Who is the Captain Kidd or Anne Bonny of the astronomy world??

[M00NMonkey]

Hi all,

Not quite sure this is the right section to post this is but are there any astronomers out there that wear a pirate patch over their unused eye whilst observing the night sky?

Was just a passing idea i had. I will probably only ever use my right eye for viewing as it just seems more natural to squint closed the left. And as i dont want one gamy eye with the possibility of growing a hunch out of my back and the binocular-style EP's being really expensive, I thought it may be a cheaper alternative route to go get a patch. Any thoughts?

Clear Skies!!

[AstroJOE]

Hi moon monkey. This is more common than you'd think. It makes the viewing experience much more comfortable. There have been quite a few threads on here about this in the past. I used to use one regularly until I invested in some bino viewers. Still use it with my Nasser zoom from time to time. Try to get one without a skull and crossbow though!

James

[AstroJOE]

Baader not Nasser! Grrr

[M00NMonkey]

Hi moon monkey. This is more common than you'd think. It makes the viewing experience much more comfortable. There have been quite a few threads on here about this in the past. I used to use one regularly until I invested in some bino viewers. Still use it with my Nasser zoom from time to time. Try to get one without a skull and crossbow though!

James

Dammit!, i have just ordered one from Pirates 'R' Us!

[dephelis]

Heh, I use one as well as a large hood which makes me look slightly grim reaperish.

I'm in central London surrounded by windows with no curtains so removing as much stray light as possible is essential.

[floppygoose]

Problem I find is switching between binos and scope, so when I want to use binos, I just give it to the parrot to hold.

Phil

[M00NMonkey]

It does seem they are quite common then. I did order one earlier only 99p.Though i probably should have ordered 2 as i will be checking out the full moon with out a filter tonight, providing the clouds hold off for long enough!

[Astro_Baby]

I find a better more comfortable alternative is to throw a black cloth over my head and the eyepiece rather like old fashioned photographers. It seems ro make the image a bit brighter. I only do it when solo as otherwise people around me, and myself, find it a bit weird trying to have a conversation

[Capricorn]

So far we have a person thinking they really need 2 eyepatches - one for each eye presumably, and a woman with a black cloth over her head. :eek: :eek:

[M00NMonkey]

I find a better more comfortable alternative is to throw a black cloth over my head and the eyepiece rather like old fashioned photographers. It seems ro make the image a bit brighter. I only do it when solo as otherwise people around me, and myself, find it a bit weird trying to have a conversation

Hi Astro_Baby

Good advice, i will ransack the house in a bit to find something, but im not sure iv got anything black, maybe an old jumper which will work for now. Il also bear in mind only to use when im solo haha

p.s. have been checking out your INFO-PACKED site over weekend. Excellent!. Unfortunately i couldnt find any tut's on laser collimator aligning (im getting the feeling you dont like them), but im sure i will spend many hours on there sifting through all the tips and tricks. So thanks from an appreciative noobie!

Jez

[M00NMonkey]

So far we have a person thinking they really need 2 eyepatches - one for each eye presumably, and a woman with a black cloth over her head. :eek: :eek:

Hi Capricorn,

Haha, it would appear the darkside of astronomy is rearing its head! What have i gotten myself into

[Rich MedRev]

Similar to Astro Baby I got my good lady to make me a monks hood out of flocking material and it works a treat.

[Astro_Baby]

Jez, i dont do lasers, i find them a massive pain and in the hands of beginners they cause more problems than they ever seem to solve. They also dont handle secondary mirror set up. I just find s cheshire simple and reliable.......sorry.

[M00NMonkey]

Jez, i dont do lasers, i find them a massive pain and in the hands of beginners they cause more problems than they ever seem to solve. They also dont handle secondary mirror set up. I just find s cheshire simple and reliable.......sorry.

Please, don't apologise, your site is great and I value and appreciate the advice you freely give to me and other people. Although now i am a little nervous in using my laser collimator for the first time haha

[Qualia]

There's a nice thread here, MOONMonkey that you may wish to view

[M00NMonkey]

There's a nice thread here, MOONMonkey that you may wish to view

Astronomers getting into needle work to get the job done!! haha, classic. thanks for the link. The patch was ordered this morning

[Champagnerocker]

I've got one but principly use it for maintaining one dark adapted eye when i nip back indoors throught the evening.

