"Our tastes develop much faster than our skills." What great advice.

*I really like this guy, seems like just an all around good person who one would enjoy to be around. Another great video, keep it up*

Wow, so many coincidences. I had the same clunky USB scope. I went to Huaqiangbei last November and purchased exactly the same microscope (same camera, screen and illuminator) from the same girl on the second floor. Now it's next to me on the workbench bench 100km East of Melbourne. Doing lots of SMD service work with it too. Awesome tool! I have a Chinese friend who lives/works in Shenzhen and operates a parts brokerage (Sunshun Electronics) and she helps me to find what I need, confirms genuine parts and sends frequent packages to Australia (or anywhere) Last week my Rigol spectrum analyser was delivered from the same market. The nearest parallel experience of visiting these markets I can convey, is watching Homer visiting the land of chocolate. The best advice I can give to upcoming electronics experimenters is to bite off more than you can chew, then chew like hell!

Well, I FINALLY received my scope with DHL shipping (very quick!) and I'm totally pleased with its performance, thanks again!

Love your channel. Loved the Collab with LTT and love the frequent video uploads.

This video right here is how marketing works, people see you using something -> they see it works -> they like it -> they want one for them, now I'm looking forward to the next update video where you say that the lady from the markets is overwhelmed from all the microscope sales she's handling.

My dad took me to the electronic store "Eltema" in Sweden when I was eight years old. My friends wanted to buy candy for their weekly allowance, I wanted electronics!! 🤣👍

27 microscope orders already. I assume most are your viewers. Soo-mei is gonna make it after all 🎶

I can just imagine the joy of walking around the markets. For me its motorcycle parts. Just going to workshops or looking at parts online gives me such joy. Im so happy there is someone out there really doing what they love and being able to share it. Keep on going:)

I saw you on Linus Tech Tips recently! I don’t know why but I was really happy when I saw you. Thanks for making great content,. :D

DUDE,not to come off as a cliche, but you are extremely articulate in what you do and say on the entertaining and informative videos. Keep up the stellar stuff!

This is the first time I am ever commenting on a KZfaq video but... the last part of your video where you talk about patience and our abilities growing much slower than expected kept me going several months ago and with practice I am somehow decent at what I do now. I just wanted to say thank you.

I totally forgot to include the AliExpress link in the description! Oops:) Here it is: goo.gl/XQX6s5 UPDATE 2: SueMay had some problems with the original AliExpress link. The short version is that another microscope seller was jealous of how many of you bought a microscope from her, and complained to AliExpress she was using a copyrighted image in her listing. So they deleted the listing, and she had to create a new one. The new link is the exact same microscope with the same accessories, just a new listing. It's a pity, as she had lots of really great feedback from you guys on the old listing! UPDATE: Matthew Wolfe found the interview I was referring to. Turns out it was Ira Glass, not Adam Savage. Another man I'm deeply inspired by and respect immensely. Go watch the video Tested posted about it: www.tested.com/art/makers/460018-ira-glass-gap-between-taste-and-skill/

Loved seeing you with Linus in Junkyard Wars Worldwide. It did seem like he was stressed at the end of it and maybe next time y’all should have more time.

Same, I used to think I was horrible at soldering until I got myself a soldering station. Having steady heat helps a lot

You're helping someone out because she seems like a nice person. I love this. MASSIVE thumbs up!

As for superhero qualities, my great aunt was an awesome lady, think the Grandma from Downton Abby. She had to use a microfiche reader like device to read and write due to Glaucoma. You'd get these letters written in perfect and neat font, but so small you would need a magnifying glass to read it because she was working off the screen. Yes, your mind can adjust from what it sees, working on small physical scale.

I wish you and the microscope a life full of love and happiness

This video has partly helped motivate me to continue working on learning about how computers work & computer sciences. I stopped teaching myself about it for a good few weeks, now I'm aching to get back to learning

I actually got to strange parts after binge watching tested, then i binged all your content too. So glad you're a fan of tested aswell, love the super inspiring and especially extensive build videos. Mistakes and frustrations make you great!

Man, you must be the best microscope seller ever. EPIC! Even I want one now :D

Still a better love story than twilight

Nice to see your story... it remind me my childhood.. i am also fond of electronics and had made many gadgets in my childhood and still i love to do things... love to see inside of any electronic device..

I bought one of these a year and a half ago, it has helped immensely, so fun to use.

No link to the microscope store?

