Amscope unbox and setup - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2016, 10:41:19 pm
content: Forgot to 'publish' this over at youtube awhile back.Bought an Amscope microscope and a few options for my electronics work last year. Recorded my unbox and setup. Might help somebody figure out what if they want to buy one or not.

author: uncle_bob
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 01:04:53 am
content: HiThe camera comes across as the weak point on these scopes. Oddly enough it's not really the camera. The included LED light is not really up to the task of supplying enough output for the camera. They have a halogen light that will go on the scope and supply a *lot* more light. Every microscope I have ever used at work has had a high power (150W or greater) lamp on it. You get used to what it will do and kinda go "what!" when you hit the lightweight LED illuminators.Bob

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 01:51:51 am
content: Since I cut that video, I've added more lights to my shop, so I guess I don't notice the difference. The LED ring does get rid of the shadows though.

author: Samogon
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 04:27:35 am
content: How steady arm is? Did you notice any shaking image viewing through eye peaces?And if it would be attached to the workbench will there any difference in stability (assuming good stable workbench)?

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 06:12:14 am
content: The only flex I get is from the wall itself. And that's not much at all as it's mounted below a window and there's extra studs in the wall itself due to that window being right above the mount.However, of course, the higher the mag, the more the flex is pronounced.

author: uncle_bob
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 11:09:58 am
content: Quote from: Samogon on April 25, 2016, 04:27:35 amHiI've got the same scope on the same arm. The arm is the same basic design Leica uses. Bolted to a strong table it works fine. Bolted to a cheap table, the table fails .... (don't ask how I know this ...)Bob

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 06:24:51 pm
content: Quote from: uncle_bob on April 25, 2016, 11:09:58 am...which is why I was standing on that mount 'plate' that I screwed into the wall.

author: PA0PBZ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 08:10:20 pm
content: The frame rate is bad, probably because you hooked it up on a USB 2.0 port.

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 08:23:46 pm
content: Yep, in that video it isn't the greatest by any stretch. I was recording the video at the same time. Should've just captured the screen instead but I didn't. And come to think of it, I don't remember if the camera was actually running in USB3 mode or not. Had some driver issues with the USB3 port on the laptop back then. Got those sorted out.Suffice to say, these days about the only time the frame rate drops to crap is when the PC is doing a handful of things at the same time as I'm viewing the camera and the camera resolution is cranked up to maximum and the lighting is low. Other than that, frame rate is pretty good. Not 60FPS good, but good enough for me. I can't put a number on it. It's definitely less than 30FPS, but not 5FPS.

author: PA0PBZ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 08:54:22 pm
content: Quote from: Skimask on April 25, 2016, 08:23:46 pmHere's the proof:

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2016, 11:16:27 pm
content: Hey, you frame grabbing my vid?Ya, I knew the FPS sucked back then. Yep, USB2, but I never noticed the FPS counter at the bottom.It is buttloads better these days on USB3 as long as the camera is the only thing going. Turn on the video capture with the camera at the highest resolution, things start to choke a bit.

author: Samogon
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2016, 06:31:56 am
content: Thank you skimask, based on your video i have bought amscope sm-6tx on articulating arm and 144 led light. Camera may be later.