Transmitted light problem in Zeiss AxioImager microscope

[G.Liu]

Hello,

 
Our 3-yr-old motorized Apotome-Associated Zeiss AxioImager got a transmission light problem (no illumination, but all other functions in this scope work well). After narrowing down the problem, Zeiss informed me that it was the failure of PCBs for light controller and backplane DC/DC, which will be expensive to replace (no service contract).

Do anyone from the Listers has gotten similar problem? Do you think this kind of failure is normal for such a young equipment? Any suggestions for alternative service?

Thank you in advance.

Guosheng

 

[Rosemary.White]

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Dear Guosheng,

We've just gone through the 3rd motorised condenser on our 2-year-old
Axioimager - twice it was an iris that failed (the leaves of the diaphragm
mangled themselves together), the 3rd time it was a motor component, and
have had another electronic component replaced as well as a cracked
mercury lamp condensor (first I've ever experienced in 25 years of
fluorescence microscopy).  I'm told this is to be expected with motorised
microscopes - the moving parts wear out quickly - this is our first
motorised microscope (apart from our confocal). But there's not much
movement in a board!  We haven't had a board fail (yet...).  Yes, service
is expensive!!

I imagine you'll have to get Zeiss to replace it unless you really know
what you're doing.

cheers,
Rosemary

Dr Rosemary White
CSIRO Plant Industry
GPO Box 1600
Canberra, ACT 2601
Australia

T 61 2 6246 5475
F 61 2 6246 5334
E [hidden email]


On 30/08/11 5:39 AM, "G.Liu" <[hidden email]> wrote:

>*****
>To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>*****
>
>Hello,
>
>
>Our 3-yr-old motorized Apotome-Associated Zeiss AxioImager got a
>transmission light problem (no illumination, but all other functions in
>this
>scope work well). After narrowing down the problem, Zeiss informed me that
>it was the failure of PCBs for light controller and backplane DC/DC, which
>will be expensive to replace (no service contract).
>
>Do anyone from the Listers has gotten similar problem? Do you think this
>kind of failure is normal for such a young equipment? Any suggestions for
>alternative service?
>
>Thank you in advance.
>
>Guosheng
>
>
>
>
>
>--
>View this message in context:
>http://confocal-microscopy-list.588098.n2.nabble.com/Transmitted-light-pro
>blem-in-Zeiss-AxioImager-microscope-tp6739197p6739197.html
>Sent from the Confocal Microscopy List mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

[Zac Arrac Atelaz]

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Hello:
 
We have 6 Motorized Inverted Olympus microscopes in different setups, no big troubles here after almost 7 years of continuos work, in the older one, they are really working well, in the other hand, have heard of Z having troubles before (also after and during :D:D:D) and prices over the roof for some repairs, so... just 2 cents.
 
Gabriel OH
 

> Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2011 06:44:02 +1000
> From: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: Transmitted light problem in Zeiss AxioImager microscope
> To: [hidden email]
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Dear Guosheng,
>
> We've just gone through the 3rd motorised condenser on our 2-year-old
> Axioimager - twice it was an iris that failed (the leaves of the diaphragm
> mangled themselves together), the 3rd time it was a motor component, and
> have had another electronic component replaced as well as a cracked
> mercury lamp condensor (first I've ever experienced in 25 years of
> fluorescence microscopy). I'm told this is to be expected with motorised
> microscopes - the moving parts wear out quickly - this is our first
> motorised microscope (apart from our confocal). But there's not much
> movement in a board! We haven't had a board fail (yet...). Yes, service
> is expensive!!
>
> I imagine you'll have to get Zeiss to replace it unless you really know
> what you're doing.
>
> cheers,
> Rosemary
>
> Dr Rosemary White
> CSIRO Plant Industry
> GPO Box 1600
> Canberra, ACT 2601
> Australia
>
> T 61 2 6246 5475
> F 61 2 6246 5334
> E [hidden email]
>
>
> On 30/08/11 5:39 AM, "G.Liu" <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> >*****
> >To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> >http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> >*****
> >
> >Hello,
> >
> >
> >Our 3-yr-old motorized Apotome-Associated Zeiss AxioImager got a
> >transmission light problem (no illumination, but all other functions in
> >this
> >scope work well). After narrowing down the problem, Zeiss informed me that
> >it was the failure of PCBs for light controller and backplane DC/DC, which
> >will be expensive to replace (no service contract).
> >
> >Do anyone from the Listers has gotten similar problem? Do you think this
> >kind of failure is normal for such a young equipment? Any suggestions for
> >alternative service?
> >
> >Thank you in advance.
> >
> >Guosheng
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >--
> >View this message in context:
> >http://confocal-microscopy-list.588098.n2.nabble.com/Transmitted-light-pro
> >blem-in-Zeiss-AxioImager-microscope-tp6739197p6739197.html
> >Sent from the Confocal Microscopy List mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

