Care & Usage

Proper Handling & Cleaning:

Remember...

• Always lift your microscope with one hand holding the "arm" and the other hand under the base; avoid bumping or jarring the scope.
• Use your microscope on a sturdy, solid surface (one that doesn't wobble) and away from the edge. (Countertops are great!)
• Never touch the lenses of the eyepieces and objectives with your finger.
• To keep your microscope in top condition for years, our manufacturer recommends that you have the microscope professionally serviced once a year.
• Always keep the dust cover on your scope when it's not in use!
• Keep all glass and optical lenses clean. Use lens paper or a Q-tip dipped in a lens cleaning solution (Windex works great!) to gently wipe dust/oils off the eyepieces, objectives, condenser, and illumination glass. (Never use a paper towel, tissue, or Kleenex to wipe a lens -- the fibers in them will scratch the lenses.)
• Keep the stage and the other metal parts free of excess oil. An alcohol pad/wipe is best, but is not recommended for use on the lenses.

Proper Focusing:

1. Always start with the lowest power objective in place over the hole in the stage.
2. Using the coarse focus knob, raise the objective so it is one inch above the stage.
3. While looking at your scope from the side, lower the objective with the coarse knob as close as possible to the specimen, without touching it.
4. Using the same knob, focus upward while looking through the eyepieces, bringing specimen into focus.
5. Now use your fine focus knob, if you have one, to clarify your specimen.
6. You can rotate to the next highest objective, if needed.
7. Always return to the lowest power objective before removing specimen.

Basic Slide Preparation