this microscope?

[zubzub]

Hi all Would this be suitable for detecting nosema etc.
Any help would be apreciated.
Thanks
ZZ



monocular head, halogen illumination, triple nose piece with 4x, 10x and 40x DIN achromatic objectives, 10x eyepiece with pointer, 1.25 NA Abbe condenser


Key Features

•Die cast aluminium body
•45° inclined 360° rotatable monocular head
•Abbe condenser & diaphragm
•W10x eyepiece with pointer
•Triple nosepiece with 3 objectives

Description

Compound student microscope with halogen illumination, 1.25 NA Abbe condenser and adjustable diaphragm. 4x, 10x and 40xR DIN achromatic objectives and W10x eyepiece with pointer. 45° inclined monocular head, rotatable through 360°.







Specification

Body Die cast aluminium
Head 45° inclined 360° rotatable monocular
Eyepiece W10x with pointer
Nosepiece Triple to accept 3 objectives
Objectives DIN achromatic objectives 4x, 10x, 40xR
Condenser A 1.25 NA Abbe condenser with adjustable diaphragm
Stage /Stand 110mm x 120mm with sprung clips
Focusing Separate coarse and fine focus
Illumination 6V/15W Halogen

 

[MuswellMetro]

Hi all Would this be suitable for detecting nosema etc.
Any help would be apreciated.
Thanks
ZZ




Stage /Stand 110mm x 120mm with sprung clips

all ok, except the stage, better to have a adjustable stage with mechanical vernier stage rather than clips

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-X-Y-m...ollectables_Scientific_MJ&hash=item2a135116b1

the X4 ,X10 and X40 retractable are ok but the quality of these are in the detail

 

[zubzub]

Thanks MM so would you rec this for a beginers first scope Or should I wait till I can afford something better?

ZZ

 

[MuswellMetro]

how much is it?

for a starter look at Apex Microscopes on Amazon and Ebay, £99 ( in sale from £135) buys you a monocuar starter and £215 buys you binocular microscope (much easy to use)

i am not a biologist ( not allowed to take the o level biology by my Quaker grandmother) but i use a old scope and mine cost £20 from a school fete,( 1970 solid brass Russian student binocular scope by LOMO)

it has no biult in light but i use a battery LED from IKEA, works ok for me, but i upgraded the 40x objective to a modern higher quality plano 40xR for £35

so yes your one will work for pollen and nosema but difficult to adjust the mircoscope slidem, buy the best you can afford

 

[zubzub]

currently £20.00 on beebay still got 4 days togo
ZZ

 

[MuswellMetro]

this is the type i have....currently ~£16

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BIOLAM-MI...ollectables_Scientific_MJ&hash=item45fcebc6cb

 

[viridens]

Nosema is not that common. If you suspect it then your local association or inspector will give help and access to a microscope when required. As an ex-professional microscope user I believe that proper use of a microscope for diagnosis is a skill, and mis-diagnosis a distinct possibility. I'm pleased to say I haven't needed my old faithful mic for a fair number of years....

Spend that money on something that you or your bees will use regularly and not on something that you will only use once in a blue moon, unless of course you are paranoid, or fancy a microscope as an ornament.

If you just fancy close-ups of bees and their parts buy a USB microscope, most of which give 20 to 200x magnification. Good for scary-sized varroa images etc. ....

 

[zubzub]

Thanks MM helpfull yet again,
Will keep an eye on it.

ZZ

 

[BBG]

this is the type i have....currently ~£16

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BIOLAM-MI...ollectables_Scientific_MJ&hash=item45fcebc6cb

You have always seemed a worthy, reliable person MM and I will bid on that now if you are giving it a recommendation. Thanks.

I may be along in a while to ask how to put things together - if that's OK -

BTW what's your estimation of a decent price for said object.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Nosema is not that common.

Nosema is endemic and widspread,lots of it about.

 

[viridens]

Nosema is endemic and widspread,lots of it about.

So is paranoia!

Maybe I have just been lucky for many years, but my little buzzers have never needed Fumadil B.

