Those who use reading glasses..

[BeerMe]

Do you use your specs when you're observing? 

I've never thought to wear my reading glasses whilst observing but I'm wondering if they will help since, although we are looking at deep space, we're actually looking at a focal point that's only centimetres from our eye?

Other than reading, using my phone, etc my vision is pretty good. 

[carastro]

I find it really awkward to use specs at the eyepiece so I use contact lenses.  But on the odd occasion I don't have contact lenses with me, I remove the glasses and just adjust the focus, it seems to work OK but i have to use glasses all the time, so probably a lot worse than yours. 

Carole 

[Mr Spock]

No need, your focusser corrects for any distance/close up vision issues. If you have astigmatism or other aberrations you'll need glasses though.

[xtreemchaos]

I agree with Michael and Carole, there just another piece of glass in the train and the less glass the better, I have very poor eyesight but the scope fixes it great. charl.

[AKB]

I have astigmatism and don't get on with eyepieces, with or without glasses.   I've gone the EAA route instead.

 

[BeerMe]

Thanks for the replies everyone, that makes sense.  Silly me ?

[nightfisher]

I now depend on reading specs for close up, as said no need when at the eyepiece, but if i am doing Luna imaging with DSLR i need to wear the specs to see the screen on the rear of the camera

[Moonshane]

I don't use them through the scope but cannot read star maps now or sketch accurately without my readers in red light

[SilverAstro]

Sadly anno domini means that I now need reading glasses as well, which is a right pain when trying to sketch at the scope - flip up tp peer through the scope and back down to sketch not happy.

However, a few weeks ago a little accident with my 'specs has given me an idea

right eye to peer and left to sketch ??? !

I've only had a brief few moments with the moon since - clouds have prevented full appraisal - so it warrants further experiment [possibly with an arduino to control flaps to preserve night vision when going for a DSO !]  ?

The good news is that I am able to use cheap reading glasses from the £1 shop so no damage was done to the piggybank

 

[johnfosteruk]

6 minutes ago, SilverAstro said:

Sadly anno domini means that I now need reading glasses as well, which is a right pain when trying to sketch at the scope - flip up tp peer through the scope and back down to sketch not happy.

However, a few weeks ago a little accident with my 'specs has given me an idea

right eye to peer and left to sketch ??? !

I've only had a brief few moments with the moon since - clouds have prevented full appraisal - so it warrants further experiment [possibly with an arduino to control flaps to preserve night vision when going for a DSO !]  ?

The good news is that I am able to use the cheap reading glasses from the £1 shop so no damage was done to the piggybank

 

What a cracking idea - I need specs for distance (anything from about a foot to infinity!) but no astigmatism so no specs at the EP is fine, but as others have said it's a pain having to keep popping them off and on when sketching.

Orf to dig out an old pair of specs.

[SilverAstro]

Over the years I am happy (got used to ) peering with one eye, no binoviewer here, but sketching with only one is perhaps going to need practice. It may only be practical for the broad outlines/framework.

Although the arduino flap system is an attempt at humour, nevertheless the dark patch over one eye to enable relaxed both-eyes-open at the scope is a good way of viewing - so endless experiments with red and dark flaps could be entertaining

 

[BeerMe]

52 minutes ago, SilverAstro said:

Over the years I am happy (got used to ) peering with one eye, no binoviewer here, but sketching with only one is perhaps going to need practice. It may only be practical for the broad outlines/framework.

Although the arduino flap system is an attempt at humour, nevertheless the dark patch over one eye to enable relaxed both-eyes-open at the scope is a good way of viewing - so endless experiments with red and dark flaps could be entertaining

 

I really need to get round to ordering an eye patch, covering an eye makes a big difference when viewing rather than winking.

Just need a red bandana and it can double for fancy dress ;-)

[gtis]

20 hours ago, BeerMe said:

I really need to get round to ordering an eye patch, covering an eye makes a big difference when viewing rather than winking.

