Re: need advice on purchasing used microscopes

"Meri" <meritree@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:7045eb65-1d67-41ee-ab27-8b8758290e07@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I am the volunteer coordinator for phytoplankton monitors. We
recently got a small sum of money (not much 1K) to purchase scopes for
volunteers.

We use them to identify diatoms and dinoflagellates in coastal waters.
I would like them to have a compound scope, with 10, 20, 40, and 10x
ocular; ideally, a mechanical stage.

Does anyone have any advice?

Are these assumptions correct:

- Budget of 1K ($,£,Euro?) to buy SEVERAL microscopes to be used by
volunteers?

- No high level diatom identifications (up to subspecies and further), thus
no need to use immersion objectives, high grade optics (apl-achr.
condensers, pl-apo's...) or "special" techniques such as phase contrast?

- Photomicrography not required?

- Microscopes to be used by volunteers so sturdy and
build-like-a-tank-instruments required?

Are the scopes to be used in a (small home) lab environment or are they to
be taken out in the field?

Y.


.