When working with small parts, sometimes you need magnification and some extra light. This is a monocle we use regularly in our production facility. It has a 10x lens with a working distance of about 1-1/2". This product is very similar to our illuminated monocle magnifier, but there is no attached aluminum-core headband.
This loop magnifier set itself apart in our eyes because of the little LED on the side. Trying to view SMD connections is hard enough - the LED on the side is a huge help for those close up inspections. The LED provides sufficient light at the working distance.
LED battery comes installed.
If it requires power, you need to know how much, what all the pins do, and how to hook it up. You may need to reference datasheets, schematics, and know the ins and outs of electronics.
Skill Level: Noob - You don't need to reference a datasheet, but you will need to know basic power requirements.
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I hate to post negative comments, but I thought for $9 this would be a little better quality. Amazon has the same one for $3.29, which is a more reasonable price. I'm still a loyal SFE customer, but now I know to do a little more research before I hit submit on an order.
I'm glad some people are aware of this. While I do like sparkfun more than I used to, some prices really seem like they're gouging their loyal customers. It really seems like they take advantage of people not knowing the true value of things. Yes, I know they have tutorials and lots of support but so does element14 and you don't see them cranking up their prices to compensate.
That said, I do really like a lot of the items here. They have stuff you can't get anywhere else, and the prices on a lot of things are good - there's just a lot of items that are also really badly priced. As IsotopeJ said, just do your research before hitting submit.
If you drilled a hole in this and got the right screw and nut, it'd make a great accessory for the tubes on the fancy helping hand. The nubs on the one with the headband actually fit them nicely, at least the one I've got does, but a proper mount would be good.