Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

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gslab
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Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#1 Post by gslab » Sat Apr 18, 2020 3:20 pm

I'm brand new into this hobby, and I'm interested in upgrading from my 1948 Spencer Model 33. After doing some research on this forum It seems like a Reichert Microstar IV would make for a decent upgrade. There are a few on Ebay right now, and I would appreciate some advice on what to look for, or what to avoid, when looking for something like this.

I'm mostly interested in looking at pond water samples. I've really enjoyed using my old Model 33, but find myself constantly trying to improve it's performance rather than studying and learning about the plants and animals on my slides.

Any recommendations, insights, or advice would be appreciated. I love restoring and modifying things so getting something that needs some work / parts does not discourage me. and I'm not interested in going above $300 for my initial investment.

George in Golden Valley, MN

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#2 Post by wporter » Sat Apr 18, 2020 6:12 pm

A great clinical/lab microscope, of an era between the older heavy brass-and-steel beauties, and the modern stylish-but-plastic Chinese-made types. Some of the best planachro optics out there. Look for one with:

1) full complement of objectives, and a couple of eyepieces,
2) smooth focusing throughout the range (no busted focus cam; which can be repaired, but it's probably more trouble than you want),
3) working illuminator power supply,
4) stage top that is not all worn out (indicator of hard use).

Important: the moving objective-turret (nosepiece) rests on the resin focus cam, via a ball-bearing cam-follower. If the microscope is dropped, even a bit, with a full set of objectives in place, the weight of the nosepiece may cause the cam-follower to break the cam. So the best way to ship these is to remove all the objectives (wrap separately), and then wrap several wraps of non-residue duct tape (3M) around the nosepiece and upper arm, thus holding it up (about 1/8' or 3mm) off the cam while being shipped. I've shipped a bunch of these like that and it works well to prevent damage to the cam or to the ball-bearing follower.

Often in these old M-IVs, the plastic holder of the blue filter is fried and has broken off; sometimes the blue filter is still kicking around inside the microscope. See the repair tip for this in this forum; I can provide you with a metal holder that works to repair this, if needed, for a nominal charge.

I'm sure Apo can chime in with many more tips.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#3 Post by gslab » Sun Apr 19, 2020 1:22 am

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question. That is exactly the sort of info I was looking for.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#4 Post by apochronaut » Sun Apr 19, 2020 3:12 pm

Bill covered most of the obvious breakage points from improper use or shipping. Some can suffer from a broken wave or Belleville washer on the outside( usually the right side) of the focusing shaft. It can cause some focus knob slippage because the washers are used as tension spring/clutches against the knobs. Very easy to replace.

There were two types of condenser yokes. They both function the same way and are fully centerable but one has a thicker construction. I guess the heavier one is preferred but I haven't seen any problems with the thinner one.

If there is a choice of objectives, I would choose planachros over Neoplans. The Neoplans only existed as 10X, 40X and 100X anyway( plus a 50X .80 oil immersion, which is very good). All 20's are planachro.

There have been some issues with de-lamination in the beamsplitting prism in the heads.

I sent you a p.m.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#5 Post by gslab » Mon Apr 27, 2020 6:25 pm

Thank you for replying to my questions.

I shot a guy a low offer on ebay thinking that he would pass (or maybe counter), but he accepted.

It came on Saturday afternoon. And now I'm reminding / convincing myself that I love to fix things....even though I thought I was buying something that was fully functional.... This one definitely is not.
I should probably change my subject to "Need a support group after buying a Reichert Microstar IV"
Here's what's wrong:
The lamp holder is on a homemade l-bracket that holds a philips 7388 bulb. The new holder looks like it got hot and cracked. Light doesn't work, but the power supply seems to work (makes some noise however)
The Blue filter / holder has been removed completely
The N.D. filter linkage is not attached to the filter, and when I do attach it does not flip up completely vertical (maybe to 85 degrees from horizontal)
The N.D. filter does not have an even finish (maybe it's not supposed to)
The 1.25 condenser does not have aperture blades. Instead, the blue lens of the filter has been installed between the two condenser elements. Lots of oil on it.
There is no lens in the black collar where light leaves the base (you can stick your finger in there and touch the mirror)
The mirror is held into the holder with a pretty crude glue job (translucent amber adhesive). Maybe that's how they came from the factory.
The 4th objective is a Zeiss 10x. 5th hole in the turret is plugged
Stage controls work great, but the black paint on the stage has been worn off on the front right side.

