Let's set up the new electronics lab and see where you should be allocating your tool budget and where you can skimp a bit.
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🛠🛠 Hand tools 🛠🛠
• Stanley screwdriver set amzn.to/3Bgg5L1
• Precision screwdriver set amzn.to/3RE3q9M
• Wera screwdriver set amzn.to/3TKbFTx
• Schmitz pliers amzn.to/3cM0WHP
• Hakko cutters amzn.to/3TINx3R
• Tweezers set amzn.to/3BgJu7u
🛠🛠 Multimeter 🛠🛠
• CircuitSpecialists www.circuitspecialists.com/di...
• UNI-T amzn.to/3ASK9KX
• Kaiweets KM601 amzn.to/3KNjsfj
• Fluke 117 amzn.to/3BfWiLG
• Bside A10 amzn.to/3cJ77fP
🛠🛠 Soldering 🛠🛠
• ToAuto DS90 solder station amzn.to/3edDxPI
• Desoldering pump amzn.to/3RzgQUE
• Kester solder amzn.to/3REeQdE
• United Static Control ESD mat www.ultrastatinc.com/Bench_op...
🛠🛠 Oscilloscope 🛠🛠
• Hantek DS5202P www.circuitspecialists.com/ha...
• Hantek 2D42 handheld amzn.to/3RvGSby
• Hantek 6022BE USB amzn.to/3CZpyHD
🛠🛠 Desoldering 🛠🛠
• ZD 915 desoldering station amzn.to/3BcXsaI
• 858D hot air station amzn.to/3QqKkDm
🛠🛠 Power supply 🛠🛠
• Siglent SPD3303X-E amzn.to/3cRxksn
• Korad PSU amzn.to/3RHx9Pn
🛠🛠 Magnifying tools 🛠🛠
• Light with 5X magnifying glass amzn.to/3cIthik
• Magnifying glasses amzn.to/3TLNfsO
• Andonstar AD249MS amzn.to/3RlfCMW
• Andonstar ADSM302 amzn.to/3wTCNpu
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:39 Work surface
02:14 Hand tools
05:14 #notsponsored
05:26 Multimeters
09:50 Solder station
13:22 ESD mat
16:49 Oscilloscopes
20:19 Desoldering
21:51 Bench power supply
23:05 Magnifying tools
25:16 Monitor and computer
26:19 Conclusion
Music tracks:
Funky Stars by McKlain mcklain.bandcamp.com/track/fu...
Battro OST by McKlain mcklain.bandcamp.com/track/ba...
More awesome music by McKlain: www.mcklain.com
🛠 Tools I use ➤ noelsretrolab.com/tools.html
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#electronics #tools
I built my company with a multimeter, a soldering iron and much patience. The most important tool needed is knowledge, so don't forget to be focused and study a lot.
I took a couple semesters of electronics when I was getting my ME degree, but having just gotten back into electronics a few years ago, I found a used basic electronics 101 textbook was a HUGE help, and I still refer back to it often
out of curiosity, what do you do?
@@edwardgiovannelli5191 What book was it?
@@Juli-zy4ew That must be the Art Of Electronics 3rd Edition (Cambridge University Press, 2016). Or maybe he's referring to The Complete Idiot's Guide to Electronics 101 (Penguin Group,2011).
Based. What kind of product did you invent ?
- A chip tester / reader / writer / eraser - Two fire extinguishers, 2 fans with a flex hose to remove the nasty lead smoke from soldering and bring in fresh air (unless you like CANCER) and 2 smoke / air quality detectors (better safe than sorry) and a quality portable air-conditioner with dehumidifier. Air quality is a MUST in any lab. A wooden floor is also good. - Security cameras with remote / cloud recording to keep the lab safe
IPA alcohol? Captan tape? blu tack (to hold stuff), extra hands (or the little holders, little pots for screws, magnetic tray for screws, lithium grease, flux, nail varnish (solder mask), solder wick, marker pens, graphite pencil (for contacts) , contact cleaner, air duster. Phew excelled myself there - could class these as consumables.. Great vid Noel.
