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A microscope thread

Tony L said:
I’m trying to figure out how it works from the picture, it almost looks like the stage is fixed to the base and the whole assembly that holds the objectives and eyepiece moves for focusing. Is that right?
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Yes that's correct Tony. The smaller knob under the stage is for adjusting the light condenser height and then the fine focus is done by the large disc in the base.
 
This is an impressive unit...huge, the body part is the size of a 2lb bag of sugar...
Well built and expensive at the time of manufacture, some time in the 1960's

Watson-Stereo-Zoom-Two7.jpg


Also found recently, rather cheap too...
 
Tony L said:
Looks cool! What make/model is it?

Edit: just spotted it says Watson Barnet on it!
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Watson Barnet 5-1 Zoom Stereomicroscope...

Watson is the company, started as an optical instrument maker in the 1880's in London, and the factory moved from London to Barnet in the second world war, perhaps to avoid the bombing, and when it would have been engaged with the war effort, making well I don't know, but say gun sights, or bomb sights. Perhaps someone here will know a little more. The company ceased trading in the 1970's when Phillips took over, and the Barnet site was asset stripped, and the factory simply skipped, all tooling, other plant, and equipment and materials. Quite a scandal, but common enough, and the way on much of British industry.
 
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That’s a shame, there were a few good UK optics companies and I suspect they are all lost now.

How are you liking it? I’m really enjoying the Nikon stereo microscope, the 3d aspect definitely adds a lot and the viewing distance makes it really good for stylus inspection etc. The magnification may be a lot less than my conventional Olympus, but what you can actually see and interpret is remarkably good. I think I’d now recommend a stereo microscope over a standard compound one now for this purpose. It would likely be possible to assess carts still mounted on arms too, e.g. if you had an Ittok, just remove the arm-cable and pop the whole thing off the deck and then you could probably get a very good look at the cart/stylus. It would be far easier with a much flatter non-illuminated base to the microscope, e.g. the one my Nikon should have rather than the huge lump of a thing it came with. You could just work on the floor then with the arm upside down. No issue for me as it is so easy to pop the headshell off the SME.
 
I got a low power scope for electronics work earlier this year, one of those chinese made jobbies, and it's worked out really well. Certainly makes fiddling with modern surface mount stuff much easier.

12a1dSZ.jpg


It has support for a camera out as well, which I initially thought would be unlikely to be something i'd ever want or need, but i'm now wondering if watching on a screen vs via the optics would be useful for some things - would depend on latency I guess.
 
Of course we have discovered the stereomicroscopes give a large working distance, cms rather than mm, and allow much larger specimans to be viewed, and there is not the problem of slide preperation, mounting and staining, a science in itself, so we simply put whatever it is on the stage, and sort some lighting.

I see your setup has a led ring light which must give a nice even light to your circuit boards. I never got much experience in surface mount even though I watched countless videos, and even got a practice kit. Through board is the best I manage. The worry with soldering under the stereomicroscope is fogging of the lens with the solder smoke (I use leaded solder, I do not have to conform, and most stuff I work on is old and uses lead solder, and I doubt it is a good idea to mix with lead free - which is a pain to use anyway). Interested to hear if using a camera works for you.

My Watson stereomicroscope is missing the two Barlow lenses that screwed on the bottom of the lens tube, under the lamp mounting collar, and were supplied as extras, (though there was a space in the box to keep them safely stored). I will keep a lookout, but I guess easier to find hen's teeth in the sand.
 
fergch said:
My Watson stereomicroscope is missing the two Barlow lenses that screwed on the bottom of the lens tube, under the lamp mounting collar, and were supplied as extras, (though there was a space in the box to keep them safely stored). I will keep a lookout, but I guess easier to find hen's teeth in the sand.
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Contact the Secretary of the Quekett or the Postal Microscopical Society for an appeal to members - rarer items have turned up! DGP
 
Why did you have to start this thread :mad:
Never thought I would want a scope
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Until now :D
 
AudioAl said:
Why did you have to start this thread :mad:
Never thought I would want a scope
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Until now :D
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In time you will realise you want more than one.
 
When I get around to it I'll be putting the darker coloured one of mine up for sale.
 
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