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Magifying Headset ????
nheather
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United Kingdom
Member Since: November 12, 2007
entire network: 295 Posts
KitMaker Network: 90 Posts
Posted: Sunday, September 08, 2013 - 08:16 AM UTC
Hi,

As I get older my eyesight is beginning to struggle - I find my minimum focal distance is increasing and low light conditions are difficult.

I can make sure there is plenty of light but the focal distance makes preparing small parts and detail painting difficult.

Reading glasses help a lot - I also have a magnifying lamp.

But was wondering whether a magnifying headset would help.

Most I have seen do 2.5x. There are cheap plastic one with interchangeable plastic lenses and more expensive ones with optical glass.

The cheaper ones have two benefits - price and they offer a range of magnifications 1.2x to 3.5x. The more expensive ones have glass lenses which I guess will be optically better but fixed at 2.5x.

I'm guessing I'm not alone here. Anyone use one and would like to share their opinions, recommendations?

Cheers,

Nigel

The more expensive ones I'm looking at are Optivisor. They are fixed magnification but you can buy different ones

1.5x at 20 inches
1.75x at 14 inches
2.0x at 10 inches
2.5x at 8 inches
2.75x at 6 inches
3.5x at 4 inches

What would you recommend. I'm guessing that 8" is the shortest sensible working distance.


oldbean
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Virginia, United States
Member Since: July 05, 2004
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Posted: Sunday, September 08, 2013 - 09:50 AM UTC
Hi Nigel. Welcome to the old timers club. I've gotten to the point that I can't really see anything without the magnifyers. I've got one of the cheap versions, and it works just fine for me. Took a little getting used to at first (depth of field issues) but after that, it really helps. Good luck.

Jesse
DeskJockey
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Virginia, United States
Member Since: July 17, 2006
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Posted: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - 12:26 PM UTC
I have a Bausch & Lomb Magna-Visor with three lenses. I've pretty much settled on the 8" focal length one and don't switch it out (it has 2.2x magnification). The lenses are acrylic, but very high quality, and it has worked very well for me for seven years. It was cheaper than buying an OptiVisor with the extra lenses (that's why I opted for it originally), but it doesn't have any of the nifty add-on possibilities like lights and loupes.

Nowadays, I put the visor on pretty much every time I sit at the bench. This from someone who is only 37 and doesn't need reading glasses! That's how useful it is.
retiredyank
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Arkansas, United States
Member Since: June 29, 2009
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Posted: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 - 08:57 AM UTC
I have a low cost/budget, magnifying visor. I simply wear them over a pair of reading glasses. This allows me to make out the detail on pieces smaller than a grain of rice. You can wear an led headband, over it. This should provide you with plenty of magnification and light.
spacewolfdad
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England - West Midlands, United Kingdom
Member Since: May 23, 2010
entire network: 642 Posts
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Posted: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 - 11:19 AM UTC
Hi,

Personally I wouldn't use a head-set, instead get a good quality, free standing magnifying glass. I have used one of these for years without any trouble, however some of my friends on another forum have stated that they are experiencing headaches and other problems from using head-sets. I was told by an Optometrist that because you can't change the focal length when using one it may cause severe eye strain, with a magnifying glass you can look up and around to refresh your eyes, better still if you can see out of a window to see distance.

All the best,

Paul
retiredyank
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Arkansas, United States
Member Since: June 29, 2009
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Posted: Thursday, September 12, 2013 - 09:32 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi,

Personally I wouldn't use a head-set, instead get a good quality, free standing magnifying glass. I have used one of these for years without any trouble, however some of my friends on another forum have stated that they are experiencing headaches and other problems from using head-sets. I was told by an Optometrist that because you can't change the focal length when using one it may cause severe eye strain, with a magnifying glass you can look up and around to refresh your eyes, better still if you can see out of a window to see distance.

All the best,

Paul



I'm prone to severe migraines, as I took a bullet to the head. I have never had a headache, on account of a headset. Also, I tend to hold/manipulate the part with one hand and work on it with the other. This allows me to focus on the object.
Dragon164
#226
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British Columbia, Canada
Member Since: February 20, 2012
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Posted: Thursday, September 12, 2013 - 01:10 PM UTC
My return to the hobby coincided with the downturn in my vision so I have been using a magnifying visor for some time I was using a cheap one I found at a local tool store but then found a better one at another tool store and it was cheaper I bought two they were $7 each.

Cheers Rob.
SSGToms
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Connecticut, United States
Member Since: April 02, 2005
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Posted: Thursday, September 12, 2013 - 03:26 PM UTC
I too now need magnification all the time to get the parts closer and larger. I tried a magnifying lamp but it was too limiting trying to work on models inside that 6" lens.
So I bought a visor and this was much better, but very claustrophobic. I couldn't see anything in my periphery to grab a knife, glue bottle, etc.
So I came up with another idea, and this one has worked outstanding for me. I went online to some eyeglass outlet and bought reader glasses in +3, +4, +5, and +6 for $10 - $15 each. I have the glasses marked by number and hanging on my bench.
I wear the +3 as standard but in half a second I can switch to one of the other glasses to get in closer. They are light on my face, and I can see over and around the lenses to watch TV or find a tool. This system works incredibly well for me and is the best of both worlds.
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