Essential Tools For An Electronics Lab

[@electronicscaos]

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.

[@edwardgiovannelli5191]

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

[@luiscastaneda9025]

out of curiosity, what do you do?

[@Juli-zy4ew]

​@@edwardgiovannelli5191 What book was it?

[@IMNODOCTOR]

@@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).

[@EliteBeast]

Based. What kind of product did you invent ?

[@daspec]

- 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

[@weilaiyvn]

Why a wooden floor?

[@BenjaminAndersen]

​@@weilaiyvn You must not have a carpet floor, unless you like to dry your electronics with ESD.

[@AZStarYT]

One thing about 'security', I've found that most thieves don't even know what they're looking at. Questionable whether the security cameras would help, but a nice option.

[@SimonBauer7]

​@@AZStarYTwouldnt that only mean to the thief that there is something valuable?

[@vhfgamer]

Um... soldering with lead doesn't vaporize lead. We solder at roughly 600 ish degrees, and lead vaporizes at 3182 degrees. So unless you've got a nuclear powered soldering iron, I wouldn't worry too much about lead fumes. The smoke and fumes you see when you solder is the flux, which is made from Rosin. AKA it's a substance made from pine trees. I wouldn't worry about that either. You're far more likely to get lead exposure by touching lead with your fingers, and then touching your mouth, nose, eyes, and or food/drink without washing first.

[@TheSudsy]

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.

[@AZStarYT]

I'll tell you what you missed: contact cleaner AND eraser strip for old, openable relays, ah ha ha ha!

[@ultimatekitten2111]

@@AZStarYT and a Kitchen sink :P

[@1pcfred]

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.

[@AZStarYT]

Wow! 72 yrs old tech and I learn something new every day!

[@ekenpad8482]

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.

[@elonyao3894]

UV Eraser😅, I was taught to know this thing over 15 years ago.

[@badsham227]

Bro please provide those links. Thanks in advance!

[@sylviam6535]

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

[@mosotogari]

Qq.

[@mik310s]

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.

[@sackbaggins]

What a smart idea. Taking advantage of the fact he has to rebuild his work space, and making it into a video.

[@BigCar2]

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.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

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! 😲

[@Chevydude1982]

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.

[@m600blu]

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

[@tailzer42]

Two inexpensive musts for me are a plain white rubber(eraser) to clean ic legs / edge connectors, and a 3D printed chip leg straightener

[@paulf1071]

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 😀

[@b213videoz]

Oh my God! I'm so glad I quit dabbling with electronics stuff 30 years ago when I was 13

[@Hughesburner]

Great video sub'd. You know you are on the right video when you see 2:00 and get excited about just looking at it.

[@randominternetviewer166]

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.

[@magicknight8412]

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.

[@wybuchowyukomendant]

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.

[@keithwhitehead4897]

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.

[@OzRetrocomp]

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.

[@keithwhitehead4897]

@@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.

[@radamspse]

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

[@erin19030]

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.

[@lis6502]

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.

[@blockcaddy4500]

Awesome list

[@JeffreyJibson]

Add a fume extractor. Great Scott did a video recently about making one.

[@Mike40M]

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.

[@thatoks6498]

@Noel's Retro Lab Thank you so very much for this video on the things you need for electronic repair. Ive asked electronic repair people here on youtube and they want to keep these electronic repair tools a secret. Thanx to you, I now know what all other tools I need to fully start my electronic repair business. God Bless You

[@rbrtck]

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.

[@Nclght]

I think an ESR meter is indispensable.

[@bluegiger]

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.

[@AnthonyFrancisJones]

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!

[@vlt1]

This video is a must-watch for anyone interested in electronics. Just like there are countless tutorials on camera setups for visual content creators, this video provides essential tools and tips for setting up an electronics lab. It's great to see resources like this for those interested in the field of electronics.

[@desromic]

Some type of organized storage is important, especially for small components.

[@joefarr3304]

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.

[@georgegherghinescu]

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.

[@Critikal4k]

In the Army, they went cheap and gave us the de-soldering wick, suctioning cups, and a lot of sweat. Thanks for the video, starting my computer engineering courses soon.

[@inyoudeep1]

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.

[@kc4cvh]

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.

[@goodun2974]

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!

[@SobieRobie]

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.

[@hollgo626]

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.

[@EdwinSteiner]

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.

[@michaelboyce3227]

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.

[@MattyEngland]

@@EdwinSteiner Isopropyl alcohol (99%) and a cotton bud.

[@EdwinSteiner]

@@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.

[@MattyEngland]

@@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.

