Advice for people with spectacles?

[Ryan.Abrahams (Ryan Abrahams)]

Hi All,

My father is (I believe) short-sighted, and has bi-focals for reading. I do not need spectacles to see clearly, so when my father has issues getting anything in focus, I am not actually sure if he should be attempting WITH his glasses, or with out. He doesn't seem to have much luck with either, but then again, he is also very afraid of touching the telescope for fear of breaking it, so getting him to try and focus it is hard enough as is.

Do other users on this forum wear their spectacles while viewing, or do they remove them and use the focuser to compensate?

I am hoping to find out, as I know my father is rather disappointed that he can't see much when he looks through the scope (others are wowed by the planets, all he see's are well out of focus blobs, as he calls them) and I am hoping others here can help me out.

[erick (Eric)]

Ryan, do a bit of searching - there have been several threads on the use of spectacles over the past few years. Let us know which ones you find. Eric

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

It's glasses on, glasses off, glasses on, glasses off.
Off for the eyepiece, on for the finder scope.
That's why I started astro imaging. LOL it's true.

For perfect eye relief though, a Gstar Ex video camera slotted into the focuser, hook the camera up to a TV or computer, and it's glasses on all the time.
Viewing the cosmos in real time on a big screen is awesome.
I highly recommend it for the more visually impaired among us.

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

If you have regular spec's then taking them on and off is all that is required, for astigmatism then you will need good eye pieces with long eye relief as you more than likely need the glasses to view.
My son has astigmatism and can't see well without his glasses but I can by refocusing.

[renormalised (Carl)]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

It's glasses on, glasses off, glasses on, glasses off.
Off for the eyepiece, on for the finder scope.
That's why I started astro imaging. LOL it's true.

For perfect eye relief though, a Gstar Ex video camera slotted into the focuser, hook the camera up to a TV or computer, and it's glasses on all the time.
Viewing the cosmos in real time on a big screen is awesome.
I highly recommend it for the more visually impaired among us.

I concur fully and in the utmost. Also best neck and back relief too, especially if you have to bend and contort yourself to stare into an eyepiece Also great for monster dobs...saves having to pay for all the hospital bills after you trip up on a ladder late at night and fall many miles to your doom

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

It's glasses on, glasses off, glasses on, glasses off.
Off for the eyepiece, on for the finder scope.
That's why I started astro imaging. LOL it's true.

For perfect eye relief though, a Gstar Ex video camera slotted into the focuser, hook the camera up to a TV or computer, and it's glasses on all the time.
Viewing the cosmos in real time on a big screen is awesome.
I highly recommend it for the more visually impaired among us.

Yep, a big YES from me too for Video Astronomy (Bias intended)

Anyone can see it except a totally blind person, and in colour!

Not just Gstar-ex either. You can use Samsungs, Mallincams, Stellacams, etc etc

If you just want Lunar/Planetary you only need a webcam

[blink138 (Pat)]

yes basically what malcolm says ryan regarding astigmatism
astigmatism is the killer
if he has greater than 1 dioptre the image would start diminishing rapidly
any more than 1.5 dioptres you would need spectacles and a long eye relief eyepiece or the dioptrix
some people have much more astigmatism in one to the other so just use the better eye in such a case
if he has a spherical correction only it would not make any difference at all it is just a refocus
pat

[Blue Skies (Jacquie)]

Splash out and buy some Televue Radian eyepieces. They have long eye relief and a friend of mine loves them as he doesn't have to take his glasses off when using them.

[frolinmod]

Yup, it's glasses on, glasses off, glasses on, glasses off alright. A royal pain. I view with glasses off, but put them back on for everything else. Fortunately I don't have astigmatism. Whenever I look through a scope, I mess up the focus for everyone with "normal vision" and they have to refocus. Oops.

[GraemeT (Graeme)]

If Dad doesn't know whether he has astigmatism, take his specs, hold them at arms length and rotate the lens while looking at a power pole or door frame. If the straight line appears to twist appreciably as you turn the lens, there is some astigmatic correction and it's specs on. If it all stays reasonably straight, it's a sphere and just altering the focussing knob will work with specs off.

[stephenb (Stephen)]

I am slowly learning the glasses on, glasses of routine for the last two years. I am shortsighted in my right eye (the reason for the need for glasses!) which is ironic because for 25-odd years life I have only used my right eye at the eyepiece - never, ever can I recall using my left eye. Coincidence? My optometrist thinks it is.

[Barrykgerdes]

How old is dad.

I am short sighted and need glasses for seeing distance at night but still need glasses for reading as one who is far sighted.

Some eyepieces have long eye relief and you can leave your glasses on. This can avoid refocusing generally but I find it very inconvenient so I remove my glasses and refocus. This presents other problems because I regularly drop them, sit on them or other stupid things. because the fall out of my hands when I go to re focus. I don't consider myself old yet so I don't really know the problems of old age yet. I'm only 76.

Astigmatism is another problem because most who have it don't realise it. Especially younger people. If you have trouble judging distances and parking your car it is often due to astigmatism. Different focal length in left/right eyes can cause the same problem. This proble leads to a "lazy eye" and the brain ignores images from it causing loss of distance perception.

Barry

[Miaplacidus (Brian)]

Glasses off, and a REALLY accurate GOTO. (Saves frapping around with a finder.)

[Wavytone]

Hi I'm long-sighted and wear specs full time and well on the wrong side of 50.

I have a special pair of glasses with clip-on positive lenses that I use for reading - effectively making me short sighted enough to read StarMap Pro in night mode (dim red screen) on my iPhone or iPad.

At the scope I use Vixen LVW and LV eyepieces for two reasons - they have a huge eye relief so I can see passably well with the specs on and the rubber eyecups fold down leaving a rubber ring so my specs won't be scratched.

If I'm settling down to watch something closely I'll take th specs off and I always wear a jacket with a suitable pocket to keep them warm and clean.

I prefer a laser to a finder though I have both.

I've had a GOTO mount and hated it quickly, and sold it. I really don't like equatorials for casual observing either.

From a practical perspective I think a push-to mount is much better and the one I'd go for is the Half-Hitch with Argo Navis fitted. That or the T-Rex. Will probably buy one next season if I have the cash.

[Barrykgerdes]

There is another problem with new observers looking into the eyepiece that is seldom mentioned.

If you look at the eyepiece from a few inches away you will see the "exit pupil" It can be quite large or small depending on the optics.

The new viewer needs to line this up with his own pupil else he will see nothing. May take a bit of practice to do this. If the exit pupil is large it is much easier for the new viewer to get used to.

When I show my telescope at open nights I have a lot of this bother with children. Closing the wrong eye usually, but often not looking in the right place. I quite often do something that is "politically incorrect" by holding the childs head and moving it till the child says yes I can see it.

Barry

[renormalised (Carl)]

There's a simple solution to all these problems...which I've mentioned already. It's called a GStar-EX. Or, if you like to splurge, a Mallincam Extreme. One of them and a monitor (or your laptop) and you'll never have worries about exit pupils and the spectacles tango ever again