MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Perhaps someone who understands what this image is showing could give a description for those who do not? This is a branch of study which many are unfamiliar with, including yours truly. It's pretty, but uninteresting because I don't know what I'm looking at other than 'Fossiliferous chalcedony', wh...

Oh I don't know, I find it perfectly whelming, myself ... how 'bout you, Glen?

Seriously, and as I said, the variety of life forms you present makes the whole thing impressive, which makes it a grand little pond aquarium.

I second the motion for pix of the aquarium! I find your assortment of wee beasties impressive, and can only assume you're keeping a splendidly healthy little ecosystem there, whether through a specific set of skills or just plain good luck. I do know perfectly well that some samples seem to stay cl...

Oh my. Now that was one seriously beautiful bit of photomicography (videomicography?)!

^^^ This guy clearly has a point.

WOW!!

Scarodactyl wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 02, 2020 4:19 am

I get troublesome vibrations from someone walking across the house (soon to be rectified)

No violence, now...

Thanks again, everybody!

Three answers immediately spring up in my mind: Using the stereo to examine pond life samples in their containers, before making slides and taking them to the big scope, gives wonderful perspective on the organisms you simply don't get any other way. Using the stereo to monitor knife sharpening prog...

Yes, very nice indeed - I believe that's the first time I've ever seen florescence images given over to gray scale.

It's also very nice to see you back at it, I've been missing your postings!

Thanks, all! The idea of vibration from the fan gets my attention, but since nobody mentioned it other than in passing I assume it really doesn't amount to much of a concern? Do all the 150W lamphouses have a fan, or are some passively cooled similar to 100W microscope lamphouses? And what about tho...

Greetings, all: I have been wanting a little more 'oomph' than a pair of Jansjo lamps provide for stereo microscopy, macro photography, epi-lit photomicography, etc., and now studying up on the subject of those dual goose neck illuminators that seem generally aimed at stereo microscopy, and am hereb...

Yes, welcome back Karl!!

Fabulous image, Glen!

Ah, okay, thanks! I have plenty of capillary tubes on hand, which I use along with a butane torch for stretching glass needles for my diatom-picking machine. Be an interesting change of pace around here to actually use something for its intended purpose! I can see where picking up micro-critters is ...

Man, that first image is just the thing for Mardi Gras. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

I vote for more info on mintakax's "tiny capillary pipettes" and how they're used, preferably with pix.

Sounds wise. AO stuff does go crazy cheap too, for the patient, and is extremely worthwhile equipment in the meantime. Be advised that many of us old AO jocks have acquired several inexpensive stands, picked the best parts, to build one good stand ... because it's affordable ... if we're patient. Yo...

To tell you the truth, I don't remember, sorry. And I'm afraid I can't help you much since that LED system was built for me by a friend who I have not seen in quite a while. And I had him put it together for me because I don't know diddly about electronics myself. It was fun to see this thread again...

I hope you like your TMD as much I do mine - I'm just nuts over it! It instantly became my go-to work horse scope, and still is.

Love the amoeba video, that guy really scoots along, never seen one move like that before.

While not my area of special interest (go Team Diatom!), I always find these threads fascinating, and really enjoy pictures of the process. Keep it coming!

Did the one I sent you also have a cracked collector lens? If it did, it sure escaped my inspection...

I have an AO20 hulk that appears to have an intact collector lens. (I bought it for the lamp holder to use in my AO120.) Email me and I'll send detail pix, addy below in sig line.

Glen is the reigning wizard of the planapo 63x/1.4, I can never understand how he does it.

Interesting thread, great images, really like the oblique view!

Yes, getting a look at a variety of angles is hugely helpful to understanding the architecture of these fascinating forms! Here's an article I found pretty interesting on the very subject:
https://tinyurl.com/u5bchhq

Bob is giving excellent advice. I can only add that a series of three short Youtube videos have inspired several of us to delve more into this fascinating subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrhSqu8YCBo

Bob, I'm with you. I've tried a couple of electric centrifuges for diatom cleaning, and have gone back to my good old hand cranked one. I also use the larger 15 ml tubes, incidentally. Love the proliferating crank items -- I still use a hand cranked can opener, also have a hand cranked paper shredde...

Jim! So good to see you - I've been wondering what you were up to lately. Congratz on the new addition, and keeping fingers and toes crossed that it arrives in even better shape than you hoped!

Thanks Glen, I'm getting more comfortable with it now. One thing's for sure - I'm not one to jump to conclusions when it comes to ID.

First: no, I don't mind you or anyone else tweaking my images ('specially you, Glen), I'm here to learn! And you're right, of course, it does look nicer. I never even thought about adjusting the levels so let that be a lesson to me. Funny, I have the same book and saw the same illustration. But I'm ...

I recently came across this very pretty bit of greenery while perusing water from a local pond sample, and thought for sure it must be some Desmid I haven't seen before. But a more experienced friend suggests it's the alga Coelastrum. I can see where he gets his ID, but it still strikes me as a Desm...