EDG hinge tension...how's yours? (1 Viewer)

Screw Driver Update

After my first pass of adjusting the hinge as documented above, I did search for a better screw driver and ended up ordering one off eBay.

Manufacturer: Wiha
Precision series
Blade Width: 1.5mm
Model: 26015 (for 260 series, size 1.5mm)
Number on Handle 260 (for 260 series)
Made in Germany



This one is much better than what I used before. There is still some play due to the screw slot being wider than the blade, but it is much better than before and should work

The eBay vendor I ordered from is KCToolco located in Kansas. I ordered in the evening and it was shipped the next morning via 1st Class USPS. Their price went up a little after I ordered.

Here is a list of sellers:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro....H0.XWiha+26015.TRS0&_nkw=Wiha+26015&_sacat=0

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The next size up from Wiha is 1.8 mm but I suspect that would be to wide to fit the recessed hole.



Here is all you need and you should be good to go ........

Thanks Bruce for the update! Great info for anyone with an EDG.

Not only is the hinge on my refurbished EDG 7x42 too loose, but even worse, the focus wheel is way too tight. I thought with time the focus wheel would loosen, but it has not. Any suggestions for a fix, or where to send for fixing?

bcskr said:

Not only is the hinge on my refurbished EDG 7x42 too loose, but even worse, the focus wheel is way too tight. I thought with time the focus wheel would loosen, but it has not. Any suggestions for a fix, or where to send for fixing?

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If your 7x42 EDG was refurbished by Nikon you only have 90 days to return it to Nikon after you purchased it. It will say so in the literature that came with it.

Is it a double hinged 7x42 EDG or does it have a single hinge back by the eye pieces?

I have been using a refurbished Nikon 10x35 EII Porro prism for at least 10 years without any problems. It came in a Nikon box which had "Refurbished Product" printed on it and there was a 90 day warranty with it.

Bob

bcskr said:

Not only is the hinge on my refurbished EDG 7x42 too loose, but even worse, the focus wheel is way too tight. I thought with time the focus wheel would loosen, but it has not. Any suggestions for a fix, or where to send for fixing?

Click to expand...

Since you are located in California try contacting Nikon Inc, Suite 100, 6420 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. Their binocular repair section is located there.

Alternatively, this is how you officially schedule a repair with Nikon.

http://www.nikonsportoptics.com/en/service-and-support/service-and-repair.page

It should be easy enough for them to fix it but you will probably have to pay a fee because the 90 day Refurbation warranty on your binocular has expired.

It is probably worth calling them about it because it should not be a costly procedure to fix it.

You will have to go through some e-mail correspondence with Nikon to see what it will cost you.

Bob

Thanks so much. That is the kind of information I was hoping to get. It's been over two years since I purchased them.

I have a second hand pair of Nikon HG 8x42 out of warranty - mine suddenly became very loose and so as I have other bins I decided to send them off to Nikon. They emailed me a postage sticker etc, just had to package up.

They have sent an estimate back including postage at £55. I did reply saying this was a bit much but they stood their ground so I decided to let the experts do it................not had them back yet. Fingers crossed.

Bruce,
Super useful and well done posts. Thanks!

I'm curious how much force is needed to tighten the adjustment ring.
It looks as though garden variety snap ring pliers might work OK.

Whadya think?

This sounds like the original EDG had the hinge problems, although if it is loose right out of the box, it's probably a QA/QC problem in assembly. Chuck fixed his on his own with having the appropriate tools and obviously the aptitude and desire with some guidance. I have two 8X50 octarems I will be sending to Suddarth for repair and one of them has a loose hinge. They have the right tools for the job, and since I will likely be selling them in the future, I will let them fix it before I cause any damage.
By the way, that pic of the garden pliers makes me shudder that someone might actually think, hey this will work, lets give it a go. I am glad that Chuck got his fixed the correct way.

Andy W.

Kevin Conville said:

Bruce,
Super useful and well done posts. Thanks!

I'm curious how much force is needed to tighten the adjustment ring.
It looks as though garden variety snap ring pliers might work OK.

Whadya think?

Click to expand...

BruceH said:

Chuck ......

.........
The ring was already very snug so it did take just a little bit of pressure to rotate it. I would put pressure on the wrench till the ring moved a little and then I would check the hinge tightness. this took about three iterations before I quit. I did leave things slightly on the loose side. The ring rotated about 8 degrees total. ..............

Click to expand...

Thanks Kevin!

It did take some pressure so make sure everything is well fitted, aligned and you have a secure hold so nothing slips. The big concern is to have the tool slip out of the pin holes an marring something. The secret is to apply the pressure slowly to get a feel on how it is going. If the pressure is getting to the point that you may lose control of the tool, then stop.

It does not take much rotation. As I recall, the ring took more pressure on my 10X32 than the 10X42. Also, it appears there is a limit on how tight you can get it. The ring was very difficult to move after a little bit of rotation. It appeared you can not tighten it to point of a very stiff hinge. I stopped after a certain point because I did not want to risk the tool slipping out of the pin holes and doing any damage. The hinge was at a point of acceptable tightness.

I do not see anything wrong in principal with what looks like a form of pin tool shown in your photo. Actually the pins look like they should provide a more secure fit than what I used because the pins are flat on the bottom rather than pointed. I had originally considered grinding off the points of the tool I used but found that although it would have probably been better, it was not necessary. Also the width of the handle spacing should give you good control. The issue I see is the tool may be to wide to fit between the barrels and still have room to rotate the ring.

Just go slowly and see how it all fits. You should be able to tell very easily if it is a shaky approach or if it has a solid feel.

From my experience, both the original EDG and the second generation have hinges that run on the loose side. The original generation had the issue of a loose diopter.

The snap ring pliers pic I posted were just something I had out in my tool box.
A quick google found lots of more interesting designs.

EDG pin spanner

Kevin Conville said:

Snap ring pliers might work OK. Whadya think?

Click to expand...

I've found that that a 1.5mm "pin-type face spanner" such as one supplied by J. W. Winco < www.jwwinco.com > works really well on the EDG hinge; because of the right-angle face-spanner design, one can easily and safely apply sufficient force to get the hinge nut as tight as you like. Winco is an industrial hardware distributor with sales locations in Canada and Mexico, plus an on-line store. Their item description for the "magic" EDG hinge tool is:

NO.758-(7-40)-1.5 ADJ. PIN TYPE FACE SPANNER

I've attached a photo. Let me now if you have questions.

Cheers,

John

Well, it looks right to me, fwiw. Thanks John.

I finally got around to sending in my factory refurbished 7x42 EDG binoculars with the too loose hinge and too tight focus more than two years after purchase. I am very pleased that they have been returned - cleaned, hinge tightened, and focus nob working smoothly. Even though the 90 day warranty had long elapsed, there was no charge for the service.

Interestingly, the same day that I sent the Nikons for repair I also sent off a pair of Swarovski and Zeiss binoculars. The first to respond was Nikon, then Swarovski, and finally Zeiss. I am still waiting for cost estimate from Swarovski and Zeiss.