Hello,
I actually joined the forum some time ago so this is my long overdue introduction. I really haven't needed to ask any questions because you folks have already answered most of them. Thank you for that! Mostly I collect 19 century microscopes or at least that's been my intent. I also have pretty many from the early and mid 20th century. My main interest has been instruments themselves, their preservation and history, however, I have a decent collection of specimens and enjoy studying a wide variety of subjects. Probably the subjects that interest me most are Mycology, Bacteriology and Parasitology. If I could do it all over I would have went to school to study infectious disease. I actually got a great collection of books on bacteria a few months ago from a friend who is a retired chemist that studied bacteria and disinfectants his whole career. I'm really enjoying reading them! I have no formal scientific training and became interested in microscopes through some of my other hobbies, metal engraving, machining and collecting antiques. Using various stereo scopes for my work eventually peeked my interest in other instruments and after reading a little article called "Renovating an old relic: A Watson Royal microscope" by Hugh Clayton I was hooked. I think Watson's are my favorite although I still only own one 1920's Edinburgh.
Right now I'm working on a binocular R & J Beck Economical from the 1890's. I also have a Leitz Orthoplan that I just completely went over with a Ploemopak and 250 lighthouse. It had the typical green grease syndrome (GGS) among other problems. I actually have a lot of questions about that one. I don't like the idea of using a high pressure mercury light in my home so I would like to replace the bulb with an LED if it's possible to find one bright enough. It's my intention to retrofit the original lighthouse with while preserving it's overall function and look. I could use some help to identify the components needed, type of LED, rheostat, power supply etc...
Anyway, I live in Lancaster County PA with my wife and two cats and work in a research department for a local medical college. I like to run a little and work a lot!
Looking forward to participating in the immediate future!
Thanks
Kirby
Introduction
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Element 56
- Posts: 330
- Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2016 3:48 pm
- Location: Lancaster County, PA
Re: Introduction
Welcome Element 56.
Being skilled in machining will be a HUGE help when it comes to microscopes. Making filter holders, adapters and custom parts would be much easier.
Any particular interest toward Barium?
Being skilled in machining will be a HUGE help when it comes to microscopes. Making filter holders, adapters and custom parts would be much easier.
Any particular interest toward Barium?
Daruosh.
Re: Introduction
Hi Kirby,
welcome to the forum! Perhaps you find time to show a couple of your collertors microscopes and their accessories. It would also be interesting to see some images taken with them. Your idea not to use the mercury lamp is for sure a good one. They were meant to be switched on for a whole days shift and to be replaced after 100 hours or so. It is a rare occasion but if they shatter then with a truely deafening bang and a nice mercury cloud. Also the emitted UV light is only harmless as long as the setup is right, complete and all components are in working order - difficult to guarantee in a home lab.
I have the competitors model, a Zeiss Phomi 1, second edition. For this I use an 18W white LED for incident lighting and incident fluorescence work and it works fine. An 18W LED already needs really good cooling. In my case the lighting unit itself can't take up part of the heat, so I installed a small Pentium 1
active cooler that could handle twice the heat input. I use an Cree XHP 50 in warm white (I just had it). In my eyes blue excitation is most useful and here a cool white LED would offer more power in the blue spectrum.
Here a couple of photos I took with the setup.
Bob
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8206
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8669&p=74884&hilit= ... ial#p74884
welcome to the forum! Perhaps you find time to show a couple of your collertors microscopes and their accessories. It would also be interesting to see some images taken with them. Your idea not to use the mercury lamp is for sure a good one. They were meant to be switched on for a whole days shift and to be replaced after 100 hours or so. It is a rare occasion but if they shatter then with a truely deafening bang and a nice mercury cloud. Also the emitted UV light is only harmless as long as the setup is right, complete and all components are in working order - difficult to guarantee in a home lab.
I have the competitors model, a Zeiss Phomi 1, second edition. For this I use an 18W white LED for incident lighting and incident fluorescence work and it works fine. An 18W LED already needs really good cooling. In my case the lighting unit itself can't take up part of the heat, so I installed a small Pentium 1
active cooler that could handle twice the heat input. I use an Cree XHP 50 in warm white (I just had it). In my eyes blue excitation is most useful and here a cool white LED would offer more power in the blue spectrum.Here a couple of photos I took with the setup.
Bob
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8206
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8669&p=74884&hilit= ... ial#p74884
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Element 56
- Posts: 330
- Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2016 3:48 pm
- Location: Lancaster County, PA
Re: Introduction
Hi daruosha,
No particular attachment to Barium. I'm just really bad with coming up with names and in hindsight I probably should have simply used mine. I probably looked around the room for a while and saw the word "Element" on something and just went from there.
