I need lensometer advice.

[birdylove]

Ok, all-knowing optical folks, I've got one for ya. I'm an optician and a volunteer with Project Connect. Roughly every 8 weeks, I have 400 homeless and marginally housed folks needing free eye care. We are not well-funded, and each event is a mad scramble to find help. (this calls for a shout out to Essilor Foundation, Altair, Oliver Peoples, who have saved my heinie, and a future shout to Hoya San Diego for Sept 10, and VSP for Dec 3).

So I need a lensometer. Lots of folks come with broken glasses, and it's pretty seriously annoying that I can't just remake their rx, I either turn them away, or make them get a new eye exam. (one phoropter, 2 o.d.'s if I am lucky, and 4 hours...getting an actual refraction is like hitting the jackpot). Anyway, I just shelled out $350 of my own money for a phoropter, and I would rather not empty my checking account again.

Here's the scoop: There's a $169 portable lensometer on ebay. It looks dodgy. I am old-school, and I balk at change and new technology, and I love my 20 year old marco lensometer (at work, I can't borrow it), so this new-fangled one scares me. Have any of you ever tried one of these things? It can't be THAT bad, can it? My mom taught me the "you get what you pay for" adage. Should I just buy the thing because it's better than nothing?

Thanks folks!

birdylove

p.s. thanks to joe at Ophthalmic Instruments for letting the phoropter go for $350, WITH a servicing included, you're a gem!

[Dave Nelson]

Mother knows best...

[DragonLensmanWV]

I have used the totally handheld/desk model similar to but older than that one. The integration with the case is a nice addition.
I found it to be fairly accurate, though a bit dim.The range is not too high, but you'll rarely get out of it. This is a lot newer than the one I used, and that only a few times, so there should be some improvement.
If it has a return availability, give it a shot.

[Jacqui]

I would check around, there should be a good B&L or AO or Marco for that money and it would be a much better unit. Those portable units are kinda J***K. Contact Barry Sheppard he may know of something in your area. If you don't have his contact info PM me and I'll send it. he's in the LA area, I think. VSI www.patternless.com may also have something, if you call ask for Leo Hadley (he's a member here).

[CME4SPECS]

It is against the law to nuetralize lenses in the state of Ca.

[birdylove]

I thought the optometrist could legally do it? I have a moral issue watching somebody stumble around w/o their minus 6.00's, because I can't legally neutralize their lenses...

[chip anderson]

It can't be against the law to neutralize glasses anywhere, otherwise they could never be inspected or checked, or probably even made for that matter. It may be against the law to neutralize and replace from neutralization. But you can neutralize and use this as "starting point" for Rx, which you can get one of the O.D.'s to initial with new date.

Also how many of these poverty patients are going to another establishment (who won't want such patients anyway) and have the O.D. complain about your having done him out of an examination fee (which the patient doesn't have anyway)?

Chip


God help me I just old someone how to circumvent the "Law." But then it's as stupid self serving law that someone bribed the legislature to pass anyway.

[CME4SPECS]

It can't be against the law to neutralize glasses anywhere, otherwise they could never be inspected or checked, or probably even made for that matter. It may be against the law to neutralize and replace from neutralization. But you can neutralize and use this as "starting point" for Rx, which you can get one of the O.D.'s to initial with new date.

Also how many of these poverty patients are going to another establishment (who won't want such patients anyway) and have the O.D. complain about your having done him out of an examination fee (which the patient doesn't have anyway)?

Chip


God help me I just old someone how to circumvent the "Law." But then it's as stupid self serving law that someone bribed the legislature to pass anyway.

I'm pretty sure you know what I meant Chip.

[CME4SPECS]

I thought the optometrist could legally do it? I have a moral issue watching somebody stumble around w/o their minus 6.00's, because I can't legally neutralize their lenses...

Of course the OD can write an rx from your nuetralizing the lenses. You as an optician can't nuetralize and make glasses from that nuetralizing without an rx.
I have a moral issue with it as well, however I must abid by the law, if I want to keep my license.

[walleye]

I have a small portable older Japanese round target lensometer you can have for free. I purchased from a colleague years ago and it is in my cellar doing nothing. I can clean it up and ship it to you at my cost as you are doing such fine charity work. Let me know. Walter Drill, O.D. email or call 215-855-4549

[abocess]

My question is someone really going to call the "PD" police on you for helping the needy? :finger:

[CME4SPECS]

My question is someone really going to call the "PD" police on you for helping the needy? :finger:

Probably not! Would you knock a lil ole lady to the ground and steal her purse if no one was watching?

[HarryChiling]

Probably not! Would you knock a lil ole lady to the ground and steal her purse if no one was watching?

Maybe :D

If the doctors are comfortable signing your neutralizations between patients in could work. The portable thingy's leave much to be desired, they have the round european mires which some people struggle with but after a little getting used to (the amoutn of patients you will see would qualify you as getting used to) they aren't so bad. The thing is plastic, runs off batteries and an AC plug, the light only comes on when you mount a spec so the batteries would last you quite some time, but keep some spares anyway.

[fjpod]

I would agree that the portable lensometers are crummy. I would rather hand neutralize with trial lenses if I couldn't have a real one.