When I bench soldered professionally we used two things all the time. We used a soldering iron and a spudger. What's a spudger? A spudger is a wooden stick. Think of it as your finger that doesn't burn easily. Spudgers are even handier than tweezers are. The best spudgers are made out of osage orange wood and they're charcoal gray in color. They're kinda hard to find. But that's what you want.
Another necessity: One of the cheap $10-$15 ATMega based component testers. Way easier than doing diode tests against transistors with a DMM. Also, for classic computers, the EPROM programmer + UV Eraser is a must. Other ideas: The $10 , 24 MHz 8 channel digital logic analyzer. $10 Improved DMM cables with silicone and plated leads for lowest resistance. A large starter kit of random transistors, resistors and capacitors. And sockets; lots and lots of dual wipe sockets in all sizes.
UV Eraser😅, I was taught to know this thing over 15 years ago.
Bro please provide those links. Thanks in advance!
I would also add: - tools to hold things, such as helping hands and even a small hobby vice - prying tools since so many things are glued together now - a second multimeter for testing voltage and current at the same time for people who do not have an oscilloscope
Qq.
Agreed, those little component testers are a must, I always use it for transistors, mosfets and caps, it beats looking for datasheets for the transistor pinout.
What a smart idea. Taking advantage of the fact he has to rebuild his work space, and making it into a video.
"what do you tools need" perfect thumbnail my guy
"reâlly"
For real. I'm high rn and stared at the thumbnail for like 5 minutes trying to figure it out
Well, in the English language; when written, it is read from left to right. From the the top of the page to the bottom. If you use that rule the thumbnail makes sense. Hence,“What tools do you really need?“This may not be the channel for you.
@@jeffsthill8208except there is no such rule. and if a rule is against common sense and make it harder to communicate, the rule is outdated
@@ege8240 Well, it’s not my opinion. It is a rule when reading the written English language. Hopefully English isn’t your native language,and you are still in the process of learning it. If that’s the case, speak with your teacher or instructor if you aren’t sure how to read written statements in English. Good luck.
Two inexpensive musts for me are a plain white rubber(eraser) to clean ic legs / edge connectors, and a 3D printed chip leg straightener
It was useful to give prices. I wasn't aware just how inexpensive a good soldering iron is. I've now bought the model you suggested.
Good to hear that. Yes, some things aren't too expensive. On the other hand, a roll of good solder is comparable in price to that soldering station! 😲
A soldering/desoldering station was such a gamechanger for me. Setting the temperature up or down drastically improved my soldering and the de soldering bit (again with temp control) let me desolder so much more much quicker and wasn't anything i couldn't de solder.
An adjustable height chair and a mug for that tasty drink while you work :) Glad to see tha workshop coming together, can't wait for more repairs and comparisons between 8 bit platforms like in the ti99 video.
A few months ago, I bought a set for removing compound called "QianLi 011" and was amazed at how these ultra-thin and very sturdy blades can be used beyond their intended purpose. The blades are slightly sharp, allowing for the removal of solder mask with surgical precision without heavily damaging the copper. However, with added force, you can even cut through copper traces. Additionally, the availability of a huge variety of blades allows for the removal of glue and flux residues. I even managed to remove an ATmega328 with a soldering iron and one of the spatulas (simply slid the thin spatula under the heated legs of the microchip). Perhaps such a tool may not be necessary for you, but considering its low price and unique durability, I can recommend it for purchase!
For any higher voltage work it’s good to have a variac an isolation transformer and a dim bulb current limiter as well as a load box
I also use a whiteboard. They are great for writing steps to work through, especially when the work is broken up over days. I also have coloured high lighters. Some equipment I work on are quite convoluted and its useful to photocopy the circuit diagram then trace out power supplies, ground and even some test points so they are easy to find.
I have a board in front of me where I clip or blu-tack info, but a whiteboard is a great idea, especially to keep track of several projects at once. A cheap mono laser printer is also handy for printing out data sheets and other things (I too am one of those people that like to print out circuit diagrams and follow the traces with a highlighter). Just make sure you get a printer with inexpensive toner and/or won't freak out over using non-genuine toner. The Brother HL-1110 would be my recommendation.