Is it time for a parts scope for my parts scope (this is starting to look like the step-by-step process that culminated in 4 1970 Honda CB350's taking permenant residence in my garage about 10 years ago)

George

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#6 Post by dtsh » Mon Apr 27, 2020 7:15 pm

IMO, if it was listed as a working unit I would send it back and wait for another to come up. Should go back as seller's expense.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#7 Post by JGardner » Mon Apr 27, 2020 7:56 pm

gslab wrote:
Mon Apr 27, 2020 6:25 pm
It came on Saturday afternoon. And now I'm reminding / convincing myself that I love to fix things....even though I thought I was buying something that was fully functional.... This one definitely is not.
Welcome to the wonderful world of buying "fully functional" microscopes on eBay! I think nearly everyone on these forums who have bought microscopes on eBay have had similar experiences. Both the Leitz Orthoplan and Zeiss Universal I bought on FleaBay have had numerous functional issues despite being described as fully functional.

Here's a translation of common eBay terms:

Mint -- Only a few rust patches and bent controls.

Fully Functional -- Worked at one point, but now all the grease has turned to cement and all the controls are frozen.

Removed from a working environment -- True, if that "working environment" was Louis Pasteur's lab.
Last edited by JGardner on Thu Apr 30, 2020 5:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#8 Post by gslab » Mon Apr 27, 2020 8:20 pm

Thanks JGardner, That makes me feel a little better. The Guy's Ebay store had both "Science" and "Professor" in the name, so I assumed he knew what he was selling :)

DTSH, I'm definitely looking at an option of starting over. But, this may give me an opportunity to do some upgrades that I may have done anyway. I understand that there are better condensers (maybe the .90 ) and maybe better lighting (like LED).

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#9 Post by dtsh » Mon Apr 27, 2020 8:57 pm

gslab wrote:
Mon Apr 27, 2020 8:20 pm
Thanks JGardner, That makes me feel a little better. The Guy's Ebay store had both "Science" and "Professor" in the name, so I assumed he knew what he was selling :)

DTSH, I'm definitely looking at an option of starting over. But, this may give me an opportunity to do some upgrades that I may have done anyway. I understand that there are better condensers (maybe the .90 ) and maybe better lighting (like LED).
I understand the thought, you know what you paid so I can only speculate based on my past experiences. That said, I can upgrade a broken scope same as one in better shape, but accepting a broken scope as "fully functional and working" rewards an unscrupulous seller. If you're happy with your deal though, that's what really matters. I too like to fix things so I can relate.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#10 Post by apochronaut » Mon Apr 27, 2020 11:37 pm

Ebay has a pretty reasonable policy regarding returns. People just neglect to utilize ebay's buyer protection. If the listing said fully functional or works as intended or tested and working or some such thing then it should be fully functional. If the listing says as is, or untested or has some wording that implies that it could have one or more defects, then buying it is taking a chance. That's not a listing that I would risk buying from unless you asked enough questions that you are satisfied that there is no risk.

If you have been given assurances that the microscope or even part for that matter is supposed to arrive fully functional and it isn't, or it was clearly broken in transit, you go to the bottom of the main ebay page and click on resolution center. A page will come up that asks a few questions . Just bypass that and click on my problem isn't listed here. A list of images covering your purchases will come up. Click on the appropriate one and then file for a refund. You can put in a reason such as not as described or broken. Ebay will notify the seller and give a timeline for the return. The seller has to provide a shipping ticket for a free return. If they don't, you will get a refund from ebay and you will keep the item.

If a listing is for a functional item, the seller cannot put no returns in the listing. They have to provide a shipping ticket for a return if the item is found to be defective and that was not disclosed. The only way a seller can resist a return is if the sale was for an untested or as is item. If the listing was a bit ambiguous but you have been given assurances about certain things through ebay's message system and one of those things turns out to be non functional or broken, you have a legitimate case for a free return. Ebay will read all of the correspondence between you and the seller and will see that you had been misled.
Like everything else, the responsibility is on the buyer's shoulders to make sure they are not buying an as is listing.

