Search found 1749 matches

by KurtM
Tue Jan 26, 2016 4:21 pm
Forum: Identification help
Topic: Ameoba ID
Replies: 12
Views: 5080

Re: Ameoba ID

Looks like it to me. But don't take my word for it, check out the World of Amoeboid Organisms!

http://arcella.nl/

(I love that web site!)
by KurtM
Tue Jan 26, 2016 2:57 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: small ciliate - DIC test
Replies: 9
Views: 3123

Re: small ciliate - DIC test

My Zeiss WL w/ DIC shipped today so I should have it later this week. The builder, Paul Martin, sent a series of instructional videos for putting it together, and I expect more on how to use it. As you may imagine, I have watched all of them at least twice, and one thing I noticed is that the polari...
by KurtM
Tue Jan 26, 2016 12:43 am
Forum: About the website, the magazine and this forum
Topic: New Sub-forum
Replies: 5
Views: 6896

Re: New Sub-forum

Yes, many thanks to Oliver for all he does!

Phil, that's an interesting position you take, one that I will have to give some thought to. Heaven knows I feel similarly when it comes to astrophotography, where the fantastic images tend to bear little resemblance to what one observes at the eyepiece.
by KurtM
Tue Jan 26, 2016 12:38 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Desmid Closterium II
Replies: 29
Views: 9012

Re: Desmid Closterium II

Hey, it's Bill Porter! Good to see you again, man! :D
by KurtM
Mon Jan 25, 2016 4:10 pm
Forum: Identification help
Topic: Green Fellow
Replies: 12
Views: 6250

Re: Green Fellow

Definitely Euglena. Try phase contrast to make the flagellum apparent.

Quite a crop of diatoms!
by KurtM
Mon Jan 25, 2016 4:52 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Desmid Closterium II
Replies: 29
Views: 9012

Re: Desmid Closterium II

Wow, very nice! I'm telling the boss you deserve a raise.
by KurtM
Mon Jan 25, 2016 1:53 am
Forum: Beginner's corner
Topic: Water, water everywhere hobby?
Replies: 15
Views: 6102

Re: Water, water everywhere hobby?

I like the question. Let's hear ideas for non-aquatic subjects for the amateur microscopist! I'll start. First is a subject I find very fascinating indeed: pollen. And we're not far from spring, when there'll be more to sample than you have time for. Think about what pollen is, and what it does, and...
by KurtM
Mon Jan 25, 2016 12:25 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Desmid Closterium II
Replies: 29
Views: 9012

Re: Desmid Closterium II

Very nice image, I just love desmids as being one of the prettiest things we can examine with our microscopes. Gekko's request for a "dancing crytals" video is echoed by this diehard fan of Rod Productions (maybe put it to disco music - no, wait, never mind, I didn't say that).
by KurtM
Mon Jan 25, 2016 12:20 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: More Haematococcus
Replies: 13
Views: 3121

Re: More Haematococcus

Very nice Gekko! Doubly exciting for me because I should have my own Zeiss DIC rig by the end of the week. :shock:
by KurtM
Mon Jan 25, 2016 12:19 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A Classic Microscopy Video
Replies: 9
Views: 2704

Re: A Classic Microscopy Video

By the way I think you should post this in: Resources (online, books etc.) Easily done. But what would be a better, more descriptive title for the thread? Glad y'all like it as much as I did, the lighting demonstrations really helped me understand too. It's a lot of fun to nip a small square of tis...
by KurtM
Sun Jan 24, 2016 6:14 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A Classic Microscopy Video
Replies: 9
Views: 2704

A Classic Microscopy Video

While tidying up my favorites folders I came across this classic video that I had all but forgotten, but which had much impact on me some years ago. I just watched it again and it's still just as wonderful as ever: https://archive.org/details/imaging_a_hidden_world Be interested to know what y'all t...
by KurtM
Sun Jan 24, 2016 3:43 pm
Forum: Microscopy accessories
Topic: Slide Drying Rack
Replies: 9
Views: 8847

Re: Slide Drying Rack

It's always great to see what others do in their home labs, very interesting stuff! I definitely learn more from this kind of post than many others. Thanks, y'all! :geek:
by KurtM
Sat Jan 23, 2016 4:19 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Spruce Stem
Replies: 8
Views: 2849

Re: Spruce Stem

Yep, purty purty alright. But why aren't you doing the 10-micron thing with your fancy new AO 'tome?
by KurtM
Sat Jan 23, 2016 4:16 pm
Forum: Specimens, samples and slides
Topic: For the man that has everything..
Replies: 11
Views: 4916

Re: For the man that has everything..

mrsonchus wrote:...vertically orientated boxes ... just don't look right stood on-end! :D
Here's what you do: Use a Sharpie to write "titles" of what's in the boxes down the edge facing out, and they'll look like books. Ah, much better! :ugeek:
by KurtM
Sat Jan 23, 2016 1:52 am
Forum: Specimens, samples and slides
Topic: For the man that has everything..
Replies: 11
Views: 4916

Re: For the man that has everything..

Definitely agree. Vertical storage has ruined many a slide, some of which were heartbreaking losses.
by KurtM
Sat Jan 23, 2016 12:25 am
Forum: Beginner's corner
Topic: Buy Microscope.
Replies: 19
Views: 8025

Re: Buy Microscope.