@@OzRetrocomp And it you get a whiteboard thats magnetic, you can use decent magnets to hold sheets of paper (eg parts orders, Data sheets, etc) for easy access.
Hi, I have always found that a good Lab Journal is better than a whiteboard. I can trace the steps I have used in building or deconstructing circuits and it provides a lasting record of all my mistakes and successes which greatly aids future work
I have the same exact combo of desoldering gun and cheapo hot air for a year now, and it saves A LOT of time and frustrations.
Other essentials would include... LCR/ESR meter, Function/Signal generator, Aerosol can of freeze-spray, Flux removal pen, De-soldering braid/mop, Set of alligator-test leads, Solder-fume extractor, AC-power-meter, Decade resistance box, Breadboard, Spudger tool, Exacto-knife, Third-hand tool (or Forceps), Isopropyl-alcohol dispenser, Quicktest/test block, Hot-glue gun, ESD grounding wrist-strap, Comfortable chair. Nice optional additions would be... Thermal-imaging camera, Semiconductor analyser, Battery load-tester, Magnetic pick-up tool, IC vacuum/suction pen, Phase-tester, Crimp-tool, Rubber-mallet, Air-duster, Soldering-gun, Dremel tool, Inductor ring-tester, Insulation-resistance tester, Data-Logger, Chip-programmer, Variac (variable transformer), Milliohm meter, Frequency-counter, Isolation-transformer, Active-scope probes, Logic Analyser, Electronic load unit (for Dummy loads), Tone-Ohm tracing-probe kit, Spectrum Analyser. Great video BTW 😀
I'd definitely like to see you run a "how to" for beginners with that oscilloscope
Would love to see a beginner friendly video on how to use the more complex pieces of equipment. Great video
I don't have a complete setup for my little work station/lab, but it sure is much better than before. It makes me appreciate what I do have now considering the frustrations of having not near enough to get a job done like I wanted. I did however managed it though, that's when I learned stuff which makes the setup I have now much easier to work with. My favorite of my work bench now is my magnifying LED lamp, my rework station and my de-soldering station. I don't know how I done without em' before... priceless.
I do use a component tester, LCR meter a lot even though it is only a small cheap one for simple checks (did I read the resistor bands correctly!). I also find it is vital to have a small and very thin set of small spanners for all those components that need tightening, pots, banana plug sockets, etc. Oh, I also have a circuit board holder - cheap and really useful and an IC pin straightener as they pins on new chips are always splayed out!
Oh my God! I'm so glad I quit dabbling with electronics stuff 30 years ago when I was 13
Good video. Thanks for the hint about the mat. In my opinion desoldering station is a must, the work is not only easier but safer for the PCB.
A few very simple tools i would like to add: 1.) helping hands/ pcb vise 2.) IC puller 3.) Calipers, IC ruller with Wire Gauge measurement holes I guess these could depend on the type of work being done.
The thing I need most is a room for workspace.
That a really nice setup, i especially envy you that desoldering gun ;) However, i've felt that you lack of: - desoldering wick (very handy on non-THT components which happen often in 16bit units) - capton tape (to hold thermocouple while troubleshooting some switching mode power supply which can get quite hot as well when you need to hotair something) - kynar wire for fixing traces (no copper unwind from coil can be comparable really) - FLUX, is most essential in soldering of any kind, - UV solder mask (behaves much better than electric tape or hot glue) - holder/ pins for PCBs. This one is missed by every begginer, but essential if you want to have sturdy base to work on your PCB - single non conductive screwdriver and tweezers. - Bottle of IPA or other cleanser (where actually i use and recommend isopropyl alcohol ;p) - cleanser for potentiometers (ready compounds besides of IPA have grease which greatly prolongs lifespan of already worn pots) - Thermal camera (but this is rather expensive option, yet it does help to troubleshoot instantly in some cases) - Brush (best are these stolen from wives, i recommend :D) , air blower (might be as well hand pumped), couple non-dusting dry wipes - logic probe (Saleae) There's a lots of stuff that i see on my bench and toolboxes which i use occasionally while fixing stuff (also some retro stuff but mainly modern SMD based consumer electronics). PS: eeprom programmers are also available for linux (my whole lab with workbench is running linux including Hantek's oscilloscope and i do read/ write (e)eproms, so you aren't "tied" to windoze.