Ebay is pretty airtight as long as you read listings carefully and if necessary utilize their buyer protection. I have used ebay buyer protection about 4 times in the last 3 years or so and it has worked in each. The cases involved, the seller either overlooked something(1), tried a bait and switch(1) or the item was damaged in transit(2). In all cases the seller decided not to pay for the return shipping. In two cases I was refunded for the cost and shipping by the seller and in two cases ebay took the refund money for cost and shipping from their paypal account and refunded me because the seller refused to acknowledge that their was a problem. I only had to supply photos of the damage in one case.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#11 Post by wporter » Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:38 am

For the neophytes reading the above, I second Apo's analysis of ebay returns. I have had very good luck with 'no returns' in getting a refund and/or free ship-back. In many cases, the seller gave a refund and said 'just keep it, no problem', not wanting to go through the headache of putting it back into inventory. Most sellers, especially the big ones (having more than a few hundred sales), and the highly-rated (100%), seem more than willing to place the customer first. Of course, your attitude as a buyer feeds into that big time. It behooves you to:

1) Be on solid ground with your perspective. Fact-based, no duplicity, and realistic in your expectations. If you read the description and it says "apparently works, comes with a set of blah blah, nothing seems broken, 7 out of ten on aappearnce/funtionality scale", and the images seem to support this, ask any pertinent questions about the scope (and here it helps to have downloaded the manual and have read it cover-to-cover for a few days beforehand), and only then if a certain level of confidence is gained, go for the purchase (sometimes you can make an offer even if the 'make an offer' is not there. A message to the seller is free, and often they will accept an offer if decent.)
If the scope arrives, and has a few minor problems (focus or stage is stiff, stage has wear marks, paint is scratched, etc.), don't worry about this trivia; the forum can guide you into freeing things up or whatever. Chances are you are not buying from a scope refurbisher, but an auction-lot buyer or used medical-equipment warehouse, and they don't rehab their merchandise. But you are probably paying pennies on the dollar, anyway, so count yourself lucky.

If, on the other hand, the scope arrives poorly-packed ( a rarity; most of these guys go nuts with the bubble-wrap), obviously broken in some major way, or missing many of the parts it was supposed to have (especially if in the pictures), you need to follow the roadmap laid out by Apo to get a partial or total refund. But if the seller's posting does in fact describe it as a piece-of-junk being sold only for the few parts the buyer can scavenge off it, you don't really have a case; at most, you may get a partial refund, but don't be greedy; if you paid $50 for an Ortholux carcass without any attachments, but the paint job is very good, maybe you made out like a bandit.

2) Don't whine about trivia (see above). In many cases, e.g., you're getting a $10,000 scope for $400. Why complain? You can really look the fool to ebay by seeming greedy, and get your specious claim denied. Emotionality and overt selfishness has no place in the ebay marketplace.

3) Be aware that in spite of being generous, careful, and non-confrontational, occasionally (rarely) you will run into the seller or buyer who wants something for nothing or refuses to give an inch, the person from hell. Let ebay handle it; they do indeed look at your exchanges with the other party, and will generally side with the party that is calm, is most reasonable, and has the facts on their side.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#12 Post by 75RR » Tue Apr 28, 2020 6:08 am

apochronaut wrote:
Mon Apr 27, 2020 11:37 pm
Ebay has a pretty reasonable policy regarding returns. People just neglect to utilize ebay's buyer protection. If the listing said fully functional or works as intended or tested and working or some such thing then it should be fully functional. If the listing says as is, or untested or has some wording that implies that it could have one or more defects, then buying it is taking a chance. That's not a listing that I would risk buying from unless you asked enough questions that you are satisfied that there is no risk.
It is important that members know that the terms as is, untested and or any other term that implies that the microscope seller is able to wash their hands from any responsibility for the item they are selling is not, repeat not terminology that Ebay accepts.

An item is either working: Manufacturer refurbished, Seller refurbished or Used, - or it is parts, which means not working!

Everything else is a weasel term designed to have buyers put up with what they bought. Beginners in microscopy should avoid any seller utilizing these terms!!!

