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Can I use these for pollen and acarine?...
Previous discussion and comment: http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=270378&postcount=6

For pollen, you might want more variety in magnification, acarine probably better with a binocular dissecting microscope. However at the price, you'd be pushed to get a better starting point and for Nosema x400 is what you want. Postage is expensive for bulky items, arranging collection or more than one could bring it down. OK, so micrometer stage, graticules and illumination would all be good additions but you have to start somewhere.

It does look like clearing a school lab. I could hope that they're upgrading, but in a glass half-empty tone, I suspect it's part of the current trend of "practicals" in schools being reduced for cost, space and time reasons when cramming exams is all that is rated.
 
Not sure of this bargain!

Our local beekeeping group had an interesting talk last month on microscopy. As a result, I started looking on Ebay for a suitable yet inexpensive dissecting microscope. I bought one last week but it came without eyepieces (oculars).
It was not very well described in the ad but apart from the ocular issue, it looked to be pretty good, so I decided to take a punt.

I won the auction and when the item was delivered, I did some research, I discovered that, new, it retails for over £1700. However, the replacement oculars are about £160, which is more than the budget I set myself for the whole thing and I'd already spent £36!

The original equipment oculars were SWF 10x23mm to fit what appears to be a 30+mm tube. However, it has occurred to me that before I spend shedloads of cash on oculars, I should confirm that the rest of the microscope is in working order.

How do I do that? I've tried our Group's microscopist to see if I could "borrow" oculars to try it out but the Group's microscope has 23mm dia. tubes so they won't fit mine. Anybody able to offer advice, guidance, commiserations, oculars, especially anybody within 40 miles of Plymouth?

CVB
 
Can I use these for pollen and acarine?

Are there any good videos out there on the basics of using microscopes, as I've never used one?

Sorry for ignorance, but didn't do biology as had to drop an arts subject at my school.

Basically yes, try you tube for vids, there are some good ones on there but you will have to sieve through the rubbish
beware of second hand zeiss oculars and objectives which are renowned for de laminating unlike the lomos
 
Worth asking the seller if you are interested if they are ex school. If so all may be good but the 40x objective can get scratched as it's so easy to try and push it through the slide or move it into position over the slide scratching the slide after small fingers have been playing. It's worth just asking.
 

They do seem to be the same item although the photos appear to be distorted in some way so that they look different.
The cheaper one has to come from China and would not arrive for a month. In addition, you have to pay import duty (2.5% I think) plus VAT plus a Post Office customs-fee handling charge whereas the more expensive one is already in the UK and you could receive it this week.

CVB
 
Probably both from china and bought one before with no tax or import duties
 
The links posted are for objective lenses ( the ones at the bottom) of the scope, not eyepieces. Speak to Brunel. They will give you good advice. Last year they supplied me with a range of tubes to account for different diameter eyepieces. We were unsure of exact sizes. They sent me several. No money up front. I just returned the ones that were wrong. However it is not as simple as that. Main problem is length of microscope tube and focal length of lens needed. On the run up to my microscopy cert I had bought cheap. After going on a course by Graham Royle I realised I needed to upgrade. Got a reasonable set up from Brunel. Passed the exam. Since then have adapted the lighting on my scopes and am now really pleased
As to testing the rest of the scope. A standard procedure when setting up is to remove they eyepieces, and with your eye away from the end of the tube to look down. You do this to adjust the diaphragm . You will see a small image if all ok
 
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Update

I found a very helpful firm near Exeter called Laboratory Analysis that deals with microscopes. Took mine there and the owner had a look and tried a few lenses but could not get the subject to stay in focus when using the zoom. He thought the collimation adjustment needed attention and offered to take it to his expert optics technician on Friday, with his own repairs.

So, fingers crossed, I might end up with an inexpensive stereo microscope that actually works, although I'll exceed my original budget by some considerable amount!

CVB
 
Update 2

The firm from Exeter returned my Euromex stereo microscope today. I had to buy new Meiji lenses for it (£140 incl vat) and he threw in a cover for the scope. The optics seems a lot cleaner so I think he must have done a quick optics clean too. Seem to be a good firm to deal with.

So, I've spent altogether about £175 and have a really good dissecting microscope. I'll have to see our local Microscopist about getting some training.

Anybody recommend a good starter book for beekeepers on how to use a microscope?

CVB
 
If you're in a BKA then you may well have a microscopist who can run through the basics with you, show you how to set it up and do nosema and acarine slides. Your association may also have a library.

If not them check your local lending library to see if they have a basic microscopy/microscope book you can borrow rather than buying one, you'll only need it for a little while until you gain confidence.

Then maybe :-
Bob Maurer: Practical Microscopy for Beekeepers.
Yates : Beekeeping Study Notes for the BBKA Examinations - Microscopy.

Check the booklist on at the bottom of the page for the B8KA Microscopy certificate, there are a dozen or so books listed there.
 
The firm from Exeter returned my Euromex stereo microscope today. I had to buy new Meiji lenses for it (£140 incl vat) and he threw in a cover for the scope. The optics seems a lot cleaner so I think he must have done a quick optics clean too. Seem to be a good firm to deal with.

So, I've spent altogether about £175 and have a really good dissecting microscope. I'll have to see our local Microscopist about getting some training.

Anybody recommend a good starter book for beekeepers on how to use a microscope?

CVB

i have Meiji optics on my dissecting x40 and a Meiji binocular x100-x1000 with Meiji semi Plan objectives and like them both

They seem to be near Olympus CH SP standard and fetch high prices in the USA but seem quite unknown here and i took a gamble picked the binocular up for £140 in a local auction (it had 4 extra objective and required a new bulb,( it turned out to be from our local vet and she recognised it when visiting our sick dog)
 

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