Awesome list
Add a fume extractor. Great Scott did a video recently about making one.
Some type of organized storage is important, especially for small components.
Very interesting and useful, thank-you. My use is mainly RF for radio ham but there is a lot in common with your work. I would certainly like to see a dedicated video comparing digital microscopes and similar aids. By time most of us have the time and money for these hobbies... our eyes are past their best!
Awesome job. Looking forward to new projects in your new space
Such a great idea to show that! Thanks for sharing, really helps as a beginner to get some orientation and refresh some skills
Glad it was helpful!
One important, yet commonly overlooked, item, well really its multiple items, test leads. I always need lots of different kinds. Some I end up having to custom make.
I bought one of those Hantek USB scopes after watching Adrian Black's videos on it. Great scope for the budget conscious and fantastic starter scope while learning how to use a scope effectively.
ladies and gentlemen, he is back :-)
That desoldering station is really cool, was just using it yesterday. It came with soldering station with hot air in one package as well, it's super cool (or rather hot 😁) but expensive (i borrowed it)... can't recommend enough 👍
I do vintage radio / phono restoration. My benches are 8 feet long and 4 feet deep. I have three benches, one bench is just for tube testing and tube storage. The is also a fixed ipad on that bench. My main workbench has an oscilloscope , HP Audio Oscillator, Heathkit RF generator ,VTVM and a VOM.over the top shelf storage. On a third bench is an isolation transformer, on a variac, a laptop Macbook and assorted small devices for LCR testing, digital vtvm, tone arm gauge, laser tach, and Tiny Spectrum Analyzer. I have sever old Weller soldering stations, assorted soldering guns , 100 watt Iron for chassis work and assorted direct plug- in mini irons.
Great explanation. I look forward to seeing additional videos.
Most important is free space. All things in this video completely takes up all of the table. So shelves and drawers is all important. Organizing so everything is accessible. And keep everything on their right place. Minimizing time spent trying to find AWOL tools. Easier said than done.
So good you are back. Love the way to describe and get into more details. I would really like to see how you organize all passives and ICs. Years passed and I still have a mess here...
Thank you! Yes, I'll try to cover that once I get my storage situation sorted out 😃
@@NoelsRetroLab No, thank you. We missed you while your move. An amazing lab that you are building in the best possible way: with knowledge and starting fresh.
I made a cheap pole mount for a second monitor above my laptop. Having a second, larger display without much sacrifice in bench space can really come in handy.
Wet your soldering tip cleaning sponge with glycerol. It should be wet with water but it's inconvenient because water evaporates fast and because it cooling a tip very much. Glycerol will be always there and it cleanes tip perfectly without cooling it down.
Others have already mentioned some things I thought of, but just in case, one tool that I haven't seen mentioned (but probably has been anyway) is an ESR meter for capacitors. One of these may not be necessary if you re-cap everything, like some folks do, but if you don't, then it's useful to know whether a capacitor needs to be replaced.
I think an ESR meter is indispensable.
Great educational video. Thank you for producing and sharing.
Super video! You covered everything needed, although a great work chair is high on my list. Thanks!
If you are into experimentation and using breadboards, a set of quality automatic wire strippers will make your life really easy especially when dealing with short jumper wires. You will, even if you are carful, end up using your wire cutters to break into things, grab things, bend things and for all sorts of activities they are not designed for, and irrespective of how much you pay, you will dull or damage them so don't spend too much on a pair.
For digital microscopes I highly recommend one that also does HDMI output, that way you can connect to say a 32inch TV and get extra clarity
maybe usb connection from microscope to pc/laptop will do the same
Great to see the lab getting up and running! And great content as always. Weird coincidence that I'm sitting at basically the same desk right now. (Mine has a monitor stand, but definitely the same manufacture/model range.) I even put PDUs underneath in roughly the same spot.
