Re: Zenith SCM-200

On Jun 26, 10:03 am, RossClem...@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
On Jun 26, 2:11 pm, dljo...@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:



On Jun 26, 8:11 am, "Kevin Cunningham" <sms...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

<RossClem...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message

news:1182848337.810769.197200@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Responding yet again to my own thread without anyone else actually
posting anything, one thing that I'm concerned about with stereo
microscopes is that we do already have a pair of Pentax
"Papilio" (spelling?) "extremely close focus" binoculars. So for
examining insects and the like, they do a good job. And if the purpose
of some low power stereo scopes was to do more or less the same thing,
there might be some duplication involved.

If I bought a higher powered monocular scope, then if preparation of
slides is a problem, it seems possible to buy prepared slide sets,
which might be enough in themselves.

Lets makei it clear, monoculars are a disaster. They can damage parts of
the eye. As a pro I've never actively sold a monocular since I deal with
colleges, health care and industry. Monoculars are yesterdays news, no one
seriously uses them.

Now, don't buy new, buy used. For stereos try this web site
(www.capovani.com/dp/cat/107/63160/ilist.cfm?LCl=342&menuid=m_2_2_1) and
this one
(spectraservices2.american-data.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=UMICSTEREO).
There are some very good dealers out there, pick one near you, these are
just suggestions. The real fun for a child is taking the stereo with him as
he/she walks around your yard. The other problem with compound instruments
is the distance between the eyes, its very small now and most 'scopes don't
go down to that small size. But a stereo can be enjoyed at any age.

Thanks,

Kevin Cunningham
SMS

I've done a fair amount of work with kids and microscopes, blah blah
blah... Anyway, the best resource I know of dealing with this subject
is Caroline Schooley who runs Project MICRO over in California (I'm in
New York, hence the the word "over"). She has put together a fabulous
web page, information base, etc. etc. You will find the information
you need on her web site. I can tell you from first hand knowledge,
she knows what she's talking about when it comes to kids and
microscopes...

OK, I've looked at the web site and it recommends monoculars, but
Kevin above argues against them. Where can I find information about
the potential harm caused by monoculars? I've had a look around on the
net, and I haven't found anything with phrase combinations such as
"microscope" and "eye damage".

If I were you, I'd send an email to Caroline Schooley and ask her if
she knows anything about this aspect. Also, maybe Kevin has a
reference to it, Kevin do you have a reference for this? Caroline may
have heard about it and know the answer. I've never heard about it
before Kevin mentioned it above.

I have witnessed many people attack Caroline's take on microscopes,
but all I can say to you is, from first hand knowledge, what she
recommends works for kids...

I know that with my younger daughter, who is 8 now, she has a very
hard time seeing through my stereo dissection microscope (binocular).
It has been somewhat frustrating for her when we've worked with that
microscope as she has to spend a lot of time just trying to see what
we're trying to look at..... My older daughter (13) just uses my
stereo microscope for whatever she feels like... She loves it, and
finds things on her own to look at . At this point, I don't even know
what all she's up to with it... She hardly needs my advice on much of
anything... (this extends far beyond microscopy...but that's another
story)

My younger daughter does not have much trouble seeing through my
monocular compound transmitted light microscope. (Great for pond water
and the like...)

Once I have my PMG fixed, I'll have an idea if she has difficulty
looking through that microscope, it is also binocular.

My take for younger kids: To keep kids interested, you have to make
the technology work easily for them. I play with my daughter using a
simple magnifying glass a lot. I always carry one on me, it's a nice
large diameter magnifier, about 1 1/2" diameter. Not too high power,
about 8X I'd guess (it's old, so it's not marked and I've actually
never calibrated it, now there's an idea...) There is a lot to do at a
much more simple level than we adults might think about. From a kids
point of view, everything is new. I let my daughter explore all she
wants. I tend to let her tell me what kinds of things she wants to
look at. We've looked at spiders, ants, leaves, flowers, grass, just
about anything you can see walking around. I sometimes will find
things and set them up ahead of time for her to look at later. But
more often, I let her tell me what she wants to see. Then we'll work
together on some of the prep, depending upon how much time it actually
takes, if it's long, I'll do many steps without her, and then tell her
what I did, or she'll help some in some parts, but I don't obligate
her to do it all. It seems to help keep the interest level high.
Slowly, I've added in some steps of doing more of the prep things with
her. This is how I work with my youngest daughter anyway. Now, this is
just how I do it, I'm a believer that each child is different and a
parent has to find the best way to work with their own child. So you
have to figure out what works best for yours...

Most certainly look into any kind of damage that could be caused by
the use of a monocular, and do post the results. I am most
interested...

dj

.

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