Digital Altimeters and Polarized Sunglasses.

[AlanS 1]

I've got a digital Alti N2 altimeter with an LCD display and am thinking about getting some sunglasses. It seems you need to be careful with polarized lens, since I was in the store trying polarized sunglasses and noticed that the corners are black with them on.

Does anyone here have any advise on this subject. If you have a digital altimeter do you just limit yourself to non-polarized lenses?

[evan85 0]

Yes. Almost all (maybe all?) LCD screens suffer from this problem. I switched from polarized to unpolarized sunglasses while skydiving for the same reason.

[airtwardo 7]

evan85

Yes. Almost all (maybe all?) LCD screens suffer from this problem. I switched from polarized to unpolarized sunglasses while skydiving for the same reason.

LOL ~ I almost tossed an Ipod a few years back because I didn't know that...thought it was screwed up.

Buddy says take off the RayBans Einstein.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

Unpolarized sunglasses!

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[shropshire 0]

airtwardo

***Yes. Almost all (maybe all?) LCD screens suffer from this problem. I switched from polarized to unpolarized sunglasses while skydiving for the same reason.

LOL ~ I almost tossed an Ipod a few years back because I didn't know that...thought it was screwed up.

Buddy says take off the RayBans Einstein.


Bwhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa [choke][splutter]

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[format 0]

This video kinda explains why's that so,
I read almost all about polarization but my beer was warming up so I quit getting it right


edit: Get a sharp knife, peel off your altimeter, superglue it to your goggles (beer's cool)

What goes around, comes later.

[hillson 0]

Never had a problem with polarized glasses and the Viso II.

[voilsb 1]

hillson

Never had a problem with polarized glasses and the Viso II.

Same

Brian

[Pobrause 6]

hillson

Never had a problem with polarized glasses and the Viso II.

Well, I had. Viso 2 and Cat 3 polarized lenses...

-------------------------------------------------------

To absent friends

[darora15 0]

Yep no problem here. I have viso1 and polarized lenses from liquid eyewear. But when I look at other lcd screens like gas station screens, those will cut out depending on the angle of view.

Paddle faster....I hear banjo music

[AlanS 1]

With the glasses I saw in the store, the Alti N2, had four patches in each corner that I could not read, but the center was fine. If I rotated my wrist more became unreadable. But the pattern of readable area was the same for different glasses. These were all from the same vendor though.


My conclusion though for safety reasons, is I'm not going to mix polarized sunglasses with digital altimeters. So, I'll buy the non-polarized lens.

[Hollywood5581 0]

I agree with unpolarized, before skydiving I would notice the colors more resilient on my phone in doors, however out in the sun if really bright it, I would have to take my glasses off to see it better. I tried them on at the drop zone when using a digital for the first time before I manifested. I could barely see the screen, Polarized are great for your everyday use, in the sky I'd recommend not polarized.

[shibu 1]

Hollywood5581

I agree with unpolarized, before skydiving I would notice the colors more resilient on my phone in doors, however out in the sun if really bright it, I would have to take my glasses off to see it better. I tried them on at the drop zone when using a digital for the first time before I manifested. I could barely see the screen, Polarized are great for your everyday use, in the sky I'd recommend not polarized.

+1. Non-polarized if you are using any LCD equipment.
Unlike most people here, I had a Viso & Liquid polarized lenses. On the ground it looked fine, but in the air it was really hard to see the left most part of the screen So an 8.0 would look like 3.0.
I ordered a new pair of liquids with non-polarized lenses and never had another problem with the viso or the N3 I now use.

[Kalrigan 6]

Does anyone know if G3's smoke visor is polarized or not? I jump an analog alti but been interested in getting a VISO.

[Fement 0]

When I first bought the polarized sunglasses , at that time I have no idea about the effect of polarized sunglasses on the LCD screen. Then my brother told me that we are not able to see the LCD screen while wearing polarized sunglasses. Then I have purchased a new pair of wayfarer sunglasses at http://www.citysunglass.com/ who offer the best deals on sunglasses suggested to me by my friend. Now I am able to see the LCD screen.

[boardumb 0]

If you want to wear polarized sunglasses (easier to spot dust devils) and still wear a digital altimeter, I recommend finding some anti-glare screen protectors. I bought some from the brand greatshield ($5 dollar shipped for some clearance models, and I got 3, when 1 can probably fill 3-4 screens). I applied it to my N3 which I could not see with polarized sunglasses on the ground and when I applied it I was able to see it just fine both on the ground and in the air.

[Alter 0]

This is how our (on Alter altimeter) LCD goes with polarized sunglasses (photos in attachment)

[Alexg3265 0]

the viso 2 is shows up normal from some angles and when rotated goes all black... ive gotten in the habit of looking at it turned 90 degrees...

I was that kid jumping out if his tree house with a bed sheet. My dad wouldn't let me use the ladder to try the roof...

[AlanS 1]

Alexg3265

the viso 2 is shows up normal from some angles and when rotated goes all black... ive gotten in the habit of looking at it turned 90 degrees...

The screen of most Digital Altimeters are LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) which work by passing a current through a polymer to turn it on or off. These polymers are very long chains which all align in the same direction when on. As a result the light reflecting off of them is polarized.

Now if you buy polarized sun-glasses they reduce the intensity of light by selectively filtering out light polarized in a certain direction. This is great in some situation like when on a body of water with the reflected light all of a certain direction and harmless in most situation because mostly ambient light isn't polarized at all.

But it can be an hindrance when trying to read a screen with an LCD screen. If you want to buy sunglasses, make sure to bring along your digital altimeter with you when trying the glasses on, so you can be sure the direction of the light reflected off the altimeter doesn't align with the polarization of the sun glasses. It would really suck to be jumping with glasses + altimeter for the first time and then not be able to read your altitude.

[connor401 0]

I had my polarized sunglasses before I started jumping,so when it came time to buy an altimeter, I got an Altitrack.