Hey Scott, been enjoying your journey. Reminds me of me when I first started getting serious into the hobby as an adult and with the same trouble being yelled at for always taking things apart as a kid. I still have my first radio shack 15 watt fire stick soldering iron. I wanted to share some info on your microscope to help your viewers. And if you have any questions feel free to contact me. They are almost all made by sunny optical and re-branded by a lot of different companies. The main things are the magnification, bi or tri nodular for camera or cyclops camera viewing. And the quality of the reduction lens for the camera makes a big difference not just in quality of the image but also the field of view and focus area to keep the camera focused with your eye pieces while changing magnification. I have a few reduction lenses, contact me if you want to try some better ones. I have a long video on this topic, still doesn’t cover 100% since their is so much around microscopes but it also might help your viewers. This is mine and looks like your microscope head, it the SZM Series Zoom Stereo Microscope head made by sunny optical. Looks like yours is a Standard magnification 7X~45X. Use optional auxiliary lens, the magnification can be up to 3.5X~180X depending on the Barlow lens. I would suggest getting a 1.0X Barlow lens, basically no magnification but it’s a lot easier to clean the solder splash or flux fumes from it and can thread into the bottom of the Barlow you use. Also this way you don’t mess up any coating in the 0.5 Barlow lens, it’s also harder to clean because of the curved options lens. The bi-nocular one is two optical lenses as you mentioned. The Tri-nocular one is with a prism for the third camera port that reflect the image to the camera and allows you to still see through both eye at the same time. Their are some that close off one eye by flipping a mirror for the image to the camera, commonly referred to cyclops camera microscopes. Usually only good if you need to snap a picture then go back to both eyes but not for video to a separate recording source. I also have a great slice in China for microscope cameras and reduction lenses, but he doesn’t sell microscopes. Maybe your friend and mine should partner up? I tend to recommend cameras with the Sony IMX series sensors, they just seem to be great sensors. Well I hope this helps your viewers some, and maybe you also? Scott (yes, that’s my name also).

Greetings from the Napa Valley CA. I really enjoyed this video. I'm just starting watch repair and you are absoletly correct about getting a little overwhelmed with knowing what you want to do and what you can do at that particular time.

Your comment at about 7:02 about depth of field, need for binocular vision, etc might only be an individual preference. At work, I use a Tagarno with a monitor and never have that problem. You need to first position the tip close to the IC and then work your way to the joint. Works for me all the time. One issue I did have with a monitor initially was that if I had it sitting to the side, being able to relate to the workpiece in front of me was somewhat difficult. However once your brain reorients itself with a bit of practice, even this issue soon disappears. Interestingly, we also have a Nikon low power binocular microscope that we used previously. After I got used to the monitor, going back to a direct viewing glass scope was disconcerting.

Wow it already has 68 orders, you're doing great stuff man

If I would live in China especially in Shenzhen oh boy I would DIY a lot of things (more then I do already :P) You're living the dream mate! :-) EDIT: By the way, try out the TS100 Portable Soldering Iron. It's amazing and with the right power supply it kicks a*s! :-)

After watching your first video, I was afraid that it was it, but now watching you do videos often makes me super happy!

And I will say this, too. For YEARS I only ever had a basic Rat Shack soldering iron, and I thought after a while that I'd hit a wall with my soldering skill. I was able to do board level work with it, but just barely, it was messy, and SMD was not even an option for me. After Radio Shack died, I needed to replace my soldering iron, and finally just gave up on trying to go cheap, so I bought a Hakko FX-888D... And I found out I can actually solder. Start small. Understand and work within the limits of your tools. Don't get discouraged. And once you've hit the point where your tools are holding you back, not your skills, then you can upgrade. If anything, working with limited tools improves your skills down the line for when you can afford to upgrade. And when all else fails, people like Scotty and the folks at your local hackerspace will be there for you.

Sue May is going to get hammered big time

Where is the link to aliexpress ?

I had Boy's Life from the School for the Blind, and in the back were always ads to sell greeting cards, gift wrap, and other party accessories door to door. I did that for YEARS, and every year it would get me a new microscope from the catalog of cool things you could get for selling so much stuff. Wow, the nostalgia! I loved microscopes.

That last part of the video was gold.

If you could visit some factories in China, it could be cool. Love your videos !

Does anyone have a link to the Tested podcast episode?

Don't ever loose the enthusiasm, it is one of your best character traits. And it greatly enhances your videos. What I mean to say is; Don't get sucked into the daily KZfaq grind. Anyway love your hard work and the content! Looking forward to the next one.