[@coctailrob]

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

[@mihuhih2186]

maybe usb connection from microscope to pc/laptop will do the same

[@garyr7027]

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.

[@vilaahmed]

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 :)

[@TheMrDrMs]

I dont think you mentioned it, but you also want to get the cleaner + maintainer for the ESD mat, you should not just use something like windex or other cleaners as the mats need to be conditioned regularly to maintain their conductive properties.

[@tootzy-the-roll]

I use a Hakko FX888D soldering station at my job. I love it. (I'm a precision assembler.)

[@zeiram8230]

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.

[@uniqueYouTubeCreatorHandle]

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.

[@Ebinsugewa]

Xacto knife and flush cutters are both definitely some of my most used tools.

[@OaklynMediaLLC]

1:15 I can't wait to get a proper workshop one day once I can afford my own house. I'm 26 and I am really taking to the electronics repair content creation on KZbin. I fix drones using a TV dinner tray. It has a soldering station and is also where I do diagnostics and assembly. It's incredibly cramped and not productive at all. I would LOVE to have a desk set up where I can organize, properly ventilate fumes, and have well lit! I have the money to get that now, but I'd rather it be a stationary work station and I can't be mounting things on walls/ using loud equipment for restorations with shared walls.

[@fred-9929]

A tool I use a lot is a vice. To maintain boards, wires, connectors... while I'm soldering them. I have an old PanaVise...

[@NoelsRetroLab]

True. I would have shown my Pana Vise but it's in the slow boat (still!) and didn't need a second one.

[@bradnelson3595]

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

[@krab2734]

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!

[@SergiuszRoszczyk]

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 :-)

[@carlwilliams7232]

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!

[@QARepair]

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

[@russellslater4037]

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 KZbin 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.

[@JeffreyJibson]

Getting cheap picks etc. is where Harbor Freight shines. (Be careful with the quality of other stuff there)

[@Meraj-zr2ry]

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.

[@ianjeffery3762]

I'd definitely like to see you run a "how to" for beginners with that oscilloscope

[@AZStarYT]

I watched a whole series in reading older scopes a few years back. Good refresher time well spent. A series on the newer flat screen scopes would be good (and more recognized by younger tech's).

[@TzOk]

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.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

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).

[@don_cc123]

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!

[@HowardKlein1958]

Depends on kind of work, but as a kid (1973) i repaired and played with radio's and televisions with just a 25W iron and borrowed screw drivers. Then got a very cheap analogue multimeter. I got into building transmitters so bought a £8 SWR bridge for an indication of RF power, then next a Taylor RF signal generator i found at a jumble sale to work on shortwave receivers. Was 1978 before i saved up enough for a 600MHz frequency counter as by then was building phase locked loops using logic chips to control transmitter oscillators. Always stuck to analogue and done a lot with valves. Love the things, especially in high power transmitters. Microprocessors leave me cold but forced to delve into it sometimes.

[@michaelhaardt5988]

For retrocomputing a TL866 and a cheap 24 Ms/s 8 channel logic analyzer are required. The scope can show the waveform, but the logic analyzer offers more complex trigger conditions and of course more channels. There are better, although more expensive alternatives for both, but these do the job.

[@PlaceholderforBjorn]

The newer T48 programmer(TL866 gen3?) would be the best option. As it's still supported and have better chip coverage.

[@misterkite]

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.

[@bocarlsson3rd]

Great video My addition to the must have list is some kind of fume extraction especially if you do a lot of soldering and tend to hunch over the work. Anything helps and it's better to at least not breath in the fumes directly. A big computer fan with a filter on the back will keep some of the fumes away from your face and lungs. Desoldering irons are in my opinion a must have especially for me who is useless with desoldering braid and sucker. I've used a cheap one that pretty much is a solder pump/sucker with a hot tip. It's like 15 bucks and will work as . But the suction isn't super so use some steel wire (or straighten a large paperclip) to clean the pipe after a couple of pumps. Also be very mindfull of the heat. Mine gets really hot so work fast and smart. I usually work from the outsides inward switching sides every other pin so the board don't get too hot in one place. Love the videos /Bo

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Absolutely! Actually, I'm preparing a whole video about that.

[@bocarlsson3rd]

@@NoelsRetroLab awesome. Looking forward to it.

[@Zeal8bit]

Awesome video! Totally agree on the multimeters and soldering irons: getting the cheapest one will be a big waste of time and source of frustration. For soldering irons, the T12 series are very good while being inexpensive. Another very handy tool for debugging digital signals is a logic analyzer, it's much cheaper than an oscilloscope, can have 16 or more channels and high frequencies (from 100MHz), which is convenient when you have parallel buses.

[@Ma_X64]

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.