Haha, that's quite a coincidence! But it's a great desk for that. Loving it so far!
May I know which desk it is?
Ha, kinda reassuring that I bought the exact same tweezers a while back :) Hope you're settling in nicely, it's good to see you again!!
Plastic pry tools for sure. God knows how many enclosures I've damaged using flathead screwdriver. They're soft enough not to do the damage and if you're being a hulk they snap. But, better a tool that is dirt cheap than 50 yr old enclosure :)
I love all these tools.
I unfortunately don't have a lab setup, but one thing I used heavily in my classes was a digital logic analyzer. You lose the resolution of a oscope but you gain over a dozen channels which is great for debugging well known communication protocols. It might not see as much use outside of embedded programming though.
It's nice to see that we use almost the identical tools.
Hey there! Very helpful video for beginners like me. Thanks for sharing. Have a nice day!
Thanks for all the tips!
Those red cutters at 4:09 are simply great, I buy a few of them (Home Depot) and keep them in stock. These are precise, sharp and make a clean cut for electronic components and wires. Those tweezers is another set to die for, these are great for component placement and extraction. I would also go for for a PCB holder, maybe ‘extra hands’ with a magnifying glass, also a micro bench top vise. The multi meter at 7:41 would be best suited when it’s mounted in front on the wall over the bench top. Normally I would demarcate a place on the bench top for testing and measurement and possible general assembly, here The meter is best mounted on the wall so it doesn’t take up valuable table top space
No mention of hand tools, so don't forget JIS bit screwdrivers, #1 and #2. They fit the screws in Japanese electronics perfectly, you won't damage the screwhead when applying enough torque to overcome the thread-locking compound typically applied to machine screws. An ordinary Phillips bit fits loosely and likely will slip before you can get the screw to "click", then readily unscrew.
Worth pointing out that JIS screws usually have an identifying divot or dot in the screwhead. Some impact-rated Philips drive bits used by carpenters fit JIS screws quite well ---- Milwaukee work great, but Dewalt fit poorly. All "philips" screws and drivers are not the same! Best to always break the screws free by hand before using a cordless screwdriver. And then there's Pozi-drive, which many people haven't learned to distinguish as being distinctly different from Philips. I am told that IKEA uses pozidrive screws on much of their furniture, so perhaps if one builds an electronics workbench from IKEA products, they will figure it out!
Nice video! I'm glad to see you back and also glad to see that gorgeous Dragon 64 board :D
A tool I use a lot is a vice. To maintain boards, wires, connectors... while I'm soldering them. I have an old PanaVise...
True. I would have shown my Pana Vise but it's in the slow boat (still!) and didn't need a second one.
Yes, having a good vice (smoking, Diet Coke, maybe whiskey) is essential for those long nights of retro repair. Or is that what you meant? :D
The thing about those cheaper soldering stations like the one you have there, is the temperature display is measuring the temperature of the heating element, *not* the temperature of the soldering tip, which often only loosely fits onto the heating element. I find I need to set the temperature a bit higher than I actually want, and wait a few minutes after the soldering station claims to have reached it, until it's actually ready to use. An alternative is to use the TS style where the heating element is built into the tip. They get up to temperature extremely quickly, and the temperature reading is much more accurate. They either have a small base unit or everything is built into the handle, and some of them can be powered from USB/battery making them a great choice for portable use. But they have less thermal mass so I find I need to pause for a moment between joints to let the temperature recover, where with the other one once it's up to temp I can just go straight from joint to joint. Both have their strengths and weaknesses so I use both types for different purposes. And it's always nice to have a second iron so you can switch to a different tip without waiting for the other one to cool down.
Concerning SMD soldering, I think that the use of Flux is pretty essential. Flux helps a lot to spread the heat equally, Iwould never concern hot air soldering without it. But even if you want to clean up leaking capacitors, flux is great to help clean corroded solder joints.
