DIY Hack: Red Dark Adaption Goggles (think Ice Station Zebra for you film buffs!)

[Ships and Stars]

Hi all,

For you serious dark adaptation folks out there - I made these last year, mainly for use at home when local lights can zap my dark adaptation when moving around to my scope or if I need to pop inside for something.

I took an old pair of ski goggles and some red film from RVO and simply cut to fit over the lens and used masking tape to hold in place.

This was a temporary job, was going to make a neater fit, but worked extremely well and never tidied it up. These goggles fit over my glasses and are anti-fog.

Won't win any fashion awards (I've seen worse actually) but if you are a visual observer chasing that elusive faint nebula or galaxy and want maximum exit pupil, wearing these for a bit until you take them off at the eyepiece (I also wear a large hood in most cases) makes a big difference, especially under LP.

Out under dark skies, I can pop them on to quickly use my phone to check weather, etc without losing dark adaptation. 

Someone sells safety-glasses style ones, Orion USA I think, but they were like £35 and I already had the film and goggles.

For you film buffs, note their use in Ice Station Zebra. When the submarine goes into battle mode, they all don red goggles for a few minutes before switching off the main lights. A little trivia there!

Happy DSO observing! 👍

 

Edited March 1, 2022 by Ships and Stars
add info

[scarp15]

Interesting Robert and I get that if using your phone briefly, i.e. to check up on something on Stellarium or some other function. I do have a pair of ski goggles and if I can find some film then might be useful for the back yard, when I nip in to maybe check up on something on the lap top or else the phone on a dark sky trip. Can imagine that it will contribute nicely to the already slightly weird persona of the amateur astronomers night dress code.  

Edited March 1, 2022 by scarp15

[Pixies]

Great idea.

My wife thinks I'm mad enough already. If I start wearing red goggles before I go outside, she'll lock the door behind me!

[cajen2]

4 hours ago, Pixies said:

Great idea.

My wife thinks I'm mad enough already. If I start wearing red goggles before I go outside, she'll lock the door behind me!

My partner has a similar view. I borrowed her red nail varnish to cover a white headlight set into a woolly hat. She giggles helplessly every time I get togged out to go observing...😄

[Ships and Stars]

6 hours ago, scarp15 said:

 Can imagine that it will contribute nicely to the already slightly weird persona of the amateur astronomers night dress code.  

 

5 hours ago, Pixies said:

My wife thinks I'm mad enough already. If I start wearing red goggles before I go outside, she'll lock the door behind me!

 

1 hour ago, cajen2 said:

My partner has a similar view. I borrowed her red nail varnish to cover a white headlight set into a woolly hat. She giggles helplessly every time I get togged out to go observing...😄

Indeed!  Tonight I had on a Scubapro undersuit for drysuit diving, with a down parka and a balaclava with a monks-type 'snood' scarf hood thingy, and red goggles of course. Good thing it was dark... 🤣