DIY Belay glasses

A few months back after posting my original idea, I decided to buy a pair. For me, it was between Belay Specs and Belaggles. I emailed both companies with some weight questions. The owner of Belay Specs actually called me back, whereas I heard back from Belaggles about 10 weeks later. Needless to say I went with Belay Specs and have been very satisfied with them. Cheers, Carey

So I'm working on designing an app that does this with Google Glass.

The camera faces forward so I'm using a traditional smart phone that can then be simultaneously tethered to the glass. The advantage is that you can position the smart phone facing however you'd like it. You could be looking down if you want!

It's rare for both climbers to have a Glass. So you take your Glass and your buddy's smart phone and you're set.

Other features that I haven't finished yet but will prior to the release. Realtime twitter, facebook, and google + updating. Imagine, being able to post things like "Just hit the 5th clip, still sending #movementfitness"

I'll post back once I'm ready to release.

nicelegs wrote:So I'm working on designing an app that does this with Google Glass. The camera faces forward so I'm using a traditional smart phone that can then be simultaneously tethered to the glass. The advantage is that you can position the smart phone facing however you'd like it. You could be looking down if you want! It's rare for both climbers to have a Glass. So you take your Glass and your buddy's smart phone and you're set. Other features that I haven't finished yet but will prior to the release. Realtime twitter, facebook, and google + updating. Imagine, being able to post things like "Just hit the 5th clip, still sending #movementfitness" I'll post back once I'm ready to release.

This is not appealing to me in the least.

Finn the Human wrote: This is not appealing to me in the least.

I hear they will be shipping with a troll+sarcasm detector.
You may need them.

Boissal wrote: I hear they will be shipping with a troll+sarcasm detector. You may need them.

That sounds great! Do you know where I can buy one? I don't want to have to wait for the app to be released...

Check out our affordable belay glasses from belayshades.com! These are definitly affordable at $45. They work well. They have a 30 day no questions asked guarantee. Today we gave a pair away for half price on our Facebook page. Sure you might be able to make some yourself, but for this price don't waste your time just pick some up from us. Rock on!

youtu.be/zkB9LTT-4r0
belayshades.com/index.html

OK, so we want to make some really cheap Belay glasses. Here's what I'm thinking of.

1) get some mosaic mirror tiles (1"x1"). $3 at Michaels I believe for 100 tiles

2) Get some solid core stiff wire with PVC coating

3) Epoxy the mirrors to the wire once you have made a glasses-style frame that can either hang off your nose or hang off your sun-glasses

If the mirrors have pits in the glass, just polish them with Cerium Oxide. This stuff is dirt cheap.

You'll have to bend the wire slightly to ensure the mirrors are aligned correctly. However what do you expect for 50 pairs of belay glasses costing a total of about $15 (if you include glue, wire and cerium oxide).

BTW I would coat the edges of the mirrors with epoxy so that you don't cut yourself on the glass.

Cost per pair would be $0.30 each!

Gaz wrote:OK, so we want to make some really cheap Belay glasses. Here's what I'm thinking of. 1) get some mosaic mirror tiles (1"x1"). $3 at Michaels I believe for 100 tiles 2) Get some solid core stiff wire with PVC coating 3) Epoxy the mirrors to the wire once you have made a glasses-style frame that can either hang off your nose or hang off your sun-glasses If the mirrors have pits in the glass, just polish them with Cerium Oxide. This stuff is dirt cheap. You'll have to bend the wire slightly to ensure the mirrors are aligned correctly. However what do you expect for 50 pairs of belay glasses costing a total of about $15 (if you include glue, wire and cerium oxide). BTW I would coat the edges of the mirrors with epoxy so that you don't cut yourself on the glass. Cost per pair would be $0.30 each!

Increase your costs a bit but would be lighter, not as fragile, and less likely to cut you if you used acrylic mirrors. They sell 4x8 sheets special order at Hope Depot, Menards, etc. ($$$$) but can find smaller custom cut sizes. Cuts with a jigsaw, band saw, or you can probably just score it with a knife and break it.

Downside is they get scratched fairly easily. Maybe your cerium oxide can polish acrylic as well?

I've been using Mike's Belay Glasses. They are great and only $40 so why make your own?
belayglass.blogspot.com/

Oliver McMahon wrote:I've been using Mike's Belay Glasses. They are great and only $40 so why make your own? belayglass.blogspot.com/

Because :

1) It's cheaper.
2) You can add the home made type to your regular glasses/sunglasses
3) It's fun
4) Just Because :-)

Hey, we build anchors and other such stuff and are generally self reliant people. So why not be self reliant in this too ????

To answer the qn about acrylic, I'm not sure Cerium would work with it. Cerium oxide is really a glass polish and some acrylics are pretty hard. However, that's a great question and acrylic mirrors might be a viable option.

Hey Gaz I applaud your ingenuity!

I'd love to see a pic if you try this. It sound really cool. I seem to remember something about mirrors reversing the image. Left becomes right etc. Maybe not ideal but could still be better than nothing :)

If you decide to try some belay glasses send me a message from belayshades.com contact form. Mention your project and I'll give you a special "crazy mountain project DIY glasses deal". I started Belay Shades doing the same thing you are now actually. Rock on!

