Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

Tagged: magiscope, microscope, science

This topic has 15 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 10 months ago by Kristen.

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July 13, 2013 at 11:39 pm
MmeLabonte
Participant
I’m looking at this one from Home Science Tools:http://www.hometrainingtools.com/home-microscope/p/MI-4100STD/. We’re using the BFSU vol. 2 this year (Elementary science). It’s a little intimidating for me, a music major to be shopping for microscopes! This one seems like a good value… Thanks for your help!
July 15, 2013 at 12:25 am
Bookworm
Participant
MmeLaBonte, there are so many microscope models that it is unlikely many of us have used this one. There are reviews on the home training tools website. The specs look adequate for high school work. Just don’t get a cheap “toy” type one, get one with adequate optics.
July 15, 2013 at 1:11 am
Richele Baburina
Participant
I didn’t know it would be possible to love a microscope but we absolutely love our Brock Magiscope.
July 15, 2013 at 1:16 am
Bookworm
Participant
This is a useful thing to have, but would not be a substitute for a lab-science quality microscope. There would be necessary experiments that could not be done with this, in addition to learning to USE a lab microscope, which is a useful skill in and of itself.
July 15, 2013 at 1:28 am
Rachel White
Participant
Sonlight sells a microscope that is said to be useful for high school science:
http://www.sonlight.com/microscope.html
July 15, 2013 at 4:33 am
Kristen
Participant
This one was mentioned here on another thread a couple of months ago and I am planning on ordering it this week.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NOU54O/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
it is said that the price is so low because they are able to keep the housing of the microscope plastic but that the quality is great. I read many reviews and am going with this one otherwise I could spend weeks looking at all the available options for us!
July 15, 2013 at 11:07 am
MmeLabonte
Participant
I appreciate your feedback, ladies. I will check out your links. This is really foreign territory to me – I majored in music, not science, and I took as little science as possible in High School! I did like biology, though. I will check into the Brock magiscope. Most of my children are still very young, and I think at this stage (0 – 12 years) what I’m looking for is something that will inspire awe and wonder in God’s creation. My oldest will soon need something with higher magnification, though, so I want to make sure I invest where we need it most. Thanks for your help!
July 15, 2013 at 2:43 pm
missceegee
Participant
My kids are all 12 and under, but we lover our Brock Magiscope, too! I know it isn’t a replacement for a lab quality microscope in the future, but it’s been perfect for us for years.
July 15, 2013 at 3:08 pm
My3Blessings
Participant
We actually own this microscope! (K, 3rd & 6th) It is a great quality microscope for the price. We purchased in the middle of the school year last year so we haven’t used it too much. The 4 or 5 times we have used it, we loved it! It was simple to use. (It did look a bit intimidating). It is very heavy and has to be plugged in to use it, but worth it for the quality. We keep it in the styrofoam packaging that it came in to keep it safe
July 15, 2013 at 3:18 pm
pianogirl363
Participant
We own this microscope as well. My children are all in elementary school, but it has worked great for us so far and seems to be of good quality.
~Anna
July 15, 2013 at 3:25 pm
Richele Baburina
Participant
That is a beautiful goal for your children, MmeLabonte. We all see God’s creation but when our observation makes us rejoice in Him, know more of Him, oh, that is good and He is glorified. As the psalmist says in Psalm 100, “Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth, worship the Lord with gladness, come before Him with joyful song, Know that the Lord is God” (emphasis added). I recently listened to a sermon by John Piper, I believe it is called “Education for Exultation” that reminded me so much of CM’s goals in education.
If you do need a highpowered microscope in the highschool years, you can get upgrades for the Brock Magiscope, all the way to the 40x achromatic objective with a 10x eyepiece which will give you 400x magnification for highschool Biology.
Our magiscope sits on a low shelf in the living room and hasn’t gathered any dust in the four years we’ve had it. My husband just grabbed it two days ago to inspect some bees from one of his hives.
All my best,
Richele
July 15, 2013 at 11:04 pm
MmeLabonte
Participant
My3Blessings and Anna (I’m a piano girl too! ;),
Thanks for letting me know how this microscope is working for you. And Richele, our school verse is Jude 25, which I don’t have memorised in English, but it is about God receiving the glory. He is worthy. About the magiscope, do you have to move the specimen and change the lenses to get the higher magnification? Do you find that problematic?
I’m looking forward to having a microscope and seeing His workmanship “up close” ;). For now, I’m still praying for the funds to buy one, knowing He will provide at the right time.
Natasha
July 17, 2013 at 12:40 am
Richele Baburina
Participant
Hi Natasha,
You don’t have to move the specimen to change the lens as it slides in and out very simply. I was intrigued when I’d seen Ellyn Davis of Elijah Co. recommend it for homeschool microbiology. The Magiscope has served our family’s needs so incredibly well but we are just one family. I’m sure you will find the microscope that best suits your family.
For fun, here is a picture of my youngest when he was four using the Magiscope.
July 20, 2013 at 6:19 am
Kristen
Participant
So what did you decide on MmeLabonte?
I purchased this one on Wednesday and am eagerly awaiting its arrival! Its a surprise to the kids as I haven’t told them that I ordered it. My sister had told me if I was going to buy one I should make it one we can use in high school to as it is probably going to be a one time purchase (at least for us it is a one time purchase).
July 20, 2013 at 1:20 pm
MmeLabonte
Participant
Thanks, Richele, for clarifying about the lenses.
Kristen, you bought a Brock magiscope or the Home Microscope? Please let me know how you like it, either way! Hope you all have fun with it!
I had more or less decided on the Home Microscope, but Richele’s rave reviews of the Magiscope are giving me second thoughts 😉 When I told my husband I said, ought it was time for a microscope, he told me to make sure we get a good one for our money so that we don’t have to buy another one. No pressure! 😉 In any case, I will wait until we have some more money saved to buy one.
What interests me about the Magiscope is being able to look at bigger specimens, but maybe a magnifying glass would serve that purpose just as well.
Thanks a lot for your input, everyone!