My kind of guy and another classic bit of content. Thanks and keep them coming.

76 orders already, nice bit of business you've sent her way. :-)

Thought you did a great job on the video with Linus. Seemed like a "Tough Crowd". He is brilliant as are you, but I think I would be in the same place wth "overload"...

Someone just made a new best friend in the markets.....nice guy doing nice things for nice people

That microscope is quite a popular china microscope and sold by lots of people on aliexpress. Amscope (US microscope seller) rebrand them and sell for 3 times the price. A couple of extra things of note: 1) LuckyZoom is another aliexpress seller that is really good and sell lots of these microscopes in various configurations. 2) Be aware that some version have a knob you pull/pull to switch between using both eye pieces or one eyepiece and the camera. This is normally fine except for people who want to stream while they work. For those people you need to make sure you get one that can do all 3 at once. These are usually called 'simul focus' microscopes. 3) For the camera port at the top you need to buy a 0.5x adapter, if you don't use one the camera will only see about 30% of what you see in the eyepiece, its like the camera is always zoomed in on the center. Getting the 0.5x adapter mostly solves this, its more like 80% 4) i recommend the version with a boom arm, so you can move it back and forward or push it out of the way when not using it. 5) Some boom arm versions have no metal base under where you work, the microscope is just free standing above your desk mounted on a boom that goes back to a large base behind the microscope. This is the kind i like the most. 6) If you get a camera check what its native resolution is, most will output 1080p but not all have 1080p sensor. 7) 100% agree about getting a 0.5x barlow for the bottom. So much easier to work under it with the extra room. Some people say it reducing the optical quality but i don't notice this. You can get all that stuff including a nice boom arm, barlow lens, camera etc.. for about US$650 inc shipping in package deals on aliexpress (luckyzoom seller).

Where is the shop link?

Can anyone see a link to the AliExpress item? Thanks

Mines finally arrived (UK customs checks) and I can confirm that they come with USA plugs but there rated to 240v so work fine with some USA to UK plug adaptors. I cant wait to use it on my next project! Top find thanks Strange Parts

I really love your channel!!! One of the most inspiring videos.

where is the store link

Can you turn your Xiaomi into a Hackintosh? Would love to see that

I am so glad that your child dream coming true as you found an place filled with stuffs you like and need. I really like your positive attitude to each project you made, and each person you communicate with. Thank you very much for these contents and please do more.

Another huge benefit of an optical microscope vs a screen based one is eye strain. When looking at a blown up image on a small screen your eyes will wear out insanely fast whereas the optics have eye relief

May I at least suggest you have some small Strange Parts emblems made up that we can stick onto our new microscopes ;-)

Wait, do you have a link to the AliExpress store?

Even though I don't understand all the intricacies of the things in your videos, I feel like I can understand enough with your commentary. Your videos are very entertaining and educational! :)

Its cool and heart warming to see someone like you get such a big following. I see so many around me who havent experienced the mental serenity that comes with solving a truly difficult and focus demanding task. Its really a super power these days when everything is so quick and short dopamine burst driven.

I want to hear your story, how did you wind up a full time traveler?

Your channel is so good!!!!!

Thanks for pointing out the fact that a usb microscope on a screen will have latency, I did not know that, and was really opting for that type rather than the eye loop one.

I've been a electronics engineer for 30 year and all I can say is that I need one of these, old age and long nights of looking at little fiddly parts have taken it's toll, then all I need is something to steady my hands lol

Thanks for sharing/organizing this. Just one question, where is the link to Sue May's microscope on AliExpress?

What's the maximum magnification, and is there any way to increase it

I always thought I sucked at soldering, then I got rid of my RadioShack iron for a $30 weller one, found out about flux, got a board vice, and suddenly, soldering didn't seem like such an impossible skill to learn. Quality tools are way more important than a lot of people think

No one can beat your passion keep it up your good work bud

What is the link to her AliExpress shop?

113 orders

So much joy in your eyes. This is what happens when you pursue your life's true passions

Haven't looked at microscopes for electronics for a long while but $300 for a non branded scope of that spec seems like a steal! Buying one in the UK is extremely expensive, especially if you want a built in camera too!

Next project. Make your OWN phone.

Quick question: what qualifications do you have ?

Just got my microscope from SueMay today. Nice, works great, packed well, arrived in Colorado 9 days after payment went through. I've had orders from Canada that took twice or three times that.

I got into DIY keyboards a year ago with the Ergodox kit. I had limited soldering experience prior to that, but I love how it becomes almost like meditation to solder LEDs and switches in.

