Stick on lens fogged - solutions?

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K

KeithG

Guest
This last trip I tried out a set of in-expensive stick on "readers" to see if they would work. They fogged constantly and ended up being useless.

The lens were easy to install, held place firmly with no issues and were of the appropriate size. They worked great at home above water in my kitchen.

As soon as they hit the ocean they fogged and stayed fogged. I used spit in my mask and never had fogging issues with the rest of my mask lens.

The brand I used is "Attach-a-lens" Attach-A-Lens | Peel 'n Stick Lenses and the lens is attached to the mask with an adhesive gasket that circles the outside of the lens. This creates a small air pocket between the reader and mask lens as the gasket is about 2mm in thickness and provides a seal around the outside edge of the lens.

Some things I tried:
- dug out a bit of the adhesive gasket on 1 lens so that the air pocket between lens was no longer sealed - no change)
- removed, cleaned and re-applied 1 lens (they provide 2 extra adhesive gaskets with the lens) - no change

This is mostly nuisance issue as I can still read things okay and the cheaters are just a nice to have. I was able to read everything fine (including a new camera). So I may just toss the lens and pretend it never happened. If my eyes get really bad then i will bite the bullet and get custom prescription lens made.

In the meanwhile, I am looking for cheap suggestions / ideas on how to stop the fogging. A search of the forum reveals 2 polar extremes for these type of lens:
- they suck
- they are awesome
but no real info on how anyone successfully prevented fogging.

ideas?
 
Are they fogging in the small gap between the stick in lens and the mask lens?

If so, then try using an adhesive that will eliminate that space, some kind of clear gel adhesive may be the solution, although it may be permanent once you do it.
 
Are they fogging in the small gap between the stick in lens and the mask lens?

If so, then try using an adhesive that will eliminate that space, some kind of clear gel adhesive may be the solution, although it may be permanent once you do it.
Yes they appeared to be fogging inside the gap. Thanks for the idea.

the lens do not appear to be perfectly flat on either side. a little curve on both. So maybe getting rid of the gap may not be possible...

I had considered putting them on the outside of the mask and making sure that they were not sealed to allow some water to seep in between. I am not sure how the water layer would affect the optics of the lens.
 
I might also suggest something inert and non-toxic, maybe some kind of liquid or oil to fill the gap, or heating it up just a little before you apply the lens to try and keep moisture from getting sealed inside the space and form a better seal with the adhesive pad.

If the side that is sticking to your lens is curved and you fill the gap, then the image you see could be distorted as it will change the way the lens works (the angle of refraction will be altered)
 
giffenk:

I was part of the test team for Attach-A-Lens; here is what we found to work the best:
1. You must start with a very clean mask
2. after the mask has completely dried, wipe the application area with (Rubbing) Isopropyl Alcohol
3. Clean both sides of the Attach-A-Lens with Isopropyl Alcohol
4. After the Isopropyl Alcohol has dried apply the adhesive gasket to the Flatter side of the Attach-A-Lens
5. Lower the lens into position

We observed that good old spit did not work very well on the Attach-A-Lens lenses.
Just about every commercial anti-fog we tried worked.
Oils from your fingers (finger prints) on the lenses will lead to fogging.


The best anti-fog we (the test team) used was a home made solution made from "Johnsons" Baby shampoo and water
use a 1 or 2 parts baby shampoo to 10 parts water mix, use before each dive.

Other notes:
Do not fill the empty space with any clear adhesive or jell; this will distort your view thru the lens and my cause an adverse reaction between the jell and the adhesive gasket.

Cutting a gap or gaps in the gasket will over time create water spots on the ATL and Mask's lens (where the two lenses face each other).
Also Salt, Sediment, Dirt, orother contaminants can accumulate in between the lenses.

If you need (and it sounds like you do) contact Attach-A-Lens, for replacement gaskets.

I hope this helps

DM Radar
 
giffenk:

I was part of the test team for Attach-A-Lens; here is what we found to work the best:
1. You must start with a very clean mask
2. after the mask has completely dried, wipe the application area with (Rubbing) Isopropyl Alcohol
3. Clean both sides of the Attach-A-Lens with Isopropyl Alcohol
4. After the Isopropyl Alcohol has dried apply the adhesive gasket to the Flatter side of the Attach-A-Lens
5. Lower the lens into position

We observed that good old spit did not work very well on the Attach-A-Lens lenses.
Just about every commercial anti-fog we tried worked.
Oils from your fingers (finger prints) on the lenses will lead to fogging.


The best anti-fog we (the test team) used was a home made solution made from "Johnsons" Baby shampoo and water
use a 1 or 2 parts baby shampoo to 10 parts water mix, use before each dive.

Other notes:
Do not fill the empty space with any clear adhesive or jell; this will distort your view thru the lens and my cause an adverse reaction between the jell and the adhesive gasket.

Cutting a gap or gaps in the gasket will over time create water spots on the ATL and Mask's lens (where the two lenses face each other).
Also Salt, Sediment, Dirt, orother contaminants can accumulate in between the lenses.

If you need (and it sounds like you do) contact Attach-A-Lens, for replacement gaskets.

I hope this helps

DM Radar
Thanks for the quick feedback. I have never used commercial anti fog. Maybe that was my problem? I never considered that as my spit works great on my mask! My divebuddy uses that kind of stuff, so I will try it on the next trip in March.

I have contacted Attach-A-Lens regarding additional gaskets.

Thanks!
 
Thanks for the quick feedback. I have never used commercial anti fog. Maybe that was my problem? I never considered that as my spit works great on my mask! My divebuddy uses that kind of stuff, so I will try it on the next trip in March.

I have contacted Attach-A-Lens regarding additional gaskets.

Thanks!
giffenk, Did you ever get this resolved? I have these lenses, with the same problem. I was just considering some type of glue. I've always use good 'ol spit as defog with no problems. Did the baby shampoo mix make any difference? Thanks.
 
giffenk, Did you ever get this resolved? I have these lenses, with the same problem. I was just considering some type of glue. I've always use good 'ol spit as defog with no problems. Did the baby shampoo mix make any difference? Thanks.
Maybe? They did send me some replacement lens for free, but I have been too lazy to try them again.

I can still read my gauges and computer with no issues and I use my camera to look at the really small stuff.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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