Home-made eyeguard extender/light shield

[MortonH]

I bought a 13mm Nagler recently but find the eyeguard slightly too short to keep out stray light when I'm observing at home. I have a 30mm ultrawide with a similar issue, and I've owned other eyepieces in the past where the eye relief is much longer than the eyeguard (e.g. 35mm Panoptic) that made using them a bit annoying.

I've been thinking of cheap and easy ways to solve the problem and came up with this:

I took a black stubby holder and cut the bottom off. Then I just folded it to the right height and placed it over the eyepiece. It doesn't need to be attached to the eyepiece because it rests on the top of the 2" diagonal. So it can be used easily on any eyepiece.

Because my 30mm eyepiece is 2" the stubby holder fits it almost like a glove, so I'm going to leave one on this eyepiece all the time.

Problem solved for the cost of two stubby holders - just $4 at the reject shop.

[ZeroID]

Hah ! Excellent idea, and cost effective. :thumbsup:
Just don't inhale too many of them alcomohol fumes .... :rofl:

[Allan_L]

Nice one Morton.
It might also help with dew amelioration of the eyepiece too. :question:

I have a similar setup (can holder with bottom cut out) that I use as a mini dew shield for my Finder Scope. It works a treat too. :thumbsup:

[Allan]

Thats even better than Don Pensack's tyre tube trick.

[MortonH]

Will need to be careful I don't try to put a cold one in the diagonal!

[LewisM]

,I just do the Omar Sharif gutra method.

Yep, just a large piece of black flannelette draped over the head Arab style. Keeps ALL stray light out.

[MortonH]

On cool nights that works for me too. On warm humid nights I don't like having my head covered.

[bkm2304]

Don't forget "The Jack Sparrow" approach: I use an eyepatch when I get too hot under the dark towel. It saves the eyes because you don't have to squish your non - looking eye hard closed, but the light will get into your "good" eye. A compromise I suppose.....


Richard

[gb_astro]

Two eye patches and a white cane maybe... :) .

Seriously though you could use two eye patches.
Wear one over your observing eye when not observing to maintain maximum dark adaption.
When observing wear the other to reduce eye muscle stress.

gb.

[BilliGoatsGruff]

My partner would probably admit me to the funny farm if I walked around with two eyepatches on! :lol:

It's a great idea, though, even if it might make you look like a nutter.

[AG Hybrid]

Someone needs to invent a wearable for humans, horse blinder for visual astronomy. The dark sky cowl can be cumbersome and hot underneath.
One side needs to rest on the bridge of your nose and the other located on the temple of your head.

There. Someone patent that ****.

[MortonH]

What about one of those headbands like the tennis players wear. Tuck in a dish towel on either side and you're sorted.