Step 3.:
Power up the lasers that will be used for the current experiment. To prolong the
lifetime of the laser heads make sure to ONLY switch on the lasers that are really needed!
Currently only the 488nm (green) and 647nm (far red) lasers can be controlled
independently. The 647nm (far red) laser can be powered up with a key on the remote on
the laser board. To switch on the 488nm Argon Ion laser switch the "discharge" flip switch
of the controller on the laser board unit to ON with the. The laser will start in about 20
seconds (the output power is about 17-18 mW that will appear on the screen of the
controller.
Step 4.:
Switch on the confocal controller that is situated to the left of the microscope. The
switch is on the left side roughly in the middle.
Step 5.:
Switch on the stage controller on the table and wait 10 seconds. Waiting is
important as Nikon microscopes are highly customizable and the microscope body checks
which peripheries are currently connected.
Step 6.:
Switch on the Microscope body with the RED switch on the optical table.
Step 7.(Optional):
If you will use diascopic illumination switch the Halogen lamp on. The
controller is on the table by the microscope.
Step 8.(Optional):
If you will use the Epifluorescent illumination switch on the lamp (light
unit is on the table by the microscope). Beware that the lamp needs 15 minutes of cooldown
after being switched of (so check with the previous user). Please also switch off the lamp if
you do not need it within a reasonable amount of time.