I am wanting to puchase a new microscope and am wondering if any one has experience with this. I want a good one for fecals but also for the children to use through the years as we homeschool. I am looking at a Meade for around $300.00 and do not want to spend much more.

Lynn

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), September 27, 2001

Answers

Response to Microscopes

You might consider trolling Ebay.com for a few weeks. There's a wide variety of microscopes ranging from a child's toy up through some very respectable instruments pass through there and you can sometimes get a good piece of equipment for a great deal less than you would buying it new.

Naturally closely examine all photos and ask questions of the seller before making a bid.

={(Oak)-

-- Live Oak (oneliveoak@yahoo.com), September 27, 2001.

Response to Microscopes

You should be able to get a nice microscope for $300. I went to a homeschool book fair and they had microscopes there for about $200 and if you got them at the fair they came with an extensive slide kit as a bonus and no shipping charge. I plan to get one next year as my son is only 5 right now.

Are there any homeschool book fairs that will be going on near you so that you can view different makers of microscopes? I would definately get a microscope with its own light source.

I sometimes order homeschool stuff from www.carolina.com - stuff like crystal growing kits, sea monkey kit, they have a bunch of good scientific supplies, they also have miscroscopes.

-- anita (anitaholton@mindspring.com), September 27, 2001.

Response to Microscopes

I was thinking of getting my miscroscope from these people:

http://greatscopes.com/expl.htm

-- anita (anitaholton@mindspring.com), September 27, 2001.

Response to Microscopes

You might want to look at Edmund Scientific. Alot of schools use them and they've been in business many years. They have a massive catalog and also have a huge selection of optical products. They have 2 websites, one specifically for microscopes and other optics http://www.edmundoptics.com/ their other site is http://www.scientificsonline.com/

they'll send a catalog for free, it's great reading. http://www.edmundscientific.com/CatalogRequest/

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), September 27, 2001.

Response to Microscopes

The best microscopes at a reasonable price ($200) that I have found come from Microscope World. The phone number is (800)942-0528 for a free catalog. These microscopes are built to last and are high quality. I have bought microscopes from this company since 1995.

-- Liz Rhein (merhein@shentel.net), September 27, 2001.

Response to Microscopes

Also check your local hobby shops. I purchased a used B&L in extremly good shape for $175 that I use to monitor my wine and compost cultures from our local hobby shop.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), September 27, 2001.

Wow, I had not thought of all those places. Thank you for your help, now to actually doing it! Lynn

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), October 02, 2001.