Anyone else suck their eyepieces?

[Sunshine]

We have tripod sniffers, handle lovers, and now an eyepiece sucker, me!. We are a sorry lot, but it works! when my eyepiece fogs up I carefully put my lips to the eyecup without touching the glass and suck while leaving space for air to rush in and clear the eyepice. It sounds ghastly but it works every time!.

[dweller25]

😱🥴😩🤮🤪😁😂🤣

[Stu]

Never tried that I must say, but might now give it a go if it works.......in the dark of course!! 😬😜

[Mr Spock]

At least you're not licking it. I'm waiting for someone to lick their scope when it's frosty... 

[PeterStudz]

Hmmm… I can suffer from this issue which is, when it happens, very annoying. So next time I’ll definitely give it a go. If it works then surely this must go down as a “top tip”. In fact, maybe there should be a list of these. 

[JeremyS]

Not tried that @Sunshine. Don’t you get a bit taste of rubber on the in breath?

i might have been involved in the other things you mentioned, so perhaps I should give it a go.

[RT65CB-SWL]

I’m a ‘sucker’ for my planetary zoom e/p’s and let them suck up those photons of light... like a vacuum cleaner sucks up dust, etc!

[Sunshine]

It seems I will have to do a demonstration on youtube even though I risk having my youtube account cancelled. That way you all can see exactly what I mean, and I will be at ease knowing my advice didn’t end with someone inhaling their tiny little Tak TOE eyepiece, @JeremyS 😂

Edited January 13 by Sunshine

[Zermelo]

2 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Don’t you get a bit taste of rubber on the in breath?

Perhaps if enough people own up to this, the manufacturers will start making kit with built-in flavours.

Strawberry:

 

Mint:

 

Blueberry:

 

Tangerine:

 

Pistachio:

 

 

[andrew s]

6 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

At least you're not licking it. I'm waiting for someone to lick their scope when it's frosty... 

Rubber cups are for wimps.  I have had my eye freeze to a brass eyepiece. 

No wonder I gave up visual. 

Regards Andrew 

[Sunshine]

It seems very strange, but the correct procedure is you barely just touch lips to the rubber while leaving gaps for air to rush in. One must remember not to exhale otherwise you fog up the glass more, then you sharply suck for a second which draws a vortex of air across the glass which clears it. It may take two attempts but it works!. Note, unless you are Mick Jagger,  objective lenses are too big for this procedure.

Edited January 13 by Sunshine

[Elp]

Do you happen to sell on your eyepieces afterward?

[Sunshine]

10 minutes ago, Elp said:

Do you happen to sell on your eyepieces afterward?

Sell them? maybe, rarely ever do I sell an eyepiece, I do disinfect them with wipes, though.

[Elp]

The larger the glass the more the problem. The pre heating the eyepiece trick sometimes works, or in extreme humidity case use a dew heater.

Edited January 13 by Elp

[John]

If you can keep them a little warmer than the outside temperature, you should never need to suck them 🙂

[Elp]

If it were warmer we'd likely stay out longer too.

[Sunshine]

47 minutes ago, John said:

If you can keep them a little warmer than the outside temperature, you should never need to suck them 🙂

What if I like it? 😙

[badhex]

Silly question maybe, but building on that would using an eyepiece puffer (which has been out in the cold) also work? It would be pulling in, and puffing out, cold air which should help clear the condensation similar to your method? 

I have in more recent times tried to stick to John's method, and I also cobbled together a makeshift heated EP case using a heater band for during observing as I don't like keeping them in my pocket. I've barely observed since this first few nights I used it so haven't had chance to perfect it:

[JeremyS]

Not you by any chance @Sunshine?
 

[Sunshine]

39 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Not you by any chance @Sunshine?
 

Yes! But that dude looks way cooler, I look like a runny nosed, shivering, sniveling little wimp.

[badhex]

1 hour ago, JeremyS said:

Not you by any chance @Sunshine?
 

Seems like you've got a handle on AI art @JeremyS

[paul mc c]

I'm so glad I can finally come out ....yes I suck eyepieces too....been doing it for years,such a weight off my shoulders.😬😬😬😬😬🤫

[bosun21]

15 hours ago, Stu said:

Never tried that I must say, but might now give it a go if it works.......in the dark of course!! 😬😜

Careful with those small orthos there Stu. Don't suck too hard🙂.

[sojourneyer]

Never sucked eye pieces but I have a lot of my pieces that suck

I now use them as shot glasses

[bosun21]

I just keep my case tightly closed and a couple of chosen eyepieces in my pocket. I do use a dew band on my eyepiece when the dew is bad or it's below zero.