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David Mitchell
Thanks Jim,
I'm still reading and comparing programs.
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Meanwhile - a suggestion for all those with young grandkids - housebound, and neeeding more to do.
For my two households in Washington and Oregon (with a total of three about to turn 10, 11, and 12, I just bought microscopes that are pretty decent quality and not too pricey. I paid about $88 and will explain why I chose that model.
The Company is AmScope, and they sell all kinds of Microscopes (and telescopes) from cheap kits (avoid the cheapest ones) to sophisticated college student quality - ranging up into the hundreds of dollars.
Warning: they sell so many different models you will go dizzy trying to compare features and prices - even though the site is well laid out. (And I suspect they are supplying the scopes for some other websites that I looked at. I think the only other supplier in this quality range is sold by Levenhuk of Tampa, Fla. But I prefer the AmScopes.
(WARNING: Both AmScope and Levenhuk sell some good models with both battery and AC cord power -claiming that is an advatage. I dissagree! I would not want a cord stretching from the kitchen table to a distant power socket - which can be tripped on, and yank the entire scope onto the floor - probably breaking it. AC cords are for labratory setups where the cord only goes a few feet to a desktop outlet away from foot traffic. - - - * and the Battery model I bought could be taken outside )
If you go on the AmScope website click on Microscopes (near the midle of upper headings) and then drop down to the left and click on "IQCrew Microscopes" (below and to the far left). I will share the reasons I chose this one.
Main reason: Some of these scopes have a feature that I find very usefull for kids it is a dual lighting system - meaning that it has the common light from below (good for most thin objects and damp smears, bug wings, catsup smears, brine schrimp samples etc - things that are almost transparent and require light from underneath). And these models also have an upper light, shining down on opaque objects (rocks, fabric, coins) that cannot pass light through from beneath. And oddly, this dual lighting is not available in most of their higher most priced scopes???
And the model I chose also has a solid body, very good lens glass (my son in law said so) and smooth focusing controls. The power ranges fromabout 40X up to 1000X. It does NOT come with a case (included only with the very cheap kits - under $50), but I can refer you to a good dust cover on Amazon). When you drop down into the $50 and udner I think you get into cheaper lense glass and flimsy focusing mechanics)
I know the novelty will wear off quickly but so far it has been a hit. And it's somethng they can come back to anytime they find something new to look at.
Here is the model I bought - and if you prefer Blue nobs instead of Red you will find it if you search and replace the "R" letter in the model with a "B" (see " M50 C- R14-EXL1)
(an almost exact simliar kit comes with a booklet instead of the 6 instruction cards for about $2 more).
I may have had more fun looking and learning than the kids will have actually using the darn things, but I seem to have had a bit more time on my hands lately for some reason.
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