Ebay does have a reasonable policy regarding returns - despite what some sellers want you to think,

but do you really want to buy from someone that is trying to play you?

These are the official Ebay terms (see below) + link:

https://www.ebay.com/pages/help/sell/co ... ion_1.html


Condition:

New

A brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item in its original packaging (where packaging is applicable). Packaging should be the same as what is found in a retail store, unless the item is handmade or was packaged by the manufacturer in non-retail packaging, such as an unprinted box or plastic bag. See the seller's listing for full details.

New other (see details)

A new, unused item with absolutely no signs of wear. The item may be missing the original packaging, or in the original packaging but not sealed. The item may be a factory second or a new, unused item with defects. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections.

Open box


An item in excellent, new condition with no wear. The item may be missing the original packaging or protective wrapping, or may be in the original packaging but not sealed. The item includes original accessories. The item may be a factory second. See the seller's listing for full details and description.

Manufacturer refurbished

An item that has been professionally restored to working order by a manufacturer or manufacturer-approved vendor. This means the product has been inspected, cleaned, and repaired to meet manufacturer specifications and is in excellent condition. This item may or may not be in the original packaging. See the seller's listing for full details.

Seller refurbished

An item that has been restored to working order by the eBay seller or a third party not approved by the manufacturer. This means the item has been inspected, cleaned, and repaired to full working order and is in excellent condition. This item may or may not be in original packaging. See the seller's listing for full details.

Used

An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections.

For parts or not working

An item that does not function as intended and is not fully operational. This includes items that are defective in ways that render them difficult to use, items that require service or repair, items that are locked or can't be activated, or items missing essential components. See the seller's listing for full details.
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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#13 Post by wporter » Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:40 am

75RR, I agree with everything you have laid out about ebay descriptive terms.

However, I do think that necessarily ascribing nasty motives to a vendor (i.e., 'playing' you) is often inaccurate. Many of these mass vendors of used equipment may just be covering themselves against over-representing the item for sale, by using the weasel wording, because they really do not have the expertise, time, parts, or inclination to check for (e.g.) even a burned-out lightbulb in a unit that 'doesn't power up'. I know this because I have bought a few of these. Who got ripped off? It wasn't me. Often one can get one of these gems for even less, by offering much less than the asking price. Sometimes it goes in favor of the seller, though, even if they are not unscrupulous. I don't think the sellers suffer too much, as a rule, since they pay only a few bucks for pallet-loads.

Some of the red flags indicating sales to avoid, and perhaps getting 'played', or just to avoid questionable vendors, are 1) no response to reasonable questions, 2) no budging on an overly-high asking price, 3) an incoherent reply (or one full of misspellings) to a question, or 4) low sales numbers or bad feedback ratings (<99%).

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#14 Post by 75RR » Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:51 am

wporter - Agree that if you 'know' what you are doing, one can with suitable caution fish successfully in these 'turbulent' waters.

My advice was for newbies - and still holds.
because they really do not have the expertise, time, parts, or inclination to check for (e.g.) even a burned-out lightbulb in a unit that 'doesn't power up'.
To me that is just an excuse - auction resellers with warehouses can 'if it suited them' hire the required expertise. They make more money this way.

We should all avoid normalizing weasel wording. That does not benefit buyers - just sellers.
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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#15 Post by Hobbyst46 » Tue Apr 28, 2020 8:36 am

What is the opinion about the (I have noticed it only recently) seller statement about returns:
"Buyer pays for return shipping" ?
I assume that eBay consider this a valid sales condition ?
Last edited by Hobbyst46 on Tue Apr 28, 2020 12:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#16 Post by apochronaut » Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:11 am

