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Swarovski fogging ?

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cbm View Drop Down
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    Posted: January/11/2008 at 09:14
Hey guys , I had to re-register and it's been a while since I have been on here.
 
Anyway , Last year I picked up a used Swarovski PV 3X12X50 at a local gunsmith's shop. He told me that he thought it had never been mounted...........it looked absolutely new..........my shop installed it and said it looked like it had never been mounted !!
 
I like the scope but I am having 2 problems. On some cold/humid days lately it is fogging up unbelievably bad. I have never had a scope fog up like this..........even real cheap Tasco scopes ! One of my friend's asked me if I thought it had been re-worked........and asked about the Nitrogen..........but I don't know if it has and don't know how Nitrogen effects it (I guess my friend think that helps with fog).
 
And while I am at it...........in low light I know higher powers on a scope don't work as well. But this scope gets kind of a halo/reflective look in low light up on 10-12 power . It's not "hard" to see........it's impossible. It looks kinda like there's a light shining on the lense from behind you. Once you get it under about 9 power.........it's fine . Anybody ever heard of this  ???
 
Thanks for any help. Last year when I was setting up this gun you guys gave me some incredible help. And I am pleased to say that I have my gun driving tacks now and feel confident shooting 300 yards now (although it took a lot of work) !!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Focus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2008 at 09:40
SEND it in to SONA and have it checked out, if fogging is internal its degassed and needs to be repaired. The internal fogging has probably left a haze on the lens inside and you are seeing this at higher power. It needs to be sent back. Probably why someone sold or traded it off.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2008 at 09:54

Fog while I am hunting is mostly on the outside of the lenses. I have tried to wipe it with my shirt and stuff.........but it just fogs right back up after a minute or so !!

Maybe I just need some kind of anti-fog spray or something for that. Just seems to be abnormally bad with this scope !!
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2008 at 10:06
Send it in!  Shirts and stuff will scratch the lens and that ain't covered by the warranty - the fogging is probably a degassing issue and that is covered.
Remounting and zeroing is something of a slight pain, but missing the prize buck because you couldn't wipe the fog fast enough: that'd be a real shame.

Send it in for repair.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2008 at 10:21
cbm, does this fogging only occur during cold weather?  It may be nothing more than your breath causing condensation on the outside of the lens, in which case any scope that doesn't have some kind of special hydrophobic coating on the outside (i.e. Bushnell Rain Guard, Zeiss Lotu-Tec, etc.) will do the same thing.  If it is fogging on the inside at all, then I would send it in, but if you are certain the fogging is only on the outside, that's normal, and can sometimes occur just from breathing out your nose while looking through the scope.  Be sure to never wipe your lenses with anything other than wipes specifically designed for lens cleaning, and only after you lightly brush (or blow with clean, compressed air) any grit off the lens surfaces that could scratch them when rubbed with a cloth.
 
I can't comment on the strange light reflection, as I've never heard of that and not sure I understand what you mean.
 
To be on the safe side, you can always send it in to Swarovski Optik North America (SONA) and have them check it over.  It won't cost you anything, and their turnaround time has been prompt from my experience.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2008 at 12:00
Yeh the fogging has only occured lately on some 20 degree or so days ! I was not breathing on the scope. Just had it laying across my lap and when I saw a deer and raised it up.......both lenses were fogged up bad. Since I never had it happen this bad before..........I didn't have any lense cloths or anything. So to try to shoot the deer I was wiping with anything I could get. Got the deer but it was frustrating.
 
I kinda thought that day that it must just be the humidity or something. But I was in Alabama hunting last week and it was cold and windy..........and the scope was so fogged up .....I just went back inside (couldn't get it to clear up more than a few seconds). Went out the next day and it was still just as cold........for whatever reason though.......no fog !! Maybe the humidity was different ??
 
