How to buy the
Right Microscope

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The 3088 is a school quality microscope which offers:

• Locked-in lenses for a dust-free optical path
• Super sharp focus to help you see the finest details
• Tangle-free cord hanger
• Heavy-duty frame
• Rear facing objectives
• Head-to-toe five-year warranty

When GreatScopes first evaluated the 3088 Student Microscope, all we could say was WOW.  We think you will too.

If you are looking for a good quality economy microscope, check out our Student Series. If you want a PREMIUM student microscope, one that stands head and shoulders above the others, you need look no further than the 3088 from ACCU-SCOPE.

All of these features are standard:

...available features and options available on certain models

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What makes the 3088 better than the Student Series Microscopes or another inexpensive microscope?

First let's make a distinction between what we would call a "Hobbyist Quality" microscope (the Student Series) and a "School Quality" microscope (the 3088 Series).

A Hobbyist Quality microscope will hold up well and do a great job with occasional use. Thousands of our Student Series microscopes are in the hands of people who use them now and then and enjoy their sharp, clear images. They are well built, economical, and a great way to enjoy the microscopic world.

A school quality microscope, or what we also call a premium microscope, i.e. the 3088, has been built to withstand the rigors of frequent and daily use. The 3088 is heavier, sturdier, and has been built with an eye to durability and longevity.

Here are some features of the 3088 that go beyond the specs and demonstrate the difference between the 3088 and so many others:

Locked-in lenses for a dust-free optical system

In our experience, kids like to take things apart if they can. The eyepiece and the objective lenses are locked in so that they cannot be removed without tools. As a result, lenses don't get lost, and your system is sealed and free from the internal dust which can spoil your view. (A nylon dust cover is also included to protect the outside from dust.)

Cord Hanger for tangle free storage

The 3088 has a cord hanger on the back. When you're finished using the microscope, unplug it, wrap the cord around the hanger, and put it away. Simple - no tangled mess. Whether you are a hobbyist or homeschooler with one scope or a High School with a hundred, you'll appreciate this feature.

Very Fine Focus for greater view of detail

Most student microscopes have two focus knobs - one for coarse and the other for fine focus. That's a big change from just ten years ago. The coarse allows you to rough-in the focus - allowing you to quickly find the specimen on the slide. It is the fine focus that will give you the finesse to focus in on the fine details of your specimen.

Stay with me now... Not all "fine focus" systems are alike. In our experience, many of the fine focus knobs are not so fine. That is, a slight turn of the knob takes you too far. Here's the deal - even though you are looking at something tiny, that thing has thickness. For instance the fine focus should help you to separately focus on the top, middle, and bottom of a fly's wing.

The 3088 has an extremely fine fine-focus. If you were to turn the fine focus knob on the 3088 while staring at the stage of the microscope (instead of looking through the eyepiece), you would NOT even see the stage move. It is indeed moving, but the movement is so slight you cannot detect it. THAT is what you need to examine that fly's wing.

Most of the student microscopes that we have examined that have coaxial focus (where the coarse and fine focus are part of the same knob) move the stage as much as TWENTY TIMES AS FAR as the 3088 does with one turn of the knob.

That is a difference you can appreciate on a premium student microscope like the 3088.

Rear facing objectives

Something found on many newer design professional microscopes are "rear facing objectives". Most student microscopes, and many professional microscopes have objectives on a turret that scroll out toward the user when being used. The 3088 has rear facing objectives. The objectives that are not in use scroll AWAY from the user.

This helps you in two ways:

• The unused objectives are out of the way and don't interfere with changing slides, looking directly at the stage, or other functions of using the microscope
• Since the objectives are not inadvertently touched as frequently, they stay cleaner

Rear facing objectives are another reason you might want a premium microscope like the 3088.

Heavier construction for longer life

The 3088 has a heavier-duty construction than most student microscopes. It weighs nearly TWO POUNDS more than our Student Series microscopes. It rests on a larger, sturdier base. If you take care of it, it will last a lifetime.

Warranty

The 3088 has a head-to-toe Five Year Warranty. Every other microscope manufacturer that we are aware of only offers a one year warranty on the electrical, that is, the lighting system. The 3088 is covered from head-to-toe, including electrical for five full years.

Read our "How to Buy the Right Microscope" for details on many of the features mentioned above.

Options: Have it YOUR way!

The standard 3088 is quite a nice microscope, but there are a number of options available that add functionality and flexibility to this feature rich microscope.

Mechanical Stage Option

The 3088F and 3088F-I are supplied with a standard stage with stage clips to hold the slide in place. The slide is moved manually with your fingers.

A mechanical stage will grip the slide, and allow accurate movement of the slide - one knob for left right, the other for up and back.

The 1000x version of this microscope, the 3089F, has a built-in Mechanical Stage as a standard feature.

The economical 3088F has an optional add-on mechanical stage available. The stage clips are removed and the stage is held in place with a thumbscrew.

The 3088F-I can be equipped with either the Add-on Mechanical Stage, or the Built-In Mechanical Stage. The built-in stage has the advantage of low position controls and a slow release lever. These lower controls are beneath the stage close to the focus knobs and are more easily found without moving your eye from the eyepiece. The slow release lever slowly snugs the slide into place without breakage.

LED Rechargeable Variable Intensity Lighting Option

If you will be putting your microscope away between uses, the LED rechargeable lighting can add a whole new level of convenience to your microscope. This bright and fully dimmable light runs on three pre-installed NiMH AA batteries. An included charger charges the batteries for 10 or 15 hours of use. The batteries are good for 500 charges or so, replacements can be found in retail stores coast-to-coast.

Teaching Head Option

An available teaching head allows two people to view at once. A diaptor on one eyetube syncs the focus between the two eyepieces.

The 3088 is for viewing microscopic things (like pond protozoa, etc.) and use glass slides. GreatScopes has ready-made, prepared slides available, and also offers blank slide kits for preparing your own.  We offer two sizes of slide kits at a discount with your 3088 purchase.

Free with slide kit purchase! Online access to "25 Simple Slides in a Snap":

• Print these labels on plain paper, glue them to the slides, and start collecting the samples.  Besides the blank slides, everything needed can be found around the house.  (You may want to upgrade to the Super Slide Kit to insure you have plenty of slides.)

• Bonus: 15 more slide labels for specimens that are a little harder to collect - but we tell you how to find them.  40 slides total

• Free access with 3088 and slide kit purchase!

If you still have questions about the 3088, please email us or call us toll free at (877) 454-6364. We'll be happy to help in any way we can.

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• The 3088 retails for $239 or more. Save with our discounted pricing!