No it isn't acceptable . If the item is returnable, then it is on the seller to pay the return shipping. There may be odd situations where the seller is willing to take back a fully functional item because the buyer either bought an incorrect item or something transpired that determined that it couldn't be kept or something like that. That would be a mutual agreement but the seller has to abide by ebay's rules and cannot determine who pays for the return of a defective product, if the defect has not been disclosed.
Personally, I consider ebay a very safe place to purchase microscope related equipment, tools etc. It is always a place where you need to read the fine print and balance the vendor's expectations with your own, though. Generally, if the part or scope you are interested in is listed as for parts or not working, as is, untested, or as condition not known ; unless you are knowledgeable enough to understand the intricacies if the item well, I would stay away.
A case in point might be something like this. A short barrel ( roughly 30 year old) Lomo apochromat objective comes up at a very low price. Shipping is also low. What are the problems with old Lomo objectives? Seized collar! The seller doesn't mention anything about the collar, because they likely don't know anything about it and it is listed as used. The seller doesn't respond to a question. Experience says that the collar may well be seized. In all the pictures taken of it, the collar is in the same registration.The listing says ; buyer pays for return shipping. I would be very careful with that one unless you are skilled at taking Lomo objectives apart and freeing them up, or you want to engage in a return process. The seller however, will try to get you to engage on his or her rules. It will become a bit of a push pull experience.
If one of the pictures showed that the collar was not in the exact same registration, then things might be a bit different but in both cases, ebay's policies cover return shipping at the seller's cost . They can't really wiggle out of it , if the objective has an undisclosed defect. You may have to supply pictures but proving a seized collar might be a little difficult.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#17 Post by gslab » Tue Apr 28, 2020 1:38 pm

Thanks for the advice guys.
The seller is working with me on this. If he refunds me some money I'll keep this one.

Can you tell me about fixing some of the issues I have?
1) missing iris in the 1.25 abbe. Should I replace this with a different (better) condenser? Why was there a blue filter between the elements in mine? Have you ever heard of someone doing that?
2) Missing glass for the light-port at base of scope. Is this just a flat piece of glass, or is it an optical correction? Does there need to be anything in there?
3) lighting source. Is there an upgrade to the stock lighting set up (better bulb, LED, projector bulb)? Does the orientation of the bulb matter?
4) Oculars. It has the standard 10x wf. Is there something better that would make viewing easier?
5) Cleaning optics. I have ROR cleaner and lens cleaning tissue from the high-end camera shop in town. Any tips and procedures for thoroughly cleaning both side of the lens assemblies (q-tips, chemicals, etc)?

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#18 Post by apochronaut » Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:06 pm

1) Could you post a picture of the condenser? It does sound like someone has removed the iris and installed a blue filter. Very odd because the # 1970 condenser has a sealed optical section. Does it have any other distinguishing features? The 410 does not have an abbe condenser. It is an abbe aspheric. It should have the # 1970 marked on it but it was marked with a cemented sticker, so it could have peeled off or been removed. If it is the correct condenser, then it makes little sense to replace it for a number of reasons, as long as you can fix it or find another. I probably have the leaves for the iris but those condensers are available quite cheaply often, and repairing an iris is a little tricky. Either fix or replace with the same because as an aspheric, it automatically puts the system in a league above a microscope that is fitted with an abbe. It is also wide field, so will work with a 4X without fitting an aux. lens. They also used the # 1201 .90 achromat aplanat, which might be what you have. They both work about as well as each other dry but the # 1970 has that option to squeak out a little higher N.A. when oiled to the slide, plus the #1201 needs an aux. lens underneath to fill the field for the 4X. There was also a 1.4 N.A. achromat/aplanat. Hard to find, expensive and only really necessary if you have a planfluor or planapo 100X objective.
2) The light port is a weak lens that helps focus the illuminator beam onto the lower condenser lens. You need it. I have one if you want it.
3) The original illuminator isa 24 watt halogen. There is nothing wrong with it unless you need to attempt some technique that requires higher wattage( they made the 100 watt Diastar for those purposes). If you are experiencing poor illumination , something else is wrong other than the illuminating system.
4) I'm not sure what is wrong with your 10X W.F. oculars. They should be either # 181 or 191. Both work perfectly and give a 20mm f.o.v. Theoretically, any neutrally corrected eyepieces should work as long as the pickup point is close enough, if you are adamant about changing them.
5) Start with plain isopropyl alcohol and quality swaps.Q-tips will do and see how it goes. Don't be afraid to use lots of swabs. They quickly pick stuff up and you end up smearing it around , if they are used for more than one wipe. Sometimes there is a film on the optics, that requires a tiny amount of something more solvent on oil than isopropyl.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#19 Post by gslab » Tue Apr 28, 2020 6:19 pm

Image


I hope this image comes through....I've never used forum tools like this before.
This is an ABBE aspheric 1970. The condenser came apart exactly as I have it laid out in the photo. outside lens, blue disk, inner lens, threaded ring. Is there supposed to be a spacer between the two lenses?
I would be very interested in installing a new iris. There are a few condensers for sale for about $25, but I would prefer the challenge of fixing the one I have. I did see a #1201 .90 for $39 but if I read your last post correctly there doesn't seem to be significant gains to be made by switching to that.