My old 1980's Zeiss binoculars were not fogged up when my scope was ..........if you guys think there's something to that ?? I really don't know what to think ............and I don't know a lot about optics !
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Focus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2008 at 12:01
Watch the anti fogging sprays and wipes, they can effect the lens coatings. The halo isn't normal in any quality scope so it needs to be looked at.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2008 at 12:04
Sorry........yeh......the halo thing is wierd. It's hard to describe but the best way I can think of is like a light is on behind me reflecting of the lense ........but it's like a light ring/darker in the center.......and I can not see at all to shoot unless I back it down under 10 power. Up until it starts gettting dark it's fine ........but in that last 20 minutes of hunting.........it's useless over 9 power !!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2008 at 14:59
I e-mailed Swarovski , so we'll see what they say.
 
I am also going to see if they can change out my Plex recticle to a #4 "if" they have to disassemble the scope ...........wonder if they can ??
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2008 at 16:10
Don't wipe your scope off with any brush or sticker bushes. That ain't good either.   Wink  --Ed 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote silver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2008 at 16:27
If it is clouding up on the outside, then it is not fogging. That's just condinsation caused by the tempature differance.  Fogging is when it does not on the inside.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dolphin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2008 at 18:55
Relatively few of my Scopes fog up for long period of time, usually just briefly until the scope comes close to the ambient temperature.  The Trijicon has never fogged regardless in all kinds of weather, including cold pouring down rain.  It concerns me that I am hearing more problems with Swarovskis scopes.  I might have to ask if this is a knock off.  Internal fogging should be handled as above, but by your description, it wiped off with your shirt sleeve.  You might try flip up scope caps and not open them until the rifle and scope have equalized to the ambient temperatures.  I have never been happy with the Blizzard scope covers.  If I have to close them back one more time, I think I will o crazy.  I would try the Weaver flip open scope covers.  I have never tried them, but believe me, they could not be worse.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/11/2008 at 21:35
 
 The different materials used in scope tubes, steel vs. aluminum vs. titanium, transmit heat at different rates, which may go a long way in explaining why some scopes seem to fog externally more than others.  They may simply need more TIME to cool down to treestand temperature after leaving the warm truck. When you are on a hunt you may wish to leave your rifle on the back porch of the cabin overnight and transport it in the bed of the pickup to prevent external fogging.  Don't breathe on it either, as suggested by other posters.
 Internal Fogging= Send it in for repair.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dolphin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/12/2008 at 07:55
Originally posted by RONK RONK wrote:

 
 The different materials used in scope tubes, steel vs. aluminum vs. titanium, transmit heat at different rates, which may go a long way in explaining why some scopes seem to fog externally more than others.  They may simply need more TIME to cool down to treestand temperature after leaving the warm truck. When you are on a hunt you may wish to leave your rifle on the back porch of the cabin overnight and transport it in the bed of the pickup to prevent external fogging.  Don't breathe on it either, as suggested by other posters.
 Internal Fogging= Send it in for repair.
Good points.
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/12/2008 at 09:02
Regarding the halo issue;  I once purchased a new scope of supposed high quality. It came UPS when I was working 12-hour days, and it was dark when I got home. Naturally ,the first thing I did was take it outside and look at the full moon. It was sharp and bright, but I was disappointed to find an annoying halo of light in the image. I looked at it from every angle I could think of, but could't figure out what was causing it.  I was almost ready to send it back to SWFA when it occured to me that the halo was the moonlight passing through the scope, reflecting off my EYEGLASSES and appearing again on the ocular lens.
 When I removed my eyeglasses the gremlin disappeared.
 Just another thing to look out for...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cbm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/12/2008 at 10:03
Last week my gun had sat out in the truck all night . I walked to my stand so my scope was cold already and there was no temp. change. I did not look through the scope until I was in the stand. Like I said.........I was not breathing on it. Seems like....if I was the lense on my side would fog up........not both. The front one was just as bad as the one on my side.
 
I will look at the halo thing without my eye glasses on...........would be funny if it were something that simple..........but would fit my kind of luck !!
 
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