One of the most useful things to bring and prepare on your camping adventure is a
pair of binoculars. You can view wildlife from a safe distance, locate people,
or look for directions efficiently using these. From observing the heavenly
bodies to basic survival, there have also been several binoculars that have
been produced for specific purposes, making them much more useful tools to have
when exploring the outdoors. Given all its uses, what can you do if your pair
of binoculars get broken?
Thankfully, a lot of manufacturers have made
repairing binoculars alignment possible for users to do on their own. Each
barrel includes adjustable tilt setscrews so that you can adjust the prisms
properly until the images are aligned accordingly. This usually involves some
tweaking of the set screws that should eventually do the trick.
However, if you’re not sure of what to do and
avoid the risk of further damaging your binoculars, your best action is to find
a professional to get the job done. It is important to note that the only
possible repair that you can do is fix the position of the lenses. Also, if
your binoculars are broken or its lenses sustain cracks, it’s already
impossible to fix them۔
1. Gather the Right Equipment
The first thing to do is to have all the
essential tools you need. To repair binoculars, you need a couple of items such
as screwdrivers, scales, cleaning cloth, and tissue rolls. It would be better
to use binocular collimators for this, but a screwdriver would get the job
done.
Along with these, you’ll also need a lens
screwdriver, manual, soap solution, scale, and kitchen tissue roll to fix the
lenses. Other accessories that may come in handy would be a tripod stand and a
target which allows you to check the accuracy of the prisms as you repair them.
2. Check the Lens Position
You should first evaluate the position of your
lenses. If they have moved away from the original spot, you need to fix them
right away. Understand that the lenses are the most significant and delicate
component of your binoculars, as they can make or break how you’ll be able to observe various landscapes and skylines. Once
you’ve identified this, you can proceed with the repairing process.
3. Remove the Lens Screws
Some binoculars that have a rubber coating to
cover the lens screws. You can use the manual to be able to mark their
positions on paper. After that, use the screwdriver to open them up. Most
binoculars have the lens screws located on the top of the lenses. Once you’ve
removed these, you can remove the lenses as well.
4. Correct the Lens Position
Remember to clean the lenses first before
fixing its position. You can use a pro-grade cleaning kit or a simple
microfiber cloth to do this. But if the lens is filthy, you can wash them using
a soapy solution to penetrate the dirt better. Make sure to do it gently. Once
the lens is dry, you can proceed with fixing the lens position.
Measure the central position of the cups and
place the lenses back at the center point. Return them and adjust the position
using tweezers as returning them by hand can leave fingerprints. Check if the
lenses are placed exactly where they’re supposed to be by looking through them.
After tightening the screws, use the scale to measure the center of the two
sides. At this point, all you need to do is to make sure that both sides are
equidistant.
5. Bring It Outdoors for Collimation Checking
An efficient way of checking the collimation
of your binoculars is going outside in daylight. Use it to view a prominent
structure that’s at least 100 years away and has strong horizontal lines. Then,
place your binoculars on a flat surface that points to it horizontally. A
tripod can be used as well to stabilize the unit while you position yourself
behind the unit.
6. Check the Horizontal Collimation
Relax your eyes and identify the most distinct
vertical line on your chosen structure. Gently close your eyes one at a time
after every few seconds to alternate the view. Identify any movement in that
vertical line every shift view you make.
There are certain slight movements that are
normal. For example, you may notice that the image moves a bit to the left when
the left eye is open and vice versa. However, excessive vertical movements
indicate that you need to make adjustments.
7. Check the Vertical Collimation
Similar as to how you check for horizontal
collimation, locate the distinct vertical line in the structure. Move your eyes
slowly away slowly from your binoculars while maintaining sight of the
horizontal line. Check for any disproportion in the line on each lens.
8. Adjust the Tilt Setscrews of the
Prisms
Identify the setscrews of the tilt adjustment
on each barrel near the eyepiece. You can use a small flat-bladed screwdriver
to pry open the gap located between the prism cover and the rubber cover. Peel
this back until you can see the setscrews, adjusting them appropriately using
the flat-bladed screwdriver.
When adjusting the tilt setscrews of the
prisms, the image moves in different directions depending on how you turn them.
On the left barrel, the image goes to the right and down by turning the
setscrews clockwise, while turning it counterclockwise makes the image go left
and upwards. For the right barrel, it goes to the left and down when turned
clockwise, and right and up when set counterclockwise.
9. Review the Images
Evaluate the images by turning the setscrews
back and forth. Look how the images shift apart from one another or fuse
together as you do this. You would know when to stop the moment the images
merge as you see them through the barrels.
10. Fix the Focus Knob
If the focus knob is also having problems, you
would need additional tools for this task such as grease, cotton buds, and a
magnifying glass to assist you in removing dust from the crevices of the focus
knob. Once you have these, you can begin repairing this part of your
binoculars.
You would know that the focus knob is broken
when you hear a sound while moving it. To fix this, open the knob which can
easily be removed. Apply grease on the cotton bud and use this to clean it from
the inside as this will lubricate the screws and have the knob function
properly.
Conclusion
Enjoying the wild on weekend is a good way to
spend time but we must be ready in any circumstances that we might face while
in the wild not just talking about broken binoculars and how to fix them.The
key to survival is to foresee what might happen and prepare yourself. You need
to be ready and always have the proper gear and equipment to face any
unexpected occurrence for your own safety.
Let's all remember this quote this is worth
sharing
"We'd stared into the face of Death, and Death blinked first. You'd think that would make us feel brave and invincible. It didn't.”
― Rick Yancey, The 5th Wave
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