Category: Product Reviews

I have been a maker pretty much all my life. PCB fabrication has always interested me from constructing prototypes on vero board to toner transfers onto dual sided FR4 board.

As time went on, the through hole components gave way to the SMT parts that initially were OK to install by hand (eg 1206 and to some extent 0603).

My progression to 0402 parts and jittery flair for coffee in the morning has made it quite laborious to work with so I decided just like many makers out there to invest in a PCB assembly line.

Note, in this day and age with the likes of JLCPcb (AKA Shenzen JLC Electronics Co Ltd AKA JiaLiChuang (HongKong) Co Ltd), PCB fabrication at home is now relegated to “doing art” and no longer a practical nor time economical  activity. So we will just focus on assembling fabricated PCBs using a commercially made Stencil.

The Process

Well this one is real simple. We will take a commercial assembly process and reduce it down we get the following process.

We will need a Solder Paste Printer, a pick and place machine and a reflow oven.

Solder Paste Printer

After much research and my own experiences setting up stencil jigs, I want a printer that allows fine scale control over the levelness of the pcb while “squeegeeing”.

Enter the 3040 Printer.

Features:

• Work table size: 300*400mm (Pretty much standard low cost stencil from JLCPcb)
• Print size:  250*400mm
• Max net frame size:  370*470mm
• Thickness of the substrates:  0-80mm
• Workbench adjustment volume:  10mm Horizontal Angle adjustment
• Printing platform height:  220mm
• Claimed Repeated accuracy:  +-0.01mm
• Locate mode: Benchmark or hole shape Dimension 540*370*350 mm
• Weight: 25Kg

Pick & Place Machine

I want something that has some good reviews already and the thumbs up from fellow makers. I don’t need something with a million feeders but I do want something with around 20-30 feeders, a separate IC tray area and possibly tubed IC feeding capability.

On a budget the following machine seems to be the way to go. The Charmhigh CHMT48VA.

Features:

• Dimensions L 960mm*W 705mm*H 335mm
• PCB Area 10*10~355*355mm <– More than enough for the stencil print size
• XY Axis travel 400*460mm
• Z axis move range 15mm
• Pick and Place heads 2pcs
• Mounting Speed:
  • With vision 3000~4000cph
  • Without vision 6000cph-7000cph
• Working Precision ±0.025mm
• Reels/Feeders/Stacks/Trays:
  • 8mm=22 stack
  • 12mm=4 stack
  • 16mm=2 stack
  • 24mm=1 stack
  • Front IC=14 stack
  • User-defined IC tray
• Vacuum pump 2pcs in-built
• Vision system Up view and down view dual cameras
• Computer system inside Linux system inside,
• CSV file By Protel 99SE ; Altium Designer and Eagle
• Touch screen 7’’ (15.6cm*9.3cm) industry touch screen
• Support packages 0402,0603,0805,1206,1210,3528,5050, SO-16,SOT-23,SOT-89,TO-252,SOP,QFN, LQFP….different kinds of IC (max size 22*22mm)

Reflow Oven

Again, lots of people out there with reviews on ovens. The Puhui T962 series seems to be bagged a lot but there are some fixes to get it working “properly”

I am going to go with the latest iteration the T962C and see how it goes. It has had a good review from the Superhouse guy (Andrew)…

Prediction: I have a feeling I’m going to have to build an oven myself….

My Purchases

These affiliate links help me in a small way at no extra cost to you. I have personally bought from these sellers and can verify they delivered the goods.

CHMT48VA + Vibration Feeder (tube feeder)

The pick and place machine with 29 feeders and a tube vibration feeder for ICs in tubes.

3040 Stencil Printer / Manual Solder Paste Screening Machine

This stencil printer is much better than the cheaper ones as it allows you to prop the board if its thin and has variation in flatness

Once these purchases arrive I will review them in Part II…

 

6V 2W bargain panel?