I am no machinist but I do some machining and having a small shop at home with a mill and a couple of lathes which has been very useful. I was a custom knife maker for about 20 years so my background in the shop is probably more artistic than technical. However, since taking the job at the university and working closely with two very skilled machinist has moved my own skills ahead by leaps and bounds. When I hit a snag at home I go see the experts for guidance!
Hi MicroBob,
Your photos are a great and a big encouragement. I have not gotten into photography yet but I'm very interested in getting a camera set up on my Orthoplan. I have a box full of adapters and a couple of older digital microscope cameras I would like to try to get working. One in particular is an Olympus DP25 but I don't have the software and I think I need to get an adapter to connect it to my computer. More to do!
I have no immediate plans for any fluorescence work, but I want to have it ready for whatever I get into in the future. Also I want the instrument to work as intended for no other reason than respect for what is. I have fun making modifications and upgrades on some instruments when it doesn't affect value or historical significance but I still try to retain the original aspects and functionality of the instrument whenever possible.
You bring up a very good point about the instrument being complete and I have questions about that. I think I'm missing some filters on both ends and have to be very mindful of the light intensity regardless of which lamp housing I'm using. I've been searching high and low for a manual for the 250 lighthouse but can't locate it. When working in brightfield I have to turn the illumination intensity down pretty low and I read that's not great for the life of the bulb. When using reflected light with the 250 lamphouse I have to look at the stage to be sure its not too bright depending on which filters I have in the light path before viewing through the eyepiece. With that in mind and the possibility of the bulb breaking I have removed the 250 lighthouse and I simply move 100 to wherever I need it.
I would like to find out about the different filters that were available for it or at least and more importantly what the essentials are. Leitz had something called "List 52-20 equipment for fluorescence microscopy" which I would really like to see. Currently I have three filters for the 250 lighthouse, BG42, UG1 and BG38. There is a slot on the Pleom nosepiece that looks like it accepts a filter and I've been very curious about it. Other than that the Pleom is complete. The 100 light house has just one unmarked filter in one of the slots. I think its a UV. The slider in the binoculars has a space for two filters but only one is there. I think the one I'm missing is yellow from some pics I found online. I think they are absorbing filters which work in conjunction with exciting filters in the lighthouse?
I'm sure you can tell this is really uncharted territory for me. I am being cautious and reading what I can when I can. I try not to get to far ahead of myself. Before finding this microscope I was mostly working with my older monocular instruments and some others, AO model 10's, Leitz SM & Diavert, Nikon TMS and Reichert Neopan. This is totally different and that is why my first goal was to get everything set up to where I can safely experiment, learn and have fun.
Sorry I got chatty!
I thought I'd share a pic of my $75 Orthoplan. Good stuff cheap!
Thanks Guys!
Kirby
No particular attachment to Barium. I'm just really bad with coming up with names and in hindsight I probably should have simply used mine. I probably looked around the room for a while and saw the word "Element" on something and just went from there.
I am no machinist but I do some machining and having a small shop at home with a mill and a couple of lathes which has been very useful. I was a custom knife maker for about 20 years so my background in the shop is probably more artistic than technical. However, since taking the job at the university and working closely with two very skilled machinist has moved my own skills ahead by leaps and bounds. When I hit a snag at home I go see the experts for guidance!
Hi MicroBob,
Your photos are a great and a big encouragement. I have not gotten into photography yet but I'm very interested in getting a camera set up on my Orthoplan. I have a box full of adapters and a couple of older digital microscope cameras I would like to try to get working. One in particular is an Olympus DP25 but I don't have the software and I think I need to get an adapter to connect it to my computer. More to do!
I have no immediate plans for any fluorescence work, but I want to have it ready for whatever I get into in the future. Also I want the instrument to work as intended for no other reason than respect for what is. I have fun making modifications and upgrades on some instruments when it doesn't affect value or historical significance but I still try to retain the original aspects and functionality of the instrument whenever possible.
You bring up a very good point about the instrument being complete and I have questions about that. I think I'm missing some filters on both ends and have to be very mindful of the light intensity regardless of which lamp housing I'm using. I've been searching high and low for a manual for the 250 lighthouse but can't locate it. When working in brightfield I have to turn the illumination intensity down pretty low and I read that's not great for the life of the bulb. When using reflected light with the 250 lamphouse I have to look at the stage to be sure its not too bright depending on which filters I have in the light path before viewing through the eyepiece. With that in mind and the possibility of the bulb breaking I have removed the 250 lighthouse and I simply move 100 to wherever I need it.
I would like to find out about the different filters that were available for it or at least and more importantly what the essentials are. Leitz had something called "List 52-20 equipment for fluorescence microscopy" which I would really like to see. Currently I have three filters for the 250 lighthouse, BG42, UG1 and BG38. There is a slot on the Pleom nosepiece that looks like it accepts a filter and I've been very curious about it. Other than that the Pleom is complete. The 100 light house has just one unmarked filter in one of the slots. I think its a UV. The slider in the binoculars has a space for two filters but only one is there. I think the one I'm missing is yellow from some pics I found online. I think they are absorbing filters which work in conjunction with exciting filters in the lighthouse?
