Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hi this is Toby with HMC Electronics. Today we're going to be taking a look at the Luxo
KFM LED Magnifier.
The Luxo KFM LED Magnifier will, in time, be replacing the standard KFM, which had fluorescent
illumination. They kept many of the great things we loved about the original KFM--which
was, for the longest time, our top-selling illuminated magnifier--such as the internally
mounted spring arm.
Luxo made one adjustment to the collar so it now has this ribbing over it. And this
allows you to use the magnifier in a cleanroom environment because there's no exposed nuts,
washers, or anything like that. It still remains that the neck requires absolutely no adjustment;
there's no tightening, no screwing, nothing of the like to get the neck to hold a perfect
position every time without any sagging or drooping.
A lot of legacy magnifiers--especially the cheap ones--when you set them into position,
they kind-of hold that position, but they may droop five degrees, sag a little bit,
and only then they settle. The Luxo unit has a five-year mechanical warranty. They tell
you that this magnifier is not going to have any of those issues for a minimum of five
years.
The unit itself has this beautiful, crystal-clear, crown-optical lens. It is five inches in diameter.
It is available in either a 3-diopter or a 5-diopter. The LED arrays behind it provide
a ton of light and are actually dim-able, simply by holding the button after you've
powered it up. And then if you release and press again, they will shut off. A nice little
feature there. Obviously with the prior fluorescent models you were able to get that option.
The model shown here in light gray has a full metal housing. In fact both models (the KFM
and the Wave) both have full metal housings. But the ESD-safe model, which is black, has
been completely coated on the metal parts with a static-dissipative material.
We often saw an issue with prior models in that every part of an ESD-safe magnifier was
static-dissipative except for the part of the magnifier that was facing the product
being magnified; that is, the LED lights and plastic casing. However, Luxo on its ESD-safe
models treated all the parts on the magnifier--both plastic and metal--to be static dissipative.
So when you're looking at this magnifier you know that it is truly an ESD-safe product;
they haven't just made the arm ESD-safe.
One thing to remember with the LED magnifiers. They do have a slightly higher price point,
but think how much a fluorescent bulb costs and how often you have to replace a florescent
bulb--which may cost you $10 to $15 every six to twelve months. When you purchase this
magnifier and light out of the box, you are basically looking at 10,000 working hours
on this LED array, which pretty much marries itself very well to the five-year warranty
(10,000 hours = ~five years). So you know that when you're putting this out on a manufacturing
floor, or set this up at home if you're a home hobbyist, you're basically saying, "I'm
not going to have to spend a penny on this unit for at least five years." No light bulbs
replacements or anything of the like will be necessary.
So this Luxo unit might cost you a little bit more upfront compared to cheaper magnifiers,
but you're getting a unit that you won't need to stock extra bulbs and parts for.
If you have any questions with regard to the Luxo LED magnifiers, their fluorescent magnifier,
or even their line of microscopes, feel free to give us a call or drop us an email. Thanks
for watching and happy soldering!
HMC Electronics 800-482-4440
Sales@hmcelectronics.com