I have been searching for a solar panel to power some of my standalone ESP8266/32 projects and I have evaluated a bunch of panels. This particular panel got my attention because of its clamied power output and efficiency.

This is what the manufacturer/seller claims:

Specifications

Maximum power: 2W
Working current: 0.35A
Operating Voltage: 6V
System current: 6V
Open circuit voltage: 6.6V
Short circuit current: 350A
Parallel resistance: 0(ohm)
Series resistance: 1(ohm)
Conversion efficiency: 18(%)

Of course the short circuit voltage is wrongly provided at 350A. Surely its 350mA?

Test & Application

I did the tests for open circuit voltage and short circuit current using a Fluke 87 Multimeter.

Sunlight was at 30degree incident for Voc test. Came in at over 6V.

However disappointingly, the first short circuit test came in at a mere 64.9mA!

Second test with panel facing the sun directly came in at 73.9mA.

As you can see its nowhere near the claimed 350mA.

Very disappointed….

Verdict

Poor performance for size. Avoid.

Reference to panel

http://ali.pub/331p8v

 

Weary eyes

As Moore’s law marches on, the size of electronic discrete components gets smaller and smaller. Add to that the unrelenting march of the sands of time, my vision is becoming more long sighted which makes it difficult to focus clearly on things close up. Its time for a decent industrial microscope…

Research

I went through a plethora of youtube videos and blog reviews of various digital microscopes including Dave Jones’ review of the DIYINHK unit and his Tagarno whizbang unit. It got me thinking, what if I could spec a unit that could do pretty much what the Tagarno could do but without the pricetag?

Budget

I set aside a budget of between AUD$200 and AUD$400. I want the best value for my money here. It would be nice to have this thing working for at least 5-10 years.

Requirements

It was clear, I need:

• HDMI output to an external monitor, at least 1080p, ideally 60fps
• USB output in the event I want to utilise a PC for analysis
• Storage to an flash device to take photos/videos of work for clients, especially electronic forensic work
• A decent and usable focal range without ridiculous magnification
• A sturdy stand with a large enough work area or at least a stand that can be modified
• A large enough working distance
• Auto-focus, but not not really required…

Candidate

Enter the Eakins 16MP 1080p 60fps unit. Its a bit annoying that they don’t have a model number for this package.

What the package comes with:

• 1 x Camera
• 1 x Power supply(EU/AU)
• 1 x 180X/300X Zoom C-mount Lens
• 1 x Camera Big Stand
• 1 x 144 LED Ring Light
• 1 x HDMI cable

The Camera’s Specifications:

• Sensor: 1 / 2.33 inch Panasonic 16 million pixel CMOS sensor
• Pixel size: 1.335 μm × 1.335 μm
• HDMI output: 1920 * 1080 60 frames, 2K at 25 frames, 4K at 25 frames
• USB output: 1920 * 1080/30 1280 * 720/30 640 * 480/30 320 * 240/30 (MJPG)
• Lens Interface: C / CS
• Exposure: Auto / Manual
• Exposure compensation: support
• White balance: automatic / manual, support RGB adjustable
• Storage: Maximum support 64GB
• Input voltage: “DC 5V-12V
• Scribe line support 8 lines, color, thickness and position adjustable
• Centerline: support
• Menu Language: English / Chinese
• Remote control: support remote control operation
• Net weight: 250 grams
• Gross weight: 450 grams
• Product Size: 66 * 66 * 49mm
• Packing size: 145 * 130 * 70mm

The lens I chose was the 180x version:

• Type C-MOUNT Lens
• Working distance: 95mm
• Zoom c-mount Lens 0.5X C-mount adapter
• Zoom ratios: 6.5:1
• Objective Magnification Power by 0.7 – 4.5X(about 10 – 180X/300X on the display)
• Size: 180mm(L) * 50mm(DIA)

The light source they supplied:

• 144 bright white LED bulbs
• 100,000 hours of life
• The brightness of 0-100% Adjustable brightness
• Power input: 100-240V, 50-60HZ

My setup

I decided I would wall mount the 24″ monitor and place the microscope smack bang in the middle of the work area.

