Swift Science & Laboratory - Popular Questions, Answers, Tips & Manuals

You should find a small hex bolt or screw thread on the right hand side at the bottom of the head. Photographs would be helpful

Go on line to the Manufacturer's web site and request an owner's manuel for your microscope!

A good idea would be to check the wiring by taking it apart. if the wires are bad, you must get new ones and solder them to the light socket and the battery holder making sure not to cross the positive and negative wires.

most objectives and eyepieces are interchangeable between models of microscropes. There are however a few things that you need to be aware of. On the out side of the objective there are number written on them that look similiar to this:

100x/1.25
160/0.17

There maybe more writing then that, but usually at the very least you get this. The first part (100x) is the objective magnification, the 1.25 is the Numerical aperture, the 160 is the tube length (in mm), and the .17 is the cover-slip correctness. What you are most concerned with is the mechanical tube length. There are 3 common ones, 160, 210, and infinity. It is very important that you get an objective with the right tube mechanical tube length, or there is a very good chance it won't work. If you are working with slides, then it is a good idea to get one that is cover slip corrected, otherwise most of the other information is only real important to very specific applications.The other key variable is the threading. Most microscopes use what is call a standard RMS threading, however many educational or high end objectives will not have this.

The eyepieces are pretty straight forward. You just need to find one that that has an outside diameter of the sleeve that will fit the inside diameter of the tube it is going into. Beyond that, most eyepieces are pretty interchangeable amongst brands.

Yes, or providing they still make it. The monoc head is just held on with a thumb screw, and you can usually buy just the binocular head itself. You will most likely have to get the part through one of Swift Optical Instruments many distributors or dealers, but if you call Swift directly they will be able to direct you in the right direction: (877) 967-9438

Since you need to use oil at 100x, there is probably a good chance that there is oil on both the 100x and 40x objective. I see this a lot in my work. Since the working distance of the 40x is so close to the slide, what often times will happen is that it will accidentally get dragged through the oil while rotating to lower magnifications. The 100x is sealed to protect it against the oil, but the 40x is not, and if the oil sits on the objective for any length of time, the objective will act like a wick of a candle and **** the oil up inside of it. At that point it is more economical to buy a new object. The same thing can happen with the 100x, but it takes much longer for it to happen. Basically the seal around the objective tip is just latex chalking, and the oil will break it down over time, thereby causing the same affect as with the 40x.

You can try to clean them. If you are lucky the oil is only on the outside surface of the objective. Try using a que-tip and isophrapoyl alcohol to clean it off.

Unfortunately, if you indeed have water or oil inside the lens it is probably ruined. Obviously the seals have deteriorated away. Objectives are practically irreparable. They cannot be disassembled. Very reasonable new and used Replacements are available at: Delta Optical Instruments, Inc. Inquire at: [email protected]

Sometimes the eyepiece tubes get out of alignment. To check for this, look through the microscope. As you are looking through the scope hold the eyepiece tubes and see slightly "flexing" these tubes with your hands has an affect on the image. If your head is the problem you will be able to flex the tubes until the image is clear. You won't need alot of force. Do not use enough force to bend or break the weak metal. If this works your eyetubes and or head are misaligned. Unfortunately, once a head has been misaligned like this it is not practically repairable.

Just inside the coarse focus knob you will see a "chrome" ring with holes it it. That ring needs to be tightened just a bit. It will make the coarse focus knob stiffer so tighten only enough to stop the downward drift of the stage. A funny looking tool should have come with the scope. It is used to adjust this "tension" ring.

There is a tension adjustment for this. It is located on the coarse focus knob which is on the same side as the switch. It looks like a chrome ring with about 3 holes in it. A strange looking tool should have come with the scope. It is designed to fit into these holes and allow you to adjust the tension on the coarse focus knob. You need to tighten it just a little bit. Not too much or you will have trouble operating the coarse focus knobs smoothly.

Yes, very often it is the lamp socket that has failed. Contact: Delta Optical Instruments, Inc. Email: [email protected]

First, a scope of this grade will not be completely in focus as you move from one magnification to the next. But it should be close enough that you do not loose your point of interest.
Be sure you are not pressing down on the stage specimen platform as you change magnifications. It is very sensitive to pressure. Also, be sure that the coarse focus tension is tight enough that the platform is not drifting down imperceptibly as switch magnifications. Look through the scope and watch if the image goes out of focus while you are watching it. If so, you have what is called "stage drift". This is corrected by tightening the tension on the coarse focus knob.
The tension adjustment is on the coase focus shaft. It looks like a chrome ring with about 3 holes in it. There should have been a strange looking tool that came with your scope. It is used to adjust the tension. If your specimen is "drifting" out of focus, simply tighten the tension ring a little bit at a time until the specimen no longer goes out of focus. Do not get it so tight that it is not easy to operate the coarse focus knob.

change the reostat

You can buy generic condensers off VWR, but you might be better off asking Ward's (www.wardsci.com) for the part, as they're distributing swift microsopes now.

Swift microscopes use standard objectives. You can get those from basically any source that sells them like VWR, Fishersci, Wardsci, Carolina biological, etc.

Classroom scopes get dirty very fast. This can cause the images to look dim and faded. Contact a Microscope Service Company. If you are in the Arkansas area that would be: Delta Optical Instruments, Inc. Email: [email protected]

Carolina Biological sells swift and carries parts for them. If this is not it, http://www.carolina.com/product/swift+upper+illuminator+lamp+m28hfz10.do?keyword=swift&sortby=bestMatches try calling them up and ask them if they have the part.

It's not uncommon for these low end microscopes to have wiring issues right out of the box. My guess is a faulty contact at the switch or at the socket, as these microscopes work on a very simple electrical circuit.

You can try to disassemble the microscope yourself and see if you can find the disconnected wire, shouldn't be too hard. The other options are to send it back to walgreen's and try to exchange it, have it sent back to directly to vivitar for warranty repairs, or have a technician check it for you.