[@donepearce]

You should have a signal source. You may need to inject clocks or just check a signal line continuity. A cheap function generator is a good idea. I modified mine by putting a 1:1 isolating mains transformer inside it. That made it a much safer and quieter source as well as preventing it sliding around when I tried to press a key.

[@Mike40M]

I think his oscilloscope has an inbuilt generator.

[@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE]

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!

[@jammin023]

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.

[@MrZooobaaa]

calipers, breadborads for prototyping

[@keiiko]

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 👍

[@leesmithsworkshop]

I just did a mini review on the Andonstar adsm301 a 5" screen model and I am very happy with it.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Yes, it's amazing so far!!

[@TRONMAGNUM2099]

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.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Very good point about the handheld Hantek. It also doubles as a multimeter, so great for taking places.

[@zero0ryn]

@@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.

[@OzRetrocomp]

@@NoelsRetroLab portable scopes are also really handy for working on cars

[@k1ortia]

Would love to see a beginner friendly video on how to use the more complex pieces of equipment. Great video

[@rockradio928]

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.

[@PR-fk5yb]

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.

[@ttamttam1522]

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.

[@UncleAwesomeRetro]

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.

[@tony359]

I have the FLuke 117. I LOVE it. I also have an Extech - worth £80 I think so not cheap. The Fluke wins on everything hands down. Whatever component or value you want to read, the Fluke will read it in a split second - done. The Extech will take forever and on some values (like low resistance values) it'll never stabilise. The Fluke is indeed very expensive but it's a pleasure to use. If you cannot afford the Fluke - or you don't want to spend that money - I agree on NOT getting the cheapest one. Those tools will last for a while and if you get a decent quality one, it's going to be worth the money. This applies for any tools you want to buy. A good quality tool will last years and it'll deliver great performance all that time. Thanks for the video!

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Agreed. I'm loving the Fluke so far! Best multimeter I've ever used.

[@lcgn]

Such a great idea to show that! Thanks for sharing, really helps as a beginner to get some orientation and refresh some skills

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Glad it was helpful!

[@randallscott4094]

Nice presentation. Looks like you mainly use your Lab to study and repair computer products. If you want to get into other electronic products like Radios, Televisions, and Stereos, then you need a couple other pieces of equipment for your Lab. The only items you left out were a Signal Generator and an Isolation Transform. Hope this is helpful.

[@Delali]

As a fellow electronics youtuber, i must say your list of equipments is really cool. Thanks for this video My favourite is the magnifying tool with the screen.

[@dennis2494]

Small hammer, X-Acto Knife, Ruler and Scissors are some hand tools are handy to have

[@goodun2974]

Better than an Exacto knife: OLFA knives with retractable, scored blades. Surgically sharp, like scalpels. Just snap off the tip to create a fresh cutting edge. Replaces ordinary utility knives, as well as the exacto knife. Avoid the knockoffs. The OLFA blades are the sharpest I've ever used by far, and the latching mechanisms are superior (especially the thumbwheel type).

[@arbjful]

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

[@dom1310df]

I have used a £10 non-temperature controlled iron from Farnell for the past 4 years with no issue. It's also not going to burst into flames like many of those no-name cheapo Chinese soldering stations.

[@AA-xm7rt]

For screwdrivers i have 3 different drivers with lose bits. I use only like 7 bits so I just buy those once in a while and that's a good system because you dont have alot of screwdrivers on the desk. I try to keep the desk as empty as possible :)

[@universeisundernoobligatio3283]

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.

[@patricksmith4424]

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.

[@____________________________.x]

Others might be happier with a much deeper workbench, the space gets cluttered really fast and that area just behind your project is at a premium. I’m rethinking my 90cm deep bench just so I can have my scopes etc sitting beyond that on a sliding shelf

[@minombredepila1580]

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...

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thank you! Yes, I'll try to cover that once I get my storage situation sorted out 😃

[@minombredepila1580]

@@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.

[@chris7868]

I watched the video twice. Nice desk advice, but where do i keep the four piles of meticulously sorted unfinished projects missing a critical part that ill never actually get?

[@Wiez4]

Two things: 01. Good soldering station is crucial - JBC or clone with C210/C245 tip. Nowadays stuff is much more heat sensitive than oldies so turning the station into 420 oC is not a safe option. The more you spend on it, the better you will sleep later and the fewer problems will you have. 02. I have this kind of microscope but I wouldn't buy it 2nd time. It is very unpleasant for your eyes when you work with it for a longer time duting day so I prefer USB microscope with connection via PC into big screen 1m from my eyes.

