Trying to get my old binoculars to work for Jupiter's moons took me three nights

I dug out my dad's old 10x50 binoculars from the garage to try and spot Jupiter's Galilean moons. The view was just a blurry mess for hours. I spent the first night cleaning lenses, the second trying to steady them on a tripod adapter that didn't fit, and finally on the third night I realized the main focus wheel was completely stuck. A tiny drop of sewing machine oil and 20 minutes of gentle work got it moving. Has anyone else had an old piece of gear fight them this hard on a simple project?

3 comments

3 Comments

mila_craig414d ago

That stubbornness is what makes old gear so great.

anthony_sullivan6814d ago

Ever notice how the simplest goals turn into these weird little battles with the past? It's like old gear has a grudge against being useful again. You just wanted to see some moons, but first you had to solve the mystery of the gummed-up focus wheel. Makes you wonder how many cool projects get abandoned at the "blurry mess" stage because the fix isn't obvious. That stubborn old stuff really makes you work for the win.

spencer_sanchez677d ago

Totally get that. My grandpa's old film camera was like that. Spent a whole weekend just trying to get the film door to latch, felt like I was solving a puzzle.