LED conversion Zeiss Axiostar

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descall
Posts: 178
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:12 pm
Location: United Kingdom

LED conversion Zeiss Axiostar

Post by descall »

Hello Forum,

Can anyone provide advice with regards to converting a Zeiss Axiostar Plus to LED illumination please? It is for use in my new campervan when away on fieldwork, so I need to limit the power consumption. I include a couple of photos of the insides below. Many thanks for any help.

Best regards,
Des

Image
Image

Pau
Site Admin
Posts: 6051
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:57 am
Location: Valencia, Spain

Post by Pau »

You need to place the LED at the same position of the lamp filament, very close to the collecting lens (although because a LED chip is bigger than the halogen lamp filament the exact position is not very critical).

What illumination techniques do you use?
For BF you don't need a very powerful one, for cross pol, DIC or DF you need more power.

If you are not an electronics guy a light torch without its reflector and glass could be adapted without removing the halogen lamp, assuming that what you want is a provisional setup.
Pau

descall
Posts: 178
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:12 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Post by descall »

Thanks Pau, I'll be using BF only. I'll give the LED torch technique a whirl and see how I get on. Best regards, Des

Pau
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Posts: 6051
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:57 am
Location: Valencia, Spain

Post by Pau »

Sorry, at first look I didn't understand the picture! :oops: . It seems that the lamp holder must be accesed from the microscope base, so just placing a torch will not be doable. A microscope mirror placed over the lamp and an external focussable LED torch will work.
For a permanent conversion you must do some serious surgery
Pau

Gary W Brown
Posts: 129
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:09 am
Location: Omaha, NE USA

Led conversion for Axiostar Plus

Post by Gary W Brown »

Hello all,

I've done quite a few LED conversions and the Axiostar Plus is good candidate.

I have a conversion kit (110V) that easily goes in the position of the circuitry of the scope and powers a 1W LED that is sufficient for bright field applications.

I also did a project using an LED with variable intensity that was powered by three AAA batteries. This is my field scope and is comprised of components from five microscopes.

It's been a while since I've done the field scope, but if your are interested I'll try to locate the web sites where the components are available.

Best wishes,
Gary
A pixel is worth a thousand words but it takes a thousand words to explain a pixel.

descall
Posts: 178
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:12 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Post by descall »

Hello Gary,

Thanks for your reply. I had a fiddle inside the Axiostar and then decided an alternative approach, since I needed something pretty soon. I bought a small LED microscope, which arrived yesterday and is very suitable for my field needs. The Axiostar may, afterall, have been a bit big for my minicamper, which I now plan to put on eBay. Thanks again for your information.

Best regards,
Des

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