Can anyone identify this model?

What equipment do you use? Post pictures and descriptions of your microscope(s) here!
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Aslan
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Can anyone identify this model?

#1 Post by Aslan » Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:32 pm

I bought this inverted microscope years ago off ebay. It weighs a lot and it has good optics but other than that, I have no information. If anyone recognizes it I would appreciate even a model name or number. I have checked the internet and found nothing similar.

Thanks,
Aslan
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MicroBob
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Re: Can anyone identify this model?

#2 Post by MicroBob » Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:54 pm

The binocular head looks like Reichert. It may be the wrong head for the microscope though. Is there a name on the underside, perhaps in the cast?

Aslan
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Re: Can anyone identify this model?

#3 Post by Aslan » Wed Oct 31, 2018 6:12 pm

MicroBob wrote:The binocular head looks like Reichert. It may be the wrong head for the microscope though. Is there a name on the underside, perhaps in the cast?
It says: Reichert Austria and then a serial number in the 500000 range.
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MicroBob
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Re: Can anyone identify this model?

#4 Post by MicroBob » Wed Oct 31, 2018 6:41 pm

Reichert went together with American Optical (AO). Your scope looks similar to an AO BioStar.

Aslan
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Re: Can anyone identify this model?

#5 Post by Aslan » Thu Nov 01, 2018 1:43 am

MicroBob wrote:Reichert went together with American Optical (AO). Your scope looks similar to an AO BioStar.
I don’t think so. It has an odd focusing mechanism. You fine focus by rocking the focus knobs back and forth.
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apochronaut
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Re: Can anyone identify this model?

#6 Post by apochronaut » Thu Nov 01, 2018 2:20 am

Correct. AO Biostar is much different. The focusing mechanism on that is unique to Austrian made Reicherts. Also found on the Neovar. This is most likely a Biovert.

MichaelG.
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Re: Can anyone identify this model?

#7 Post by MichaelG. » Thu Nov 01, 2018 7:58 am

apochronaut wrote:Correct. AO Biostar is much different. The focusing mechanism on that is unique to Austrian made Reicherts. Also found on the Neovar. This is most likely a Biovert.
http://www.sammlungen.hu-berlin.de/dokumente/11447/

MichaelG.
.

P.S. I have a 'Neopan' with that focus mechanism, which is simple but effective.

I had not realised, though, that the 'industrial design' was by Carl Auböck
https://us.avenue-road.com/collections/carl-aubock

... This example of a Neopan appears to be 'priced accordingly' ...
https://www.1stdibs.co.uk/furniture/mor ... f_1616892/
Too many 'projects'

Aslan
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Re: Can anyone identify this model?

#8 Post by Aslan » Thu Nov 01, 2018 12:52 pm

apochronaut wrote:Correct. AO Biostar is much different. The focusing mechanism on that is unique to Austrian made Reicherts. Also found on the Neovar. This is most likely a Biovert.
Yes, thank you very much, MichaelG and Apochronaut, that is it!
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wporter
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Re: Can anyone identify this model?

#9 Post by wporter » Thu Nov 01, 2018 2:14 pm

Apo did indeed nail it. Here's an ad from Science, 17 Nov 1972:
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Aslan
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Re: Can anyone identify this model?

#10 Post by Aslan » Thu Nov 01, 2018 2:50 pm

Thanks. Not only do I have a name, I have a rough date, 1971/1972 for its release.
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mike
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Re: Can anyone identify this model?

#11 Post by mike » Sun Dec 23, 2018 1:09 pm

It ceratinly looks like a Reichert Biovert. However it would appear the lighting system has been converted to use a camping LED headlight which is ceratinly not an original part. Available at the pound shop!!! Its often the case that halogen bulbs are very difficult to replace and recent rebuilds include LED lights which are much better substitutes. Using the wrong bulbs often resulted in overheating and damaging the large bulky lamp housings. Its probable the previous owner had difficulty sourcing spare parts for this rather obscure scope and used his/her initiative.

apochronaut
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Re: Can anyone identify this model?

#12 Post by apochronaut » Sun Dec 23, 2018 7:44 pm

If they are easily removable, lamp sockets are often missing on used microscopes. The scenario goes something like this, even though just about every primer or manual related to microscope use prints a version of : always keep a spare bulb on hand.
The lamp quits and the microscope gets removed from service while the problem gets sorted out. Sometimes the socket gets removed in order to find out if it is the bulb and or determine what bulb to buy. That ends up taking a while, when it should take minutes, even if it's an older microscope. There may be some grants available and replace over repair takes precedence and the microscope goes surplus......with no socket and most likely no power supply.
The lamphouse on the Reichert Biovert pictured in the ad, is the standard 100 watt lamphouse that was used on about 6 Reichert microscopes and a version of it was used on others both from Austria and the U.S. The Original Osram HLX 64625 100 watt halogen bulbs are about 3.00 ea. and it would only be a very carefully engineered led that would be fully adequate for that application.

However your instrument Asian, originally had the 18 watt 6 v. AO universal illuminator , allowing for less precise filtering and centering of the lamp , so a simple led replacement would probably work o.k. in that application.,,,,, although in the image supplied, it isn't exactly putting all of the light where it could be put to best use!

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