Tips on how to view trichomes clearly

[alltatup]

I'm posting this topic because I figure that if it took me 1.5 years to learn how to use a loupe properly, someone else might benefit from these tips.

1. Use a good quality triplet loupe. When I bought the Belomo triplet loupe ($37 on Amazon) and learned how to place it right up to my eye, a whole new world opened up. This loupe is heavy, made of metal and glass, and it's steady in my hand. I remember the days of trying to focus one of those crappy plastic microscopes over a bud and all my frustration at not being able to hold it steady and focus.
2. Save money in the end. I bought around 4 of the cheap loupes and microscopes, as well as a cheap usb microscope; I'd say I spent well under $100 on all the junk, but if I had known, I could have used those bucks on something else for my plants.
3. Take off your glasses. So I got the Belomo loupe in July, but I didn't take my glasses off and put my eye right into the recessed viewer until a couple of weeks ago.
4. Like I just wrote, put your eye as close as you can get it to the recessed viewing end. I really like this about the loupe: it's comfortable and easy to get my eye positioned correctly.
5. I can finally see my bud trichomes really clearly. I practice on my Afghan Kush, which gets milkier each day; but I can now clearly see how many clear triches are still there; I can clearly see the progress of their swellling up; I get a good look at how many pistils are still light-colored.
6. I CAN FINALLY REALLY SEE WHAT I'M DOING!!! I don't have to second-guess what color my triches are: it's so easy to distinguish between the milky and the clear. Can't wait to see a lil sprinkle of amber!!

[D.A.A.S.69]

That's a very nice write-up Alltatup, and a great explanation how to use it properly, Yes ,if you wear glasses, you have got to take them off, to see clearly, just like, when using binoculars, you need to take your glasses off, to see those deer ,on the other side of the pasture.

[alltatup]

And I didn't know that!!! Live and learn.

[oldjarhead100]

nice write up ATU

[alltatup]

Just tryna share a little knowledge after I learned the hard way.

[PRIMO]

A cheap usb microscope also has a learning curve

[alltatup]

I like the usb scope because I can take a cut bud and get a real good look at it, and take pics like that beauty of yours!!

[OverMedicated]

Ahhhhh... perfection.

[9fingerleafs]

i agree with primo, why spend 37 bucks on a loupe when you can have a usb microscope for 10 bucks to take picture and video

[9fingerleafs]

yeah you do kinda need a computer to use it, ive got a 100+ year old jeweler loupe from my moms great grand father or something, ill show you guys later but like you said daas you really gotta rub it into the bud and get really close to it

[Sonnyhad]

I bought one alltatup, thanks for the tip. Now I don't have to cut one to see how close i am to harvest.

[alltatup]

Sonnyhad hope you like it!! Now that I've finally learned how to see triches clearly, I feel totally empowered. I had to have the right piece of equipment and I had to discover the correct technique: glasses off, eye right up to the viewer, other end right up to the bud under inspection.

[alltatup]

I was not successful using the usb scope in the grow room because I couldn't hold it still, so I didn't try to use it for too long. For me it was a waste of money, as were the cheap loupes that claim to be 60x or 40x, but really aren't.
MarkyJ How does your schnoz (which I assume is your nose, and not some big ol spliff you trying to smoke while looking at triches) get in the way? I just put the loupe right up to my eye, and lower my eye plus loupe onto the bud top.

[Potted]

It’s just that easy, I will take the plant out of room to look mine has a adjustable light attachment on lt.

[9fingerleafs]

This is the 100+ year old loupe I use just to quick check

[oldjarhead100]

that is a really cool loop 9fingers I have one of those cheep hand hels scopes and its adjusted to me , Im the only one that uses it so it doesn't change

[9fingerleafs]

I’m gonna take good care of it and give it to my son someday

[D.A.A.S.69]

Nice 9fingers

[gbauto]

This is what I use

[alltatup]

Yes, I've had two or three like that: one wasn't worth sh.t, the other is decent, but it's no 60x magnification. The magnification is better on the 15x Belomo loupe.

But if this works for you, cool!

[Aloner]

The one I have is exactly the same, just different brand. Mine works fine, you just gotta get right up on top of it.

[Sonnyhad]

Thanks alltatup! I'm going to use that tip like I used the one you had on the plenty!

[alltatup]

Hey Sonny, glad to help my fellow growers!!

[alltatup]

Recently someone on the forum, can't remember who, was expressing great frustration at their inability to focus a scope well enough to see the triches. That got me thinking back through my 1.5 years' experience with different viewers, and how I struggled to figure out how to use them, and what would work best for me. One thing, I have 64 year old eyes, so a good viewing device is a must for me. Another thing is that I can't move my plants around since they are in hydroponic grow boxes.

The triplet loupe is made by the Belarusian Optical Mechanical Association (!!!) Here's the definition of Triplet: "three lenses made of different types of optical glass bonded together and designed that, together straighten out the light that comes into the front of the loupe lens so that it's the same when it leaves. Cheap import triplets are just three identical pieces of glass, not bonded, or even a single piece of glass; they distort the image and don't provide the stated magnification."

[alltatup]

growsomebuds I definitely recommend the 15x. The 10x doesn't really let you focus in enough on the triches, and the 20x lens is so small that the slightest movement makes it very hard to see clearly.

[growsomebuds]

Thanks, Alltatup, I'll add the 15x loupe to my cart. I wear bifocals, so I hope it doesn't make things too difficult.

[alltatup]

growsomebuds I wear bifocals, too. No problem. I'll be interested to know how it works for you; it still takes lots of viewing for me to be sure of what I'm seeing on different parts of the plant.... The nature of the loupe beast, I reckon...

[Locrian99]

Thank you for sharing alltatup, I used one of those 20$ usb microscopes after amazon last grow and found it very frustrating. I lack a steady hand so I employed my wife to try and we managed to see them ok. Then you’d get a great look and lose it before you could really examine. Frustrating to say the least, I’ll have to check out this loupe.

[alltatup]

I could not hold anything in focus when I tried the usb scope in my grow room; after that, I kept it in my office and I'd snip off little pieces of bud to examine, but I didn't want to keep doing that to my plants.

[Locrian99]

I would take the microscope and put it in a little stand on a table then bring the plant to it, get a bud right underneath it. This worked, but I was limited to buds that were the right height.