New to hobby… went overboard

[hypancistrus]

Hi,

I am an electrical engineer and physicist by training. An engineer manager in title. A paper pusher in reality. This is to let you know I’m “trainable” (hopefully) but will give you insight into some of my grandiose/delusional projects I probably won’t get to…

I started down this rabbit hole a few weeks ago to look at algae and aquarium critters. I see a lot of people start that way…and I’m on my 15-16 microscope. I’ve lost count. I’m “watching” 5 on eBay right now.

Started with a “cheap” used SWIFT M2250B and realized it wasn’t sufficient. I bought an AO Spencer antique circa 1900-1905 because it looked “cool”. Then I bought all sorts of random used microscopes on eBay and realized that some were a lot of work…

So I have
-Working-
Alphaphot YS (monocular)
And Alphaphot YS-2 (binocular)
National clone of the M2250 or similar… sold the Swift
An OMAX something that is decent (binocular/LED)
AO 1900s sorta working microscope
Motic DM-52

-Working on-
Nikon TMS (worked until I disassembled it to convert LED)
Fisher 12-561-INV (not sure what’s wrong with it, got it today)
BH-2 (need a new microscope head, the OMAX one works…)
Alphaphot YS-1 (fine focus, but otherwise fine)

-broken-
AO Spencer 160
Unknown body of a microscope that has no head (OMAX compatible)

-Sold/gave-away-
To a co-worker - Amscope (wanted the camera and was cheaper buying both)
Celestron digital 34040 (sold)
M2250 (sold)

Bought some objectives of various brands and types.

Why? I have no idea! My wife is going to flip when she sees all the eBay charges! Some just seemed like good deals. Some I bought not knowing what I was doing. Some I bought that were really great deals but probably didn’t need.

Still want to get another antique scope and a stereoscopic scope (for electronics work).

Need to sell some of the others once I clean them up, do minor repairs and take good pictures and notes.

I have a kid that wants to do marine biology, one is into ecology or xenobiology and one wants to go into sports medicine so maybe I can pursue this hobby and be a good dad at the same time

That’s me in a nutshell. Typing all that I do feel “nut” may be appropriate even though the pun wasn’t intended at first.

[Dennis]

hypancistrus,

Welcome to the forum.

[PeteM]

All those microscopes and viewing opportunities? As you say, a great opportunity to get some microscopes into the hands of teachers, mentors, and kids (including your own).

In any case, welcome to Microscopes Anonymous . . . where we all wish for a higher power . . . and every magnification in between.

Far as I can tell, your wife can rest easy knowing you're entirely OK until you start hankering after an electron microscope in your garage. Perhaps a real risk for someone with both an electrical engineering and physics background? Still, at least a couple of entirely sane, competent, and intelligent hobbyists have even managed that.

[hypancistrus]

Thank you for the welcomes.

I’ve learned a lot from this forum over the last month and watching Oliver’s videos. I wish we had a club like the one in the UK here locally (do we?) as they have great resources too.

Well dang…. I’ve been looking at electron microscopes and spectrometers…

As far as electron scopes, that might have to wait. My tech skills are too rusty to build my own and my bank account is too drained from having to prepare my kids for college (and maybe med school) to buy one outright.

What I realized is I’m going through a midlife career crisis? I think I’m envious of all the “kids” playing in the lab at work. It’s making me miss those days. I can’t go into the lab and “hangout” without people panicking that I’m there (sigh) and acting awkward.

Not to mention, when I do, I get bombarded with questions and problems I have to solve “administratively” and not technically.

So that leaves me in my basement “lab”.

I’m pretty proud of my acquisitions though. All my stuff is still under $1000. At the price I bought everything, I’m sure I can still recover my cost even after eBay commissions.

But yeah, my wife is a teacher so I don’t have a problem sharing my hobby and equipment with schools. I think in the last month she has spent more all “teaching supplies” that I feel schools really should cover…

[hypancistrus]

Thank you for the welcomes.

I’ve learned a lot from this forum over the last month and watching Oliver’s videos. I wish we had a club like the one in the UK here locally (do we?) as they have great resources too.

Well dang…. I’ve been looking at electron microscopes and spectrometers…

As far as electron scopes, that might have to wait. My tech skills are too rusty to build my own and my bank account is too drained from having to prepare my kids for college (and maybe med school) to buy one outright.

What I realized is I’m going through a midlife career crisis? I think I’m envious of all the “kids” playing in the lab at work. It’s making me miss those days. I can’t go into the lab and “hangout” without people panicking that I’m there (sigh) and acting awkward.

Not to mention, when I do, I get bombarded with questions and problems I have to solve “administratively” and not technically.

So that leaves me in my basement “lab”.

I’m pretty proud of my acquisitions though. All my stuff is still under $1000. At the price I bought everything, I’m sure I can still recover my cost even after eBay commissions.

But yeah, my wife is a teacher so I don’t have a problem sharing my hobby and equipment with schools. I think in the last month she has spent more all “teaching supplies” that I feel schools really should cover…

[dtsh]

Depending on what's broken on the AO 160 I might have parts. The 160 is not the highest quality instrument, but does use the same objective design as the Series 10, 20, 110, 120, which are much nicer so even if the 160 itself isn't salvageable it might make a decent donor depending on objectives.

[J_WISC]

Hello.

You are not alone. I've wanted a microscope for some time. But instead of starting with an inexpensive new microscope, I decided to purchase several antique or vintage microscopes because they looked cool and were "more affordable". Then I purchased an old Nikon Alphaphot YST because I wanted something that actually worked. My wife decided I like learning about antique and vintage microscopes more than actually using the microscopes. She might be right. I love the history and trying to figure out what the various parts do.

Thanks to other members of the MicrobeHunter forum, the two older Spencer microscopes are almost functional. I'm very close to looking at microorganisms, probably when the snow melts.

The Alphaphot YST is probably what I really needed, once I added 160/0.17 objectives. It has a phase slider and associated objective, which is going to be great to learn to use! But the others were 160/-. I suspect it was for pre-med undergrads, probably looking at blood smears and similar subjects. I like the Alphaphot because it is light weight and I can just plug it into the wall for illumination. The microscopes depending on mirrors are more challenging for me, but I'm working on learning to use the mirrors correctly. Best advice from the forum was to put white paper over the mirrors!!!

Now ... if someone would tell me to NOT bid on the Spencer monocular microscope currently at $20. I don't need it. But could sell as low as $30 (judging from earlier experience). I should leave it as gateway microscope for someone else.

[Scarodactyl]

The alphaphot is a nice intro scope and surprisingly upgradeable.