100 have a screw where you can ground them.
@@AndreasSpiess In the past I also ignored ESD protection, but this is changed now. The ESD mat AND the solderstation are now properly connected the earth. Thanks for your reply and the many useful videos!
Very nice and well done Andreas. Can you tell me the source of the resistor kit box. Thank you.
It is very old and no more available.
Great new Video! Thanks for all the informations! But can you please explain how the Firmware Update for the TS80 was done? I have the same problems with my Powerbank.
For those of us not in the know, what problems would that be? Because it's not mentioned in the video.
The problem is, that it displays "low voltage" on some QC chargers. Here is the link: github.com/Ralim/ts100. There is also a TS80 version.
Problem solved!!! Thanks a lot! ;-)
Andreas Spiess Brilliant, thanks for this, it's been frustrating me since I got myTS80, didn't even think about a firmware update! Thanks again!
I bought the Japanese crimping tool after seeing your video review about it. Thanks!
:-)
Which oscilloscope would you recommend for beginners?
I still would go with a bench oscilloscope from Siglent or from Rigol. With these two brands you cannot make a mistake. Choose according your budget. More expensive is always better ;-)
Another awesome video from the Swiss guy! Bravo!
Thank you!
I really recommend if you can afford them the 30013 precision wire strippers. They allow you to set a length of the wire to be stripped and if you buy the right ones they can be set for 30 to 20 awg (0.25 - 0.60mm) wires but there are other sizes (C. K Tools 30013 Wire Stripper, made in Germany)
I do not see a big difference from the one I use (other than the distance stop if you have to produce a lot of wires). You still have to adjust the thickness of the wire.
I purchased a few other strippers (automatic adjustment) to do a test in a future video.
@@AndreasSpiess I look forward to watching it. The distance stop is nice to have for crimped connectors mainly for IPC3 connections where the wire length has to be correct (usually used on flying things, and so I just use them all around.) You can read more about IPC 3 assembly process here: www.acdi.com/ipc-class-2-vs-class-3-assembly-processes-what-is-the-difference-part-1/
Marvelous vid my friend... that one is very,very wellcome...
A MUST to see.
THANKS a lot for ya work!!
You are welcome!
Where did you get the colored IC grabbers you use with the logic analyser? I have only found red/black on that model/style.
I think on Aliexpress. But a long time ago. I even do not know how to search for them :-(
Just search for test hooks. You might get lucky.
Thank you very much. One of your videos i like most of all... Have a nice time !
Nice to know! Thank you.
If you need to improve yourself in simulation domain, you'll need less of those breadboard and will go straight to making your own acid etched PCB... Also, for prototypes, I PCB designs, that can be salvaged if they are wrong.(like, for microcontroller, having maximum number of pads broken out for a given space.
Having filters and analogue bits placed with modular boards.
Etc etc)
Most of my projects are a combination of microprocessors and discrete electronics. So simulation is a little difficult. But you are right, I do not use simulation enough.
I've seen you mention your anxt with desoldering pin headers and such. Do you use a solder sucker pump? I find them quite effective. Most recently used it to remove a shorting Wemos D1 header row.
I use them too, but not very often.
Very helpful, thanks for all the information.
You are welcome!
0:58 Who doesnt like some strippers when doing electronics work? :D
:-))
Get expensive 😁
I get the principle of Flux but when do you apply the fluid one? It is already contained in the core of the solder, so when/why do you need more?
Because it works? I am no chemist ;-)
Gee I grew up on Tektronix and at the EAO we had a BWD made in Australia the shape of it it was called the Vacuum cleaner! Went to Hameg and still on analog Hitachi 100MHz. The Weidmuller Stripax was unique and all my banana plugs are Multicontact from Basel, something so light and has no issues even with 20A and its gold does not corrode in the tropics!
Thank you for sharing your experience! The biggest advantage now is that functionality became much cheaper and also a Maker can buy marvelous devices (Schlaraffenland)
there is no going back from t12 stm32 controllers for both soldering iron and hot air gun.
Very useful video.
Thanks!
:-)
Hey I'm not doing too bad, haha, all I need now is a bench PSU and an digital scope to complete my personal lab. Everything else I pretty much agree with you spot on. Didn't know the TS100 is _that_ good though... might have to look at one day...Oh PS, you forgot to mention digital calipers. I don't think I can go a day without my calipers. I just have a cheapy Chinese one, seems to work well enough.
I had to reduce the list. But I agree on calipers (I even own one for left-handers)
very enjoyable to watch!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video!
:-)
It would be nice if you could add
the mentioned episodes of yours
to the descriptions.
Thank you and have a nice day!
I added so-called cards in the video. They should appear in the corner when I mention them.
In addition, they are numbered, easy to find.
@@AndreasSpiess Sorry! My bad I have not noticed them till now.
Hi @Andreas, what flux do you use for the pcb soldering work?
I use Kester flux bought years ago and sometimes Mechanic (s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_sg6KhL )
@@AndreasSpiess Thanks!