optics for old eyes and electronics work

[mathog]

I have always been pretty near sighted (5.5D), which actually worked well for close up work when soldering and such. However, thanks to cataract surgery in both eyes I am now "blessed' with a left eye that focuses at about 2/3 of a meter and a right eye that is just a hair far sighted, with about .75D of astigmatism in both (at different angles). Today I did my first soldering job since the most recent operation, and it wasn't a lot of fun. No stereo vision, so I had to keep moving my head around to be sure the tip of the iron was where I thought it was. I do not yet have a set of prescription close glasses, so I had to use a magnifying glass to check all the solder joints. Also, of course, no accommodation courtesy of the fixed focal length of the intraocular lens.

Some of you are likely in a similar boat and, to push the metaphor too far, have already learned how to sail it. What do you find works best for electronics work? Several pairs of glasses with different focal lengths, bifocals, trifocals, progressive lenses, those head mounted binoculars (like surgeons use) or ????

Reading glasses would have been a nice inexpensive, easily obtained, solution if only my eyes were focused at the same distance and there was no astigmatism. However, I tried a bunch of pairs of these at the pharmacy and the resulting view, while having a closer focus, was pretty funky due to the lack correction for the astigmatism.

[Krankshaft]

Re: optics for old eyes and electronics work

Have you tried a good table mounted magnifier?

I posted a thread about a mounted swing arm magnifier / fluorescent lamp about a year ago.

Here's the thread:

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?p=84711

A well manufactured lamp that's ALL METAL not like those plastic made ones at Staples that break at the swing pin.

While my vision is pretty good I find it really handy especially when inspecting for bridges after hand soldering SMD devices. It's near impossible to see fine bridges between the pins without magnification.

It's near indispensable for finding solder cracks. Just pull it down and it hovers over your board and stays there so you can focus on looking and not holding a magnifying glass at the same length from the piece to keep the magnification.

[PlainBill]

Re: optics for old eyes and electronics work

I have always been pretty near sighted (5.5D), which actually worked well for close up work when soldering and such. However, thanks to cataract surgery in both eyes I am now "blessed' with a left eye that focuses at about 2/3 of a meter and a right eye that is just a hair far sighted, with about .75D of astigmatism in both (at different angles). Today I did my first soldering job since the most recent operation, and it wasn't a lot of fun. No stereo vision, so I had to keep moving my head around to be sure the tip of the iron was where I thought it was. I do not yet have a set of prescription close glasses, so I had to use a magnifying glass to check all the solder joints. Also, of course, no accommodation courtesy of the fixed focal length of the intraocular lens.

Some of you are likely in a similar boat and, to push the metaphor too far, have already learned how to sail it. What do you find works best for electronics work? Several pairs of glasses with different focal lengths, bifocals, trifocals, progressive lenses, those head mounted binoculars (like surgeons use) or ????

Reading glasses would have been a nice inexpensive, easily obtained, solution if only my eyes were focused at the same distance and there was no astigmatism. However, I tried a bunch of pairs of these at the pharmacy and the resulting view, while having a closer focus, was pretty funky due to the lack correction for the astigmatism.

That sounds familiar. Like you, I was very nearsighted, and was accustomed to removing my glasses to get a good look at close-up objects.

I went through the surgery earlier this summer, although with slightly better results. I found that generic reading glasses work quite well for the close-up work. Because of another problem called divergence insufficiency I was fitted for prescription glasses with progressive bifocals. With those soldering is doable. You WILL have to develop a new set of reflexes, but it really doesn't take too long. I would suggest you discuss your requirements with the doctor who performed the surgery.

In addition, I have a good quality (Luxo) lighted magnifier which I use for detail work.

PlainBill