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New purchase question
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 10:44 pm
by Jimbo60
I recently purchased a Bausch & Lomb KHS microscope. The serial # is 411312.
I would like to know when it was made, and cost new?
It appears to be in good condition, although the eye pieces were frozen, and did require some work to get them freed up.
Had to replace the lamp also, which was easy.
Thanks in advance.
Re: New purchase question
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 11:03 pm
by apochronaut
I think It would be Bausch & Lomb Galen based on an Olympus KHS? Not sure of the date on those but Lorez knows more about them than I do.
They eventually brought out the Galen II and then a Galen III, made in China.
Re: New purchase question
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 11:04 pm
by lorez
That's a reasonably nice microscope and should serve you well. This microscope was a B&L purchase from Olympus of their discontinued KHC (with minor modifications). The scope was called the Galen by B&L and was available in bright field and phase contrast, but did not have a ton of accessories. It was sold to colleges, vet students and vets, small medical clinics, etc. As I remember, the scope sold for around $600 in 1977. Some years later it was replaced by the Galen 2 which had different stand design but similar optics and as time marched along the 2 was replaced by the Galen 3 which in my opinion was an absolute piece of junk.
lorez
Re: New purchase question
Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 2:57 am
by Jimbo60
Thank you, Gentlemen.
Re: New purchase question
Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 7:09 am
by hkv
I bet these were hard to sell in Sweden as "Galen" is the word for "Crazy" in Swedish.
Re: New purchase question
Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 1:06 pm
by lorez
Here is a brief discussion that gives a clue as to why B&L may have chosen the name.
http://www.greekmedicine.net/whos_who/Galen.html
Re: New purchase question
Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 10:31 pm
by 75RR
In spanish galeno is a synonym for doctor. That does not necessarily rule out crazy of course!
Re: New purchase question
Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 5:29 pm
by apochronaut
The Galen series was B & L's attempt at maintaining their foot in the door of the large basic microscope market, with a cheap imported purchase, while developing and continuing to develop their flagship Balplan system in Rochester, for a more research oriented market. That's probably why there were limited accessories for the various Galens. Eventually time marched on with the Balplan too and they never really got to add on a few intended refinements to that B system, before the grand Leica merger nixed it.