I have heard people claim that a need for dark adaptation (rather than missing eyes) was the reason pirates are pictured with eyepatches so frequently. After all, if you are buckling your swash in the carribean under the bright sun you will not be able to see a single thing when you venture below deck on a ship you have boarded in search of booty. Being able to whip of an eyepatch and see in the dark might be the difference between capturing loot or being run through with a length of Toledo steel.

[Astro_Baby]

Oh if only they made eyepatches.............

The Televue one would promise wide field eye protection and would have some green lettering. People would be telling beginners that its worth upgrading because of its zero light transmisson. It would probably cost about £800 but it would come with an acapter so i could go on your left or right eye.

If Pentax made one it would offer less widefield covering but would guarantee coalbunker like darkness to the very edge. The Pentax one would be made with superb attention to detail but a strange smelling rubber edge. It would be about the same priceas the TV one. It would have its afficiandaos who would incline to keep quiet about its benefits so that the supplies would last longer.

Vixen would produce a white coloured one with a red strap. It would fit one eye only and would be sold rarely due go its phenomenal cost. Everyone would agree its rather nice but no one would actually buy one because of limited suppor and the fac it only works with a Vixen scope and mount.

Synta would profuce eyeptaches in every color of the rainbow and for every eye type and face size imaginable. There would be bugs galore with users running support groups to show you how to adapt them, supertune them for better darkness and fit. The manuals would be non existent and only half the types offered would ever be available at any one time.

Explore Scientific would have eyepatches that are close to televue in performance. Some people would claim they werent actually dark to the very edge when covering eyeballs of a certain size. The ES 120' FONV ( thats field of no view) would be even more expensive than the most expensive TV but. Most people would opt for the bargains in the 100' FONV eyepatches. ES would dream of only having half the tange available as they would almost certainly have backlogs spanning years.

Meade would be the first in the market with a reverse eyepatch where the eyepatch lets light in. They would also offer a range of solar eyepatches for solar viewing and alao automaticcly applying eyepatches. The auto applying eyepatch would constantly fail and have to be returned to the Meade factory go have its elastic strap replaced at regular intervals. Their adverts would feature men in lab coats with eyepatches.

Celestron would smply market the Synta eyepatches but in orange and charge a bit more and call their the 'Classic' Their ads would feature bodacious women in an eyepatch and bikini.

TAL would procuce an eyepatch made of mink and steel plate. It would ship in a box weighing half a ton. Fans of the TAL product would make it very popular despite the weight of the carrying case. The eyepatch would resist flash blindness from a thermonuclear weapon dropped a mere 15' away. People would marvel at how they were making them for a few quid when they could outperform almost anything else.

[Astro_Baby]

Questar would make one in platimum with an engraving of the insides of a human eyeball on the outside. They would ship it in a velvet case. The cost would be so horrendous you'd have to BE a pirate go actually own one.

Unitron would have made what old pros consider to be the best eyepatches back in the 1970s. People would pay absurd prices on ebay for an eyepiece which is very uncomfortable to use, has sharp exposed bits of metal that rub against your eyaball bu looks so wonderfully retro that even though they were useless everyone would want to own one because of its retro styling and its reputation from the 1970s.

[Black Knight]

Hehehe, very good AB

[Astro_Baby]

Borg wouldnt sell a complete eyepat hyou'd have to make it up from a bewildering array of components, there would be at least 20 different eyepatches and even more types of strap but you'd have to remember the little bits like the dongles and o rings otherwise it wouldnt work at all.

Astrophysics would make the very best eyepatches of all but they would be very expensive and even the basic eyepatch would be on a 10 year waiting list. Some afficiandaos would burble on endlessly about the wonders of an eyeptach thet few can afford and with a delivery time longer than the average marriage.

[AndyH]

I've had rubbish day, that post fair cheered me up, A_B

[Astro_Baby]

Awwww sorry to hear that. Heres hoping its better tomoz.