Yes, the effect of flux has to be experienced to be believed. It totally changes how the solder behaves. If only it wouldn't be such a pain to remove the residue! I'd be thankful if anybody has tips for how to effectively remove flux, especially the tacky SMD flux type.
My understanding is that flux is used because it cleans the joint before soldering which helps prevent dry solder joints and, as mentioned, corroded solder joints from forming in the first place. As well as helping the solder 'flow,' ensuring it will spread to cover the entire pad. Not sure about it "spreading the heat equally" since it's temperature requirement is significantly lower then solder so it 'disappears' basically instantly.
@@EdwinSteiner Isopropyl alcohol (99%) and a cotton bud.
@@MattyEngland That's what I use and it isn't working too well for me. Maybe I've got particularly tacky flux. I use two types of "no clean" flux, so theoretically I could also leave the residue on the PCB but it just looks horrible and it sticks to everything. When I clean the PCB when it is still quite warm, I can get the bulk of the residue cleaned up with IPA and cotton buds but there is a thin and very sticky layer of residue remaining on the PCB.
@@EdwinSteiner You'd probably need an ultrasonic cleaner to get the last residue off, they are quite expensive though. Other than that, maybe try some different fluxes, the tacky ones are useful but they are hard to clean.
Great job
I have to setup my workbench in the next week or so and the Video has some great ideas...-Mark.
300 dollar scope isnt cheap, me over here looking at my 110 ghz 1.4 million dollar keysight scope. lol awesome video man, thats gonna be a cool lab.
I use a Hakko FX888D soldering station at my job. I love it. (I'm a precision assembler.)
At work used a Vision Engineering stereo microscope, on eBay found for home. Retired electronics engineer and need glasses for close up work. Very comfortable for long time close up work.
Thanks for this video, perfect timing since I'm setting up a wishlist XD
Glad I could help!
Thank you for this video. Very very useful for starting out.
You're very welcome!
This was really helpful, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
The DMM is the tool you grow most accustomed to. For that reason choose a good reputable one with a good 600 V insulation. Thanks for the video.
Thanks man....Great resource !!!!
There were 2 devices on your final scene, which you haven't mentioned in the video (or maybe, I have missed): UV EPROM eraser, and function/arbitrary waveform generator. As for side cutters, I used to use Knipex, but recently switched to the Chinese PLATO 170 clone, which seem to last as long as Knipex, but cost 1/10 of it.
Good eyes! You're right on both accounts. The video was long enough already, so I didn't want to get into more specific tools, but both of those can be really useful (along with the EPROM programmer sitting right behind the eraser).
Totally agree about the Plato 170 cutters, that's all I use 99% of the time these days.And when they dull, toss 'em and buy another pair!
I have a similar microscope, but I mounted it on an arm lamp stand. It's great to just push the whole thing out of the way and get it back very easily. With the stand that the microscope comes with, I can't see for example in the middle of a motherboard.
