MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Jim: I suspected that the condenser fork with rack or the mount or both were wrong for my #5, but I couldn't find a listing for those parts in the catalogs I have available. Is there a parts blow-up for that model somewhere? The catalog says all condensers fit all models. Thanks, Rich PS: Even if I ...

Jim: Your description--with minor exceptions--is as close as I have seen to the problem I am having with my Spencer #5. I can't get the upper lens to within 14mm of the top surface of the stage, which is as close as dammit to half an inch. My condenser is the 1.40 NA achromat, but we're not close en...

Thanks BillT and CE. CE I adopted yoicks as a screen name because that is what the huntsman shouts to encourage the hounds to chase the fox and we are microbe hunters, after all. Not quite a linear analog, but close enough.

Enjoy pursuing the hobby "as you like it!"

Thank you, gekko, it's good to be here. I'm going to try an image-hosting site, since I'm not having any luck uploading.

Re: UV created by LED light source. This is probably beyond whatever level of expertise I possess, if any, but I have understood that one needs specialized optics, such as quartz objective and condenser lenses to pass UV light for fluorescence microscopy, and that ordinary glass lenses block UV.

It would cost twice as much if served on fine china rather than a paper plate.

Oops! This IS the off-topic thread, so I think it's ok. I am sure my wife knows more members of your family than I do, since she grew up next to Buchanan's place. She was an Ehricke. I knew Kim back in the 70s, and we used to have deeply philosophical conversations. I thought they were anyway, but s...

We could move this to the off-topic thread.

Dale: Roger was a unique man and a real asset to the island. I know a lot of us still miss him.

I know or know of all the people you cited. You are related, I think, to Kim M, who is an intelligent and interesting person.

Gorgeous!

All of the above, Dale, and thanks. I think I know who you are, which is not meant to sound as sinister as it probably does!

I have several Spencer scopes, pics of which I intended to post right now, but I am informed the files are too large to upload, and, upon closer inspection, some are sharp and clear and some aren't. Damned autofocus! Pics to be added in future. In any case, I have a Research #5 that is not currently...

Thank you for the kind words, Jim T, but I think you are referring to Charlie G's post. I am a worse businessman, though, since I still have my Ortho and have gotten no money out of it, just a great deal of pleasure.

I suspected you are the Charles who pointed me in the direction of this site, for which I thank you!

re: wrinkle-finish paint. Also known as crackle, it is used by European car makers such as Ferrari on their cam covers, and by Jaguar in prior years on the fascias of their sporting cars. I always thought it was chosen because of resistance to finger prints. And because it looked cool.

I live on an island in Puget Sound that is a magnet for eccentrics of all stripes; and before someone else says it, it has an undeniable attraction for me, too. One of those eccentrics, a polymath by the name of Roger Russell heard I was interested in microscopes and, out of the blue, gave me a twen...

Thanks all! I shall post photos and additional information as soon as time permits.

The Orthoilluminator appeared when separate light sources and substage mirrors were the norm and was a huge step up from that setup. It is very useful, therefore, with period instruments. As for the size, I believe it compares very favorably, when mounted with a microscope, to the monstrous instrume...

Microscopy got hold of me when I was a kid. I kept my interest in spite of a largely non-functional Gilbert toy microscope, which was replaced by a serviceable Sans & Streiffe "mid-sized" scope with which I chased pond life, blood smears, crudely sectioned tissue samples, and anything else I could f...