I Now Use Reading Glasses

ericjohn

Enlightened
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Jul 12, 2011
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1 Alpha Louisiana
As of July 26, 2017, I have been using reading glasses. What finally prompted me to go ahead and purchase a pair was in the months prior to this, I had trouble reading the stamping on my PR flange based flashlight bulbs. My eyes couldn't focus in on the information written on the bulbs unless I held them within a very few inches from my eyes and then I still had to strain and squint.

Now, when you work on flashlights as much as I do, especially with a diverse amount of battery sizes and arrangements, know which bulb to place in which flashlight is extremely critical. Placing a bulb designed for a lower voltage than what the battery configuration in any given flashlight provides and the bulb burns out very prematurely or even instantly. Although, technically all flashlight bulbs are indeed over driven. Placing a bulb designed for a higher voltage than provided and it will be extremely dim and also run down the batteries prematurely. It's all basically a balancing of equations if you will, what you do on one side of the "equals" sign you have to do the same on the other side. Luckily, many years ago, people in their respective fields to the science of flashlight bulbs came out with a numbering system.



I'll give only a few examples of this numbering system, hopefully without boring you, the reader, to death:



A Standard PR2 bulb is designed for use in a flashlight that runs on 2 D Cell batteries in series or 3 Volts. Its electrical values are rated at 2.38 Volts and 0.5 Amps.



A Standard PR3 bulb is designed for use in a flashlight that runs on 3 D Cell batteries in series or 4.5 Volts. Its electrical values are rated at 3.57 Volts 0.3 Amps.



A Standard PR13 bulb is designed for use in a flashlight or lantern that runs on 4 D Cell batteries in series or a single 908 lantern battery, either configuration results in 6 Volts. Its electrical values are rated at 4.75 Volts 0.5 Amps.



…One more example…



A Standard PR12 bulb is designed for use in a flashlight that runs on 5 D Cell batteries in series or 7.5 Volts. Its electrical values are rated at 5.95 Volts 0.5 Amps.



Did I not tell you, the reader, that all flashlight bulbs are technically over-driven?



However, if a bulb is over-driven beyond the point of it's design, like placing a PR2 bulb in a 5D Cell flashlight, it will burn out in a very bright white flash that lasts mere milliseconds. And if a bulb is under driven, like placing a PR12 bulb in a 2 D Cell flashlight, it will come on, but be miserably dim and eat the batteries like the starving cat that got locked in the fish market overnight.



If there are any fellow flashaholics out there reading this, I am almost sure you're thinking of placing a PR3 bulb into a 4 D Cell or single 908 Cell flashlight. Yes it is possible and yes the bulb will burn very bright, but the bulb life will be cut down significantly. Flashlight bulbs are getting harder and harder to find as the years go by, so I'd advise not to waste them. I'll go even further and say make them last as much as humanly possible.



Anyway, this piece is about why I use reading glasses, and not necessarily a lecture about flashlight bulbs. My inability to read the stamping on my flashlight bulbs with just my natural sight was the catalyst for me deciding to purchase reading glasses. In other words I need to know that the bulb I am installing in my 2 D Cell flashlight is a PR2 or the bulb I am installing in my 6 Volt Lantern is a PR13. Therefore I need to be able to see what is stamped on the base of the bulbs.



I'll say one more thing about flashlight bulbs then move on:
I'm a firm believer in using (or at least stockpiling) incandescent flashlights and their respective bulbs. Yes, they are much more flimsy and much less efficient than their LED counterparts, but, they are user serviceable (though a little bit of electrical and mechanical knowledge is required) AND more importantly, they will survive an EMP blast while probably most if not all LED flashlights will perish. Also in the event of such an occurrence, the electrical grid will be down as well. Any device that employs an integrated circuit chip or transistor will be ruined. That means no modern car will start and virtually all telecommunications will be gone. How will people safely light their homes and hunting, farming and fishing areas at night? Combustion type lighting will be highly frowned upon because no fire department will be able to coordinate and respond in the event of a structure fire or wild fire.



Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself, but this is the exact reason why I believe so much in incandescent flashlights.



Back to the glasses.



With my new specs, I can easily read the stamping on my flashlight bulbs, but not only that, I can read the finest of print with great ease.
It was indeed flashlight bulbs that made me realize I needed to use reading glasses. However, since the age of nineteen, I can remember trying to read an atlas or school book with my natural sight and seeing the words on the pages go in and out of focus. I never thought much about it, except that reading books was a difficult task for this and other reasons. The best way I can describe the issue is that it was like watching one of those portable [analog] televisions with a slide rule tuner, where one constantly had to ever so slightly turn the knob to get the picture just right. Another analogy like watching a thirty year old VHS tape and constantly having to adjust the tracking. Those of you reading this who are younger than me won't understand these obsolete technologies, but my fellow [older] Millennials as well as GenXers and Baby Boomers know exactly what I am talking about. If there are any Silent or GI Generation members reading this, I am honored by this and I hope my work is at least amusing to you. I also hope you're not offended by some of the controversial things I've written over the years.



Anyway, when I read a book, small print, or do any close up work that requires keen vision, I use my glasses. Sometimes I use them to write as well. I'm using them as I write this piece, in fact. The difference is when I use these glasses, it is like watching a digital television with a 1080p screen connected to a high quality amplifier and outdoor antenna. Another analogy would be like watching a Blu Ray DVD on its respective player, connected to that same television through the HDMI terminal. That's an analogy that the younger Millennials and Post Millennials should be able to relate to.



