What did you buy today? Post your latest purchase!

[ChrisLX200]

Simple and quick video recording using the Adonstar ADSM302. This view is similar to that available on the 5" monitor. Recording via the USB link to PC will be lower quality (USB2 link is bandwidth limited!). USB3 would have been preferred.. Anyway, hope you can assess the view quality from this..

https://youtu.be/sJPNqudyVjw

[tooki]

$50 worth of white LED display modules from Ali.

For scale, the matrix modules are just 2cm square, with 1.9mm dots at 2.5mm pitch. The largest 7-segments there are 0.56".

[Bendba]

I use my Tagarno for soldering, too. It is so much less hurting my back to look at the monitor than leaned over my old stereo microscope. Was a bit unusual at first to look at the monitor, but now I can do it faster than with my old microscope, just soldered another prototype of my Bloxorz cartridge. I guess 60 Hz, no visible lag and no tearing helps.

Hi,

I was actually talking about live streaming the video from the DSLR to a monitor. I used to do that for dissections at uni. It is very versatile in terms of optics.

[Specmaster]

I use my Tagarno for soldering, too. It is so much less hurting my back to look at the monitor than leaned over my old stereo microscope. Was a bit unusual at first to look at the monitor, but now I can do it faster than with my old microscope, just soldered another prototype of my Bloxorz cartridge. I guess 60 Hz, no visible lag and no tearing helps.

Hi,

I was actually talking about live streaming the video from the DSLR to a monitor. I used to do that for dissections at uni. It is very versatile in terms of optics.

What lens would you use for that then to say achieve a magnification factor of 400X and also the tripod or camera mount would be getting in the way surely?

[Bendba]

I used to have a wooden frame over the table (ideally, you'd mount it on the wall, on something like a wall TV mount to avoid any vibrations), about 1m above, a 55-200mm lens and macro extension rings.

Only thing I was lacking was decent lighting, LED's were still pretty expensive at the time and incandescent was too how for dissecting flowers.

If I can get my hands on the macro rings, I'll sit some footage tomorrow and post it.

Edit: I didn't get 400x magnification with that lens mounted that high but that's only a matter of distance and focal length.

Edit, again: one good trick to get good magnification is to mount a lens backwards.

[Bendba]

A 256x64 dot matrix display on a controller board, just turned up in the mail.

Apparently it does both ASCII text and graphic dot per dot or a mix of the two



Just displaying gibberish as I didn't interface it to anything, just a few jumpers on a breadboard.

I'm glad dorkshoei didn't want it to fix his test gear.

[Specmaster]

I used to have a wooden frame over the table (ideally, you'd mount it on the wall, on something like a wall TV mount to avoid any vibrations), about 1m above, a 55-200mm lens and macro extension rings.

Only thing I was lacking was decent lighting, LED's were still pretty expensive at the time and incandescent was too how for dissecting flowers.

If I can get my hands on the macro rings, I'll sit some footage tomorrow and post it.

Edit: I didn't get 400x magnification with that lens mounted that high but that's only a matter of distance and focal length.

Edit, again: one good trick to get good magnification is to mount a lens backwards.

I've got three Canon DSLR's and I don't think you could mount a lens backwards because of the Canons mounting system and besides you need the connections between the lens elements for the focusing motor etc for the camera to function?

[PTR_1275]

Reverse Mounting is quite common for macro photography on a budget, so yes, it can be done.

Mostly people use older lenses with the manual aperture ring and you need a adapter from your camera mount to whatever mm your filter thread is, then you use the camera in manual mode.


Edit

https://digital-photography-school.com/reverse-mounting-your-prime-lenses-for-affordable-macro-photography/

[Specmaster]

Reverse Mounting is quite common for macro photography on a budget, so yes, it can be done.

Mostly people use older lenses with the manual aperture ring and you need a adapter from your camera mount to whatever mm your filter thread is, then you use the camera in manual mode.


Edit

https://digital-photography-school.com/reverse-mounting-your-prime-lenses-for-affordable-macro-photography/

I see, thats a interesting article as well, however, I still would not dream of using a DSLR in such a fashion. the whole point of a microscope is that you can adjust them with ease to suit the job in hand and might mean that one minute it is showing a good depth of view the next you want to zoom real close to inspect something that maybe suspect or really small on a PCB so it needs to be easy to adjust.   

[dryjoints]

• A bus pirate
• An Asus DSL-N24U ... £55 router for £5!
• A D1 Mini NodeMCU board (thanks for the video, Dave)
• A Scrabble word verification book for Mum's friend (how they play this game without falling asleep, is beyond me.)