Hi Noel! Good to see you getting up to speed 👍. Some clarification on the scopes. Nyquist theorem says that you need at least twice the sampling rate than signal you are sampling. And that is what applies to scope - sampling rate, not the bandwidth itself. For square or more like fast rising/falling edges they have much higher bandwidth than sine wave or clock speed itself. For example 4 MHz square clock is more likely to go over 16 MHz and beyond in harmonics and we need to apply sampling rate as high as twice of them. So looking for a 40 MHz scope you also look for 200 Msps (million samples per seconds) and this is the value you were talking about in a video :-)
Just agreeing with this comment, really - the headline speed is the analogue bandwidth, which tells you how much low-pass filtering your signal goes through before the sampling circuitry gets hold of it. The sample rate of that Hantek bench 'scope is 1Gs/s, which is achieved, especially in these budget units, by deviousness and cunning and is not necessarily the whole story. Even if it were, it interacts with analogue bandwidth - you want *some* low-pass filtering else you get a lot of aliasing (non-existant waveforms arising from sampling errors) so your max bandwidth will want to be limited to half the sampling frequency at most, and most scopes (including this Hantek) have an option to switch in an even lower bandwidth limit to curb aliasing. 20MHz in this case. Furthermore, the overall analogue bandwidth in these things is software-set with switchable filters. They offer a range of models with bandwidths from 50MHz to 200MHz, and they're all the exact same unit with different badges and firmware. Firmware changes will turn a 50MHz scope into a 200MHz one, but even in its 50MHz form, the picture you get of typical signals is not very different from the 200MHz one, and in many cases it actually paints a more useful picture (because of less aliasing). Further again, analogue bandwidth limits are not usually "hard"; higher frequency signals are attenuated in proportion to the frequency, but they're not eliminated entirely beyond the stated limit. Other factors include how many waveforms per second can be captured, and the stored sample depth - the more, the better. Also whether the sampling is shared between the channels - with these cheap Hantek scopes, it is - the 1Gs/s drops to 500Ms/s per channel with both channels active. (Pay a significant amount more and you get headline sample rate on all channels at the same time. That's not to say avoid the Hantek. Indeed, at the price, it's almost criminal to pass it up. Mine also features an arbitrary waveform signal generator (another software-defined feature) and that is a very useful thing to have around, too. It's two really useful bits of lab gear in one unit, for a bargain price.) Then there's the thing of probe impedance and compensation, and 1x vs 10x probe settings. I have a "40 MHz" scope-meter, similar in principle to the one shown here but only single channel, as well as a variety of bench 'scopes, including a 150MHz version of that same Hantek, another cheap 50MHz scope that's similar, and an old 100MHz HP with a CRT. My scope meter has a 200Ms/s sample rate, a low waveform per second capability, very little sample depth and a stated analogue bandwidth of 40MHz, though in reality anything above 20MHz is noticeably attenuated. However, using plain (non-coaxial) test leads, it provides an interesting perspective on what other more serious scopes show you (even five thousand quid's worth of 350MHz Rhode&Schwarz or a ten grand Tektronix) - the proper co-ax 'scope probes are reactive, and hooked up to an 8MHz crystal on a 3.3v development board, for example, my cheap little scope meter shows me a nice square wave, while most scopes show serious rounding of the edges because of probe+lead impedance and the fact that the crystal cant't drive a 50 ohm load all that well. The "10x" setting on typical scope probes reduces the load (at the cost of signal amplitude at the scope end) but not enough to avoid having an effect on some signals. So 'scopes are kind of funny. Turns out a 50MHz scope can be as good as or better than a 200MHz scope for signals in the 20-ish MHz range, and sometimes a fancy scope probe is no better than, or worse than, a bit of wire, and you can't always believe what you see on an oscilloscope, it needs to be interpreted in the light of experience. Anyway, enough waffling - to Noel, great video, thanks!
Great list! I would add an x-acto knife or similar fine blade knife, which is very useful for scraping solder mask, and the blade holder can also hold tungsten test probes which are very hard and sharp, good for poking around. Acid brushes (trimmed short), or a fiberglass scratch pen if used gently, are great for cleaning oxidation, flux, or any foreign residue away. Oh, rubbing alcohol is a must too.
Xacto knife and flush cutters are both definitely some of my most used tools.
great to see you back.
The dual metal wool and sponge is GREAT, ...somebody is thinking! :)
Great video. A couple of suggestions would be to augment the tweezers/forceps with some surgical clamps and/or 'squeeze to open' tweezers. Another would be to include a variety of physical probes/picks, such as you might get for medics or dentists. Also having a variety of scalpels is useful. At the other end, I've started using a signal analyser ( TinySA is nicely priced and featured, as well as having tons of KZhead videos showing you how to get the best from them). Finally a Vector network analyser can have its' uses (again, I've started small with a NanoVNA, which is cheap). Thanks for the great presentation.
Getting cheap picks etc. is where Harbor Freight shines. (Be careful with the quality of other stuff there)
Oh, you must review the PCBite kit. Awesome set of helping hands style holders.
There's a tool you didn't mention, but I guess it's a signal generator looking to "its face". So cool, thanks for sharing.
