Hoping someone can give me help or advice with a problem with a pair of Vortex Diamondback 8x32
The SHORT version: have lost one of the rubber eyecups and need to get a replacement, don't know where. Any ideas?
The LONG version: we live in Oregon where it often rains, drizzles and gets foggy. Several weeks ago, made the mistake of leaving a really nice small binocular - the aforementioned Vortex Diamondback 8x32 - OUTSIDE all night on a rather damp foggy dewy moist evening.
In the morning, one of the lenses had extremely bad visible condensation inside (a real plethora of tiny drops of liquid visible) - and was also fogged. We asked experienced birder friends for advice, and consulted several threads here, among other places. Then put the binocs inside a ziplock bag with a lot of fresh rice, closed it off, and left it at room temperature. This did no good. More than a week later, tried the following: put even more rice in, then put the entire package (ziplock baggie containing fogged/condensed binoculars) in one of the top layers of a multi-level small fruit hydrator we had, turning the temperature down to its lowest setting, i.e. with very lightly warmed air. Left it there for several days and... voila! Problem appeared to be solved, condensation and most of the fog seemed to be gone (while some of the rice was definitely moist. Took them out of baggie, left them in open air for a few days, some condensation reappeared. Went through the process (baggie, rice, inside hydrator) for another 2 days and... voila for the 2nd time! Most of the condensation and fog appears gone. Keeping fingers crossed that it will stay gone. But---
You knew there was a 'but' coming, didn't you? Well, when the binoculars got put into baggie the first time, on the theory that they would dry out faster, we removed the rubber eyecup from the condensed/fogged lens, and carefully put it somewhere where we were sure we wouldn't forget. And... guess what? Yep, you guessed it: forgot exactly WHERE the rubber eyecup is. Have spent the last 2 days searching in vain for it... so now it's last resort time: beg the assistance of those who not only know way more about binocs than we ever will... but also (hopefully) might know where or how to get a replacement eyecup.
Hopefully someone knows. Keeping the fingers crossed here in Oregon... and also keeping all the other binocs in the house in dry places at night.
The SHORT version: have lost one of the rubber eyecups and need to get a replacement, don't know where. Any ideas?
The LONG version: we live in Oregon where it often rains, drizzles and gets foggy. Several weeks ago, made the mistake of leaving a really nice small binocular - the aforementioned Vortex Diamondback 8x32 - OUTSIDE all night on a rather damp foggy dewy moist evening.
In the morning, one of the lenses had extremely bad visible condensation inside (a real plethora of tiny drops of liquid visible) - and was also fogged. We asked experienced birder friends for advice, and consulted several threads here, among other places. Then put the binocs inside a ziplock bag with a lot of fresh rice, closed it off, and left it at room temperature. This did no good. More than a week later, tried the following: put even more rice in, then put the entire package (ziplock baggie containing fogged/condensed binoculars) in one of the top layers of a multi-level small fruit hydrator we had, turning the temperature down to its lowest setting, i.e. with very lightly warmed air. Left it there for several days and... voila! Problem appeared to be solved, condensation and most of the fog seemed to be gone (while some of the rice was definitely moist. Took them out of baggie, left them in open air for a few days, some condensation reappeared. Went through the process (baggie, rice, inside hydrator) for another 2 days and... voila for the 2nd time! Most of the condensation and fog appears gone. Keeping fingers crossed that it will stay gone. But---
You knew there was a 'but' coming, didn't you? Well, when the binoculars got put into baggie the first time, on the theory that they would dry out faster, we removed the rubber eyecup from the condensed/fogged lens, and carefully put it somewhere where we were sure we wouldn't forget. And... guess what? Yep, you guessed it: forgot exactly WHERE the rubber eyecup is. Have spent the last 2 days searching in vain for it... so now it's last resort time: beg the assistance of those who not only know way more about binocs than we ever will... but also (hopefully) might know where or how to get a replacement eyecup.
Hopefully someone knows. Keeping the fingers crossed here in Oregon... and also keeping all the other binocs in the house in dry places at night.