I say again, save your money and use your local association or inspector for a diagnosis if you suspect Nosema.
Would you buy a microscope just in case bed bugs, head lice or amoebic dysentery might start in your family?

 

[MuswellMetro]

Nosema is endemic and widspread,lots of it about.

YEP totally agree, i was absolutely suprised at the levels of nosema infection on hives when we checked them over several apiaries

i feel it is nosema C not Nosema A but i know Finman disagrees saying if it is Nosema C then they die quickly but we has failing colonies without diarrhea over winter that are testing positive to high counts

 

[Tom Bick]

Virdens sorry not able to completely agree with you regarding Nosema.

I do agree that local associations should run training days so as to show how to collect samples and test for Nosema but it should not be left for the regional bee inspectors they have far more important jobs to do.

I think that a beekeeper of a couple of years can be excused not having the knowledge or access to the equipment for testing their bees but once past that couple of years or once they reach a certain no of hives they should have that in place and be thinking of testing at times so as to improve as a beekeeper.

I don’t know about Somerset but in my part of the world I am expecting Nosema to be a problem in the years to come.

 

[Ruary]

Nosema is not that common. ....

The Devonshire beekeepers survey were finding about 40% nosema infections (from memory),
Your microscope will do nosema but not bacterial diseases. The trouble is having started with it you will thn want to upgrade so better do the upgrading first.
Ruary

 

[Tom Bick]

Ruary do have a microscope you would recommend for the novice beekeeper

 

[Nic Rhodes]

microscope requirements here are really very modest for beekeeping and i find my even most basic machines and ones over 100 years old are more than able to look at Nosema which is much more common than people think.This type of microscope will also do pollen analysis well. The baic specification will cover all the basics well but will have limited upgradeability in the future. The serious alternatives are older scopes which go for little but may need a service depending of where they have beeb bought from. Typical quality examples come from Beck, Prior, CTS, Baker and Vickers. All are old Uk makes of yesteryear. Vicker M15 or Watsom sytem 70 are lovely scopes for this which are basicaly uni research quality but now at similar or lower prices than these cheap Indian and Chinese scope. Makes like Lomo, Biolam and Meopta are also excellent. Then above these you have the big 4. Nikon, Olympus, Zeiss and Leitz all of which have older scopes in these price ranges on the likesof the bay.
older scopes may need a basic service first however which is easy to do.

 

[BBG]

microscope requirements here are really very modest for beekeeping and i find my even most basic machines and ones over 100 years old are more than able to look at Nosema which is much more common than people think.This type of microscope will also do pollen analysis well. The baic specification will cover all the basics well but will have limited upgradeability in the future. The serious alternatives are older scopes which go for little but may need a service depending of where they have beeb bought from. Typical quality examples come from Beck, Prior, CTS, Baker and Vickers. All are old Uk makes of yesteryear. Vicker M15 or Watsom sytem 70 are lovely scopes for this which are basicaly uni research quality but now at similar or lower prices than these cheap Indian and Chinese scope. Makes like Lomo, Biolam and Meopta are also excellent. Then above these you have the big 4. Nikon, Olympus, Zeiss and Leitz all of which have older scopes in these price ranges on the likesof the bay.
older scopes may need a basic service first however which is easy to do.

That's very useful information - Thanks

 

[Tom Bick]

Cheers Nic I realise my question to Ruary was a bit like how longs a piece of string and as a result a difficult one to answer.

I have been promised an old microscope from a school for some time now I understand they are now with a chap giving them the once over to see if they are any good after I assume many years of abuse.

Interesting location by the way rather appropriate.

 

[Ruary]

You have always seemed a worthy, reliable person MM and I will bid on that now if you are giving it a recommendation. Thanks.

I may be along in a while to ask how to put things together - if that's OK -

BTW what's your estimation of a decent price for said object.

Take care about the damaged parts, I not sure what 'oblique control' is but it looked as if the fine focus was non operative.
Ruary

 

[drstitson]

The Bressers that Lidl offer occasionally are perfectly fine and come with a USB video camera for under £50.