Useful modifications to equipment?

[Dave H]

In the past year, I've made some very simple modifications to my binoculars which have made them much easier or more pleasant to use.

My three pairs of Nikon bins (8x25, 8x36 Sporters and 8x42 Monarchs) all have/had twist out eye-cups which have a very light lock in the out position. It got to be irritating to have to remember to twist out every time I put them to my eyes.
I don't wear glasses for distance so I locked the eye-cups in their outer position by applying a few elastic bands (black) behind the cups so that they can't move back into position.
Now it's just an irritation that binocular manufacturers appear to provide a bag/case which will only fit the bins properly when the eye-cups are retracted. Ah well!

Do you have any hints and tips for your kit which makes life easier?

[Dave H]

In this recent cold weather, my eye-pieces mist over very easily. When very cold, it seems like each time I put them to my eyes.
Is there a trick to help them keep clear?

[PeterB]

I recall something about a film of washing up liquid on the eyepiece stops misting and I can see it working as it reduces the surface tension preventing micro droplets forming. Nikon used to(I haven't seen them for ages) make an anti-fogging cloth which I think leaves a film.

Anti-fog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

How that would work with these modern coated lenses I don't know.

The only fog problem I get is when I breath on the eyepiece. I just swear at myself and wait a minute.

[Dave H]

Originally Posted by PeterB

I recall something about a film of washing up liquid on the eyepiece stops misting and I can see it working as it reduces the surface tension preventing micro droplets forming. Nikon used to(I haven't seen them for ages) make an anti-fogging cloth which I think leaves a film.

Anti-fog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

How that would work with these modern coated lenses I don't know.

The only fog problem I get is when I breath on the eyepiece. I just swear at myself and wait a minute.

Ah yes, Peter!
I remember using a solution of washing-up liquid for wetting the inside of my goggles in my (long) past motorcycling days. Maybe that would work well! Better that than the advice from my holiday snorkel/diving instructor to spit on the inside of the mask to stop misting. That might not go down well in a busy hide LOL.

[Maggie28]

Originally Posted by Dave H

Ah yes, Peter!
I remember using a solution of washing-up liquid for wetting the inside of my goggles in my (long) past motorcycling days. Maybe that would work well! Better that than the advice from my holiday snorkel/diving instructor to spit on the inside of the mask to stop misting. That might not go down well in a busy hide LOL.

Not advisable but it works

[Little Sparrow]

Yuk!!!!

[Dave H]

Is it worth keeping the rain guard over the eye-cups in cold weather, to help stop them misting up?

Dave..

[PeterB]

The warm moisture in your eye can be a cause and it's difficult to avoid that.

[Dave H]

Here's another mod which has helped me.

With the aid of a few elastic bands, my main bins are just fine, but, being weak and a regular victim of Ebay, I have a couple of other bins too, and these had "issues".

I bought a pair of 10x42 Imagic TGAs. They're Ok but have a couple of features that don't suit me.
One is that the right eyepiece is adjusted by turning the whole eyepiece. This is generally OK, but this turned very easily just from contact with my face/eyebrow. A good old elastic band wound round the base of the cup so that it straddled the cup and the body locks the eyepiece fairly well, but allows the deliberate movement. This mod left the bins still OK to use.
The other problem (for me) was that the eyepieces had to held fairly far from my eye, sort of resting on my eyebrow (I don't wear glasses for bin work). The eye relief is minimal on these, maybe only 5mm, so my eye wasn't cupped in any way by the eyepiece. I happened to have some velcro strip and wound a bit around the eyecup so that the eye relief was extended by a few mm. This absolutely transformed the comfort and usability of the bins. These bins are now far from just OK, they are very good indeed. I will look for something a little more permanent than the Velcro.

So, thank goodness for elastic bands and Velcro!

[PeterB]

I would suggest using self amalgamating tape.

SELF AMALGAMATING SEALING LOOM REPAIR TAPE 19 X 5M T9 on eBay (end time 03-Jan-11 11:50:03 GMT)

It's not sticky like electrical tape and can be removed without leaving a gooey mess but it is good for locking a eyepeice ring or the like. It could also be used to hold the velcro in place you made the extenders with.

I use the stuff all the time for electrical work, sealing connectors and the like. Remember to stretch it as you wrap it.