birding-aus

old binoculars

To: "'Peter Shute'" <>, <>
Subject: old binoculars
From: "Gregory Little" <>
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 13:58:40 +1000
Peter

You might be right, but I would have thought that most of the expense
was labour. So the cost of cleaning and recollimation repair in for
example some African or Asian countries may be far less than here. But
then that cost may still be expensive for the recipient of those
binoculars in those countries. Plus also as you suggest many cheaper
binoculars may not be repairable and are simply disposable. What a
dilemma. So do we simply chuck the old ones into the bin?

Greg Little

Greg Little - Principal Consultant
General Flora and Fauna
PO Box 526
Wallsend, NSW, 2287, Australia
Ph    02 49 556609
Fx    02 49 556671
www.gff.com.au

-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Shute  
Sent: Wednesday, 9 April 2008 12:24 PM
To: Gregory Little; 
Subject: old binoculars

I was under the impression that collimation costs about $100, assuming
the binoculars are constructed in a way that allows it to be done at
all. Everyone has different standards, but I'm wondering whether many
Australian birders use binoculars worth less than that.  Perhaps what
the customer was really being told was that their binoculars really
couldn't be fixed.

As for getting it done more cheaply overseas, if the construction
doesn't really allow it, then collimating them might require even more
precise equipment than for more expensive ones and might not be
available.  I don't know anything about binocular construction, so
perhaps my dealer misled me about this.

I'd be very interested to know if your idea is feasible, but I suspect
that it might be more feasible to have the recipients use them with one
eye closed or just send them money to buy cheap ones.  $10 compacts
definitely have their limitations, but are still heaps better than
nothing, some of them anyway.

 Peter Shute

-----Original Message-----
From: 
 On Behalf Of Gregory Little
Sent: Wednesday, 9 April 2008 11:39 AM
To: 
Subject: old binoculars

Gooday birders
 
I was recently in a shop that sold surveying equipment, telescopes and
binoculars etc and repaired these. A customer had a not so old and not
so expensive pair of binoculars and was asking if these could be
repaired. Apparently the collimation was out and they needed an internal
clean. The shop owner responded that they certainly could easily repair
them but that it would be much cheaper for him to buy another pair of
binoculars and he would probably get a better quality pair into the
bargain. This is probably realistic as the repairer has to charge for
the service. I suppose that the person then buys another pair of
binoculars and puts the old ones into the top of the wardrobe. I have an
older pair of Nikon Travelites that also need cleaning and recollimation
and that are simply sitting in a cupboard. 
 
Is there someone out there who collects such unwanted binoculars and
sends them to countries that could cheaply repair them and then
distribute them to bird watchers who may otherwise be unable to afford a
pair of binoculars? They are welcome to have mine.
 
Greg Little
 
 
 
Greg Little - Principal Consultant
General Flora and Fauna
PO Box 526
Wallsend, NSW, 2287, Australia
Ph    02 49 556609
Fx    02 49 556671
HYPERLINK "http://www.gff.com.au"www.gff.com.au
 

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