‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  
SHOWN IN THE PHOTOS, WITH THE COMPONENT SIDE DOWN, THE BOARD IS ABOUT AN
INCH ABOVE THE WORKBENCH SURFACE.  THIS GIVES CLEARANCE TO PROTRUDING
COMPONENTS.  TURN IT OVER, AND THE SOLDER SIDE IS APPROXIMATELY 1/4 INCH
FROM THE WORKBENCH.  OF ALL THE DEVICES REVIEWED HERE, THIS ONE MAKES IT
MOST CONVENIENT TO TURN A SMALL PC BOARD OVER AND POSITION IT AT ANY ANGLE
AS YOU WORK.  THE ONE ISSUE I NOTED IS THAT THE NYLON SCREWS ARE SLIPPERY,
SO YOU MAY WANT TO PLACE IT ON A NONSLIP

3X MAGNIFIER, AND HAS A 4R5X MAGNIFYING LENS SCRIBED INSIDE.  THE SMALLER
3/4 INCH DIAMETER LENS OFFERS 25X MAGNIFICATION AND CAN BE USED ALONE OR IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THE LARGER LENS.  THE LARGE LENS IS SURROUNDED WITH 10
LEDS, WHICH I FOUND TO BE BRIGHT ENOUGH TO ILLUMINATE THE WORK WITHOUT
EXCESSIVE GLARE.  THE LIGHT CAN BE POWERED FROM THREE AAA BATTERIES OR FROM
A STANDARD USB PORT A MATCHING USB CABLE IS SUPPLIED.  THERE MAY NOT BE
ENOUGH ROOM TO USE YOUR SOLDERING IRON WITH THE MAGNIFIERS IN PLACE, BUT
THEY EASILY PIVOT OUT OF THE WAY.  A RECTANGULAR EXTENSION SLIDES IN AND
OUT TO MOVE THE HOLDING BAR AND YOUR WORK BACKWARD AND FORWARD.  HELPING
HANDS THIRD HAND SOLDERING TOOL AND VISE  RESEMBLING A FOUR ARMED OCTOPUS
WITH A MAGNIFYING HEAD, THE HELPING HANDS THIRD HAND BY PSIVEN COMES
UNASSEMBLED IN A PADDED BOX WEIGHING A HEFTY 4 POUNDS.  A CLOTH BAG AND
OPTICAL CLEANING CLOTH FOR THE 3 1/4 INCH MAGNIFYING GLASS ARE INCLUDED.
SURROUNDING THE 3X MAGNIFIER ARE 16 LEDS WITH TWO SELECTABLE LEVELS OF
BRIGHTNESS, AND THE LIGHT IS CONNECTED TO A USB CORD FOR POWER POWER SUPPLY
NOT INCLUDED.  ASSEMBLY TIME IS ABOUT 5 MINUTES, AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
EASIER IF THE SCREWS CONNECTING THE ARMS TO THE BASE WERE LONGER.  AS SHOWN
IN FIGURE 12, FOUR FLEXIBLE ARMS WITH ALLIGATOR CLIPS HOLD THE CIRCUIT
BOARD.  TWO OF THE ARMS EXTEND 14 1/4 INCHES FROM THE BASE TO THE TIP THE

OF THE ALLIGATOR CLIP, AND TWO EXTEND 10 1/2 INCHES.  WHEN ITS USED ON A 36
INCH HIGH WORKBENCH, YOU CAN WORK STANDING UP WITH THE HOLDING ARMS
EXTENDED.  SMALL RUBBER COVERS FIT OVER THE ALLIGATOR CLIP NOSES TO PREVENT
SCRATCHING.  THE BASE OF EACH ALLIGATOR CLIP PLUGS INTO A PLASTIC ASSEMBLY
ON THE TIP OF A FLEXIBLE ARM, AND THE ALLIGATOR CLIPS CAN BE ROTATED.
TURNING THE NOTCHED WHEEL LOCKS THE CLIP IN PLACE.  WHEN HOLDING THE PC
BOARD WITH ALL FOUR ARMS, I FOUND IT A BIT AWKWARD TO BEND THE ARMS TO THE
SAME LEVEL.  IN ADDITION, IF YOU WANT TO WORK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
BOARD, YOU HAVE TO UNCLIP THE BOARD, TURN IT, AND RESET THE CLIPS.  I FOUND
THAT USING TWO ALLIGATOR CLIPS WAS SUFFICIENT TO HOLD SMALL BOARDS FIRMLY
IN PLACE.  IF YOU USE TWO CLIPS AND DONT TIGHTEN THE WHEELS COMPLETELY, YOU
CAN ROTATE THE PC BOARD FROM THE COMPONENT SIDE TO THE SOLDER SIDE WITHOUT
UNCLIPPING THE BOARD.  THE MAGNIFYING LENS WORKED WELL, AND ITS FLEXIBLE
STALK MADE IT EASY TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY IF NEEDED.  I ALSO FOUND THAT
USING THE LED LIGHT SOURCE WITHOUT USING THE MAGNIFIER WAS CONVENIENT.
AVEN ADJUSTABLE CIRCUIT BOARD HOLDER  THE UNIT SHOWN IN FIGURE 13 RESEMBLES
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