Dan

Bliss wrote:Hey Gaz I applaud your ingenuity! I'd love to see a pic if you try this. It sound really cool. I seem to remember something about mirrors reversing the image. Left becomes right etc. Maybe not ideal but could still be better than nothing :) If you decide to try some belay glasses send me a message from belayshades.com contact form. Mention your project and I'll give you a special "crazy mountain project DIY glasses deal". I started Belay Shades doing the same thing you are now actually. Rock on! Dan

Dan thanks for that. Prisms invert the image from what can see, mirrors don't. A prism will give a more natural look as if looking up. I'll have to borrow friends glasses and see. There mustbe a reason the prisms are used!! :-)

I am not saying they are not a good idea. But I am saying your 80% is total BS. 26 years of climbing 100s of climbing partners and not one of them is wearing one of those. Now as far as other neck issues, that is another story.

Gaz - I don't understand exactly what you're saying about the mirrors. Mirrors will invert an image. Littrow prisms (as used in most belay glasses) invert the image once off the bottom mirrored surface and then again by total internal refraction on the angled surface. By inverting the image twice, it appears normal to the belayer.

This diagram shows how the light travels through and is "bent" by the prism.

I played with a prism, a laser and some chalk to take this picture which demonstrates the same thing but looks a bit cooler.

Jeff Scheuerell wrote:I am not saying they are not a good idea. But I am saying your 80% is total BS. 26 years of climbing 100s of climbing partners and not one of them is wearing one of those. Now as far as other neck issues, that is another story.

I have crunched down discs in my neck from looking up for too long and I cant wear these things, first off it makes me a bit dizzy and if rocks were to fall I would not want these on my eyes.

now if the woman was a projecter and I was her belay bitch I might want them but a grigri and a crazy creek chair would come first

I where belaaggles, and they work really well for me. After my last mtn biking accident they are a must (7 fractures between C4 and C7 with large spinal displacements between C3/C4 and also C6/C7). Given the damage that I had done, I am just glad to be climbing (actually just glad to be walking and breathing without the aid of a respitator). so if they let me climb another 30 yrs, I'll be happy

and those that say that they aren't necessary haven't climbed enough. When I had surgery for my fractures, the doctor had mentioned that I had previous and significant degeneration of the region, which he suggested was from my 40yrs of belaying.

Belay Specs wrote:Gaz - I don't understand exactly what you're saying about the mirrors. Mirrors will invert an image. Littrow prisms (as used in most belay glasses) invert the image once off the bottom mirrored surface and then again by total internal refraction on the angled surface. By inverting the image twice, it appears normal to the belayer. This diagram shows how the light travels through and is "bent" by the prism. I played with a prism, a laser and some chalk to take this picture which demonstrates the same thing but looks a bit cooler.

I was incorrect and didn't do thorough enough research. I stand corrected. Thanks for taking the time to explain. Appreciate it.

No worries Gaz, I don't expect everyone to understand how the prisms work. When I started to look into it and understand it I was pleasantly surprised to realize my high school physics knowledge was being applied in the real world.

MJMobes - A small percentage of folks have issues with the dizziness, most people are able to adjust to belay glasses pretty quickly.
As far as rock fall, I think that wearing belay glasses with a helmet make it less likely that you'll get hit by rockfall (and not as bad if you did). Many people using various brands of belay glasses have realized they spend more time actively watching their climber while wearing belay glasses (because it is comfortable to do so) than without. This means they are more likely to see the rock fall happen and have more time to react. Additionally since you are not facing up, your face is less exposed to rock fall. Users notice this particularly when belaying on dirtier routes because they don't get as much sand and dirt in their eyes. And if you're wearing a helmet with belay glasses, your helmet will be positioned as designed to deflect rock fall. If you're going to sit in a crazy creek while belaying, I think you're increased reaction time will put you at more risk in a rock fall situation.

Belay Specs wrote: MJMobes - A small percentage of folks have issues with the dizziness, most people are able to adjust to belay glasses pretty quickly. As far as rock fall, I think that wearing belay glasses with a helmet make it less likely that you'll get hit by rockfall (and not as bad if you did). Many people using various brands of belay glasses have realized they spend more time actively watching their climber while wearing belay glasses (because it is comfortable to do so) than without. This means they are more likely to see the rock fall happen and have more time to react. Additionally since you are not facing up, your face is less exposed to rock fall. Users notice this particularly when belaying on dirtier routes because they don't get as much sand and dirt in their eyes. And if you're wearing a helmet with belay glasses, your helmet will be positioned as designed to deflect rock fall. If you're going to sit in a crazy creek while belaying, I think you're increased reaction time will put you at more risk in a rock fall situation.

no doubt the chair will do that, bad example.

say you are on a ledge belaying and you need to move really fast to the right or left(assuming your partner tells you of rockfall in time that is). do you think the glasses slow you down in getting out of the way or speed up the exit?

truth is I'll probably have to get used to these things eventually but I swear my reaction time will not be the same as it is now when I climb choss(which is mostly). it will take some getting used to for sure.

Hey Everyone, check out Up! Belay Glasses at upbelayglasses.com. These are awesome, you can get different colours, come with accessories and best off all saves your neck for only $39.98!!

Belay On!