Hi from upstate NY

[JohnSG]

Hello all,

I've had a long, but cursory interest in microscopy. About a year ago, I pulled out a Unitron MPH microscope that my brother-in-law gave to me, and after a clean-up and LED upgrade, I saw my first live rotifer and was hooked.

Aside from pond water, I have also been interested in plants and mushrooms, so I have acquired a few AO Series 10 microscopes in various states of repair, and am in the process of putting together one phase microscope, one regular microscope, and one to hack on. I'll be hitting the forum with some questions soon!

My background is electrical engineering, so I have a technical background. Pretty weak on optics though, so time to learn a little more about it...

Cheers,
John

[PeteM]

Hi John, the A.O. 10's are a great value in microscopes. They're well built, ideal for tinkering (that "infinity" space), with optics that can often beat new scopes costing hundreds more. Your EE background will be a plus, since repairing or retrofitting new illumination systems is often wanted. The bearing problem you've noted in another thread is also something it sounds like you'll overcome with relative ease.

A couple thoughts. If your scope didn't come with a 20x plan achromat, you might want to be on the lookout for one. It is a great lens and an ideal magnification for protists. Second, polarized images of chemical crystals are very cool. You might want to look for one of the intermediate pieces with rotary positions to sit between your stand and head to hold an analyzer (polarizer). A regular camera polarizer can sit on the field diaphragm to complete the setup.

[JohnSG]

Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I will be on the lookout for the 20x, but my first priority is to get the two scope complete and running. One of the scopes came with a dual filter wheel, so I assume I can put in a polarizer in one of the openings.

Thanks,
John