Amazing as usual. Thank you
Nice setup! The portable Hantek is handy when you want to be isolated from mains ground or when you are doing some delicate probing. You can have the screen right next to the chip. Or of course if you go to a show. A portable scope is always good to have. You are ready to crank out some retro repairs again.
Very good point about the handheld Hantek. It also doubles as a multimeter, so great for taking places.
@@NoelsRetroLab Hantek also do a WIFI scope with 70MHz bandwidth and you can make the software work in Linux using Wine. It aIso works on an android tablet which is great if you ever need to used a scope in a car. I also have the same eprom programmer and have got that to work in Linux using Wine and a 3rd party DLL.
@@NoelsRetroLab portable scopes are also really handy for working on cars
I always found my portable multimeter had glare problems, or it was a bit clumsy to use one-handed, or I kept accidentally yanking it off the table, or something stupid. So I got a BK Precision 2831B off ebay for less than $50. Not only do I love the retro look, but having a benchtop DMM is so much better. The display is oldschool red LED, easy to see even though its sitting on a shelf above my workspace. Everything is controlled by chunky pushbuttons so you can easily mess with it one handed, and it's plugged in so I don't have it going to sleep on me to save battery.
Very good Lab. I have almost the same equipment that you have. Great choice with good quality vs price ratio. Best regards from Portugal.
Very informative, I greatly appreciate you Bro!
Personal preference, but one thing I won’t cheap out on is a soldering iron. I really worry about how well built and safe some of the bargain units are, and I’ve always stuck with Weller irons for peace of mind. A logic probe is a pretty nice addition depending on the kind of work you do. I do a lot of music synth development and testing and find a signal generator is handy for testing filters and the like.
I started with a 25W iron and a pair of scissors. Was about 12 years old. Was enough to build BC108 preamp for my tape deck.
i love your style and information is so helpful,., thanks !!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
I was waiting for one like this. Great Job! It was very informative. How about if you talk a little about EPROM writers and erasers? It's a cool thing to know when you're tinkering around 8 and 16 bits computers. :)
If you look at the final scene, there is one on the bench. Would have been good if he had mentioned something about it.
An eraser is just a lightbulb, no harm in cheaping out there. The only thing really worth paying for is extra size - so if you need to erase a ton at once you can limit your number of cycles needed :) For 8 bit only devices really any of the cheap options are fine. 16 bit era devices can involve PAL/GAL territory. The cheapest effective burner for these that I've found is the TOP 3000. I can't vouch for modern Windows compatibility for any burners, however as I use a Win XP laptop specifically for this purpose.
This video supporting to us,very interesting,usefull.Thank for your explaining.
Look best for your budget mates. I bought oscilloscope year ago and used only twice. All repairs i do just with multimeter and lab power supply. All faults power related
Thanks! Great video!
Great video, Thanks!
What I've found useful in my lab is a vtvm. They are very high impedance. Great for audio.
Just ordered one of those soldering stations. Like the temperature range. And if there is a big backplane, I will use my Weller WTCPL which I have been using for SMD, and you can guess why I am upgrading. Very nice video, have subscribed
Thanks for the great video, These days direct heating soldering iron is very common, Bit pricy but a good investment. Hate digital oscilloscopes. They never read the signal in real-time. The hakko fr410 soldering sucker is very efficient. Fluke 179 is a suitable bench multimeter. Big displays reduce the battery life. The rest of your tools is fine. Love your anti-static mat. I may replace my high temp rubber mat with this one.
Wonderful video… looking forward to learn more from you..
I dont worry about static discharge, most of my work is with tube equipment. My third bench includes my desk area, for paperwork. And storage.
For many years all I had was a Simpson 260, then I built my own EICO, RF generator, VTVM, scope and 12 / 30 Amp adjustable battery eliminator to work on car radio.
Thanks for this really informative post. If you are in to audio work, I think a signal function generator is vital. Also you don't use a bench multimeter, these are probably not necessary anyway.
Nice lab and tools
Nice tools 👍
so useful... thanks so much doc