Can you make "chinese" phones rewiers like vivo, xiomi, etc...

Primul :D

Thanks Scott. Another great video, and great advice. I feel like I can relate with some of our struggles in some aspects; I.e, the clumsiness and frustration. I hope you’ll continue making videos with the same positive atmosphere you do all the time.

I saw a video when you got this for your DIY iPhone. I was almost as impressed by the setup and demonstration before delivery as I was with the actual quality of the scope. If the camera on it looks this good, I'm sure the actual scope makes SMD work look like you're soldering your thumb to your fist. $300usd+35usd shipping to Canada....found my next major lektronix purchase. Your final advice is quite wise advice. Being based on Adam's wisdom just adds that much more credibility to it.

I am genuinely happy I found this channel a little more than a year ago.

Literally my life! I’m 15 and using a cheap adjustable temperature soldering iron. I want to get a really nice soldering iron soon but never find the time/money to... I don’t feel like I need a microscope though because I don’t really do small solder work. I would rather buy a hot air station or expand my inventory on parts. It’s great to see that you started out like me and ended up that good and smart! I hope that I know as much as you when I’m older! Very inspirational! Keep up the great videos!

nice, saw that the aliexpress store already has 140 buyers! I'm glad that the people asking for the microscope were actually willing to take the opportunity once it was presented to them!

DUDE!!!!! you just made my whole day! i was one of the ones who emailed you and put notes in the comments section asking about your microscope, thank you! man your awesome!!! love the channel man keep up the good work!

holy crap. that is great deal on that setup. especially since it includes the camera.

watching about you childhood just got me to remember that i also dreamed to build a robot, with parts that i had at home as a plastic barrel of oil that i used to play with, thinking about how to put a floor polisher inside it... it doesn't make much sense today but it was a good remembrance, thanks to make me remember that...

Dude, you are the greatest youtube influencer ever, just rewatching all of your videos and I have to say, this is what youtube for. You are a day to day inspiration for me.

I truly enjoy the content you make, ever since i saw the original iphone video i realised i need to see more and when you started uploading a while back it made me really happy, so please keep up with the videos and content you make

I don't know why it is, but your videos are the best. It's just so clear that you simply film your passion and I think that's all you need :D

The two lenses to keep depth is really an useful advice. Great video.

I own a hacko FX100 induction soldering station and it’s amazing. I also just bought that microscopic but mine came with the Barlow lens so the stand upright is taller. It’s the 3.5x-90x

Thanks a lot Scotty, I was about to spend like over 1000CAD on a amscope microscope but your video convinced to get this one. I just placed the order a few mins. You are truly a blessing. Hope you are doing well.

For the Dutch viewers, you can order them at a company in Eindhoven called Eleshop. From the looks of it, they sell the same brand of microscope as a bunch of different models. I bought mine last year and it works great. I can recommend them.

The key is good tools as I too started soldering almost 50 years ago and you should have seen the soldering iron I had to use and crap solder (with lead in it!). Talk about "cold joints" and frustration yet today with a high quality soldering station and equally high quality solder it is far easier then yester-year! Also, if you are are addicted to the smell of fresh IC chips (yes they have a new chip smell) then you must make a pilgrimage to Shenzhen! (Singapore & KL also have similar areas, however Shenzhen is the epi-center).

This story about the microscope is amazing. Basically you just free advertised SueMay for the world and now she can extend her business. I mean, probably lot more people will buy this m.scope, because you used it. Everyone wins. The internet and social media could do so magnificent things if people would use them reasonably. Great video again.

Im so jealous of your visits to the market. They are my childhood dream as well

One of the most inspiring I’ve ever seen! Thanks ❤️🙏🏻

Wow almost 100 Sold already! The lady at the markets must love you!

Man! I could not agree with you more... a microscope makes a big difference. I also stared out with a digital microscope but it wasn’t good enough. Upgraded to one similar to yours. Best investment ever :)

Great combo Linus with Scott

I REALLY LOVE YOUR VIDEOS. FROM ONE TINKERER TO ANOTHER.... THANKS PAL!!

That microscope is great, bought one maybe two years ago and it's great. It's not cheap but it's also a great microscope

The simplest and honest youtuber ever 😍😍😍😍😍

Thank you for being so genuine. I am not an electronics guy, well more of a motion graphic guy but i really love watching your videos ! it inspires me alot :D Cheers mate. Looking forward to your next adventure !