4 Common Olympus BX Repair Tips
Read the Edited Video Transcript for ‘4 Common Olympus BX Repair Tips’
Hi, this is Chad with Munday Scientific. Today we’re going to cover four common issues you might encounter with your Olympus BX microscope.
1. Dirty or Blurry Objective Lens
First, let’s talk about image quality—specifically when one of your objectives is giving you a blurry or poor image. We’ll use the 40X objective as an example.
Start by lowering the stage, then carefully unscrew and remove the objective lens. There are a couple of ways to do this. You can unscrew just the objective, which works on every BX microscope. On some models like this one, you can also remove the entire nosepiece using a 3 mm Allen wrench if it’s mounted with a dovetail. But for this demonstration, we’ll use the method that works on all BX models, including those with fixed nosepieces.
To check if your objective is dirty, remove the eyepiece and look backward through the objective. This particular scope just came in for service, and as you can see, the lens is quite dirty.
We’re going to clean it using RO (reverse osmosis) cleaner and a Q-tip. Spray the cleaner on the Q-tip—never directly on the lens—and wipe the lens with the wet side. Then use the dry side to remove any residue. Next, take a fresh Q-tip and clean in a different direction.
Be careful not to roll the Q-tip as you clean. If there’s oil on the lens, rolling the tip may spread the oil back onto the clean areas, undoing your work. Cleaning this way should resolve the issue with a blurry or distorted image.
2. Focus Drift
The second common issue is focus drift—when your stage moves down on its own after you’ve focused the image.
This is usually caused by the tension ring on the coarse focus knob. If the tension is too loose, the stage will fall under its own weight. This can happen if your hand accidentally brushes against the tension ring while adjusting focus.
To fix it, simply tighten the tension ring until the stage holds steady. Once adjusted, your image should stay in focus and the stage will stop drifting.
3. Stage Won’t Rise (Stage Lock Engaged)
The third issue is when the stage won’t go high enough or doesn’t seem to focus correctly. This is often caused by the stage lock being engaged.
You’ll notice this if you turn the focus knob and hear a click or feel resistance—the stage won’t go any higher because it’s hitting the brake. Simply release the lock to allow the stage to move freely again.
Some users intentionally engage the lock to prevent the stage, condenser, or slide from crashing into the objective. But if you’re unaware it’s engaged, it can seem like the stage is malfunctioning.
4. Stiff Stage Movement
The fourth common issue—especially in cytology labs where the microscope is used heavily—is that the stage becomes stiff or difficult to move using the coaxial controls.
To fix this, you can adjust the stage tension. First, lower the focus completely and remove the stage (though this can also be done with the stage still on). Then move the coaxial control downward to expose the stage tension knobs for both the X and Y axes.
These knobs may be stiff at first—especially if the microscope has been sitting unused for a while and the grease has hardened. Apply some gentle pressure until they begin to turn. Then adjust them to your preferred resistance. Afterward, push the coaxial control back into place and reinstall the stage.
Once adjusted, the stage should move smoothly and comfortably throughout the day.
Conclusion for ‘4 Common Olympus BX Repair Tips’
These are four of the most common issues we see with Olympus BX microscopes. Fortunately, they’re all easy to fix and can usually be addressed by the person using the microscope.
If you have any questions, feel free to email us at .
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