I'm sure you can tell this is really uncharted territory for me. I am being cautious and reading what I can when I can. I try not to get to far ahead of myself. Before finding this microscope I was mostly working with my older monocular instruments and some others, AO model 10's, Leitz SM & Diavert, Nikon TMS and Reichert Neopan. This is totally different and that is why my first goal was to get everything set up to where I can safely experiment, learn and have fun.
Sorry I got chatty!
I thought I'd share a pic of my $75 Orthoplan. Good stuff cheap!
- IMG_14042020_154656_(900_x_1200_pixel).jpg (113.5 KiB) Viewed 3335 times
Kirby
Re: Introduction
Hi Kirby,
just in case: You probably know that the mercury lamp emits a lot of UV light? It can be used for fluorescence but is only safe when used in a properly set up microscope with filters without deterioration. It can bling you very quickly and even the stray light can give you a severe sunburn.
Bob
just in case: You probably know that the mercury lamp emits a lot of UV light? It can be used for fluorescence but is only safe when used in a properly set up microscope with filters without deterioration. It can bling you very quickly and even the stray light can give you a severe sunburn.
Bob
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Element 56
- Posts: 330
- Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2016 3:48 pm
- Location: Lancaster County, PA
Re: Introduction
Hi Bob,
Yes I am aware and I am careful. Thank you for asking
Kirby
Yes I am aware and I am careful. Thank you for asking
Kirby
Re: Introduction
Camera: I would connect the DP25 to a power source, install a freely available digital camera software (example: MICAM 2.0) and see if it works. The problem, however, is chromatic abberations, since the Orthoplan takes finite optics and a compensating Leitz eyepiece is needed.Element 56 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:38 pm...but I'm very interested in getting a camera set up on my Orthoplan. I have a box full of adapters and a couple of older digital microscope cameras I would like to try to get working. One in particular is an Olympus DP25 but I don't have the software and I think I need to get an adapter to connect it to my computer. More to do!
You bring up a very good point about the instrument being complete and I have questions about that. I think I'm missing some filters on both ends and have to be very mindful of the light intensity regardless of which lamp housing I'm using. I've been searching high and low for a manual for the 250 lighthouse but can't locate it. When working in brightfield I have to turn the illumination intensity down pretty low and I read that's not great for the life of the bulb. When using reflected light with the 250 lamphouse I have to look at the stage to be sure its not too bright depending on which filters I have in the light path before viewing through the eyepiece. With that in mind and the possibility of the bulb breaking I have removed the 250 lighthouse and I simply move 100 to wherever I need it.
I would like to find out about the different filters that were available for it or at least and more importantly what the essentials are. Leitz had something called "List 52-20 equipment for fluorescence microscopy" which I would really like to see. Currently I have three filters for the 250 lighthouse, BG42, UG1 and BG38. There is a slot on the Pleom nosepiece that looks like it accepts a filter and I've been very curious about it. Other than that the Pleom is complete. The 100 light house has just one unmarked filter in one of the slots. I think its a UV. The slider in the binoculars has a space for two filters but only one is there. I think the one I'm missing is yellow from some pics I found online. I think they are absorbing filters which work in conjunction with exciting filters in the lighthouse?
Mercury/Xenon lamps are fed from special, non-standard power supplies. Handling the bulbs, alignment of the light beams and maintenance all require specific safety measures, much more severe than halogen or incandescent lamps.
Those three filters are made by Schott, Germany. Their specs, filtration efficiencies and spectra are available on line, just google their name. They are absorption filters, which can be used, although modern interference filters are much better for fluorescence.
Have fun with the nice microscope !
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Element 56
- Posts: 330
- Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2016 3:48 pm
- Location: Lancaster County, PA
Re: Introduction
Hobbyst46,
Thank for the additional information. I will check out the software and continue to research the filters. I found some very good information on fluorescence through Leica and Zeiss. I've reading as much as I can when I have time.
The Olympus uses a Firewire and I'm not sure what I would need to hook it up to my laptop. However, I also have a Point Grey Chameleon CMLN-13S2M USB 2.0 digital camera which might be easier to work with.
Thank you again,
Kirby
Thank for the additional information. I will check out the software and continue to research the filters. I found some very good information on fluorescence through Leica and Zeiss. I've reading as much as I can when I have time.
The Olympus uses a Firewire and I'm not sure what I would need to hook it up to my laptop. However, I also have a Point Grey Chameleon CMLN-13S2M USB 2.0 digital camera which might be easier to work with.
Thank you again,
Kirby