Powerlux Illuminated Stand Magnifier 5X/20D
MAG57
Powerlux Illuminated Stand Magnifier 3.5X/14D
MAG69
Pleaseretaintheseinstructionsforfuturereference.Theseinstructionsarealsoavailableinotherformats.
Importance of a low vision assessment
RNIBandActionforBlindPeoplestronglyadviseanyonewithvisualimpairmenttohavealowvisionassessment.ThisisanNHSfundedserviceusuallyaccessedatyourlocalhospitaleyeclinicorrunbyalocalorganisation.ReferraltotheclinicisusuallybyyourGeneralPractitioner(Doctor),OptometristorOphthalmologist.Theassessmentisfreeofchargeandavailabletoanyonewithlowvision.Youdonothavetoberegisteredassightimpairedtoaccessthisservice.
Lowvisionmeansthatyouwillbefindingithardtoseethingsasclearlyasyouwouldliketo,evenafteryouhavehadyoureyestestedandarewearingthecorrectspectaclesorcontactlenses.
Attheassessmentaqualifiedlowvisionpractitionerwillcheckyourvisionandassessyoursuitabilityforlowvisionaidssuchasmagnifiers.Theseclinicsareusuallyabletoprovideatleastonemagnifiertoyou,freeofcharge.Asmagnifierscanbedifficulttouseinitially,thepractitionerwillhelpyoutogetthebestoutoftheequipmenttheyprescribe.Ifyouhavebeendischargedbyyoureyespecialist,youcanaskyourGPorOptometristtoreferyoutothenearestclinic.
Choosing a magnifier
RNIB'sbooklet'Choosingyourmagnifier'isdesignedtohelppeoplewithavisualimpairmentunderstandthevarioustypesofmagnifierthatcanbeusedforspecifictasks.ThisbookletisavailablefromRNIB'sHelplineinlargeprint,audioorbraille.
Warning! Important information
Donotleaveyourmagnifierindirectsunlightwhenitisnotbeingused.Theintensifyingeffectofthelenscouldbecomeafirehazardindirectsunlight.Useyourprotectivecover(ifprovided)andalwaysstoreinasafeplace.
Neverlookatthesundirectlythroughamagnifyinglensasitcoulddamageyoureyes.
DonotlookdirectlyatthelightsourceinilluminatedmagnifiersasLEDsareverybright.
Avoidimpacting,bangingordroppingyourmagnifier,aswellasmoistureandhightemperatureswhichmaycausedamage.
Avoidputtingyourhandsorfingersonthelensofyourmagnifier-alwaysusetheframeorhandle.
What is a stand magnifier?
Standmagnifiersarespeciallydesigned"fixedfocused"magnifiersthatstandonapageandyouslidethemagnifieracrossasyoureadtheprint.Standmagnifierswillinmostcases"automatically"focuswhenlookingthroughthelens(youmayneedtowearyourreadingspectacleswhenusingstandmagnifierstogettheclearestimage).
General description
ThePowerluxoffersanalternativedesigntotraditionalstandmagnifiers.Ithasbeendesignedtobecomfortabletoholdandtoensuremaximumcomfortwhenguidingthemagnifieroverthereadingmatter.Theopendesignmeansthatthereisasmallspacetodosomewritingunderthelens.
ThemagnifierisfittedwithtwoSMD(surfacemounteddevice)LEDlightswhichprovideshighqualitylightforimprovedcontrastandrelaxedreading.Ifyouforgettoturnthelightoff,itswitchesoffautomaticallyafter30minutes.
Thelenshasahardanti-scratchprotectivecoating.Suppliedwith3AAbatteriesandprotectivezip-upcase.
Orientation
Inyourboxyourmagnifier,willbeinitsprotectivecase.
Top
Unzipthecase,removethemagnifierandpositionitinfrontofyou.Itissimilarinshapetoalargecomputermouse.Thelensisfittedintotheplasticcasingandtheblackon/offswitchispositionedontopoftheunitnearthelens.Theswitchisslightlytexturedandmadefromsoftrubber.
Bottom
Thebatterycompartmentisontheunderside.Turningtheunitupsidedownyouwillfeelasmallrecessedareaontheflatsurface,whichhastwotactileridges.Pressdownhereandgentlyslideawaythecoverfromtheunittoopenthebatterycompartment.
Getting started
Inserting/changing the batteries
Locatethebatterycompartmentatthebottomofthedevice.Pressontheareawiththetwosmalltactileridgesandslidethebatterycompartmentcoverawayfromthelensarea.
ReplacethethreeAAbatteries,notingthatthenegative(flat)endofeachbatteryshouldrestagainstthespringwithinthebatterycompartment.Oncereplaced,takethebatterycompartmentcoverandslideitbackontothemagnifier.
ReplacementbatteriesareavailablefromRNIBunderproductcodeCP03.
Please note:RNIBdoesnotguaranteebatteries.
Using the product
Toswitchonthebuilt-inLEDlightingpressthecentreoftheroundblackbuttonontopofthemagnifier.Itisslightlytexturedandwhenyoupressit,youwillhearaclick.
Placethemagnifieronthereadingmaterialsothatitishorizontalwiththecasingeithertotheleftortherightofthelens.Itsitsflatonapage,soyouwillneedtoholdtheframeandslideitacrosstheprintyouwanttoread.Youcanalsoholdthemagnifierineitherhand,butmayfinditmorecomfortabletoholdhorizontallyacrossthepage.
