Help, Ran over binocs

jon12

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Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
67
This weekend i was riding around at night rabbit hunting and stoped to check out some deer in the headlights with my binoculars. Then I saw a jackrabbit and grabbed my .22. I guess i had put my binocs in the seat next to me and when i stepped out to shoot the rabbit i knocked them out. When i got back in the jeep and took off i heard the pop of them under the tire.

They didnt look as bad as i had thought. They are 10x42 Nikons that are a few years old, and the front few inches of each barrel and front lens is a seperate peice that is threaded in to the body of the binoculars. The right one of these popped off and the left one was knocked crooked. I took them back to my dad who just screwed the right one back in(took alittle work because the threads were alittle bugared up but i guess they straightened out when he screwed it in and thighted it). Then he unscrewed the left one that had been knowed just alittle crooked and screwed it back in straight(there was no appearent damage to the threads on this one). Unbelievably, they seem to be just as good as new. The optics are as clear as they were when they were new and there is no double image at all. Somehow, i have no idea how, but there was no damage or bending of the frame or tubes. The diopter adjustment is even still accurate. I was very suprised and will be a firm Nikon believer for the rest of my life if i can run over their binocs with a truck and fix them nithout the use of tools.

My question is, is there any gas filling in these that escaped when they were opened up, and if so, will they fog up now?

If they do, can i send them to nikon to re-gas-charge them and seal them for however much they charge to do that? Will they be able to tell theyve been run over since the threads on one side are alittle messed up(i dont know they might have completely corrected themselves when they were put back together?

Finally how can tell if they wil fog up or not without waiting till a field situation when i need them?

Thanks.
 
To test for fogging, stick them in the freezer for an hour or so then into a steamy bathroom. You will know in a big hurry if it leaks.

You can do the steam first then chill. Either way, does the same thing, drive moisture into the interior due to a temp gradient. Same effect as fogging on glasses.

Nikons are guaranteed for life so send them back and they will probably fix anything that needs to be dealt with and recharge the gas. better to be safe then sorry.

I love my Nikon stuff too.

Jerry
 
Nikon will fix them, friend. I had a pair of 10x42 LX's that a rep from Nikon said if I drop them off a mountain, they will fix them.
You pay for one way shipping...Thats it!!..sakofan..

Please let us know how they treat you. My guess is that they will probably NOT be the fastest turn around you have ever experienced, because of the size of the co. But, they will fix them.
 
Thanks for the responses, i hope my rep is as helpful as yours. My dad has sent this same pair of binoculars to them a couple years back due to the diopter adjustment broke and they gave some bullcrap that they had been dropped, which they had definately not, and charges us for the repairs and shipping. I guess it all depends on which rep processes your order. Thats why you cant base your entire opinion of a company's customer service on one or two experiences.
 
I havent had any problems with Nikon. One guy dropped his deer rifle out of a stand, rifle landed scope side down, split the scope in half, and Nikon sent him a new one.

I would call customer service first, and get their take....Good luck, sakofan....
 
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