MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

mrsonchus wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 30, 2019 6:32 pm

...the higher-numbered BX models.

Since you seek a "higher-numbered BX model" - does the BX41 count in ? since its nosepiece is exchangeable ? is BX41 an option ?

Hello mrsonchus,
just asking - could any of these things be of interest ?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Microscope-Pol ... SwK4hdj2Kk
I am not related to this seller, of course!

Lovely image. That waterhole gives a fight to the sea in species variance...

John B,
1. Especially the darkfield and phase contrast are just beautiful. Did you post process, any besides resize ?
2. The only thing that is missing here is the images is the moss...
3. I would risk a guess that the tiny black rods are bacteria.

What the eBay link shows is a microscope made of plastic and of weight less than a kg. These two features alone, in my opinion, are sufficient to disqualify it even as a starter scope. Nematodes are easy to see at 100X (total magnification) and less; that toy microscope is unlikely to let you see ba...

Maybe below is also an interesting offer: https://www.ebay.com/itm/OLYMPUS-IX70-IX70-S8F2-MICROSCOPE-WITH-IX-ILL100LH-100WHAL-L-IX-ULWCD-CONDENSER/174045033552?hash=item2885e47450:g:idkAAOSw99Jdfv1G Very impressive infinity corrected phase contrast optics. A fantastic system instument, but if the p...

I was wondering if maybe DIC wouldn't be the best route for an inverted. Not requiring it opens up the field a lot. I like your suggestion of a cheap scope to start, but I should at least have phase, no ? The Olympus CK as well as other low price inverted scopes are routinely used for tissue cultur...

So it is not in the basic region which could be a problem - much better than Clorix then. For ciruit boards it is used at about 50° for 1-2 minutes, so it attacks the copper very aggressively. I read that the solution should not be stored in a completely closed bottle as it emits oxygen. I'm very i...

Hi Doron, great to hear you are in the laboratory again! The results look really good. ammonium persulphate is a bit difficult to get in Germany which is probably a sign that it is good stuff. Wereabouts is the pH value of the dissolved powder? It has been in use in circuit board etching. Your gold...

Thanks mnmyco.

Ammonium persulfate (APS) is a white powder, free-flowing, easy to handle, stable at ambient temperature, relatively safe, non-odorous, very soluble in water, and very inexpensive. AFAIK, it has not been considered for diatom cleaning; at least, it does not star in the popular protocols. Here are th...

Looks like 75RR found a better source for the old Zeiss parts - Thanks 75RR!

Rhe best source for old Zeiss stuff is the brochure "Zeiss Optical System". It used to be freely available from the web Zeiss Archives. Unforetunately the web site has been rennovated such that old Zeiss manuals and brochure are not freely downloadable. I have searched that file and the only " perha...

A very attractive video! - was the specimen mounted on a well slide or a regular flat slide ? - there are elongated, cylindical creatures with "mouths" that remind of rotifers. are those flagellates ? - (same ignorance in critters) I fail to notice the amoebas, would you direct to a location in the ...

... a drop of carmin in 50% acetic acid. The acid fumes are not healthy for the microscope though so I'm looking for an improved protocol that hopefully leads to a nice permanent slide with just one snap of the fingers Bob, they are even less healthy for our respiratory system... I would love to se...

... The prospect of making a small first surface mirror like that is a bit daunting. There are lots of inexpensive blanks on ebay but cutting one to size( maybe grinding?) will be a touchy project. Since it is a relay optic, primarily for alignment only, you might try getting one of those cheap set...

mrsonchus wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:59 pm

Looks great to me!
Very nice, and I like the stain too.

Great demo - I'd love to see some more!

Likewise, Bob!

Wes wrote:...

75RR wrote:...

Folks, are there no AC adapters for Olympus cameras ? for my Canon I bought a (~20-30$ or even less, cannot remember) a 220V AC adapter. A Chinese thing. And I never touched the battery anymore, now for nearly 2 years.

We were having problem at work with stray light getting into our specimens during epifluorescence. We have overhead fluorescent lights in the lab. My homemade adaptation is a wooden box that covers the stage. Made out of fir and plywood, the inside is painted flat-black. The shield on the front is ...

There are painted deserts, made of sandstone, and here is a sample. The sand as collected ("initial sand") contained tiny dust particles as well as larger particles taken on my compound microscope (sorry, not a sharp image). After wet sieveing, the sand is "cleaner" from dust; to the naked eye, ther...

...A friend has asked me to test if a Moticam 2300 USB 2 camera works, as I have a microscope and they do not. Unfortunately, he cannot find the software disc.. Perhaps MICAM works with this camera ? at least for Windows users, it is free as a complete package, not just a trial. The latest version ...

...here is a question, hopefully not too dumb or too philosophical. I believe, produced sharp images. Those cameras had mechanical shutters (leaf or focal plane), internal mirrors, and nothing to "smooth" shutter release except for the cable release. So, how comes that nowadays, there is such conce...

Inspired by this beguiling discussion, and a previous remark by 75RR, I just purchased a 18$ unbranded Chinese 10X eyepiece (free shipping) with a reticle inside, for size measurements on demand; to keep my routine viewing eyepieces uncluttered by rulers and crossed lines. Hopefully it will be in fo...

Thanks, that was really dumb of me! the Z.O.S. document has been on my PC for ages since 75RR first pointed it out to me.
So, sorry, no clue about the fiducials.

Michael, a wild guess: If the scale position uses a fiducial line as marker, and you can use the eyepiece with OR WITHOUT reticle, won't the two modes require two separate lines, given the thickness of the disk ? note, this is "hands waving", not a true explanation; and I had to look up the "fiduci...

There are narrow-bore punches on eBay, for a few $$ apiece. Alternatively, if you find a rigid thin-wall tube of the proper diameter, and sharpen one end of it on a grinder or emery-cloth, so it becomes a borer. Then apply turning under mild pressure as suggested above. It requires some patience tho...

Michael, a wild guess: If the scale position uses a fiducial line as marker, and you can use the eyepiece with OR WITHOUT reticle, won't the two modes require two separate lines, given the thickness of the disk ? note, this is "hands waving", not a true explanation; and I had to look up the "fiducia...

BTW, I purchased a nosepiece and found it to be very hard to rotate, probably due to old dried grease. I placed a few drops of light sewing-machine oil around the rim, that is along the thin space between the top and bottom parts, and incubated the nosepiece (without objectives!!) in an oven at abou...

There is a chance that the screw-thread is the reverse of ordinary screws, try turning the screwdriver clockwise to loosen it and disassemble. Place a deep tray under the nosepiece while doing so, to catch small balls falling from the inside...

A hollow tube, made of brass or steel, and whose rim is shaped as a circular blade, is appropriate to cut out holes in rubber. It is also called a "cork borer". Round hole punches are appropriate, especially if the rubber layer is thin. In principle, it is possible to bore the hole by moistening the...