Old Lynx Vision Microscope with dark image. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: smarley
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2025, 12:26:48 pm
content: Hi, I have this microscope that was purchased used few time ago.The image is not so bright, on the picture here looks better than the reality.I tried to change the lamp by a new one but did not improved anything.Look like the lens is polarized and LED does not show on it.Anyone has experienced the same behavior with this microscope before?There is a solution or modification to be done?Thanks!

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2025, 12:42:34 pm
content: The brightness of the light source will, to some extent, dictate how bright the image is on the viewing screen. That is, of course, assuming that the microscope is in good optical condition.Your unit uses a “lamp housing” that provides light to the scene via fibre optics. I note that you state that you changed the lamp and mention LED in your comments. Be aware that a lamp housing optical assembly that is optimised for a halogen lamp may not work efficiently if an LED lamp is fitted that does not illuminate the lamp housing optics and fibre optic in the same way that the halogen lamp did. Filament position in the halogen lamp is sometimes important for correct operation of the lamp housing optics and LED lamps can have a very different light output position and characteristics.The Fibre optic bundle connecting to the microscope can be damaged through abuse and that heavily attenuates the efficiency of light coupling into the Microscope illumination optics.Fraser

author: smarley
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2025, 12:59:29 pm
content: Quote from: Fraser on July 29, 2025, 12:42:34 pmHi, sorry, I did not express myself correctly. First, I changed the lamp by a new one from the same model.About the LED I mention that I tried, and it does not show any light.There is a way to test if it's the fiber optic damage or replace it?

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2025, 01:38:16 pm
content: Testing the fibre optic bundle depends upon the design. A simple “light pipe” type fibre optic bundle may be tested for broken fibres by illuminating one end with a lamp or pointing it at the bright sky whilst looking at the other end of the fibre bundle. Failed fibres create a speckled appearance across the fibre optics bundles face. You basically need to gently illuminate one end of the fibre optics whilst viewing the other end of the bundle. There would be technical tests using path loss meters but that is more advanced than you likely need here.Fraser

author: Accu-Sembly
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2025, 09:03:21 pm
content: Yes, I have worked with a couple of these units before and the lighting is always an issue. It's not just that it's polarized, but it's how the unit collects the light and delivers it to the hood. It combines both "left" and "right" eyepieces into a single hood with a rotating/spinning mirror disc. That middleman always reduces the light perceived at the hood lens. I have not found a way around it, but disassembling the hood and thoroughly cleaning that rotating mirror as well as the lenses seems to help.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2025, 09:10:55 pm
content: Presumably the mirror disc is a first surface mirror, and so requires considerable care to avoid damage (as do the lenses come to that).

author: eugene
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 03, 2025, 05:19:46 pm
content: I've used these Lynx Vision Microscopes in manufacturing environments and the one thing that I noticed is that they are surprisingly inefficient with light. By that I mean that in order for the brightness in the viewer to be adequate, the brightness of the light shining on the object needs to be so high that it hurts your eyes to look directly at it. I'm not talking about looking directly into the lamp. I'm talking about simply looking down at the object being viewed.If that's not the case with your system, then I suspect you replaced the lamp with the wrong one.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2025, 11:51:48 am
content: I have had the exact one, Vision Systems, for at least 20 yearsBought it new for about £5k.It needs a powerful (250W?) lamp; an LED will never work.But the quality is just great.Unfortunately the company wants > 1.5k for a service, which is a pity because the grease inside dries out and the zoom works in one direction but is sticky in the other.