[@glitched100]

Agreed upgraded from a cheap weller station to a jbc clone the aixun t3a with the c245 handle. Game changer for me

[@justsumguy2u]

I work on vintage tube electronics----all I've ever needed for diagnostics is my Fluke digital VOM. No oscilloscope, no signal tracer, etc

[@Rambrand69]

It's nice to see that we use almost the identical tools.

[@Falney]

Depending on what you plan on doing, I would highly recommend a DIL IC remover for the hand tools. Sure you can pry them off with a screw driver, but you are a monster if you do.

[@erin19030]

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.

[@tullyal]

Great video thank you. Lots of ideas for me. Oh one item missing from the list is a good kettle for making tea or coffee in the lab. 🙂

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Oh, the kettle I took for granted 😃 It just happens to be upstairs in the kitchen, but I'm always having some tea.

[@oturgator]

Curve tracers are really not necessary but they may help in-circuit trouble shooting. Also a short-circuit tracer may help to home into the location of shorted components. Electronic Design Specialists - Leak Seeker Vu-Data or Huntron for in-circuit curve tracer

[@anandawijesinghe6298]

Other stuff: digital signal generator with sweep capability, digital frequency counter, rf/af signal probe, full range inductance/capacitance meter, rf/af power meter

[@forbeginnersandbeyond6089]

Correction: those 200MHz and 40MHz oscilloscopes mentioned are bandwidth, not sampling rate. In fact, the Hantek desktop oscilloscope shown has a sampling rate of 1GSa/s (1 giga samples per second), indicated in the front panel.

[@typingcat]

The thing I need most is a room for workspace.

[@laszlomarktoth7492]

Hi Noel, First of all thank you for the great repair content. But now I need to correcting you in context of the oscilloscopes. Digital oscilloscopes have two important parameter: 1, Bandwidth or frequency range, 2, Sample rate. The first is in MHz, the second in Samples (mega or giga, Ms, Gs). For example in the video the first oscilloscope has a 200MHz bandwidth and 1Gs sample rate. So in general, if you see sign on a scope "20Mhz" this means only you can measure maximum a 20MHz signal with this scope and the sample rate is minimum twice of the bandwidth (more acurate and more expensive scopes have minimum 5 or 10 times higher sample rate than the maximum frequency). Finally I hope we can see new repair content in the near future! Regards Mark

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Oh! That's even better than I thought. Thanks for clearing that! 👍

[@laszlomarktoth7492]

@@NoelsRetroLab Your very welcome!

[@erin19030]

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.

[@horusfalcon]

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.

[@Yreq]

I have the same hotair for years. It was very cheap and it.s still working

[@yurij8039]

I think you need a Bench Multimeter (DMM). The handheld meters do not measure VAC when you are working at frequencies above around 8 Khz. I think you also need a Signal Generator to be effective.

[@misqi]

"what do you tools need" perfect thumbnail my guy

[@Dimitar_Stoyanov_359]

"reâlly"

[@chrisr6649]

For real. I'm high rn and stared at the thumbnail for like 5 minutes trying to figure it out

[@jeffsthill8208]

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.

[@ege8240]

​@@jeffsthill8208except there is no such rule. and if a rule is against common sense and make it harder to communicate, the rule is outdated

[@jeffsthill8208]

@@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.

[@Duo_20]

Can we have a workshop tour?

[@JVHShack]

One thing that I would suggest and it would also yield the some tools which are very similar to your hot air station and soldering iron: The CO-Z (or just insert another brand) 898D. It has the exact same hot air station and it also has a Hakko compatible soldering iron coming from the same little box. The front of mine (the CO-Z) has a strikingly similar front face as the model 858D seen in this video. One bonus to using the 898D over the 858D is that there'd be one less thing to plug into the wall or power strip. I wonder how the soldering iron side of the 898D compares to the ToAuto soldering station.

[@OzRetrocomp]

It's a personal preference, but one thing that puts me off 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 tools is that if one part fails, it can be pain. If under warranty you have to send the whole thing back for replacement. When out of warranty it takes up a little extra space on the desk where a working tool could be. But like you said, the convenience factor of using only one wall outlet rather than two and that some combos take up less space are pluses. There's no right or wrong here.

[@mpbu5646]

ladies and gentlemen, he is back :-)

[@makerspace533]

A signal generator is very useful. Many modern oscilloscopes have built-in arbitrary waveform generators which are great signal sources. For magnification I don't like the electronic camera type. They tend to have a lag and no depth perception. An optical stereo microscope is much better. They have no lag and allow you to see in 3D, essential for close in soldering. A .5x barlow reduces the magnification by 1/2 which gives a larger field of view and doubles the working distance.