Thebestwaytoseethemostwordsatonetimethroughthemagnifieristoholditclosetoyoureye,whilstkeepingthemagnifierflatonthepage.Ifthewordsarenotclear,oryouneedtoliftitoffthepagetoseeclearly,youmayneedtoalterthespectaclesyouareusing(tryyourreadingordistancespectacles).Theoptimumimagequalityatadistanceisapproximately14cmfromtheeyetothelens.
Afterapproximately30minutesthelightswitchesoffautomaticallytosavebatterypower.Ifafterthistime,youwanttocontinueusingthelightpressthebuttonagaintoswitchitbackon.
Whenusingatasklightinadditiontothismagnifier,makesurethelightisshiningontotheprintunderneaththelens,andnotdirectlyontothelens,asthiswillcauseadditionalreflections.Youwillneedtobeawarewhenusingandholdingthestandmagnifiersnottoblockoutanylight,whichwouldalsocauseshadows.Onmanystandmagnifiers,youmaynoticereflectionfromceilinglightsonthelens.Thebestwaytoreducetheeffectofthesereflectionsistouseatasklight.Ifyouhaveastandmagnifierthatyouneedtoliftoffthepageinordertoseemoreclearly,youmayneedtoseeyouropticianaboutyourreadingspectaclesorgetastrongermagnificationstandmagnifier.
Whenthemagnifierisnotbeingused,placeitbackinitsprotectivecase.
Aftercare
Propercareofyourmagnifiermeansitwillprovideyouwithmanyyearsofuntroubledreading.Cleanthelenswithadampcloth(ideallyadampmicro-fibrecloth).Neverusesolventssuchasalcohol,benzeneorothercleaningagentsasthesecandamagethelens.
Youmayfindsmalllinesthatlooklikehairlinecracksattheedgeoflightweightlensesorintheplasticframe.Theseareflowlinesthatoccurduringtheproductionprocess,buttheydonotaffectthefunctionordurabilityinanyway.
Hints and tips
Itisessentialthatthereadingmaterialisplacedonafirmandflatservice.Ifyouarenotusingyourtable,youcanalsoachievethisbyusingproductssuchasaclipboard(availablefromRNIB-productcodeDW38). Acushionortraymayalsobeuseful.
Magnifiersusuallyworkbestwiththespectaclesthatyouhavebeenprescribedbyyourlowvisionprofessional.Ifyoufinditdifficulttokeepyourplacewhenreading,tryusingyourfingertomarkthestartofeachline.Holdingamagnifierclosetoyoureyeandthenbringingwhatyouwanttoseeuptoitwilloftenhelpyouseemorelettersandwordsatatime.Trymovingthebookorpagefromsidetosideratherthanmovingthemagnifieroryoureyes.Ifyoufindyoureyesaregettingtired,takeabreakandstartagainwhenyoufeelbetter.
LED lighting
Magnifierswithbuilt-inlightingarenothingnew.Sometypesofmagnifiershaveusedsmallbatterypowered‘traditional’typelightbulbsformanyyears.Disadvantageswiththesetraditionalbulbswere:theycouldbeunreliable:bulbsweredifficulttoreplace;theygaveoutayellowishlight;andwerenotenergyefficient.
Nowadays,mostilluminatedmagnifiersuseLightEmittingDiodes(LEDs)insteadoflightbulbs.Thesetinylightsprovideamuchbrighterleveloflight,tendnottobreakdownanddonotusemuchpower,meaningthatbatterieslastlonger.ModernLEDscanlastforover100,000hoursbeforetheyneedreplacing.
Somemakesofmagnifiersofferachoiceof‘colourtemperature’whichrelatestothecolouroflightemitted.ColourtemperaturesaremeasuredanddescribedinKelvinorK.Thelowerthenumber(2,700K)willemita‘yellow’light,andthehigherthenumber(6,000K)willemitabright‘white’light.
Effective lighting
RNIBandThomasPocklington'sbooklet'Makethemostofyoursight,improvethelightinginyourhome'demonstratesgoodpracticebygivingideas,hintsandtips.Itexplainshowtolightyourhomemoreeffectively,aswellasexplainingdifferenttypesoflightingandtheirbenefits.Itisavailableinlargeprint,audioandbraillefromRNIB'sHelplineoryoucandownloaditfromourwebsite.
How to contact RNIB
Phone number: 0303 123 9999
Textphone: 0845 758 5691
Postal address: RNIB, PO Box 173, Peterborough PE2 6WS, U.K.
Email:
Web address:
Email for international customers:
Terms and conditions of sale
This product is guaranteed from manufacturing faults for 24 months from the date of purchase. If you have any issues with the product and you did not purchase directly from RNIB then please contact your retailer in the first instance.
For all returns and repairs contact RNIB first to get a returns authorisation number to help us deal efficiently with your product return.
You can request full terms and conditions from RNIB or view them online.
Registered Charity No. 226227
This product is CE marked and fully complies with all applicable EU legislation.
At the end of the product’s life you can return it to the supplier or manufacturer for free of charge disposal. This is to comply with ‘The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive’ (WEEE).
Date: May 2014
© RNIB
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