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DIY Computer Video Microscopy For Under $50

Posted by timothy on from the find-out-what-infests-your-house dept.

cybrpnk writes: "The QX3 Video Microscope may have been an obscure commercial failure as an educational toy, but it is widely available (for now, at least) as a fantastic tool/toy for any geek. The QX3 hooks up to a USB port and delivers live color 10X, 60X or 200X microphotos at 512x384 pixel resolution. Its kid-friendly software even makes time lapse videos a snap, like this one of TNT synthesis - a whole new way to blow up the lab, do not try this at home! Educators are doing amazing things with the QX3 in their classrooms. Sourceforge even has documentation on the software command structure used by the QX3, so it may be considered an open source microscope. Get yours today for under $50 at surplus closeout or EBay before they're all gone!" The Toys-R-Us nearest to me has one QX3+ left (now with my name on it) at $30, so I hope it really does work under Linux. And it's a lot less complicated than building a Scanning-Tunneling microscope.

7 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. I use one of these at work... by chill · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They are great for quickly examining thick-film hybrid circuits. Much better than straining your eyes on a conventional scope when you don't have to.

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    Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
  2. Berkley CA experiment 1974? by roadhog95 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Correct me if im wrong but didnt UNBC start this project almost 30 years ago? Talk about unexpected project delays!

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    Bitch you KNOW the side.. WORLD MAFUCKIN WIDE..
  3. A$249 at Myers Melbourne by Illuminati+-9 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I wonder why Myers in Melbourne (Lonsdale St) is still selling it at A$249 (around US$125). That sounds pretty steep compared to just US$50. Oh well, generally electronics is Australia retails for much higher than their US counterparts anyway. Does anyone know why? Even GST won't inflate the prices so high. I've now resorted to buying stuff from Estore. They seem to offer the best prices i can find in Melbourne. They don't stock the QX3 though.

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    Leading the wild into the ways of the man... http://www.sixthseal.com Something wicked this way comes
  4. We do too... by No+Such+Agency · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I work in a plant growth research lab, and we bought one of these to get real time images of protoplasts (plant cells in culture). It was cheap, and produces surprisingly good-quality images. Of course, we also got a $100,000 Bausch & Lomb scope to do more "serious" work...

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    Freedom: "I won't!"
  5. Biore strip.. by grub · · Score: 4, Interesting


    I've had an Intel microscope for a couple of years and took pics of a used Biore nasal strip with it. :))>
    check them out.

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    Trolling is a art,
  6. I thought they were just toys... by YouAreFatMan · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was always intrigued by the microscope when I saw it in the store, but it seemed so Fisher-Price that I figured that it couldn't be all that good. The way it's packaged and marketed makes it look like some cheesy toy, not a real scientific instrument. I guess I was wrong.

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    Robotiq.com is heavily tested on animals
  7. QX3 software includes a Twain Driver by tang_horse · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The QX3's software has an interface that can only be called bizarre, however, at least the original version (without the +) installs a Twain driver accessible by standard imaging software (e.g. Photoshop). It includes controls for the lighting and video.