Also interested in the lens that covers the light-port.

My oculars are the 181. I may have an easier time using them if they had eye cups. Sounds like there's no reason to upgrade these.
Last edited by gslab on Tue Apr 28, 2020 6:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#20 Post by 75RR » Tue Apr 28, 2020 6:34 pm

I hope this image comes through....I've never used forum tools like this before.
Make sure the image is less than 512KB and max 1024 x 1024 pixels. Just drag and drop.
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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#21 Post by gslab » Tue Apr 28, 2020 6:56 pm

abbe aspheric.JPG
abbe aspheric.JPG (18.19 KiB) Viewed 8736 times
Image
How about now?

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#22 Post by apochronaut » Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:31 pm

Pictures; good. The bottom lens drops out after you remove a retaining ring yes but the parts manual shows the entire lens section built as a unit with one part #
1970-860. They don't even list a part # for the bottom lens and retainer but they show 9 more part #'s for the rest of the entire condenser and iris . They do show the included parts in the lens section but they have no part #'s of their own. It looks like they wanted the lens section to be treated as a factory corrected, sealed unit.
Here is the probable reason. This is an aspheric condenser, so it is designed to be aberration free courtesy of the bottom aspheric lens, which has to be precisely located relative to the front lens. As in an objective, minor changes in glass formulation from batch to batch could alter the n sufficiently so that the interspace between lenses might have to be shifted slightly by shims, in order to maintain the corrections. They show a part # for the shim but any of them I have split do not have any shims in there, at least none that would easily come free, without disassembling the rest of the housing. The seat that the aspheric lens sits on is in fact brass in the ones I have opened, so seems like it might be a shim. The rest of the housing appears to be aluminum. edit: I don't see the brass ring where the aspheric lens sits in your photo? Is it just in shadow?

The filter that was installed in your condenser would have to have been small enough to drop into that space just below the front lens( oil lens)( maybe 30mm in diameter max.?), where it could rest without impeding the spacing of the aspheric lens. Were it to be the same diameter as that of the aspheric lens or big enough to rest on the lip of the lens seat, the curvature of the upper surface of the aspheric lens would crush against it, or it would need a spacer, destroying the corrections of the system.

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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#23 Post by gslab » Tue Apr 28, 2020 8:21 pm

No spacer / Shim in my condenser (as far as I can tell). And the ledge that the bottom lens rests on is black (not brass colored) and seems to part of the aluminum housing. How thick is the brass shim you have in yours? The blue filter was squeezed by the front and rear lens and it was not in there flat (tilted and pushed to one side). Now that its out I'm sure the two elements of the lens are a little closer together (the filter is 1mm thick).
If it is not the correct spacing would it be obvious when using the scope? Is it possible I returned it to it's original factory condition? The distance between the two elements is somewhat adjustable by backing off the retaining ring and letting gravity pull the aspheric away from the front lens. What would I look for if I wanted to try adjusting it?
here's a pic from inside the condenser with the aspheric removed
Image

George

apochronaut
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Re: Need advice buying a Reichert Microstar IV

#24 Post by apochronaut » Tue Apr 28, 2020 10:11 pm

I have to guess here but it is based on a bit of fiddling with quite a few of these. The brass seat on the condensers I have partially separated ,are probably shims. They don't seem to come out easily and may be secured in place during the body assembly. I can see threads that look like the nose of the condenser threads into the wider section that houses the bottom lens and diaphragm. It is very hard to separate that assembled unit. The shims once installed seem locked in. Yours probably did not have any. Once you put the aspheric lens in place and tighten it with the retaining ring, it should be as it left the factory, minus the diaphragm.

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