Currently I use the lowest strength available, 1.00. Of course I'm only thirty at the time of writing this and maybe I'll require stronger glasses as I age and maybe not. I'm not sure if I like how they make me appear, but most people who have seen them on my face have commented favorably.



If you, the reader are having minor vision issues consider a using a pair of reading glasses, but more importantly follow the advice of your optometrist.



Thank you for taking the time to read this…
 

noboneshotdog

Flashlight Enthusiast
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May 28, 2012
Messages
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Wow. What a long post. Had to strain my eyes.

I'm 42 and this was the year for reading glasses for me too. :poke:
 

KITROBASKIN

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Mar 28, 2013
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New Mexico, USA
Taking that first step to using reading glasses was the hardest for me. Did not want to appear 'old'. But it really helps to negotiate life. +1 for vacuuming the floor, +1.5 or +1.75 for work computer and work. +3 for fine print and close up stuff, +4 and +5 for taking out splinters and super fine examinations. Initially refused to get bi-focals but tried +1.75 with what adds up to +3 for close focus and love them for work and shopping.

Both lenses have been replaced in my eyeballs, so magnifiers are a necessity and far vision is plenty good enough without correction.

Any ideas for an EDC glasses case are eagerly welcome. How do you carry?
 

mcbrat

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Jan 28, 2013
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Iowa
good post. I just turned 50 this year, and have had "cheaters" for a couple of years. I do have regular glasses for driving/distance, but if I'm soldering or working on the lathe, I have the cheaters on. not quite to bifocals yet...

I also have a pair of jeweler's glasses with LED lighting for really small stuff. they are 20x. they stay in their box when not it use.

The cheaters (I have several) just live on a shelf in the locations where they are used. Desk, Garage.
 

Lynx_Arc

Flashaholic
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Oct 1, 2004
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Tulsa,OK
In mid 50s here... been using reading glasses since mid 40s but don't need them for road signs. I've have several pairs and buy the cheap dollar tree reading glasses to use working on things and running around town as I often damage them. I've found the ones with springs in them the most useful but most expensive. I wish I could find a decent way to clip my reading glasses to pocketless shirts. As for incan bulbs..... not sure why anyone would go far out of their way to collect the common ones. I have a whole bunch of 2,3, and 4 cell incan bulbs laying around and plenty of places still sell them in stores. It is only the more uncommon ones that are harder to find, 3 cell and 5+ cell ones. IF and only IF there was an EMP that wasn't from a nuclear warhead it is possible many LED lights would work still. There are many LED lights using 3 batteries that only have resistors in them nothing that would be damaged by an EMP. I have several cheap 3AA plastic luxeon lights that would survive an EMP and several PR based LED bulbs that I made by removing the bulb and soldering resistors and 5mm LEDs that run off 3-4 batteries.
It would be cheaper and easier to put the money from PR base bulbs to buy a few LED lights and store them in an EMP proof box or bag as one would need a LOT more batteries to power incans in a EMP based outage... would be very tough to keep up with the demand even with rechargeable batteries.
 

Lynx_Arc

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Ironically I have noticed most younger folks resist using any type of reading glasses at all as I've had to read blueprints for people 10,20, and even 30 years younger than me because they couldn't read the fine print and with my reading glasses I could.
 

bykfixer

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Dust in the Wind
My arms weren't long enough anymore. Actually using flashlights has helped a lot. Also keeping a magnifier is helpful.

An eye doctor told me our eyes are like rubber bands. They stretch and unstretch to focus on objects near and far. And at 40 that rubber band is less elastic. She said that the average person needs readers at around 40 and will increase the strength until about 50. After that changes occur due to cataracts causing a film to make things blurry.

At 42 I was getting my first bi-focals. At 52 my eyes quit changing. At 54 everything has a certain amount of blur regardless of distance.

At 75 my pop had cataract surgery. He had 20/20 vision after that. At 82 he passed away still with 20/20 vision.
 

StarHalo

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Dec 4, 2007
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California Republic
Mine are Clear Wayfarer Simple Readers, love how the clear frame stays out of my peripheral vision. There's some fun stuff over at Readers.com too, dig some of their colors.
 

bykfixer

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Like these?


Better_Dangerous_Bluegill-max-1mb.gif
 

KITROBASKIN

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New Mexico, USA
Can anyone recommend a decent, non "Drug store" pair?

Hopefully you are getting your eyes checked regularly. Get some readers from an optometrist; much better quality plus you can get better shatter resistance.

In my work-pack are some store bought (Duluth Trading?) +5.0 for splinter extraction and such, and lighter weight (cheapy) +4.0 in the field pack.
 

RedLED

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Thanks, Gentleman, I appreciate the fast response. A year or so back, I was in a meeting, and while reading the project specs. for a job, and a lens just fell out...my comeback was, that was not my photo eye. Got a laugh, and the deal.

However, like most all of here, we like nice things regardless of what they are.

All the best,

RL
 

etc

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Dec 19, 2004
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Northern Virginia
No reading glasses at forty-four.. However, that's due to severe myopia.

If there is one upside to myopia, that's that. People that have it delay getting reading glases. I cannot use them even on the lowest setting, nor need them.

Now it's easier for me to read upclose if I take the eyeglasses off. Though I can still read the fine print even through the eyeglasses.
 
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