I lay glass over the nice benchtops then sat the rig ontop of that.

First Impressions

Out of the box things feel solid. Indeed the display is 1080p at 60fps. I also found that through the menu, you can select 2K and 4K at 25fps!! Although I prefer the 1K at 60fps (fast).

The unit powers up and displays an image from cold start within 10 seconds.

The focal distance adjuster is of good quality however the fine focus adjustment rack is a bit grainy towards each end. Perhaps this could be fixed with some shims?

 Modifications

The power supplies that came with the kit were crap so I made my own loom and supply, attached it to the back of the wall mounted monitor so now I can turn the microscope on and off from one switch on the wall.

Summary

Apart from some general issues with the quality of the plugpacks/power supplies they shipped and the slight “grainyness” of the fine focus adjustment, the image quality is excellent if you keep the light balance right.

Well worth the purchase. It has become an invaluable part of my lab and I dont know how I was able to function without it in the first place.

Purchase

I recommend you purchase this microscope from the official Aliexpress “Eakins Micscope Store”. I have an affiliate link below which helps me out at no extra cost to you. Rest assured they will ship a genuine unit with a real Panasonic sensor.

http://ali.pub/2agr2z

Low cost Ham Radios

With the advent of best practice design and the reduction of cost-per-unit via high volume manufacturing, it was only a matter of time before we would see a “good enough” radio enter the price range of persons wanting to enter the HAM Radio scene.

Me personally, I wanted a radio to ensure my safety in times of social chaos during natural disasters where coordination is of the utmost importance to preserving life. Notably, during times like these, the grid infrastructure is unable to cope with the added volume of communication requirement. Hence, its likely your cellphone will stop working or have limited use. To qualify this Im not a prepper but I do see their point of view as being valid to some extent.

And no, Im not going to store cans of food in my basement.

Baofeng UV-5R

It would appear that there are a plethora of reviews out there on this particular radio from the HAM snobs to the newly initiated and budget conscious persons. So Im not going to go into any deep review of the base device except to review the larger battery.

Battery Life

The base model UV-5R comes with an 1800mAh battery. This “upgrade” model comes with a 3600mAh battery. Although you can buy an upgrade battery for your existing radio, since I was entering the market for one/two I decided I would find a source that sells the 3600mAh battery as part of the base product.

Well I can say the larger battery feels secure and for someone with larger hands this makes the UV5R easier to handle and work with. The added standby and talk life is an added benefit.

The battery, even though its an aftermarket addon, doesnt feel loose or unstable like some other radios. It feels like it was meant for it.

I would highly recommend you get the 3800mAh version if you are new to this radio and considering purchasing one.

My Purchase

Although there is no official Baofeng store on Aliexpress (just supposedly licensed stores), I picked a store that had a really good price and good feedback.

This is my affiliate link. It helps me out without any extra cost to you and the added benefit of a verified seller.

http://ali.pub/2anv93

Note that this seller has sales from time to time. This is a snapshot of what I paid:

That’s pretty decent for 2 units delivered in a timely manner.

Kingsman Optical

When I first saw the movie I was blown away by the modern English attire.

The most appealing part to me was the glasses. As it turned out the movie franchise spawned an “attirical” market for the fashion, amongst which the frames were of course available for sale. The official frames are made by Cutler & Gross and are hand-crafted from high-quality acetate, available in dark tortoiseshell or classic black with clear demo lenses or tinted lenses.

As always in China the land of the free enterprise, replica frames are available. So decided to compare the qualities of the two.

The official frames have two sizes and the following dimensions:

	Medium (Standard)	Large
Width:	136mm	140mm
Lens Width:	51mm	52mm
Lens Height:	37mm	37mm
Bridge:	17mm	18mm
Arm Length:	145mm	145mm

The replica frames match to within the mm and are only available in Medium.