     

[Julio Vazquez]

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We also had problems with recent Zeiss microscopes: On one of them we had a board failure, and the battery kept draining when scope was OFF, forcing us to keep the scope powered at all times (I think we we replaced two batteries in two years, before we learned to not shut down the scope). On a second scope, an internal shutter failed after less than a year, and the focus drive also failed (although this may have been due to a third-party stage that was too heavy for the drive, and therefore not directly, or not only, Zeiss' fault). The scopes are an Observer Z1 and an Imager Z1, both about three years old..... It seems these Z1's had quite a few issues, and definitely higher-than-average failure rate, at least in my experience. As a comparison, I don't remember any major problems with our motorized Axiovert 200 M that we had for seven years. Clearly, motorized microscopes are more likely to have issues compared to non-motorized ones, but I suspect ever cheaper/flimsier components are a big factor. No reason a shutter should fail after 1 year of moderate usage....  high quality shutters are rated for up to one hundred million cycles. I should add for fairness that both scopes were purchased as part of a system from third-party vendors, and not through Zeiss, which may add some complications. However, if many people have been having similar issues, then there might be a case for asking Zeiss for at least a discount on the repairs, or for a discounted exchange of the defective scope for a newer model...

--
Julio Vazquez
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Seattle, WA


http://www.fhcrc.org/

=====

On Aug 29, 2011, at 12:39 PM, G.Liu wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> Hello,
>
>
> Our 3-yr-old motorized Apotome-Associated Zeiss AxioImager got a
> transmission light problem (no illumination, but all other functions in this
> scope work well). After narrowing down the problem, Zeiss informed me that
> it was the failure of PCBs for light controller and backplane DC/DC, which
> will be expensive to replace (no service contract).
>
> Do anyone from the Listers has gotten similar problem? Do you think this
> kind of failure is normal for such a young equipment? Any suggestions for
> alternative service?
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> Guosheng
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://confocal-microscopy-list.588098.n2.nabble.com/Transmitted-light-problem-in-Zeiss-AxioImager-microscope-tp6739197p6739197.html
> Sent from the Confocal Microscopy List mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

[ricardo figueroa-2]

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Hi,

We had a similar problem with our leica dm/irbe scope. This was due to a
glitch in a worn out power switch that ended up rapidly turning the scope on
and off and killing the dc/dc part of the controller board. This was after
12 years of daily use and there are no replacement boards available from
leica. Luckily the transmission illumination is almost always a 12 V
halogen  bulb and power supplies with dimers are abundant and cheap, so I
simply plugged one of these in (~15 dollars / figuratively speaking there is
no plug its just cables joined together) and the scope is up and running.
However, the illumination is controlled from a box on the side and
inaccessible from the api. Fore me this does not mater as  the scope is a
confocal and I don't use the transmission illumination for imaging. If you
do there are more expensive dimers that don't flicker (most dimers switch
power on and off to decrease illumination, for the eye this is not a problem
but with a camera it may be problematic. However, there are more expensive
dimers that truly lower the power) and are controllable from a computer.

/Ricardo
On 29 Aug 2011 21:39, "G.Liu" <[hidden email]> wrote: