Such a humble title, don’t you think? After the interest shown concerning my initial thread titled “Stylus Microscopes”, and the general unavailability of used Shure SEK-2 stylus microscopes, I decided to try a DIY stylus microscope project. The thought is that dedicated DIY’ers can build an adequate microscope if they had a model to start with. Here is my version.
Before you read what follows, I suggest you read the original thread at:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=87723&highlight=stylus+microscopes
The manual for the Shure SEK-2 Stylus Microscope can be seen here:
http://www.shure.com/idc/groups/tech_pubs/@global_managed/documents/webcontent/us_pro_sek-2_ug.pdf
The Basics
Several of the posters in the original thread tried various home-made scopes usually based upon computer centered instruments. I felt they showed promise but the inventors were disadvantaged by having never used the SEK-2, making it difficult to build a useful instrument.
So, my goal was to build a stylus microscope as good, or better, than the Shure SEK-2. The cost should be such that anyone can afford to build the instrument using parts that are commonly available.
The basic requirements for this stylus microscope are:
• Variable magnification. It would be nice if it is built into the scope but mine did not have this feature. I had to find an alternative. I’ll explain below.
• Minimum magnification should be about 50X. This is used to position the stylus in the viewing field. 50X is not critical but it is the most useful magnification for the purpose and is available with common lenses.
• Maximum of magnification of 200X. More than this is a disadvantage. Less is not enough.
• A 10X objective lens (the one on the lens turret). This magnification has the advantages of adequate depth of field and good working distance. Many scopes have this objective lens.
• A micrometer adjusted X/Y axis stage. This is the platform the specimen (the cartridge or stylus, in this case) rests upon. This is an important feature for a successful microscope design.
• An effective and inexpensive lighting system.
• Easy to use and set up while posing no danger to the stylus while it is being viewed or positioned.
• Does not modify the original scope so it can still be used as a normal microscope.
• Useful. Gives definitive information to determine the condition of the stylus.
• Inexpensive; a relative term if you have to buy the scope.
As you can see, there are a number of requirements that need to be satisfied to make a truly useful tool.
For those of you not familiar with optics, the overall magnification of a multiple lens system (in this case, 2 lenses) is the magnification of lens 1 (the eyepiece) multiplied by the magnification of lens 2 (the objective). For this project you will be working with two eyepieces (5X and 20X) and the objective lens (10X). If the eyepiece is 20X and the objective is 10X, the overall magnification is 200X, our goal.
CONTINUED
Before you read what follows, I suggest you read the original thread at:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=87723&highlight=stylus+microscopes
The manual for the Shure SEK-2 Stylus Microscope can be seen here:
http://www.shure.com/idc/groups/tech_pubs/@global_managed/documents/webcontent/us_pro_sek-2_ug.pdf
The Basics
Several of the posters in the original thread tried various home-made scopes usually based upon computer centered instruments. I felt they showed promise but the inventors were disadvantaged by having never used the SEK-2, making it difficult to build a useful instrument.
So, my goal was to build a stylus microscope as good, or better, than the Shure SEK-2. The cost should be such that anyone can afford to build the instrument using parts that are commonly available.
The basic requirements for this stylus microscope are:
• Variable magnification. It would be nice if it is built into the scope but mine did not have this feature. I had to find an alternative. I’ll explain below.
• Minimum magnification should be about 50X. This is used to position the stylus in the viewing field. 50X is not critical but it is the most useful magnification for the purpose and is available with common lenses.
• Maximum of magnification of 200X. More than this is a disadvantage. Less is not enough.
• A 10X objective lens (the one on the lens turret). This magnification has the advantages of adequate depth of field and good working distance. Many scopes have this objective lens.
• A micrometer adjusted X/Y axis stage. This is the platform the specimen (the cartridge or stylus, in this case) rests upon. This is an important feature for a successful microscope design.
• An effective and inexpensive lighting system.
• Easy to use and set up while posing no danger to the stylus while it is being viewed or positioned.
• Does not modify the original scope so it can still be used as a normal microscope.
• Useful. Gives definitive information to determine the condition of the stylus.
• Inexpensive; a relative term if you have to buy the scope.
As you can see, there are a number of requirements that need to be satisfied to make a truly useful tool.
For those of you not familiar with optics, the overall magnification of a multiple lens system (in this case, 2 lenses) is the magnification of lens 1 (the eyepiece) multiplied by the magnification of lens 2 (the objective). For this project you will be working with two eyepieces (5X and 20X) and the objective lens (10X). If the eyepiece is 20X and the objective is 10X, the overall magnification is 200X, our goal.
CONTINUED
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