[JoeN]

Simple and quick video recording using the Adonstar ADSM302. This view is similar to that available on the 5" monitor. Recording via the USB link to PC will be lower quality (USB2 link is bandwidth limited!). USB3 would have been preferred.. Anyway, hope you can assess the view quality from this..

https://youtu.be/sJPNqudyVjw

I like your tweezers.  Mine look more beat up under magnification.  Those are beauties.

[McBryce]

Hi,

Not to be negative, is it me or you are spending a hell of a lot of money on what a second hand Canon EOS 600D ($250 on eBay) and a $25 software can do?

 

So you need:
A Canon DSLR
Special Software
Reversing rings
Macro rings
Some sort of homemade wall mounting.... etc, etc...
And then spend most of your time fiddling with settings every time you change the situation?

And that's somehow a better solution than buying a purpose built microscope??

McBryce.

[Bendba]

Well, to me it would. Not everyone can afford a $1000+ microscope.

[ChrisLX200]

Had to buy a replacement video card for my main desktop PC today as it had died - very gracefully, the display simply faded off like a normal power save mode then wouldn't come on again. I spent the next hour trying to figure out what was wrong, rebooting, plugging and unplugging stuff, eventually I logged in remotely from another PC and confirmed it's running fine otherwise but just no display. Device manager still thinks it has a functioning Nvidia 580 (otherwise it wouldn't have booted) but both monitors it feeds show nothing. Very strange. Anyway, a new 1060 will be delivered tomorrow as a replacement and then I can look at the old card. Clueless as to where the problem might be..

[cdev]

Most video cards have multiple output modes, and often multiple outputs, did you try the others?

For example, mine can output to an HDMI monitor if I use a Mini Display Port adapter.

[ChrisLX200]

Most video cards have multiple output modes, and often multiple outputs, did you try the others?

For example, mine can output to an HDMI monitor if I use a Mini Display Port adapter.

I think the card has mini-HDMI (or whatever, didn't look too closely) output in addition to the two DVI sockets, but I don't have a suitable HDMI cable anyway. There was no drama when it stopped working - no pops, bangs or magic smoke released. Whatever has gone wrong is affecting both DVI outputs. It has been running 24/7/365 for about 3 years though - apart from down times for servicing of course.

[URI]

A 256x64 dot matrix display on a controller board, just turned up in the mail.

Apparently it does both ASCII text and graphic dot per dot or a mix of the two

Nice one! What are the outer dimensions of pcb and viewing area? What manufacturer and type is it?
Looking for one to repair old HP test gear.. 

[Towger]

Clueless as to where the problem might be..

If it is running Windows 10 check if the drivers have been updated.  If so, it should let you roll back to the previous version.  Until next time they update. ..

[ChrisLX200]

Clueless as to where the problem might be..

If it is running Windows 10 check if the drivers have been updated.  If so, it should let you roll back to the previous version.  Until next time they update. ..

It's Win7-64 but there is no output at all - no BIOS boot up display so nothing to do with the OS..

[Bendba]

Nice one! What are the outer dimensions of pcb and viewing area? What manufacturer and type is it?
Looking for one to repair old HP test gear.. 

Here is a half decent datasheet: https://www.digchip.com/datasheets/parts/datasheet/2000/GU256X64-372_amp.php

I got it for $15+$8 postage so I'm really lucky, they are pretty expensive displays.

[URI]

Nice one! What are the outer dimensions of pcb and viewing area? What manufacturer and type is it?
Looking for one to repair old HP test gear.. 

Here is a half decent datasheet: https://www.digchip.com/datasheets/parts/datasheet/2000/GU256X64-372_amp.php

I got it for $15+$8 postage so I'm really lucky, they are pretty expensive displays.

Winner, that's a very good price! 
Thank you for linking to the data sheet. No luck for me, it's to big for my purpose. 

[firewalker]

A TL866A "universal" programmer.

Alexander.

[Specmaster]

Just bagged this on eBay so I can experiment with my microscope to see if I can rig these LEDS up and reduce the amount of direct reflection back to the screen.

[gamalot]

I am very satisfied with the Texio (Kenwood) power supply I bought last time, so I bought another one. 

[VK5RC]

I have put up an antenna (horizontal loop) that seems to be a bit quiet re all the *******. SMPSU hash around here, so am firing up my boat anchor, an Yaesu FT 101E.  I found an external VFO unit (FV101B) to go with it. I have the receiver FRG-7, the monitor scope YO-100, now for the PA