Well now, this turned out to be an interesting thread! :shock: The Nikon E600 looks to be epi illumination only, no transmitted light.
by KurtM
Fri Jan 22, 2016 1:53 am
Forum: Microscopes and optics
Topic: Nikon 4X obj condenser compatibility
Replies: 13
Views: 5134

Re: Nikon 4X obj condenser compatibility

Might want to mention that the E600 is a recent Nikon, and definitely sporting infinity optics.

Related question: can anyone say when Nikon switched from 160TL to infinity?
by KurtM
Thu Jan 21, 2016 7:06 pm
Forum: Specimens, samples and slides
Topic: Using Uv Adhesive for Permanent Mounts
Replies: 18
Views: 8204

Re: Using Uv Adhesive for Permanent Mounts

I really liked this too. I agree with our fearless leader Oliver: the world would be a better place with more cheap quick mountants!
by KurtM
Thu Jan 21, 2016 4:05 pm
Forum: Introduce yourself
Topic: Finally saying hello!
Replies: 8
Views: 4497

Re: Finally saying hello!

^^^ What they all said. And we have a telescope show 'n' tell thread in the Misc section too, hint hint. 8-)
by KurtM
Thu Jan 21, 2016 5:01 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: A Touch of Colour
Replies: 14
Views: 4372

Re: A Touch of Colour

It'll take a while to properly study all these images, but for right now I gotta say that first picture made me gasp. Now that's what I call art! :D
by KurtM
Thu Jan 21, 2016 4:58 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Spruce Needle
Replies: 8
Views: 2550

Re: Spruce Needle

Hah, stained glass window is exactly what I was thinking! Especially like no. 4. Bee-yootiful!!
by KurtM
Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:11 am
Forum: Beginner's corner
Topic: AmscopeT490b anyone?
Replies: 12
Views: 5395

Re: AmscopeT490b anyone?

I see this as a fork in the road one encounters immediately upon setting off on the journey of microscopy as a hobby, indeed, the very first decision to be made: New or used equipment? There are excellent cases to be made for either, but I tend to believe most of us intuitively know the answer right...
by KurtM
Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:01 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Alga
Replies: 6
Views: 2266

Re: Alga

Very interesting images. And I put it that way as a guy who will have his own DIC scope in a week or two, and is intensely curious as to the nature of the difficulty in "getting the hang of it." Not that I'm apprehensive; my builder is going to have it set it up correctly before shipping, and then i...
by KurtM
Tue Jan 19, 2016 4:02 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Gastrotrich
Replies: 4
Views: 1598

Re: Gastrotrich

Not sure why, but every time I see Gastrotrichs I think of them as little Porky Pines, from the old Pogo cartoons.
by KurtM
Tue Jan 19, 2016 12:30 am
Forum: For forum members who want to buy and sell equipment
Topic: A. O. inverted microscope
Replies: 15
Views: 7312

Re: A. O. inverted microscope

I gotta agree, those things normally go for much higher prices. It's somewhat rare to see phase contrast on them, and even more seldom seen is the mechanical stage. I don't have an 1820, but do have a very complete 1810 with phase contrast and mechanical stage. I would recommend holding out for a me...
by KurtM
Mon Jan 18, 2016 7:36 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Desmids On My Mind
Replies: 42
Views: 12507

Re: Desmids On My Mind

Thanks Gekko. The reason I'm kinda down on the bright field image is because of the edge artifacts left over from the stacking, and because Desmids are very three-dimensional things and bright field just doesn't convey it. Looks flat as a fritter in other words, like it got steam rollered. I'm glad ...
by KurtM
Mon Jan 18, 2016 4:15 pm
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Desmids On My Mind
Replies: 42
Views: 12507

Re: Desmids On My Mind

... needs lots of light too, because lots of light output is wasted or not used. I swear, I don't think I'll ever understand all this stuff. :P At least I can say my new scope will have genuine 100W halogen horsepower. Thanks Fan. As you see, hammering an education into my head requires the patienc...
by KurtM
Mon Jan 18, 2016 5:13 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Desmids On My Mind
Replies: 42
Views: 12507

Re: Desmids On My Mind

It's easy to say these things, but how do we REALLY know? How can light output be quantified? All I really know is what I see: that if for some reason I catch a glimpse of full-on light in the eyepieces it's so brilliant as to be perfectly blinding, like looking at the Sun - there's certainly no lin...
by KurtM
Mon Jan 18, 2016 2:50 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Desmids On My Mind
Replies: 42
Views: 12507

Re: Desmids On My Mind

Dang, I was getting all set for some heavy duty criticism there for a minute. :shock: And almost disappointed it was a kind compliment instead! 8-) I actually like getting criticism because it helps me learn, and I would much rather advance my knowledge and skills than feed my ego. Still, thank you ...
by KurtM
Mon Jan 18, 2016 1:15 am
Forum: Pictures and Videos
Topic: Desmids On My Mind
Replies: 42
Views: 12507

Re: Desmids On My Mind

Just got confirmation: 3W LED. It's a lot brighter than it sounds like... 8-)