Compass review

[jungle_re]

Just bought a few new compasses and have done a review.
Its on BB as the forum tools there are better than the ones i have access to here, hope its of interest to some

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1001532#post1 001532

[sapper1]

excellent reveiw of some great kit .I want the pro but don't need it and can't afford it.
Hang on ......Thats never stopped me before.

[jungle_re]

excellent reveiw of some great kit .I want the pro but don't need it and can't afford it.
Hang on ......Thats never stopped me before.

Treat yourself be the last compass your ever want. You can have a play with mine ( oh err) at the next meet.

[sapper1]

Cheers mate but keep an eye on it I'd hate to lose it in my deep deep pockets. LOL

[EdS]

toyed with getting an Eclipes but found it hard to use for drawing transects on maps - the base plate was too small for me.

Got an Silva Expedition 54

http://www.silva.se/templates/Products____79.aspx?epslanguag e=EN&productId={F1FC AE0C-EDE6-4E31-A191-9B062E14CEA5}

Excellent kit an very easy to take bearings with, especially at night.


Fancy some of the cards though to go with my old Sunnto mirror compass/clinometre

[Humpback]

Excellent review. I want one! Where did you buy it from? Alan

[jungle_re]

Excellent review. I want one! Where did you buy it from? Alan

I got mine from here

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.claritas-online.co.uk/images/silva/pro99.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.claritas-online.co.uk/products/silva.htm&usg=__gkJt-A2jldrVG3KZmaoQTi48d0c=&h=289&w=300&sz=56&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=5r7N80Dqkxf5sM:&tbnh=112&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Declipse%2B99%2Bpr o%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1 T4SUNA_enGB295GB295%26sa%3DN

best price i could find and the service turned out to be excellent. would buy from them again but hoping i dont need to :-)

[swampy99]

Quick compass question. If I have a silva type 4/54 that is in Degrees that I got in this country would I get the same of performance in Australia as I will be moving there within the next 6 months. I have been looking at the declination thing on the tinterweb and seem to be getting lost.

[Humpback]

Sadly your compass is useless there! Unfortunately the north needle will point south and vice versa!
Send it to me and I will dispose of it for you safely;)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
sorry, I'll get my boomerang
regards
Alan

[jungle_re]

Quick compass question. If I have a silva type 4/54 that is in Degrees that I got in this country would I get the same of performance in Australia as I will be moving there within the next 6 months. I have been looking at the declination thing on the tinterweb and seem to be getting lost.

The declination setting on my compass is to allow the difference between true or grid north to mag north to be set and does not relate to the needle balence (This may be different in yout model but i doubt it). The 54 has quite a large capsulse so may well still function with only a small amount of adjustment however the difference between the europe zone and OZ zone is quite high. What it means is that the neddle may foul the inside on the capsule and not be allowed to freely rotate when level. Hope that helps

Lifted off Wiki (couldnt find any other online source)

"[edit] Compass balancing
Because the Earth's magnetic field's inclination and intensity vary at different latitudes, compasses are often balanced during manufacture. Most manufacturers balance their compass needles for one of five zones, ranging from zone 1, covering most of the Northern Hemisphere, to zone 5 covering Australia and the southern oceans. This balancing prevents excessive dipping of one end of the needle which can cause the compass card to stick and give false readings"

[swampy99]

thanks for that.

[Glosfisher]

So, Jungle re, judging by the reflections in the compass mirrors, you'll be a Glaws supporter then?

There is only one true faith hereabouts;)

[swampy99]

Well from more research I find that this compass is not "Balanced" for the south of the planet so it may be up for sale.

[Mistwalker]

Thanks for the review. I have a couple of the Silva Rangers and love them, butI have been considering this one

http://www.rockcreek.com/products/listing/item11880.asp

as it seems a great compass for the money. I have no experience with Suunto compasses....have you used any of them?

[jungle_re]

the original thread has moved on a fare bit. During field testing the eclipse design proved fataly flawed. Alarge buble formed wich would normally be no biggy but as the needle would still move, the disc in the eclipse however becomes locked against the capsule rendering the compass useless.

i have just bought a recta dp 6 which is awesome, simplely awesome

[Karl5]

i have just bought a recta dp 6 which is awesome, simplely awesome

I couldn't agree more!!
That's the one I've been using for years.
The plastic housing keeps things very safe during transport, since I'm doing a lot of ski-touring I use the inclometer a fair bit so estimate avalanche dangers, the needle is very speedy without being wobbly, and the fact that it's adjustable for different parts of the world has come in handy a number of times.
The only thing is that it gets little bubbles in the fluid when above 2000 meters (due to lower air pressure). Then again, so do all compasses, the tiny bubbles don't really disturb and they go away again when back down at normal altitude.

/ Karl

[Kerne]

I have always used a Silva Expedition or a Silva Ranger 4 and I find these baseplate models much easier than sighting compasses. When it's cold anf foggy and you're in the middle of nowhere, the sighting features become almost redundant. Back in the days when I did a lot of sailing, I used a sighting compass to take bearings but the situation at seaand the type of navigation that you do, is different to that on land. Difficult to see anything to take a bearing on in a forest and impossible in the fog in open country. The few times I have had to take a bearing on an object in good visibility (on featureless, open moorland, I have found that the Ranger copes well)

[Minotaur]

I have an older version of the Field 26, if I upgraded the Ranger 27, or the Voyager 8040 both look interesting. But after looking at the prices, think the ranger is going to win. 44.95 for a compass!

Anyone know if someone has put those cards from the eclispe up, anywhere?