Just need a red bandana and it can double for fancy dress ;-)

Don't forget the parrot 

[Merkhet]

Not sure if it was in one of his old books or in a television broadcast,   Sir Patrick recommended removing one lens from a pair of old spectacles  thereby enabling reading and observing to be carried out quite happily.

I tried it out but couldn't get on with it.  

However he did say it took some getting used to.

[Charic]

On 15/05/2017 at 19:04, BeerMe said:

Thanks for the replies everyone, that makes sense.  Silly me ?

If you don't ask, you won't find out? Its not silly!

I posed a question recently to-do with RACI finders, and now that I have one being delivered, I'll get to find out for myself, but I'm still not certain that the RACI will 'right' the image when viewed from the side of the finder, Its my imagination/assumption that the corrected image will  still be offset by 90°, this will be of no use if thats the case!

As for glasses at the scope, I don't wear mine, but I had too, to see the reticules on a Telrad? the reason I sold the Telrad and even with older varifocals, it made no difference at the eyepiece, just  feels un-natural, uncomfortable, requiring more eye-relief, my eyes also water if there's any breeze unless my eye is snuggled into the eyecup/eye guard.

[Stub Mandrel]

On 15/05/2017 at 20:54, SilverAstro said:

Sadly anno domini means that I now need reading glasses as well, which is a right pain when trying to sketch at the scope - flip up tp peer through the scope and back down to sketch not happy.

However, a few weeks ago a little accident with my 'specs has given me an idea

right eye to peer and left to sketch ??? !

I've only had a brief few moments with the moon since - clouds have prevented full appraisal - so it warrants further experiment [possibly with an arduino to control flaps to preserve night vision when going for a DSO !]  ?

The good news is that I am able to use cheap reading glasses from the £1 shop so no damage was done to the piggybank

 

Why do you think Patrick Moore wore a monocle ;-)

[Peter Drew]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Why do you think Patrick Moore wore a monocle ;-)

One of those occasions where Moore is less.   

[LukeSkywatcher]

I use glasses for reading (sometimes),driving,watching tv and while on the computer. Ive never found a need for them whilst observing.

[Gina]

My eyes are just not suitable for observing hence I do imaging.  I have pronounced astigmatism as well as short sight.  Wearing glasses for observing is awkward but without I can't get focus because the focal length of my eyes is different at one angle from another at right-angles.  That is what astigmatism is.  Guess I have oval eyeballs!

[SilverAstro]

On 15/05/2017 at 20:54, SilverAstro said:

Sadly anno domini means that I now need reading glasses as well, which is a right pain when trying to sketch at the scope - flip up tp peer through the scope and back down to sketch not happy.

However, a few weeks ago a little accident with my 'specs has given me an idea

right eye to peer and left to sketch ??? !

I've only had a brief few moments with the moon since - clouds have prevented full appraisal - so it warrants further experiment [possibly with an arduino to control flaps to preserve night vision when going for a DSO !]  ?

The good news is that I am able to use cheap reading glasses from the £1 shop so no damage was done to the piggybank

 

On 23/05/2017 at 17:59, Stub Mandrel said:

Why do you think Patrick Moore wore a monocle ;-)

Ha ! Nice one Just goes to validate the old adage of "Great minds think alike"  ! 

rekn my idea is easier to keep in place than a monocle when at the 'scope though

 

[ronin]

On 15 May 2017 at 10:14, BeerMe said:

Do you use your specs when you're observing? 

I've never thought to wear my reading glasses whilst observing but I'm wondering if they will help since, although we are looking at deep space, we're actually looking at a focal point that's only centimetres from our eye?

Other than reading, using my phone, etc my vision is pretty good. 

The image (focal point is irrelevant) is not a few inches away it is at infinity. The primary creates the image then the eyepiece places that image at infinity all over again. In an odd term it is collimated light in and collimated light out. Collimated light being light from an object at infinity, What is delivered to the eye is an object at infinity.

When you (or me) who wear glasses normally but do not when viewing is that we adjust the optics/focuser to put the object at our "infinite" position, but better referred to as a "rest" point, as it is where the eyes focus at naturally when at rest, so most comfortable.