Verdict

It appears the replica frames are identical in terms of shape, quality and materials used. The printing however is not.  New link to glasses that are IDENTICAL!

VS

Original/Genuine Frames

http://www.magnoliclothiers.com/kingsman-glasses-p-638.html

https://www.mrporter.com/en-au/mens/kingsman/–cutler-and-gross-eggsy-s-square-frame-acetate-optical-glasses/1089078

Replica Items

“Gallahad” Frames

Prescription Fill Option – Standard Lenses

Prescription Fill Option – Blue light filter Lenses

PARTS PIECES

From time to time I find useful parts at the right price. Below are a list of items that you may find useful in your projects.

These are affiliate links which help me out without any extra cost to you. I do a lot of research on finding the best prices on items to save you the time hunting.

1206 Resistors in multiples of 100 in quite a variety of values.

1206 SMD Resistors (multiple values) http://ali.pub/29sp8r

FYD Opensource Hardware is a very reliable shop on Aliexpress. I have frequent purchases from them and its always on time and well packed. Not to mention its ESD protected unlike some other sellers.

FYD’s prices work well for bulk purchases too…

GP01 GPS Modules http://ali.pub/29sr7q

GP02 GPS Modules http://ali.pub/29sr3u

ESP-M2 Modules http://ali.pub/29srbt

ESP-01M Modules http://ali.pub/29sqva

3D magnetometer GY271 with original HMC5883L IC (Many others use QMC5883)  http://ali.pub/2ad0g9

IF you want the Chinese version QMC5883L IC http://ali.pub/2ad218

5V 2.1A Boost converter, charger, battery protection all in one for 18650 http://ali.pub/2c5dpe

Another 5V 2.1A Boost converter, charger, battery protection all in one for 18650 (NEWER MODEL) http://ali.pub/2c5eh7

1206 SMD resettable fuses http://ali.pub/2cg2fa

1812 SMD resettable fuses http://ali.pub/2cg2v8

WAGO Connectors http://ali.pub/2e9v9y

WAGO Connectors Alternative Color http://ali.pub/2e9v0m

MINI-SAS to 4 PORT SATA BREAKOUT Cable http://ali.pub/2ea0bk

Audi A4 B5 Coolant Sensor 059919501A http://ali.pub/2e9zrx

Black EVA Hot Glue Sticks http://ali.pub/2eshg1

Audi/VW Ecu relay 30 http://ali.pub/2f9tpq

18650 Battery Holders (Good quality) http://ali.pub/2gnpvu

MSSOP10/DFN10/QFN12 to DIP Prototyping boards (50pcs) http://ali.pub/2h5bii

5:1 Potting Compound http://ali.pub/2qfbu1

VERDICT:  Build quality is quite good. With a few minor modifications you can have a cheap powerful plasma cutter that does the job.

First Impressions

220V 50A Plasma Cutter CUT50 DC Inverter Air Plasma Cutting Machine China Welding Plasma Equipment CUT-50

I ordered the unit from the Tosense Official Aliexpress store. It arrived in a timely manner. The accessories that came with it made it very easy for me.

You get a truckload of spare cups/heads/tips. The Air regulator is a cheapie but it works OK.

The leads are of OK quality and plenty to handle the 50A maximum.

Testing it out

1/2 Inch Steel Beam

A mate wanted to create some legs for his custom rustic table. He brought around this steel looked like it was from the 1900s. The CUT-50D was at its maximum setting and was able to cut it OK.

THIN STEEL PLATE INTRICATE CUT

A test of the machine at a low setting to see if it can cut artwork. So I decided to carve some text into computer case steel, the stuff you can just bend by hand…

Summary

Build quality is quite good. With a few minor modifications you can have a cheap powerful plasma cutter that does the job. I will be pulling it apart soon enough to get an inside view of the internals.

If you want to purchase this plasma cutter, please use the link below as it helps me out without any extra cost to you. It is the official Tosense Aliexpress store.

http://ali.pub/20k7sz