As is mentioned in the post, there are very sleek off the shelf solutions.[0]
I find their oscilloscope probes especially enticing.
I find their oscilloscope probes especially enticing.
It looks like they have new ones that address this: "The new SQ series of handsfree probes from Sensepeek have a lower point of gravity making them even more stable compared with the original SP series of handsfree probes."
Not related to the topic but it seems this marketing blurb has become the norm: They can't say they fixed something without claiming that it was already very good. I've come to hate this. No, they are not now "even more stable", "we made them more stable" because honestly they weren't that stable to begin with.
I'm assuming there's a magnet. I hope these aren't just using weight to hold their position....
In my case for example, it is excellent for test points but somewhat challenging with soldered SMD component pads and very challenging if the density is high.
I assumed they were those bendable wire things like old style podium mic stands. Those tend to sort of stay where you put them, but not very precisely.
Thinking about it I might try a piece of low-profile bike chain and a copper wire and see if I can do better.
I mean the 'bendable' part. The nearest consistency I can think of would be a bag of sand. They are weighty but not rigid. They are not designed to hold their shape. Unfortunately this means that it takes very little sideways force to make them "flop" over.
Still, I can't recommend them highly enough. I use them all the time. Seriously, a PCBite plate with probes on-hand is now a permanent fixture on my main desk. If you do half as much fiddly electronics stuff as I do, they will pay for themselves. But you will also occasionally find them infuriating.
The new ones are heavier, but that makes it harder to put them at an angle, they fall over more quickly. And the probe heads are bigger so you can't put as many close together.
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/dial-indicator-stands/
For more complex probing, it is now remarkably straightforward to 3D print a bed-of-nails test jig.
The use of M4 screws on the older models at least is very helpful for DIYing custom fittings (even without the real SMD nuts, brass nuts can be soldered to PCB stripboard)
The stands are great too.
But at that point you could also just put your own pogo pins on somewhere.